She teaches six days a week and hasn't missed a Mysore practice in three years. She's also been on tirzepatide for eight months. She hasn't told anyone. The gap between our public discourse about "natural" practice and our private pharmaceutical realities has become a chasm.
The Shala Daily
YOGA • PHILOSOPHY • LIFE
January 5, 2026
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✦ PHILOSOPHY ✦
The Pharmacology of Tapas: The Silence
She teaches six days a week and hasn't missed a Mysore practice in three years. She's also been on tirzepatide for eight months. She hasn't told anyone. The gap between our public discourse about "natural" practice and our private pharmaceutical realities has become a chasm.
🕉️ KEY CONCEPTS
Satya
Truthfulness; naming what we see, even when naming it makes life harder
Ahimsa
Non-harming begins with self; sometimes privacy protects
Mithyā
Illusion; the collective delusion created when everyone hides the same thing
Sangha
Community; the space where honest conversation becomes possible
"There's a difference between privacy and deception. When everyone keeps their medications private, we create a systematic misrepresentation of what's actually happening in practitioner bodies."
There's a difference between privacy and deception. When everyone keeps their medications private, we create a collective delusion—the belief that bodies can be managed through willpower alone, and that those who struggle simply aren't trying hard enough. The silence isn't neutral.
— MJH
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