Michael Joel Hall

One fortuitous day while canvassing for a nonproliferation nonprofit, Michael came across a yoga teacher who donated something more valuable than money: she graced him with an invite to one of her classes. A single 75 minute session was enough to whet Michael’s curiosity from them til now, and foreseeably forever. He now works to light that spark for others. Michael holds a 200-hour RYT certification from the Vedanta Forest Academy and specializes in precise alignment with anatomical knowledge, intelligent sequencing, and working with the full gamut of body types.

After studying at the Sivananda ashram in the Bahamas, Michael apprenticed under Iyengar teacher Kristen Krash. Eclectic in his interests and practices, he has also worked in the vinyasa modality with select local teachers and some West Coast stars [such as Bryan Kest and Vinny Marino]. With a background in public relations [George Mason University, Barksdale Ballard] and comedy club hospitality [DC Improv] Michael brings levity and real world applications to his pedagogy, striving for a yoga that is applicable on and off the mat.

In 2009 Michael founded Mid City Yoga, a boutique guerilla yoga company. Knowing that the powerful and transformative effects of yoga aren’t dictated by any four walls, Mid City Yoga specializes in bringing yoga to unconventional spaces. Mid City Yoga provides opportunities for practitioners to experience all that yoga has to offer, regardless of location, props, or setting. Poolside, roadside, or even in the boardroom, Michael uses the versatility and integrity of a tradition-rich practice to teach anywhere and everywhere.

Yoga takes up a huge spot in Michael’s heart, but he has many loves. Volunteering for community supported agriculture (not-for-profit farms that bring organic practices to under-served communities), running marathons around the country, CrossFit, and climbing the occasional tree or statue all take up big chunks of his time. He wishes more time was spent on the water: rowing, surfing, and skiing. But, if you had to go looking for him, odds are good you’ll find him out in the world learning and laughing: after all, life is too important to be taken
seriously.