Health

Do Yoga in Support of Local Instructor Michael Joel Hall’s Recovery

Yoga studios are raising money for a popular yoga instructor and his partner who were attacked in an alleged hate crime.

Local yoga studios are banding together to raise money for a yoga instructor and his partner who were brutally beaten by a group of teenagers in what some are calling a hate crime.

According to a reports by Fox 5 WTTG and NBC Washington, on July 22, Michael Joel Hall Jr., 29, and his partner, Michael Roike, were walking home in Eckington when a group of teenagers approached them and without warning began attacking them. Hall suffered a broken jaw and a fractured cheekbone.

DC police said the incident could be a potential hate crime, since the attackers didn’t ask for money or anything else from the couple.

In addition to teaching private sessions, Hall is a yoga instructor at Yoga District, Balance Gym Downtown, Flow Yoga Center, Vida Fitness: Metropole, and Crunch in Friendship Heights. Various studios in Washington have banded together to raise money for Hall’s recovery, since he has no health insurance. The following is a list of benefit events open to the public:

Wednesday, July 25

Yoga District on 14th Street will host a 6:30 PM yoga class for Hall.

Thursday, July 26

Lil Omm’s 7:30 PM flow yoga happy hour class will raise money for Hall.

Cobalt // 30 Degrees is hosting a fundraiser tonight; all proceeds from the door ($3) will go to help Hall.

Friday, July 27

Two classes at Flow Yoga in Logan Circle will donate all proceeds to Hall. Both classes are at 8:15 PM and are an hour and a half. 

Balance Gym at Thomas Circle will host a roof top yoga session at 5:30 PM.

All evening classes tonight at Down Dog Yoga will be donation-based. 

ExtendYoga in North Bethesda will hold a 5:30 PM class in honor of Hall. 

Blue Heron Wellness in Silver Spring will donate proceeds from their 6:15 PM yoga class with Hannah Leatherbury to Hall. 

Saturday, July 28

Capitol Hill Yoga will host an open yoga class at 9 AM.

Georgetown Yoga will host an all-level class at 9:15 AM. 

Yoga Chai will host an align and flow class at 9:30 AM. 

Blue Heron Wellness will host a level one and two yoga class at 9:30 AM and a level one class at 10 AM. 

Embrace Yoga will host its rocket yoga class at 11 AM. It will be followed by a meditation and vinyasa class at 1 PM. 

Yoga District in Bloomingdale will host a 5 PM class.

Flow Yoga in Leesburg will host a 4 PM vinyasa flow class.

Tranquil Space in Arlington will host a benefit workshop for Hall from 5 to 6:15 PM. 

Sunday, July 29

Stroga’s Budokon flow class at 11 AM will raise money for Hall. Another “Flow for a Cause” class will be at 6:30 PM.

Capitol Hill Yoga will host a second class for level-one yoga students at 9 AM.

Embrace Yoga’s owner Faith Hunter will host a 1 PM class. 

Ashtanga Yoga Studio DC will host a yoga workshop from 3 to 4:30 PM. 

Fuse Pilates owner Mariska Breland will host a 3:30 PM class. 

Tranquil Space in Dupont Circle will host a benefit workshop for Hall from 3:30 to 5 PM. 

Blue Heron Wellness will host a Pilates class at 9 AM. 

Monday, July 30

Yoga District on 14th Street will host a 6:30 PM class for Hall.

Friday, August 3

Little River Yoga in Arlington will host a teen yoga class at 5 PM and a power yoga class at 6:30 PM. 

Saturday, August 4

Little River Yoga will host a yoga class at 2 PM. 

Sunday, August 5

Results Gym in Capitol Hill will host a yoga class open to members and nonmembers from 2 to 3:15 PM. 

Lululemon in Logan Circle will host a 5 PM class in honor of Hall at Meridian Hill Park.

Monday, August 6

Proceeds from Yoga District’s Rocket 2 class at 7:45 PM will go towards the MJH fund.

Sunday, August 12

Happy Soul Yoga in Leesburg will host a class at 3 PM. 

Friday, August 24
Today 10 percent of all sales at Proper Topper will be donated to Hall. 
For the rest of July, all proceeds from Epic Yoga DC’s commUNITY classes (Thursdays at 4 PM and Sundays at 11 AM) will be donated to Hall’s recovery.

All proceeds from the yoga classes Hall usually teaches at Yoga District (Mondays at 7:45 PM and Wednesdays at 6:30 PM) in Bloomingdale will be donated to Hall until he recovers and is back to teaching.

For the entire month of August, all Buddha B Yoga on U Street will raise donations for Hall. In addition, the studio will donate 10 percent of all class-packages in August to the MJH fund.

For more information, visit the Facebook pages created for Hall and his partner: Friends of Michael Joel Hall and Michael Roike and Michael Hall—Yoga Community Donation Class

Gyms and studios can e-mail wellbeing@washingtonian.com to add a class to this list.