S@#t I’ve Heard at Yoga is a collection of humorous, unexpected, and insightful essays that reveals how yoga helped a Type A cynic transform to a Type Y(oga) optimist.

Calm is the new superpower. This collection of eclectic anecdotes charts my reluctant evolution from cynic to optimist. Inspired by bits of random dialogue with fellow yogis, confessional phone calls from friends, loud-talkers in coffee shops, a stare down with a winter-skinny deer and salient nuggets from yoga instructors in various locales—including the Hamptons, Palm Springs, Upstate New York, Los Angeles, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard—the sharp-edged wisdom found in these pages is the ultimate DIY therapy. Rather than explore the spiritual core or physical practice of yoga, these stories capture how yoga can lighten the rest of your day by quieting the crazy squirrels that live in your head.

In the context of our social, political and cultural oddities, these essays surf the edge between outrage and “OM.” As a wisewoman said, “Yoga really begins when class ends.” Michael’s theory: if everyone was required to practice yoga we’d have a lot less s@#t to deal with in the world. Whether you’re twenty, thirty, or sixty, if you’re stuck—if you’re trying to navigate a shift in your personal, professional, or romantic identity—S@#t I’ve Heard at Yoga may help you go from “Now what?” to “What’s next!”

Who is this guy I’ve never heard of? Michael J. Norton did the LA thing: wrote sitcoms and sold screenplays. After a contract at Disney evaporated, his agent said, “You’re okay. You’re solid B-list.” Although it beats the hell out of the D-list, the B-list is an ego-bruising slog once you plateau. Say goodbye to Hollywood—hello marketing!

Michael spent a few decades developing creative and business strategies for clients such as Maybelline, Toyota, LVMH, Jose Cuervo, the Guggenheim Museum, a smattering of fashion brands, and the launch of GOOP.

Since 2015, he’s been “Professor Norton,” teaching marketing, branding, and public relations at Parsons School of Design. He sits on the Advisory Board of Biosphere Corporation and served as board chair of The Trevor Project. 

Michael is an avid reader, pop culture addict, and a dedicated but wobbly yogi. He’s also a devoted pickleball player and has the injuries to prove it.