James Walsh Yoga

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 I'll say that it's been two months of reporting to this blog every morning to think, reflect, and, of course, hit my yoga mat.  It has had a wonderfully positive impact on my life. That being said, I have zero motivation to hit my mat this morning.  I got up at my usual 5:00am and started on my coffee, but, now that it's 5:53am (and nearing the time I need to get to my mat if I want to practice and leave my house at a reasonable hour), I don't wanna do it. lol I'll get changed in the next few minutes and push through all the "lazy" that I'm feeling, however.  I know I'll feel better about myself afterwards.... Tuesday, January 31, 2017 (Part II) Happy and fulfilled, as always, after a yoga practice.  I went through most  of my modified Primary Series and focused on my strength/endurance and alignment.  I've been slowly incorporating running back into my life (now that the weather in STL isn't blisteringly c...

Saturday, January 28, 2017 Had a yoga date set with an old student of mine this morning where we both went to Big Bend Yoga  Center in St. Louis and took an instructor led class by the wonderfully talented Michael Shabsin  (Attorney by day and Yogi master by night). lol This was my second time taking a class of Michael's and he has an extraordinary ability to "lead you and not lead you".  I know that sounds sugary and ridiculous, but, as he moves you/corrals you/leads you, he leaves margins for your own practice and your own body to be the ultimate guide that must be followed (meaning that you're not pushing yourself into something that's dangerous or unsafe for your ability level). The class incorporated vinyas flow into the later half and we went through a series of wonderfully challenging vinyasas incorporating a jump from chatturanga into crow (displayed at left), into a headstand, back to crown, and then a jump back into chatturanga.  Video here of a ...

Friday, January 27, 2017 Didn't wake up yesterday until 7:15am.  That is exceptionally  late compared to the usual 5:00am wakeup call I observe.  Needless to say, I didn't practice yesterday. Woke up at the usual 5:00am this morning and am looking forward to hitting my mat. Friday January 27, 2017 (Part II) Had a great practice this morning but, mentally, I was all over the board.  I'm preoccupied with something that keeps creeping into my head and causing me a bit of anxiety.  Anxiety, stress, aggression, fear, you-name-it, will always be a part of life, however, and I used the practice to focus on something else. My forward bending was a bit regressed (due to running), but my backbends are beautiful and effortless.  Earlier in the week I felt very  acute pain in my right hand and was concerned that I would be out of commission for a while.  That acute pain has dwindled down to almost nothing (though I am still mindful of chaturanga and u...

Wednesday, January 25, 2017 It was hard to wake up at my usual 5:00am this morning.  I've been doing a lot of physical activity and I've read that, the more one works out, the more you need to sleep.  I believe that and some of the most sound sleeps I've ever had have been post-run/post-workout. The purpose of this  blog isn't to go on about my sleep schedule however, it's about shaping your mind and shaping your body. As I approach the 2 month anniversary of this blog, I'm proud but also have increased diligence with my practice.  You can change/shape yourself with practice and patience.  You can become something different if you're persistent and mold yourself a bit every day.  I'm not saying that I'm  the King of persistence (back-track through this blog and you'll find days that were missed or days that I didn't get up on time, etc.), but I am  saying that, as long as you keep at something, you'll more than likely achieve your go...

Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Feeling motivated and energetic this morning.  Yesterday, being Monday, was a little bit of an eye opener from my yoga-less weekend. lol I woke at my usual 5:00am this morning and have been online viewing images and articles on meditation and other men who have a strong yoga practice that they remain dedicated to; it's not always  bad to be motivated by the success of others as it can push you to refine yourself to reach the level they're at. Now that I'm freshly inspired, and made totally envious by some images of incredibly talented yogis, I'm going to hit my mat. lol  Again, I'm poking fun at where I've drawn my inspiration from this morning but, I don't believe it's always  a bad thing to compare yourself to those more talented than you; it helps you aspire to their level. Tuesday, January 24, 2017 (Part II) Feeling fantastic after a fantastic practice.  Went through my modified primary series, as per usual, starting...

Monday, January 23, 2017 Didn't practice over the weekend.  Shame! lol It's Monday morning, however, and I'll be getting back into the routine of things here today. Had a great weekend full of hiking, running, and good food.  My lower back and legs are a little tender this morning from the runs, but I move very  carefully and slowly before starting my practice (usually doing a serious of warmups on the mat to wake everything up). Monday January 23, 2017 (Part II) I'd nearly forgotten the stiffness that running can impart onto my body.  Even a light 45 minute jog yesterday completely  changed up how my body responded to poses on my mat this morning. Forward bends weren't too terribly effected, but I feel those minute and overlapping muscles, that corset across your ankles/calves/etc., in a way that I didn't feel them yesterday.  I worked to gently break through that stiffness by warming up and moving slowly and deliberately through my first few vin...

Friday, January 20, 2017 Up at my usual 5:00am getting ready to hit my mat by 6:00.  Had kind of an irregular week; an irregular week, but a fantastic week none the less. Friday, January 20, 2017 (Part II) Only had time to go through my Vinyasa series but it was enough to sweat profusely and get things moving. I'll do a more robust practice tomorrow morning. Happy Friday and Namaste!!!

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 Didn't post yesterday as I went to bed at 9:00pm Monday night and didn't wake up till 7:15am yesterday/Tuesday morning.  Thats a whopping 10+ hours of sleep. I would beat myself up but I believe that, if your body refuses to get up at its usual time, there's a reason for it and you needed that extra rest to combat and offset sickness and other fatigue. Let your practice fit your body, your body does not fit your practice (in other words, "your body does what it can do and, when it can't, you don't force it and are respectful of the limitations you have that day"). Time to hit my mat....... Wednesday, January 18, 2017 (Part II) Just come out of Savasana and am still seated on my mat feeling the yoga glow. New physical achievement!!....Could comfortably achieve padangusthasana (show at right) without any bending in my knees.  Padangusthasana is the first pose you move into after your Vinyasa series.  It's a simple ...

Monday, January 16, 2017 Woke up feeling great this morning and ready to tackle another week. Feeling mild  digestive rumbly-ness from the weekend's food/wine/fun, but nothing too serious.  I'm looking forward to sweating it out on my mat. Monday, January 16, 2017 (Part II) Had a great practice this morning ended with 3 full upward bows.  Feeling good physically but, post yoga practice, I typically do some sort of ab exercise (I'm vain and should be ashamed of this trait).  I pulled something in my back and have a splitting headache as I write this.  It was like an ice pick got jammed into both sides of my upper back and neck; the pain is actually in my scalp and eyes too.  I'll be fine but it serves me right for compressing my back the way I did in full upward bow and then, probably 10 minutes later, doing strenuous weight bearing exercise. I'll sleep well tonight, I can tell you that. I'm going to channel the pain I'm feeling into focus and dete...

Saturday, January 14, 2017 Haven't posted or practiced since Wednesday!!! No big deal, it is what it is.  For whatever reason, I slept in hardcore Thursday and Friday morning (6:30am wake up is too late to have coffee, get in 30 to 40 minutes of a yoga practice and make it into the office at a reasonable time).  My first priority is to take good care of myself, however, so if I needed to sleep in for some reason, I listen to what my body is telling me and don't bug about it. On that note, I jogged Wednesday evening after work and haven't hit the mat since then.  I know from previous experience that running, as good as it is for cardiovascular health, tightens things up (my back and feet, especially).  I'll be showering this morning and hitting my mat for prayer/meditation and a strong practice to sweat it out. Saturday, January 14, (Part II) A strong practice where sweating it out was the name of the game!!  Today's practice was amazing.  Slow breath,...

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 This will be the first post where I discuss a practice that takes place at the end  of my day instead of the beginning. In the past, when I've had to sneak in a yoga practice at the end of the day, I notice that my body is completely limbered when compared to the stiff, wooden-soldier feeling my muscles can have in the morning sometimes. Mentally, however, I remember evening practices as being more difficult as my mind was going out of control and was nearly impossible to corral. I'm probably going to meditate ( Dharana ) and breath ( pranayama ) instead of doing physical poses ( asanas ).  I went running after work tonight (for the first time in the new year) and don't want to have to shower again. lol Wednesday, January 11, 2017 (Part II) I went to my mat and practiced a 4 count breath while meditating/praying.  My mind was a little  hard to control, but not as much as I had anticipated.  I have to say that much of the anx...

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 Don't know what was with me yesterday but my motivation was definitely a -10. This morning, I'm in the positive again as it comes to my practice. Looking forward to hitting my mat and looking forward to the day ahead. Tuesday, January 10, 2017 (Part II) I hit the mat this morning after my standard meditation/prayer.  I've felt "stuck" and as though I've plateaued in my life.  This feeling doesn't have any bearing on reality and, having spent as much time in personal reflection as I have, I know that this feeling of "motionlessness" is temporary, and will pass, as all negative feelings do when they're ignored.  The remedy that works for me when I have these feelings is to approach the "mundane/day-to-day" tasks in one's life, with a refreshed perspective.  I'll make goals for myself throughout the day and will feel as though I've advanced when I achieve them.  I won't publish my goals...

Monday, January 9, 2017 I took two  days of rest this weekend instead of one and didn't practice yoga or do anything close to physically challenging.  My challenging this past weekend were to see how much pizza I could inhale in a 24 hour period; sometimes, that's exactly what one needs. lol I'll be hitting my mat this morning, however, with almost Zero motivation.  Dig deep, do the dang thing..... Monday, January 9, 2017 (Part II) As always, I'm proud that I started my day with yoga.  I would have rather jumped in front of a bus. lol.  I was in my warm robe, with my warm mug of coffee, and I was staring at my mat with complete disinterest. I only completed my Vinyasa cycle this morning with no closing sequence.  I'll bump it back up tomorrow morning. I have a feeling this will be a smooth and stress-free week. Namaste

Friday, January 6, 2017 It takes longer than you'd expect to get your internal clock re-set.  I'm waking up at my scheduled 5:00am but I'm not liking anything about it and groggily shuffle about in my robe until my coffee has kicked in. Today is Friday, however, and I've got a wonderful weekend ahead of me. I'm going to continue with my primary series this morning but I'll be showering before and after my practice (a tradition....or so I'm told).  I typically don't observe this tradition but it helps shake off any lethargy that's still on me. I'll hit my mat after my shower and post my Part II below...... Friday, January 6, 2017 (Part II) Just before showering and hitting my mat, I was playing around online and came across an interesting site here that discusses some of the basic practices of yoga.  I'm going to use a Bruce Lee quote for a moment and say that one should keep what is useful and discard what is not, so please take any...

Thursday, January 5, 2017 The first snow of the year came today!!!  I've always loved the beauty of snow, even if I have to drive in it. lol  I usually go into my office early on Thursdays so I'll be meditating/praying in a few minutes and hitting the mat. Thursday, January 5, 2017 (Part II) Wasn't terribly motivated this morning but still, practicing diligence and perseverance, I hit the mat for my standard modified Primary Series  but felt a bit "stuck" around my digestive tract (TMI, I'm sure). I end each practice with Lotus pose, but added in an extra variation, show below; this is an inverted Lotus pose or Urdhva Padmasana.  In addition to it feeling good on my hips and back, this was a great way to help reverse the flow of my digestion and help to "un-stick" whatever's causing the trouble. Going go have a wonderful day today. Namaste

Wednesday, January 4, 2017 Slept in until 6:45am yesterday and kept hitting the snooze button like an overweight sloth that couldn't get out of bed. Today, however, I leapt out of bed at the standard 5:00am.  I'll be hitting my mat for my usual pre-workday routine and posting results afterwards. As usual, I will meditate/pray for about 5 minutes before hitting my mat.  Meditation and prayer are interesting because, like most things, there're days when they seem to be more "successful" than others.  Praying involves a lot of "talking" in one's head, while meditation involves a quiet and still mind that intentionally focuses on nothing.  A goal of my prayer/meditation regiment is to refine myself and refine my thinking to shape it in a way that I'd like; that's a powerful skill if you can learn it.... Wednesday, January 4, 2017 (Part II) Being cheap, I refuse to turn my heat on and will continue to stay bundled up until a herd of Empore...

Monday, January 2, 2017 First post of the New Year!!!! I've been off work for the past week and have been lounging around my place, hanging out with family and friends, eating pasta and pizza nearly every day, and going at my own pace (which can be very  lackadaisical). I'll be re-joining the work world tomorrow as my company reopens from the Holiday Break.  I'm looking forward to honing myself professionally in the upcoming year and seeing what opportunities wait for me!!! I'm looking forward to a year of physical fitness and achieving more of my personal goals in regards to my health.  This blog is certainly one of those goals, but I'm also an avid runner and haven't run a full Marathon since 2012 or a half-marathon since 2016; it's time to break that trend!!! lol Those are my simple goals for 2017.  Nothing too insane or unreachable. I'm going to be following my standard primary series this morning after a quick shower and a warm up on my m...