James Walsh Yoga

Tuesday, March 31, 2020,  Yesterday was Monday.  It wasn't a great day, but it certainly wasn't a bad day.  Monday's, and any day, can be just that.....a Monday.....a day.  I came to my mat with little enthusiasm, and then ended my day with little enthusiasm, and that's ok.  Following through with a thing is a good exercise in giving your best when you don't feel like it. Today is Tuesday, however, and I woke feeling marvelous.  I woke today with more drive and focus.  It's 5:15AM as I type this, and I'm going to begin a little earlier, as I intend to go through my full sequence of Asanas.   I'm going to spend a bit more time in meditation and prayer before I begin. Time to sweat it out.... Tuesday, March 31, 2020 (Part II),  I spent extra time in prayer and meditation this morning and I feel like that makes a difference in my practice. I reflected while I was moving through my Asanas today and realized that, while I've expanded ...

Monday, March 30, 2020 After no physical practice/Asanas on Friday, and no yoga over the weekend, I notice that it's difficult to stay motivated and dedicated to my practice at times.  Additionally, I ran a solo-10K this weekend (the St. Louis GO! Marathon/Half-Marthon/10K was cancelled, like most public events), and the additional tenderness in my feet, legs, etc. definitely told me not to get on my mat. Monday blues/malaise, essentially.....a "negative mind"... When I'm on my mat, feeling like it's pointless, and that the day ahead is pointless, and that the efforts I'll expend to make things better are pointless, I can go back to the foundations of my life.  First, what do I live for?  I live for God.  That is my attempted mantra every day. It is not for me/you to understand the purpose of anything.  Pulling yourself out of an equation is very liberating in that you're no longer attached to the result. It's 5:27AM as I type this, and it...

Friday, March 27, 2020,  Woke at my usual 4:15AM but, for some reason, woke with a malady of physical issues:  Low-Grade Head Ache Body Ache/stiffness Left Eyelid swollen and red I at least know that this was caused by a combination of sunscreen, retinol cream, and moisturizer that got into my eyes while I slept.   #retinolislyfe Allow me to bid you an enjoyable weekend.  I'll be back on the mat Monday.  Namaste

Thursday, March 26, 2020 Delighted to be on my mat again this week. Sometimes, it's hard to look forward to the practice.  " Why am I even doing this", my brain asks me at times. " The couch you're on is soooper comfy, and the warm coffee you're sipping is sooooper nice, and the video clips of cooking shows you're mindlessly watching are pacifying and soothing as background noise......your mat is going to make you sweat, and make you work, and make you uncomfortable....who needs that?......no one."- My Brain I titled today's post "Connect 4" because today is the fourth day in a row this week I've started my day on my mat.  I typically practice Monday-Friday and rest on Saturday/Sunday.  I've also been training for the GO! St. Louis Marathon/Half-Marathon/10K that would have occurred this Sunday.  That running schedule, paired with a yoga practice, has definitely given my legs and back something to think about.  Out of t...

Wednesday, March 25, 2020,  Like many, I am self-quarantined in my home for the time being.  I work from home, and carry on a normal day-to-day routine, but I've had to come up with some interesting ways to feel accomplished:    1.    Eating Healthy - I've been eating properly for the past few weeks.  It sucks, but it makes me feel balanced mentally and physically.  I'm a "nacho's/pizza/hot-wings/what-are-your-app-specials?" kinda guy at heart, so the continual stream of vegetables, fruit, salads, etc. is disappointing and boring at times; good news is, I'm used to it now.    2.    This Blog - I was dedicated to this blog long before the quarantine, but this blog is extremely useful to me in that it encourages me to get up at 4:15AM, and on my mat by 5:15AM.  The physical/mental/spiritual benefits of my practice cannot be denied as essential when human contact is being limited.    3.    Househo...

Tuesday, March 24, 2020,  Woke at my usual 4:15AM, and I'm on my mat at 5:19AM; on schedule. Feeling a bit off this morning, as I was yesterday.  I'm going to take my own advice and ignore my feeling's, for the most part, and continue with my practice. Tuesday, March 24, 2020 (Part II),  I'm writing this post-practice, off my mat, and I suppose I'm still feeling a little "off". Yesterday's blog post was "Ignore your Feelings...Most of the time", so I need to practice what I preach a little bit, and not put so much stock into emotions and feelings. Today's practice was a great one; the second full series that I went through this week (ending with a full backbend sequence).  I will do the same tomorrow, and then I'll get back into my running routine.  Last time I ran was Sunday (4.6 miles, just in case you're curious....you're not, but I told you anyway), and the effects of running negate much of the flexibility that i...

Monday, March 23, 2020,  Woke at my usual 4:15AM this morning for my hour of coffee and contemplation ( #strangerthings), and I'm on my mat, a bit behind schedule, at 5:29AM, ready to begin. Just for yucks, I went back, and read some of my initial blog posts from 2016; I used to get up at 5:00AM!  LOL Who was I?... The point of rising at 4:15AM is to allow an hour's time to "thaw" from my sleep.  This means an hour of brainless, thoughtless time on the couch, nursing a hot cup of coffee and scrolling through memes. If I'm begin good, and staying on schedule, you'll see my posts beginning at 5:15AM CT.  I'm feeling a bit sore this morning, and a bit " uninspired" to go into my practice; I know enough about my nature to ignore these "feelings" and get on my mat anyway.  I always feel better, and create a better version of myself, when I begin my day with my practice. Time to begin.... Monday, March 23, 2020 (Part II),  I'm...

Friday, March 20, 2020 Woke up this morning at my usual 4:15AM, and I'm on my mat, typing this at 5:09AM. Physically, I'm feeling well this morning.  A bit of tenderness in areas of my back, and a bit of tenderness in some areas of my legs, but nothing too extreme.  I've been getting exceptional sleep lately, and crawling into bed around 7:00PM-ish every night; asleep by 8:00PM-ish (and it's awesome). Mentally, I'm feeling fair enough; I think I had funky dreams last night, which led to a funky feeling this morning, shortly after I woke up.  This happens at times, and the perfect "reset", is the mat that I am currently sitting on. If I could tell myself one thing, I would say this: "The world will try and rob you of your peace; expect this daily.  If the world will try and rob of your peace, on a daily basis, you must prepare your body, spirit, and mind, and ensure that you're not left gutted, weeping, and confused when the world comes ...

Thursday, March 19, 2020 Woke at my usual 4:15AM this morning, and I'm on my mat an hour later typing this. Feeling well, and feeling eager to complete another full practice today, though I'm a little sore from yesterdays' full practice. It's 5:26AM as I type this, and it's time to begin. Thursday, March 19, 2020 (Part II), A little sore my eye...... I had a marvelous practice today; ended it with another crowning series of backbends.  My mind is definitely one of the more difficult things to keep silent but, today I randomly began exercising a yoga principle I've known of for many years; Drishti  . Simply put, this principle means focusing your eyes on a point and holding your eyes there while you sustain your Asana/pose.  I've always employed Drishti in my practice but, for some reason, I grew lax in this principle, and abandoned it on some of my postures.  Today I noticed that, when I held my eyes still, I held my mind still, and held by b...

Wednesday, March 18, 2020, With no rhyme or reason, I did not get on my mat yesterday. I'm happy to say that, once in a routine, it feels weird when the routine is broken, as it was yesterday morning. One thing led to another and, before I knew it, it was time to begin my work day. A day of rest, like that, isn't the worst thing in the world, but I do feel like I missed out on opportunities to begin my day properly. Enough chit-chat, it's 5:21AM as I type this, and it's time to begin today's practice. Wednesday, March 18, 2020, A marvelous, and full modified Ashtanga Primary Series was done this morning. For the first time, in several weeks, I finished with a full upward bow/Urdvha Dhanurasana (shown below). This pose is the final Asana/physcial posture in the series that I practice.  This is followed by the closing sequence and Savasana/Corpse Pose.  This pose is/was my crowning glory that rights all of the wrongs.  I write tripe on this blog someti...

Monday, March 16, 2020, Woke at my usual 4:15AM and I'm on my mat, a little later than usual at 5:52AM. Eager to begin my warmup and meditation/prayer routine; it's time to begin. When the world appears to be crazy, persevere through it and keep your chin up. Monday, March 16, 2020 (Part II), It's 7:03AM as I type this and it's time to shower up and enter the world. The world will try and rob you of your peace; pray daily for peace of mind, heart, soul so that you're a reservoir of peace that others can draw from. Namaste

Friday, March 13, 2020, Chin up,....right? I feel like I've said that a lot for the past few weeks (both to myself, and to others); chin up....chin up....chin up. I posted yesterday about how the world, at large, seeks to remove peace from your life.  I believe that still.  I am going to continue to use my mat as a resource to fill my "peace goblet" and peace reserves with as much as possible so that I can walk through a day in the world, and not come home at the end of it feeling confused and frightened. It's 5:25AM as I type this, and I'm going to begin to fill up my peace reserves; beginning, as I always do, with prayer and meditation. Friday, March 13, 2020 (Part II), Great practice.  It's 6:45AM as I type this and I'm going to hop in the shower and enter the day.  Namaste

Thursday, March 12, 2020, The world seeks to rob you of any peace you have.  There is no question about this.  Turn on any electronic device you have (phone, TV, tablet, laptop, etc.), and 99% of what hits your eyes and ears is designed to do two things: Piss you off Frighten you/Freak you out It's difficult to be in the world and not "of the world" (#meta).  While this sounds pretty hippie-dippie, another way of stating this is that it's wise to ignore 99% of the garbage that's running around in the world currently.   This doesn't mean that someone shouldn't be aware of the current state of things, but rather, be aware that the "information" that comes from one's "screens" is contaminated.  Try and avoid things that are contaminated.   This blog is coming to you through a screen, but I hope and pray that all of the content posted on this blog, since November of 2016, is enriching and edifying.   On that note, it...

Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Collectively, I'll say that, when I begin my day(s) on my mat, I am a little less sensitive to the changes of the world.  That's a good thing, as the world will constantly try to either frighten you, or anger you (#meta).  Sensitivity can be a good thing as well, if you can learn to control, and master it, instead of the other way around; the ability to dial sensitivity up and then back down again, is powerful.  My mat has brought me many good things, but this ability to control myself/emotions/thoughts, etc. is one of the "jewels" in the yoga crown.  I am not saying that I can control myself at all times.  There are still times when I allow feelings and emotions to interact with what I'm doing.  I am not an isolated monk on the top of a mountain who spends 9+ hours praying each day; those men/women, are true masters of themselves, and I look up to them immensely.  I am but a flawed, and humble practitioner of the same exerc...

Tuesday, March 10, 2020, I've been getting up slightly earlier than usual to try and give myself more time on my mat. My usual waking time has been 4:25AM, but I've been setting my alarm for 4:15AM for the past week.  While this is only 10 minutes earlier, it can make a difference when it comes to this blog, and my practice. It's 5:43AM as I type this, and I'm a bit behind schedule; targeted time to begin is 5:15AM. I'm going to start my warm-ups and prayer/meditation practice before beginning. The title of today's blog alludes to the physical changes I feel as I continue training for either a 10K or Half-Marathon in a few weeks.  I've been going on longer and longer training runs and, while it's a wonderful way to get outside and get energized, running definitely cancels out some of the flexibility that a yoga practice brings.  I'm interested to see how I feel as I practice today..... Tuesday, March 10, 2020 (Part II), I'm writing th...

Thursday, March 5, 2020, Per yesterday's blog, I've been slowly and gradually incorporating my three primary means of physical fitness together; yoga, running, and Tae Kwon Do (#hi-yah..........AMIRITETHO!!!). Of those three, my yoga practice is, by far, the most holistic and all-encompassing means of fitness.  I say this because my practice is physical, but also involves mental conditioning, and spiritual conditioning. While your head, heart, and soul can be viewed as separate from your physical body, they are, of course, totally connected.  From what I understand, the word "Yoga" comes from a root word "Yuj" meaning to join/to yolk/to unite; while I believe that can be interpreted many ways, I believe the uniting of your head/heart/soul/body is one of the primary purposes of the art form. It's 5:36AM as I type this, and it's time to begin... Thursday, March 5, 2020 (Part II), Wonderful practice.  No time to post.  Time to shower and enter...

Wednesday, March 4, 2020, Woke at 4:22AM this morning.....set the alarm for 4:15AM and, while it went off, it didn't wake me up, for some reason.  I eventually woke on my own accord (I believe), and then noticed there was an odd noise coming from my robe, across the room; apparently, I'd set the 4:15AM alarm with a different "alarm sound" than what I'm used to.  I think my brain "heard" the little noise my phone was making but, due to the noise being different, didn't associate it with "it's-wake-up-time". TIP TO BECOME AN EARLY RISER: Put your alarm across the room so you physically have to get up from your bed to shut it off.  I put mine in my robe pocket so it's easy to simply grab my robe, turn off my alarm, and then make my way to the kitchen where my precious, precious coffee awaits me.... Have your coffee, or something else welcoming, waiting for you in the kitchen when you wake up.   I'm proud to say that, si...

Tuesday, March 3, 2020, Woke at my usual 4:25AM this morning and, after an hour+ of coffee and contemplation, I'm on my mat. I'm behind schedule again, as it's 5:45AM currently, and I'm going to begin with my usual prayer, meditation, and physical warm-ups. Tuesday, March 3, 2020 (Part II), No time to write much of a post-practice update.  I'm going to begin waking up at 4:15AM and getting on my mat by 5:15AM; I never have enough time to write anything of value otherwise. Feeling great.  Ready to take on the day. Namaste

Monday, March 2, 2020, Woke at my usual 4:25AM this morning and, after and hour of coffee and contemplation, I'm on my mat, ready to begin. Monday, March 2, 2020 (Part II), It's 6:58AM as I type this and I'm a bit behind schedule. I'll be attempting to post more tomorrow (this blog is supposed to help a reader on their journey into a deeper yoga practice, after all...lulz). Namaste