James Walsh Yoga

Wednesday, October 28, 2020 Part I, I will always be torn between hour+ runs, deep/athletic yoga practices and my natural inclination towards junk food.  If I had a weakness, it's that.  I usually eat properly, and balanced throughout the week, and do whatever I want on the weekends.  Sometimes, that weekend "extends" itself a little bit into the weekday; as it has this week.   Food is meant to be enjoyed, so I regret nothing, but I'll say that, for someone with sensitive digestion, I quickly become aware that my diet has gone off the rails.  Pair that with a neglected yoga practice, and you get that awful feeling of shame, and laziness paired with guilt.  Enough chit chat, time to begin.  Wednesday, October 28, 2020 (Part II),  Let's see if I can practice what I preach, and keep the momentum going to hit my mat tomorrow and Friday, to round out the week.  Got flung off my normal routine over the weekend, and stayed up to an eye-watering...

Thursday, October 22, 2020 (Part I) Woke at 4:30am this morning, a little later than normal, and I'm on my mat at a shockingly late 6:00am.  Far too much time dawdling, and watching re-runs of Great British Baking Show on Netflix (#maryberry4lyfe).  Today is the third morning of practice this week.  For whatever reason, I've felt decreasing amounts of enthusiasm for my practice as the week's progressed (shouldn't I be feeling more enthusiastic as the week goes by, and my flexibility and strength grow?).   One of the tenants/rules/principles that I've learned through my practice is that discipline beats motivation.  In other words, forcing yourself to do something you're not motivated to accomplish is an exercise in good mental health, as your "feelings" and "motivation" will fluctuate with the wind. Time to begin... Thursday, October 22, 2020 (Part II),  No mojo in this morning's practice,....and that's ok.   Prayer, meditation, Asana...

Wednesday, October 21, 2020 (Part I),  On my mat at my usual 5:30am(ish).  As per yesterday's post, I'll begin, as always with my prayer, and meditation practice before going into my warm up.  Time to begin... Wednesday, October 21, 2020 (Part II),  At times, the contributions we make in our professional, and personal lives (work, family, health, etc.), can seem as though they're not making any difference one way or the other; " I've been chipping away at this low-carb diet for days now and I'm not skinny yet....", or, " I've been trying to learn more about this process/procedure at work but it still seems confusing, and daunting to me", or, specific to a yoga practice, " I've been practicing every morning this week, and I still can't get my heels to touch the ground in downward dog".   It's wise to step back to a "higher level" at this point of thinking, and try to remember that perseverance and discipline win...

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 (Part I), A physical warm up is an essential part to my morning routine and, especially when colder weather moves in, can be as important as the Asanas/Physical Poses themselves.  That's it...nothing profound.  It's 6:00am as I type this, and it's time to begin.  Tuesday, October 20, 2020 (Part II),  I'm writing this post practice.  I'll say that, if I had to do a time breakdown, I spend the time on my mat as follows: 5-10 Minutes - Pranayama/Breathing Exercises, Prayer, Meditation 5-10 Minutes- Warm up before going into my Surya Namaskar/Sun Salutes This warm up can be whatever I want it to be, but it usually includes rolling back and forth on a curved spine to warm up my back, neck, and abdomen, followed by some gentle inversions to "status check" where my legs, and back are that morning.  I do this with the utmost of caution, as the point of a warm up is to see where I am that day; not to push myself to my limits just yet....

 Tuesday, October 13, 2020,  More than anything, a life of balance should always be achieved.  Balance goes out of whack very easily and, for many of us, we can live that way for a time, but it ultimately catches up. I'm speaking today of the very tangible balance in our physical bodies; mental and spiritual balance are a bit harder to grasp identify, and adjust.  For the first time in 2.5 weeks, I'm beginning my day on my mat.  The small hiatus came for several reasons but, in the interim, I've gotten back into a solid running/jogging routine.  This blog is focused on the practice of yoga, so I won't drone on about my uninteresting hobby of jogging, but I will use it to discuss physical balance. After running outdoors, and enjoying the last bits of warmer weather, I've began to notice a very familiar sort of dull, odd, "achey" feeling in my right hip/lower back.  I have grown very familiar with this feeling, and know there's only one thing for it; str...