James Walsh Yoga

Tuesday, December 28, 2021, The image shown in today's post is a famous photograph where, in June of 1963, a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, named Thich Quang Dur, self-immolated, burning himself to death as a protest for religious freedom in his country. It's a frightening image and it's a frightening thought, but this now famous photograph commands respect for the monk who did this as a form of protest, and makes one reflect on one's own life (and how feeble one's faith, resolve, and conviction is compared to this holy man's faith, resolve, and conviction).  What would he have been thinking knowing he was going to do this....." what happens to my body is irrelevant"....."what happens to me is meaningless"....."my death will force change"..... and it did.  A shrine to this monk was erected on the streets of Saigon on the very location where he self-immolated. Accounts of the event describe the crowd, shocked as they were, as being mostly...

Wednesday, December 22, 2021 On my mat a bit behind schedule at 5:27am as I type this.   Today's title (and yesterday's title), is something that I plan to talk about more, but the concept of being indifferent to pain isn't necessarily tied to a yoga practice, or to the art/science of yoga as a whole; indifference to pain is merely something that I've personally connected to my practice as a benefit that I receive.  Why would anyone want to be indifferent to their pain? There are 8 limbs to the tree of yoga; Asana (or physical postures) are what most of us think of when we think of "yoga", but Asana is only one of the 8.   Pratyahara is the 5th limb, and it is the withdrawal from the senses.  I won't expand too much on this concept because, even after 10+ years of a practice, this is a difficult concept to understand but, at its core, I believe this principle is meant to focus our mind.  Your mind controls your body (where pain originates from), and ...

Tuesday, December 21, 2021, I'm writing/updating this post after this morning's practice.  The title, " Indifference to Pain (Part I)" , is a concept that I'll write more about when I have a bit more time.  A physical practice, which is what of us think of when we think of yoga, helps one become indifferent to physical strain/pain, etc. More on that tomorrow.... Namaste

Monday, December 20, 2021 With absolutely no drive or enthusiasm, I am on my mat (behind schedule at 5:40am as I type this).  I try to practice what I preach, however, and I know that, motivation, enthusiasm, and drive will not always be there; do what you're supposed to do anyway. Time to begin...

Friday, December 17, 2021 I don't typically watch any network TV but, on occasion, I'll switch over to traditional network television.  I was watching Wheel of Fortune last night (as one does), and the commercials/advertisements during this show always give me a chuckle.  The commercials are, very obviously, geared towards an age demographic. Advertising, and advertisements, have always been interesting to me but, at its core, advertising is the art of manipulation.  In 30 seconds or less a commercial can show us a harrowing tale of loss, resilience, and overcoming challenges; you can be brought to tears with the emotional surge that a well-crafted advertisement creates.  29 of those 30 seconds are designed to build you up emotionally, and make you feel and think a certain way and then, BAM!......in that last second, the veil is dropped, and you're told to, " try the new bacon double cheeseburger"......"take this years SUV out for a test drive".........

Thursday, December 16, 2021 "Be Strong, Be Kind, Be Beautiful"; this is an old Korean phrase (so I've heard), that stuck with me when I heard it years ago.  I couldn't say why it resonated with me so much, but my guess is that the side-by-side mentioning of strength with beauty has made me contemplate what it means to be beautiful (unsolicited opinions about life, that no one asked for,......coming up....turn back now).  The world can seem vulgar and ugly; in many ways, the world is completely vulgar and ugly (the entertainment industry/Hollywood for example, is vulgar and ugly).  The ugliness of Hollywood has nothing to do with the faces of our celebrities; on the contrary, they're kept in better shape and better skin-care than most.  However, the ugliness comes from the non-physical.  This is the same with all people (celebrity or not).  It's a constant, and daily struggle to live in a world that is vulgar and ugly, and not let it turn you into something ...

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 & Wednesday, December 15 Part I Woke at my usual 4:15am yesterday, and today, but was only able to get through prayers, breathing/pranayama, and meditation before needing to cut the practice short; no physical/Asanas were practiced yesterday.  I'll take a moment to say that, even without the physical strain (which many of us call"yoga"), a practice still has enormous benefits on one's psyche, mood, and overall well being. I'm back on the mat this morning a tad behind schedule (it's 5:24am as I type this), so I'll quite gum flappin, and hop to it.... Part II: It's 6:45am as I type this, and I'm back on schedule, having completed my full practice, complete with back-bending sequence (something I haven't done for awhile.  Time to enter the world. Namaste

Tuesday, December 7, 2021 Part I: Routines are dull, boring, predictable, and scheduled.  However, you've often heard child-care experts say things along the lines of, " children thrive on routines, and structure".  I believe that phrase is true for, not only children, but for the more developed adult brain as well.  Structure, routines and predictability lead to peace.   In that vein, it's 5:24am, and it's time to begin.... Part II: I try never to rush but, as far as today and yesterday were concerned, I'm behind skedge.  It's 6:50am as I type this, and today's practice was completely different than yesterday's.  Yesterday I felt ill, sickly, weak, stiff, and unhappy; today, I was able to break through some of that, and push myself into a deeper sweat that resulted in my feeling excellent after Savasana.  No time to dilly dally...time to shower up, and enter the world.  Namaste

Monday, December 6, 2021,  Part I: There are many principles that can help you maintain a good habit (like yoga); primarily among them, is perseverance and discipline.   I lack both of these at times, and don't always do what I know I should be doing (I.E. Sunday evening, I should be folding laundry, but I'm often still bingeing Netflix and eating snacks on the couch as I milk the last sweet moments from the weekend).  The same applies to my yoga practice; I've found that, very often, Mondays are the worst days for a practice, and are, very often, skipped.   It's 5:37am as I type this, and I'm behind schedule so, on that note, I'll begin... Part II: I'm writing this Part II update, as always, on my mat, having just come out of Savasana.  It's 6:46am, and I'll say that this morning's practice was not strong, or focused.  I felt body fatigue, paired with sweat, paired with an unfocused mind.  All told, a morning that starts with a yoga practice...

 Friday, December 3, 2021,  Part I While I haven't posted a blog update in a mo, I've continued my practice, in my new space, and have kept a reasonably consistent routine.  Today would be the third time this week I'm starting my morning on my mat.   It's 5:23am as I type this, and I'm technically behind schedule (should really start at 5:15am), so in that spirit, it's time to begin Part II Writing this Part II update, post practice, on my mat, having just come out of Savasana.  It' 6:48am as I type this, and there's no time to dilly dally.  Wonderful practice; wonderful way to start one's day; highly recommend; 12 out of 10 stars. xxx Namaste