James Walsh Yoga

Monday, November 21, 2022 Time to begin today's, and this week's, practice(s).  Part II: Average practice.  Something's still going on in my lower back...some odd latent-effect strain from last weekend's gardening/bulb-digging-up.  Ah well.   Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Friday, November 18, 2022, Continuing the theme from this week of "Be Not Afraid". Wednesday I felt unafraid.  Thursday I felt afraid.  Today I feel right in the middle (maybe).  I can say that all living/breathing human beings experience some level of anxiety, depression, "mental illness", etc.  The good news is that, for almost 100% of us, we can mitigate these thoughts and feelings with practice, and learn to shepherd ourselves through the world; the world, which only wants your demise.  Yes, that sounds dismal, but it's always been true (and will always be true....more than likely).  Whatever the world says to pay attention to, do the opposite.  Whatever the world says to care about, do the opposite.  Whatever the world says to be obsessed with, do the opposite.  Time to begin... Part II: An abbreviated practice this morning, but a practice, none the less.   Namaste

Thursday, November 17, 2022, Today's practice will be a continuation of yesterday's theme of "Be No Afraid". Why?..........because yesterday I was unafraid........ today  I feel afraid for some reason!  Not terribly frightened of anything in particular, just a little fearful of "what's around the corner". What did I do yesterday that may have flung my internal-barometer off?   I can say this..........as I was winding down to sleep, I allowed my silly self to go onto social media, and go into the "death scroll".  I try to never do this but, there's an addictive nature to social media (its designed this way, FYI, and will continue to refine itself so that it's more and more gratifying to our evolved-chimp-brains).  That addictive nature makes one forget the time that's passed while you're scrolling through nonsense.  Has 5 minutes passed or 40 minutes?.....who knows.....it's like being inside a Casino for your brain.....there...

Wednesday, November 16, 2022, The title of today's post is a classic line.  "Be not afraid" is spoken in the literal sense in the Christian Bible and, more recently, by Pope John Paul II.   Thematically, the concept of "never fear/let nothing frighten you/etc." is seen throughout the Religions of the world.  Non-fear is, all at once, a simple, and complex thing to think about.  We complicate our fears almost entirely by our own hands (via Social Media, "News", and other forms of media).  That's the first call out; we are in charge of how much "frightening material" we consume through "news"............ According to our "news" we're supposed to be very concerned/frightened about the following: Global warming Declining bee populations The politics of the day Polar bears (are the panda bears ok now?) Something about the "cost of living crisis" THE ECONOMY.....OMG RUN! Some amorphous/shapeless force in the wo...

Monday, November 14, After a productive weekend, which hit the balance between chores/relaxation, it's the start of a new work week. One makes one's happiness.  That is certain.  One makes one's misery too.  I've been in a bit of an odd "funk" for awhile......I control how I feel though.  I control my drive (which gives me pride), I control my efforts (which make me feel worthy), I control my actions.  We all control our own drive, efforts, and actions.....those things, lumped together, give us a key part of our own happiness.  Time to begin... Part II: The version that gets off the mat at the end of a yoga practice is always superior to the version that got on the mat at the beginning of practice.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Friday, November 11, 2022, It's 5:41am as I type this, and I'm a tad behind skedge.  Time to begin.... Part II: Great practice.  Behind skedge....time to enter the world.  Namaste

Thursday, November 10, 2022, For about ~two weeks now, I've struggled with some kind of head-cold/body-aches/tension-head ache nonsense.  Being under the weather plays with my mental state as much as my physical state.  For whatever reason, I get "down" on myself when I'm under the weather; generally, I do less if I'm unwell, and after a week or two or "doing less" I start to have thought of, " ugh.....I can't seem to advance......why do I even bother.....this brings me no joy.....*sigh*....poor-ole-Jamsey.....". I've said it many times but, emotions, for the most part, shouldn't be given any attention....they change with the wind/blood-sugar/amounts-of-sleep, etc.......even though I know this...it's still difficult sometimes.  The best thing to do when one isn't at their best, is to stick to one's routines......having said that...it's 5:27am as I type this, and it's time to begin. Part II: As always, Part II is ...

Monday, November 7, 2022, Woke at the routinely schedule time of 4:15am. Had my routine hour of coffee and contemplation.  I'm now on my mat, in the yoga room, ready to begin....it's 5:24am as I type this.  Kind of lack-luster this morning...but that's ok.  Time to begin... Part II: It's 6:43am as I type this, and I'm coming out of Corpse Pose/Savasana.  It's time to enter the world.  Namaste

Friday, November 4, 2022, The illness I contracted last week is (almost) completely gone.  It's been easy for me to get up at the usual 4:15am for the past few days.  It's 5:13am as I type this, and I've had my hour of coffee and contemplation, and I'm on my mat in the yoga room. I get blue when I'm ill, but the only way to become un-blue is to become un-blue (how's that for a circular-meta-remark).   Time to begin today's practice... Part II: Today's practice was stronger than recent practices.  My breathing is better, I'm less congested, and I was able to focus my thoughts and meditation (for the most part).  It's 7:11am as I type this, and it's time to enter the world.  And, .....to continue the circular-meta jibberish I wrote in today's opening, I'll say that the best part about being blue, is when you don't feel blue anymore.  Namste

Wednesday, November 2, 2022,  For whatever reason, I feel as though I've gotten ill in 2022 more than usual.  Yes, I do attribute it to the global population being masked-up for a year+, and then de-masking and a whole host of illnesses (that one might have been used to/partially-immune to or otherwise more ready to deal with, all of the sudden get sneezed, coughed, laughed, etc. into our faces. I traveled for work on Tuesday of this week, by Wednesday afternoon (one week ago today), I could feel myself crashing. All this to say that, part of my nature is to have a high-standard of myself; when I don't keep myself to a high standard, I feel blue.  While I've been unwell the past week, I haven't really stayed on top of chores, general house-hold cleanliness, etc. and I haven't done any sort of physical activity........I overeat (what else is new) because I say, " I'm sick....I deserve this soup and sandwich" , I should say that, without starting my day ...