James Walsh Yoga

Friday, December 1, 2023 The word "Confounded" can have several meanings but, one way the word is used is as follows: "Confounded- to cause surprise or confusion in someone, especially by acting against their expectations" The entertainment industry is a primary source of confusion (and will more than likely, always be that way).  The entertainment industry continually tells us to " love yourself....you're perfect just the way you are....etc.",  but in the same breath will be selling you acne cream, anti-wrinkle cream, dietary supplements, hair loss treatments, etc.  It confounds people. Living in our modern world, with all of the good and bad that come with connectivity and social media and "news", can very easily leave one feeling confused and confounded.  If one looks to the world, and into one's cell phone for peace, one you will never find it.  However, the world does make one feel that peace can be achieved, and will be elusively ...

Friday, November 17, 2023, Is being miserable and "Dooms-day-ish" addictive?  One could argue that, yes, any personality trait (happiness, nervousness, anger, kindness, etc.), can quickly and subconsciously become habit, then behavior, then ingrained personality. With the advent of social media, all sorts of subjective, and dooms-day-ish material gets flung around: The dollar is going to collapse soon.... Food production is going to stop.... Start prepping for the worst.... The water is all going to dry up.... There's something "superior" and delicious about telling everyone else that the end is nigh.  In reality, I hope that most people don't fear that we're living in the "end of days" despite the 24/7 "news" cycles that are constantly at our fingertips, and the 24/7 social media scroll that's also at our fingertips. In reality, one could say that we're living in the best of times, and the worst of times (to quote Mr. Dickens...

Friday, October 13, 2023, For the past several months, I've been training for a half marathon (13.1 miles or about 21 kilometers).  The race is 9 days away from today and, for the past ~2 months, my running training has amped up to very long amounts of time, long distances, etc.  I've found that, when I do a 9 mile training run, I feel that, to help recover, my body insists that I sleep in.....all that to say, for awhile now, my normal 4:15am waking time, has been chucked out the window on most days, and I sleep in as late as 6:00am (or even later, I'm afraid).  Today, for whatever reason, I naturally woke up at my normal 4:15am time (even before my alarm went off).  I'm on my mat writing this before I've started my practice and, for whatever reason, I felt a strong understanding of why I come to my mat, why I've developed a practice, and why I believe time spent on my mat is, by far, the healthiest thing I can do for myself......... ....Peace is what's obta...

Tuesday, October 3, 2023, To make money, and profit from human emotion, the entertainment industry (which includes news, commercials, music, movies, etc.), has romanticized all aspects of life.   The phrase " I love you " in a movie has become the ultimate thing, and isn't that just the ultimate thing to say to someone, and it's it just the ultimate thing that someone can say to you , etc. Unfortunately, hearts/emotions are subjective and fickle, and change with the day, mood, blood-sugar, etc..........in a way, that means that emotions and "feelings" aren't real. One of the many unfortunate side-effects of the entertainment industry is the over-romanticizing of normal day-to-day life.  Over-romanticizing things distorts our thinking and, if allowed, will begin to distort how we act and react to things in our lives.  An example of this distortion is over-interest and over-complication on emotions and feelings.  Emotions and feelings are not real and, wh...

Wednesday, September 20, 2023 Anything you cultivate, care for, or grow with intention (like a garden, yoga practice, or a clear and still mind) will have unwanted, elements to it.  The analogy of weeding is a good one as it draws up a physical image of a garden with unwanted characteristics in it that must be pulled out. Our minds, mine included, are the same.  "Weeds" like anger, etc. will pop up.  Left too long, they'll grow stronger and one gets accustomed to seeing them to the point where one just accepts it....." that's just me" is an overly popular phrase that's used today to excuse all sorts of ridiculous, underdeveloped behaviors. Time to begin today's practice, and weed the mental garden.... Part II: As always, I'm writing Part II on my mat after my practice has concluded.  Weeds grow back for sure.  Sometimes, in as little as one day.   Time to enter the world.  Namste

Friday, September 15, 2023, There's a saying that, " No Rain Drop Feels Responsible For The Flood ". In the contemporary world we live in, connectivity with others (primarily through Social Media), has led to a lot of destructive behaviors that no-one/single person ever feels responsible for: "We're so divided"... "Things are so polarized"... "Everyone seems on edge"... "There's so much hatred in the world..." I've used the phrase of a " a teaspoon of gasoline"  before, and it, essentially means the same thing as the "raindrop" analogy......one, incrementally, moves things into the wrong direction.  One, incrementally adds to the flood that will destroy....one, incrementally adds a teaspoon of gasoline onto the fire. You can only control yourself.  You can control what you say in person and online.  Don't spend your time arguing and remarking with someone who lives in another hemisphere.  Part II:...

Wednesday, August 30, 2023, Habits, good and bad, creep in over time.  It's important to be aware of one's habit's; both good and bad. Part II: A soft, light, and somewhat "odd" practice this morning but, what's to be expected when I haven't been on my mat in a few weeks.  I've been busying myself with half-marathon training runs, and other physical activities so haven't been getting up at my normal 4:15am for awhile.  Let's see if I can reinstate the habit.  Namaste

Thursday, August 3, 2023,  Don't be soft on yourself (don't be overly hard either, but definitely er on the side of non-softness). On my mat at 5:23am, and it's time to begin... Part II: On my mat having just concluded this morning's practice.  It's 7:10am as I type this, and I have got to get better about ending closer to 6:45am-ish.  The title of today's post is don't be soft......as I mentioned in my Part I, don't be overly-hard either, but erring on the side of softness isn't good.  Hold yourself to a high standard and high expectation at all times.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Tuesday, August 1, 2023, Awake at the usual 4:15am for coffee and contemplation, and on my mat a little later than normal at 5:29am.  Time to begin... Part II: It's 7:10am as I type this and I'm out of Savasana after an excellent pratice.  I think I've let bad habits creep into my practice (uncontrolled breathing...uncontrolled thinking...etc.).  I'm going to gently, and lovingly, try to move the needle and redirect.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Monday, July 31, 2023, Up at my usual 4:15am and on my mat at a slightly later than usual 5:29am. Time to begin... Part II: I'm writing this Part II on my mat having just completed my practice for the day.  The title of today's post was originally just one word; "Pointless".  After practicing, I changed it to the current title of "It's Pointless-and other lies we tell ourselves" because that's a bit closer to reality when one is feeling like something is pointless.  Fatigue, jaded-ness, malaise, and general disinterest are tricky little monsters that plop themselves down, and insist that there's no point in driving them out.  There is a point to driving our indifference as indifference is very often a depressing state to be in.  A physical practice (and physical movements in general), can help drive out the sludgey feeling of indifference.  Time to enter the world.  Namste

Thursday, July 27, 2023, For whatever reason, after Monday's practice, I began to "crash" the remainder of the day......throat started getting sore.....fatigue set in......and my personal favorite "general malaise" (another way of saying you feel unwell all-over in a general way), sets in.  This continued into Tuesday and yesterday (Wednesday).  I woke yesterday morning at 1:45am with a splitting headache (which never happens), and couldn't get back to bed for an hour or so. When this happens to my physical health, I have a few common-sense tactics that we all use to help myself recover quickly (rest, hydrate, eat-well, etc.). Today I woke at my usual 4:15am feeling well again. All that to say, it's 5:24am as I type this, and it's time to begin today's practice.... Part II: As always, the version that's coming off the mat at the end of practice is superior to the version that got on the mat at the beginning of practice.  Time to enter the wor...

Monday, July 24, 2023, After an enjoyable and yoga-less week and weekend, I'm back on my mat. We'll see what today's practice brings.  It's 5:20am, and it's time to begin... Part II: As always, the first update is before I practice, and Part II is written immediately after my practice is complete; usually about ~2 hours later.  I was stiff.  I was sore.  I was unfocused.  I was bloated. No matter how "uninspired" a practice can be, it always refines you into a better version of yourself.  For that, I'm grateful.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Friday, July 14, 2023, The title of today's post is from a show titled " Call the Midwife".  I've watched. few seasons of it but, in effect, it's a BBC program that takes place in post-WWII England.  The subject matter focuses around a group of Nuns and their assistants, and the women's healthcare they provided at the time.   The show is interesting and engaging for several reasons but, most interesting, is how the Nuns, who offered pre-natal healthcare to the women in their community, struggled at times.  In Europe, in the 1950s, having a child out of wedlock would have been something that society frowned on; the Nuns had to look past this, and offer their aid to anyone who needed it (wed or unwed).  One of the assistants (who was a secular nurse in training) mentioned to the lead Nun that, " helping women of this sort makes me uncomfortable".  The lead Nun, who was mindful, realistic, and wise, kindly advised this younger nurse-in-training that, ...

Thursday, July 13, 2023, Ever have a dream, or a series of dreams in a night, that were bad or just altogether unpleasant?  I'd say everyone probably has, myself included, and, depending on how odd/unpleasant the dream was, I know that one can wake up in an odd/unpleasant state. This happened to me this morning when I woke up; fresh from an odd dream.  Even though I'd had my dinner, right around 9:30pm last night, before bed, I enjoyed some delicacies from the fridge.....some leftover pretzel bites with some delicious cheese, a bowl of some ridiculous sugary cereal, and the last bit of an ice cream container that'd been in the freezer for a while. For me, eating foods, especially foods like this, right before bed, almost always leads to a disruptive night.   All this to say that, this morning when I woke I was feeling "crummy".....I was feeling "blue"......I was feeling "off". As I've said many times.....feelings are feelings are feelings.....

Monday, July 10, 2023, Hitting the mat at 5:48am (about 40 minutes behind schedule). Something is better than nothing, however.  Time to begin. Part II: Today's practice was good.  Not great.  Not terrible; but good.  Something is better than nothing.  It's 7:17am as I type this, and I need to get my rear-end in gear.  Namaste

Tuesday, May 23, 2023, I talk a lot about "feelings" on this blog and, more specifically, how feelings are just that....feelings, and that, altogether, feelings should almost always be ignored.  This idea of "ignoring one's feelings" flies in the face of the 2023 world but, as I've learned, one can almost always bet that doing the opposite of what the world wants you to do, is more than likely the appropriate answer to life.  I woke at my usual 4:15am this morning.  After my usual hour of coffee and contemplation, I didn't "feel" like getting on my mat.  I'm on it anyway.  I don't "feel" very energized, holy, yogic, spiritual, strong, etc......... I don't "feel" that way.   Knowing what I've learned though years on my mat I know that I'll "feel" very different at the end of practice.  Time to begin... Part II: As always, my feelings are very different after a practice.  The version that gets off...

Friday, May 19, 2023, I woke at my usual 4:15am this morning but, it's 5:40pm now (when I'm supposed to be starting practice at 5:15am at the latest), so I'll be brief..... This morning's delay was caused by Social Media.........I was caught on a fairly humorous meme page, where, all one had to do, was continue scrolling down/up and fresh, consistently funny memes, were popping up.  Delighted as I was, I saw the time, and ignored it saying...." I'll practice in a bit" .  Fun as it is to allow one to be sucked into one's phone, it can pull you in a little deeper than one intended. Time to begin.... Part II: I'm on my mat, having just come out of Savasana.   Today's practice was a little "heart-less" and "soul-less", but that's ok....you're not going to catch fire every day, and every time you hit your mat.   The version that gets off the mat at the end of practice is always superior to the version that go onto the mat...

Wednesday, May 17, 2023, It's 5:21am, and I'm on my mat. Time to begin... Part II: On my mat, having just come out of Savasana. I'm still struggling with something.....it's hard to identify at times but there's things bouncing around that I need to figure out.   Time on my mat helps. The version that gets off the mat at the end of one's practice is always superior to the version of oneself that got on the mat at the beginning of practice.  Namaste

Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Forgiveness is most difficult when it comes to oneself.   It's 5:35am, and I'm about 15 minutes behind schedule, so I'll keep this brief, but forgiving oneself (for transgressions large and small) should be a daily thing.....it helps keep the cogs moving.  Time to begin... Part II: Post practice, on my mat, having just come out of Savasana.  A nice physically strong practice this morning.  Emotionally, I feel like I dredged up some odd feelings this morning; some of them negative, and some of them positive.  Offering up one's emotions (good and bad) is a good way to get rid of them.   Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Up at the usual 4:15am. On the mat on time at 5:16am. Nothing profound to say.  Time to begin... Part II: Went through my entire series and, for the second time in a week, finished with three full backbends....keeping with the theme of building momentum.  It's 7:14am as I type this, and it's time to enter the world.  Namaste

Wednesday, May 3, 2023, If you'd like to see a charming, heart-warming, and extremely well done film, go and see "Marcele the Shell". Introduced to me by a friend who enjoys film as much as I do, Marcele the Shell is a G rated style of film, that still manages to deal with very adult/non-sugary topics (like death and re-birth). Without going into detail, one of the most emotional parts of the film is narrated by one fo the main characters slowly reciting a short poem called, "The Trees" by Philip Larkin. Watch the film for the full effect but, now that Spring is here, I've found a line from the poem popping into my head frequently: "...Last year is dead, they seem to say, begin afresh, afresh, afresh..." The simplicity of the message is death/re-birth of nature in Springtime.  That message of death/re-birth is powerful, however, as a person goes through many cycles of death/re-birth (even throughout the short course of one day). In that vein of dea...

Tuesday, April 25, 2023, Momentum was a topic of the last time I got on my mat 4 days ago.  It's 5:36am as I type this, and I'm about 15 minutes behind schedule, so I'll be brief and say I believe some kind of momentum is being built.  With momentum, unfortunately, must come patience and consistency; two unglamorous words.  Time to begin today's practice... Part II: It's 7:37am as I type this ( way behind schedule), but I'm pleased with myself, and my practice this morning.  I went through two full backbends at the end of my practice (something I haven't done for months, probably), and I'm going to continue the momentum.  Namaste

Friday, April 21, 2023,  For the past several months, my practice hasn't been consistent.  It's a shame, because a consistent practice is the way to incremental benefits which amount to large benefits, if viewed in a cumulative way (many things in life are like this as well).   However, I've noticed in the 15+ years I've had a practice, that momentum comes and goes; once it's gone, it's difficult to regain.  To "regain" momentum, once does have to be consistent but, the good news is, once momentum is built, consistency is easier to maintain. That's enough gum-flapping......it's 5:19am, and it's time to begin... Part II: As always, I'm on my mat, having just come out of Corpse Pose/Savasana, and having just concluded my practice.   It's 7:05am as I type this and that's technically late, and I should try to conclude my practice at 7:00am, on the dot (I've heard/read that it's important to start and end one's practice a...

Monday, April 17, 2023, For the past few months, I knew my practice was becoming inconsistent.....inconsistent, if allowed to continue, eventually becomes "non-existent"..... I would set my alarm for the usual time (4:15am), but no matter how "determined" I would be as I set the alarm before going to bed the night before, when the "rubber met the road", and my phone dinged at 4:15am the following morning, I would shuffle across the room, dig the ringing phone out of my robe pocket, hit the snooze button, and crawl back into bed barely feeling any remorse for not following through with my normal routine....that "remorse" kicked in later, and I would say, " tomorrow will be the day I get back into it" .  A hiatus from a routine is inevitable, but small consistent efforts eventually build the momentum up and, before one knows, it,  That's enough chit-chat....it's 5:37am, and it's past-time to begin today's practice.  Part I...

Wednesday, March 14, 2023, On my mat for the 2nd day in a row. The strong practice I had yesterday was good, but strength is very often the enemy of flexibility; I can feel areas of my body that I opened up yesterday stiffened and sore. What's the remedy for this?.......re-open them again with another practice.  Day by day, these areas will eventually yield to a consistent practice, and your body will change.  Time to begin... Part II: I'm on my mat, as always, having just finished my ~2 hour practice.  I know this......the world will try to make you ugly (inside and out), but a live of prayer/meditation/yoga can make you beautiful. Namaste

Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Back in town after a brief hiatus.  Time to begin... Part II: On my mat, having just come out of Savasana. Physically, today's practice was strong; however, I've neglected my routine for the past month or so, and my body has solidified in areas that it usually isn't solidified......the only remedy for that is to re-build a routine. Namaste

Monday, February 6, 2023, Woke at the usual 4:15am.  After ~1 hour of coffee and contemplation, it's 5:33am as I type this, and it's time to begin... Part II: As always, the first post is done before I practice, and the Part II update is made immediately after practice.  Here I sit, on my mat, having just come out of Savasana.   The version of oneself that comes off the mat at the end of a practice is always superior to the version that got on the mat at the beginning of the practice.  Namaste

Friday, February 3, 2023,  "Come As You Are" is the title to a 90's song from a band whose name escapes me at the moment, but the message of "come as you are" should be applicable in our day to day life to remind us, as humans, to continue with our routines, our duties, and our responsibilities even when we don't "feel like it.... I don't feel very attractive...I won't get ready for the day I don't feel very holy...I won't practice yoga I don't feel very healthy...I'll just eat more junk food I don't feel very <<INSERT NEGATIVE EMOTION>>...I won't <<INSERT ROUTINE/RESPONSIBILITY>> I can personally say that, this morning, I don't "feel" very pretty, holy, healthy, or anything......I don't "feel" bad.....I just don't feel much of anything at all at the moment...... I've learned that, when one feels indifference, or unmotivated, it's best to force oneself into c...

Monday, January 2, 2023, While today's is still a "vacation" day for many, it's best to start easing oneself back into good habits (I.E. setting a standard wake-up time, eating proper/well-balanced meals, etc.).   In that vein, for the first time in nearly a week, I set my alarm and got up at an appointed time.  I am now on my mat at an appointed time, and ready to begin today's practice. Part II: I believe this was the second time I've practiced in the past 3 days; I'm pleased with that and some of the kinks/frozen muscles that I discovered a few days ago are starting to loosen.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste