James Walsh Yoga

Thursday, December 19, 2024 Feelings and emotions (in general) are things that I advise anyone to be aware of, but to never let them control you (a feeling isn't real and an emotion isn't real either, despite what Pixar and Inside Out, etc. all have to say to us about emotions).   The emotion/feeling of being "good enough" can work for us and against us (some days we feel more than good enough and some days we don't); whether "good enough" is working for us or against us, it should still be observed, but never focused on much.  I woke up not feeling "very good" and or "good enough" and or blah blah blah...... I am happy that I'm on my mat, and beginning my practice as I know I will feel better afterwards.  Time to begin... Part II: As always, I write the initial post before my practice, and I write the Part II immediately after I've concluded my practice.   My perspective and outlook has changed so much from a few hours ago.  ...

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 I haven't practiced in a while and I have a theory that, with the other physical trainings I've been undertaking (for running, and other competitions), my body has stiffened up (especially the corset-like muscle groupings of my back/torso).  I believe this could be affecting my mental acuity.   Mind over matter is something we hear a lot but is the reverse ever true; does our physical body (the "matter"), ever get the upper hand over the mind?  I believe it can (unfortunately) and has and it is up to oneself to reverse and un-do this so that the mind is always in control over the body.  Enough chit-chat....time to begin... Part II: Writing this update post-practice.  I have a lot of things to work through physcially but, the mind is superior.  Always.  Namaste

 Monday, November 4, 2024,  A line from one of the latest Disney/Pixar films, " Inside Out 2"  is the title of today's post.  I'm not trying to drag Pixar and Disney into the dirt, but their overall approach to content over the past decade or so has led to multiple satires of their work (watch SouthPark's season opener "the pander-verse" to understand more).   The actual line from the "Inside Out 2" movie is, "... I've learned that all emotions, are good.." .  This really isn't true.  Contemporary approaches to emotions and mental health are heavily flawed (in my humble and untrained lay-man's opinion).  Are emotions good?.....Are all emotions good?  Absolutely not, and what a thing to say and suggest.    My say is that emotions (of any kind) are actually not good.  Emotions, above everything else, should be ignored and have minimal influence on one's thoughts and actions.  If eating a meal or drinking a glass of...

Wednesday, October 23, 2024,  Human Nature is something one hears a lot.  It can be a blanket response to anything a human does actually, and can also be dangerous to label our actions/words as " that's just human nature".   One could argue that, while all humans are bound into their physical bodies, are our bodily driven desires (food, breathing, sleep, etc.) "human nature" or are they "animal nature"?  Any animal craves the same things of abundant food, sleep, mating partners, etc., but are we, as humans, meant to bring ourselves beyond this bottom tier of Maslow's hierarchy of needs? Time to begin today's practice... Part II: Great practice, but it's time to enter the world (thinking about my flawed and imperfect human nature). 

Tuesday, August 20, 2024, Haven't hit the mat in awhile as other physical pursuits have been taking more of a "center stage".  Let's see if I can get back in the groove of things.... Part II: A soft gentle practice.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Wednesday, July 31, 2024, It's 5:23am, and it's time to begin... Part II: It's 7:23am (on the dot), and I'm done with today's practice.  Namaste

Tuesday, July 30, 2024,  24601.......just kidding (little Les Miserables joke for ya there....).  In seriousness, asking oneself " who am I" , can be an interesting exercise in self-reflection.  First and foremost, in the spirit of humility (which is grossly lacking in our world), one should initially answer, " I am no one". The response of " I am no one", meaning you're a nobody from nowhere, doesn't minimize you as a person, but it implies that you're humble and realize that you're nothing special (because you're not and neither am I).   Time to begin today's practice....  Part II: Great practice.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Monday, July 29, 2024 5:32am, and time to begin... Part II: 7:25am, and my practice is over.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Monday, July 22, 2024,  Late to the mat, time to begin. Part II: I'm unwell, so spent today's time on the mat rolling around, moving softly into stretches, etc. and it was marvelous.  Namaste

Wednesday, July 3, 2024, There's a great line from an Anne Murray song (or from an old Religious song that Anne Murray did a cover of), that alludes to what will occur when we die and, if there's an afterlife, what our initial thoughts/feelings and experience, in general will be, when we pass. " when my feeble life is over" No one, myself included, wants to view their life as feeble but it's important to remember that, if Religion is correct, what we're planning for ourselves and structuring for ourselves in this world (careers, aspirations, 401k amounts, etc.) are feeble and will ultimately disappear; they'll disappear if there's an afterlife or not actually. Given that fact, I try to remind myself everyday to extinguish my feeble will, my feeble wants, my feeble thoughts and feeble plans......they're all made by a feeble and flawed mind.  Extinguish your will, wants, and desires daily and align yourself with the Divine.   Time to begin today'...

Tuesday, June 25, 2025, Behind schedule (it's 5:36am) and it's time to begin...

Tuesday, June 18, 2024, Tuesday yoga....5:19am and it's time to begin...

Thursday, June 13, 2024, On the mat a little behind schedule (at 5:27am).  I'm up at 4:15am for coffee and contemplation but, for whatever reason, getting on the mat at 5:15am sharp is difficult.....time to begin today's practice... 

Wednesday, June 12, 2024,  Late to the mat (it's 5:28am) and it's time to begin...

Tuesday, June 11, 2024, It's 5:23am, and I'm late to the mat.....time to begin...

Saturday, June 1, 2024, Today is the first full day back from a lovely two week stay in Grand Cayman (partly for work, and partly for fun). I took my mat with me, as I always do when I travel, and I actually got in a fair amount of practices (of the 14 days I was gone, I think I hit the mat 5 or 6 times).  The reason I'm on the mat this morning, on a Saturday, is primarily due to the fact that, while on the for-fun portion of my trip, I overfed myself with a lot of delicious tropical IPA beers, pizzas, and other tasty convenience foods (I think we even enjoyed some Wendy's in the airport). All that to say.....a goal of today's practice is to help move some of this up and out of my body. Time to begin.... Part II: Great Saturday practice; time to enter the world (still slightly over fed).  Namaste

Thursday, May 9, 2024,  On the mat a little later than I should be (at 5:30am), so won't post much but the atrophy is reversing. Time to begin... Part II: Behind schedule. Time to enter the day.  Namaste

Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Back on my mat at my usual time of 5:15am-(ish).  Reversing atrophy. Part II: Behind schedule, but a great pratice; ended with the full backbend sequence.  The atrophy is being reversed.  Namaste

Monday, May 6, 2024, Anything will atrophy if neglected (anythign physical, emotional, mental, etc.).  I haven't hit my mat in a few weeks due to a half-marathon training and other elements of life that have gotten in the way of my practice, but neglect is a bad habit to get into.  Good news is that it can be turned around, like anything else.  Time to begin... Part II: Great practice.  Behind schedule.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Friday, April 19, 2024, A simple, but very charming and reflective, song by Billie Eilish is titled "What Was I Made For".  Used in the 2023 "Barbie" film, the lyrics, like most of Billie's songs, are quietly spoken in an understated, almost "whispery" tone.  The message the lyrics convey is one of mild confusion at that very high-level question of what is one's purpose?.....what is one supposed to do with one's life?.......what were you made for? The best way to reduce the troubling and anxiety building question of "what was I made for" is to surrender and extinguish your own will.  Eliminate your own desires as much as you can; "empty" yourself.  This is difficult as the modern world is constantly attempting to fill one's brain/thoughts with ideas and "what-ifs", so finding silence and peace to contemplate one's life is already an up-hill climb (how can I find silence when I have my iphone at my fingertip...

 Thursday, April 18, 2024,  It's easy, and sometimes even "fun", to point at others and blame others for your woes and problems.  It's less easy (and absolutely zero fun) to look into a mirror, and say everything that happens to me is my responsibility.   It's a gross over-generalization (what if I'm hit by a car?!?!?!).  It's true that things can happen to you which are out of your control.  However, so much of one's life is in one's own control.  One's reactions are 100% in one's control. Looking inwardly and saying, " what could I and should I change today about myself " is a daily "maintenance" chore that should be done every morning.   In that vein, it's time to begin today's practice.   Part II: Great practice.  Behind schedule.  The work is almost always done on the interior; on the reflection we see in the mirror.  Namaste

Friday, April 12, 2024,  Much of the modern world has alleviated the larger humanitarian issues of the past.  Despite what our 24/7 "news"-cycle likes to report, global rates of starvation, malnourishment, and infant death have decreased drastically, worldwide, and continue to decrease (and, frankly, that's cause for celebration).  As we alleviate certain problems of the past (which is good), we create new problems (which will always be the case, unfortunately).  Starvation has been replaced with sky-rocketing obesity rates...stigma and prejudice against mental health are gone (depending on whom you ask), but are replaced with gargantuan increases in depression, anxiety, ADHD, etc......how can that be? It's handy, and tempting, and even fun to complain about one's situation (even handier when one blames one's situation on others), but the real fact is that, in the developed nations of the world, life has actually never been better and easier.....the bar has ne...

Monday, April 8, 2024, Without realizing it, one can slip in, and out, of a routine.  Dependent upon the scenario, one can be just as oblivious to a slip in/slip out of a new habit.  For instance, I haven't practiced yoga for one week.  If you'd asked me the last time I'd hit my mat, I might have said, " eh....probably Wednesday or Thursday of last week"  though I hadn't practiced at all since last Monday. What is that?  Why and how do I brains "trick" us into thinking we're working out more, eating healthier, etc. than we really are?  It's an interesting phenomenon that, if one is aware of, one can double-check oneself to ensure you're not creating, or un-creating, a new habit.  Enough gum-flapping.....time to begin... Part II: Routine or not, the daily stretching and general maintenance of one's body must be done.  You never regret it.  Namaste

Monday, April 1, 2024,  Behind schedule and time to begin... Part II: On my mat having just come out of Savasana; time to enter the world.  Namaste

Friday, March 29, 2024, "Be A Light" is probably said many ways, in religious and secular context, but the principle of the message is simple; " don't be down for long.....don't allow your own sadness/darkness/emptiness to grow and become strong....lift yourself up....be a light".  Sometimes easier said than done but, if/when one ultimately feels down about something, a quick and easy way to help alleviate this feeling of being down is to complete a task (make your bed, wash the dishes, complete that work-task that you've been putting off).   I'm behind schedule, and it's time to begin.... Part II: On my mat, having just come out of Savasana and writing my Part II (after-practice) update.  Even when your light isn't at its brightest; be a light.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Wednesday, March 27, 2024, I'm behind schedule, so won't make a meal of this morning's post, but when one isn't "feeling like it" and one isn't "feeling great" and one isn't "feeling pretty", one tends to slump and and makes oneself feel less beautiful...one tends to do things that compound the feelings of ugliness and unworthiness. Pushing through those feelings (whether one wants to or not), can break that cycle.   Time to begin... Part II: Am I beautiful or ugly?..........the answer (for all humans) is that you're, unfortunately, going to be both (until your final day).  Like everyone, I feel "ugly" sometimes (physically ugly and non-physically ugly).  One will always have to battle with this up/down.  One can make oneself less ugly through yoga, prayer, and meditation.  Resist the temptation to say, " well, I'm not feeling great anyway....I might as well sit on the couch and eat Doritos" as that makes...

Tuesday, March 26, 2024, I'm behind schedule a little bit, so today's post will be brief (like last week's posts) but, as I lay on my mat typing, I can feel certain areas of my body a little "stiffened" and "kinked up" (from a combination of other physcial activities like running, and messing around in the yard/garden longer than I should have over the weekend).  Keeping one's body strong is essential but, keeping one's body fluid and un-rigid is essentially essential......a physical yoga practice is oil for the tinman. Part II: Behind schedule, so can't post much but, having not practiced since last Thursday (4 mornings ago) I'll say that my joints and muscles had stiffened up (even in that short amount of time), and the needed to be moved and un-hinged.   Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Thursday, March 21, 2024,  Behind schedule....time to begin... Part II: Behind schedule.  Time to enter the world.  Namaste

Tuesday, March 19, 2024, It's 5:31am, and it's time to begin... Part II: Behind schedule, but time to enter the world.  Namaste

Monday, March 18, 2024,  Behind schedule, time to begin... Part II: Behind schedule, and time to enter the world.  Namaste

Thursday, March 14, 2024, It's 5:36am as I type this and I was delayed in getting to my mat...time to begin...

Wednesday, March 13, 2024, "What if" thoughts can help one's condition or hurt one's condition.  Very often the "what if's" that we're fed through the Entertainment Industry (Social Media, "News", etc.) are very dismal and gloomy "what if's"......what if the polar ice caps all melt in 5 years.....what if WWIII is already brewing.......what if all the food disappears and all of the clean water evaporates......PANIC PANIC PANIC!!!! But, just as feasible and just as possible, are "what if" scenarios that counter all of this panic, fear, doom, and dread: What if WWIII actually never happens......what if the last World War ended in the 1940's and another one never occurs again in human history....what if? What if the polar ice caps don't melt, what if our planet is not doomed, and what if many of the radical shrieks to panic are actually wrong and are shrieking about things that will never occur? What if the curre...

Monday, March 11, 2024, Yesterday was a lovely restful day in our household.  No chores, no obligations, no workouts, no anything....  It's a nice way to spend 1/7th of your week but, to be honest, I personally start to get a little antsy when I lounge around watching TV for hours on end.   Rest and recovery is as important as the work and effort put into something but, human nature (being flawed) will always encourage us to rest a little too much for our own good (and eat a little too much for our own good, and do everything that's indulgent a little too much for our own good).  Given that one's nature will always push one to be lazy, it's important to never allow oneself to give in too much to the rest, and to always ensure that, your rest period is a defined "break" in the work (with a clear start and a clear end); otherwise.....you may just rest all the way through your next experience or memory (which you don't make sitting on the couch).  Time to beg...

Friday, March 8, 2024, Motivation and drive will come and go.  Like all humans, one has a physical health and a mental health (and you could argue, other types of health too).  Some aspects of physical and mental health are fully silo'd from each other and sometimes, they overlap.  Have you ever felt physically ill, tired, unwell, "off", etc.....of course you have.....everyone has......that physical feeling of being unwell can, and will, effect your mental health.  The state of your body effects the state of your mind. The inverse of this is true as well; the state of your mind can, and will, effect your body.  Mind over body is, most often, the way to live as it demonstrates "who is boss" (your mind is), and who controls who (your mind should control your body)...." no....we're not going to eat Doritos and watch TV for 5 hours........no, we're not going to avoid our chore/task, etc. that we said we'd do........no, we're not going to order a...

Thursday, March 7, 2024, One of the worst attributes of our modern era is Social Media. One of the worst attributes of Social Media is the constant and continual support of the theory that you, the user of the Social Media, are the protagonist of life.....you, the user of the Social Media, are the King/Queen and others are but players and side-characters in your tale. This concept/theory of self-centered thought is dangerous, for many reasons, but it's instilled so passively and subtly through Social Media use that those who support Social Media can easily argue against it; they'd be wrong, but they can easily argue that Social Media is a good thing...that it helps connect the world....allows like-minded people to find their tribe......whatever sugary language is needed.   Religion, and the practice of yoga, helps one understand the exact opposite of what Social Media teaches us.  Religion, and the practice of yoga helps to keep one humble and reminds us that we are a no...

Wednesday, March 6, 2024, It's a famous tag line of Nike, but the simplicity of the phrase is a great one.  Just do it.  Do what?  Well, what is your duty?....your responsibility?....your goal(s)?  Whatever that is, just do it.  Move out of the talking/thinking phase and into the physical phase. Part II: I'm on my mat, having just finished this morning's practice.  There are always factors and excuses for not doing something; this morning, for whatever reason, my stomach is cramping and dancing a jig....I got on my mat anyway.......my muscles are sore from my half-marathon training.....I got on my mat anyway.....doing what you're supposed to do (even if the spirit and drive aren't always there, or always as high as they should be), shows good self-control and helps you break through the malaise and monotony of something....you end up on the other side of it, proud you did it (good spirited or not).  Namaste

Monday, March 4, 2024, "Chin up" is a simple phrase that can be hard to live by in the modern world we live in.  Interconnectivity (primarily through social media), quickly shows you 1,000,000 reasons to despair, and have your chin down, throughout your day (if you let it.  The world, brought to us mostly through out phones, tells us lies and makes us believe that... My problems are complicated, and totally unsolvable... Things are different nowadays....it's harder now than ever before in history to stay positive... We're all doomed anyhow, so there's no point in trying... The reality is that none of the above is true.  There's a great scene in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" film when a high-ranking (but weak and distorted) steward/stand-in-leader sees the massive enemy army approaching him and his city and he shouts, in despair from the top of the city, " abandon your posts and flee for your lives", only to be ...

Friday, March 1, 2024,  I start and end my day, like most of us, scrolling through my lovely little phone and looking at ideas for my hobbies of gardening, food, etc.  Naturally, I can't help but get drawn to my delicious little social media accounts to see what's-what and who's-who.  Many of my yoga reflections focus around the poison of social media.  I have to just add one more post to the pile here because, within moments of being on any social media platform, your phone (which tracks and remembers everything you do), begins to show you things that you like......but it also shows you things that you may not like (I.E. if you're politically leaning one way, your phone will show you things you agree with, and it will also show you things that you don't agree with; things that will enrage you).  I, like anyone else, at times, takes the bait......I bite the hook.......I'm caught...... I couldn't even tell you what the specific social media video clip was abo...

Wednesday, February 28, 2024, Simplicity (in almost all facets of one's life) should be strived for.  Simple relationships.  Simple approaches to problems. Simple ways to work and simple ways to enjoy leisure.  Simplicity towards one's health is, almost always, the way to go as well (mental health and physcial health, which we all have).   A simple way to improve one's mental health is to pause, catch one's breath (I.E.- Full even inhales and full even exhales), and then to start thinking of the good things, or blessings, one has in one's life.  Your car, your home/apartment, etc., your family, your fridge full of food, your job, your health (even if it fluctuates), etc.  It's irritating to many people that this simple approach to improving one's mental health is the equivalent of diet/exercise for one's physical (it works and its simple and it aligns ownership to you, the person in charge of your own physical and mental health); that's why it's ...

Tuesday, February 27, 2024, If one could write down in a series of bullet-points what is of the utmost importance in one's life, what would those bullet-points be? Money/security Family Job/career Health/appearance These are all important things in one's life, but they all eventually go away....they all eventually cease....like us, they all eventually disappear. Bleak as it sounds, much of what is deemed important and significant and worth worrying over disappears. Is there a part of us that doesn't disappear?  We hope so....we hope that a thinking/feelings/remembering part of our being continues on after death.  If there is a part of us that continues on after our death, then that part of us is the most important feature of our being, and should be nurtured first.  How does one nurture the part of one's being that continues on after death?  That all depends on who you ask but I can say that I nurture the part of me that continues on after death by incorporating pray...

Friday, February 23, 2024,  Control is actually a wonderful attribute and trait that Disney+ and a lot of other media outlets have passively spray-painted as something bad and negative; it's not.  Control, in many of its forms, is a wonderful skill to learn and know (especially self-control).  You could say that, on the other end of the spectrum, we have "release".  Is release better/worse, etc. than control?  In my humble opinion (that no one on asked for), you need to be able to release with the same ability that you need to have control (how's that for a wad of hippie-dippie mumbo jumbo...). It's 5:31am, and it's time to begin today's pratice...

Wednesday, February 21, 2024,  It's 5:35am as I type this, and today's posting will be brief so I can begin start my practice at a reasonable time but, I've often thought of how hopeless and despondent out world wants us to feel about everything (including ourselves).  As long as there is breath in your body, and you are alive, your fire is not out; ever.  It may be reduced down to embers, but it is not out and cannot be put out; some would argue that, even death, does not put out your fire, but moves your fire out of this world and onto the next.   Time to begin today's practice. Part II: Behind schedule, but an exceptional practice, the fire is never out.  Namaste

  Monday, February 19, 2024, A key to building happiness isn't the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them, and resolve them.  A powerful, and simple line that I read recently is today's title, " Fix Your Problems".  It got me thinking about the attractive and addictive nature of complaining about a problem, but not really doing anything to fix it (everyone, myself included, complains about problems at some point or another with no effort put forth into actually resolving the problem).  Altogether, our modern world, with its interconnectivity/social-media, now allows complainers to get together and ruminate and stew and do nothing other than.........complain.  Complain about the politics of the day, the amount of money they make, their living conditions, the cost of things, the weather, it's too hot, now it's too cold, now it's too mild, now it's too windy......  If one can A:) Pull oneself out of this din of noise and confusion and B:) ...

Friday, February 16, 2024, C.S. Lewis has an interesting line about the human spirit and, like a physical human body, how one's spirit will behave in certain situations.  A snippet of his famous quote is: "...Spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison..." It's an interesting and, somewhat, frightening thought to imagine a starved human body, being given something that they know to be bad for them but, in such a malnourished state, casting care and worry to the side and greedily shoveling handfuls of a poison down their throat if only to satiate their hunger for a period of time. The quote, as you can read, is more directly speaking about the spiritual side of one's being and, if our spiritual side is malnourished, not tended to, and cared for, it will ravenously consume anything it can to placate itself (regardless of how poisonous and deadly the thing might be to one's spirit/self).   I, like many of us, start...

Thursday, February 15, 2024,  All skills are perishable.  One doesn't always want to think this way, as this fact reminds you that maintenance and routine are key to obtaining and retaining any desire state or condition (be it mental or physical), but it is true just the same; all skills are perishable.  I'm on my mat for the first time in a good long while.  It's 5:34am, however, and it's time to begin today's practice.  I'm interested, if nothing else, if there's going to be an unadded benefit in the break....time to begin... Part II: As always, I write my initial post "cold" not having begun my practice yet and my Part II post after I've completed my practice (still on my mat, literally moments after coming out of Savasana/Corpose Post).   My countenance, perspective, etc. is always changed for the better after my practice (sometimes its changed a lot and sometimes only a little), but it's always changed for the better, and the version o...