James Walsh Yoga

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