James Walsh Yoga

I haven't hit my mat this week as, for some reason, I've been sleeping in until 7:00AM.  That is extremely late for me, and I haven't felt at my best without a yoga practice each morning. Flew back home last Friday from a wonderful experience in Austin Texas where I was able to take an instructor led class.  The instructor was fantastic and pushed me, and the class to our limits with the practice.  I've been running after work and will need to re-incorporate my mat into my physical regime unless I want to loose all malleability in my muscles. Hopefully will practice tomorrow morning and over the weekend. Namaste

Tuesday, August 21, 2018 Woke at my usual 4:45AM this morning. It was difficult to get out of bed for some reason but, when my alarm sounded, I shambled out into the kitchen to get coffee and start my day.   I'm on my mat now getting ready to sweat it out. 

Monday, August 20, 2018 Woke up this morning at my usual 4:45AM. Feeling eager to start my week out on the right foot with prayer, meditation, and yoga. In three months, this blog will be celebrating its two year anniversary! That's something that I'm very proud of. Monday, August 20, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this the morning after Monday's practice as I didn't have an opportunity to post yesterday after hitting my mat. Felt a little "off" on my mat, and in general, yesterday.  Not from anything in particular, but from the weekend's junk food and wine.  I will say that, practicing always helps to advance me into a more refined version of myself so, even when I'm feeling a little run down or unbalanced (as I was yesterday), my mat always brings out the best in me. Physically, my backbends are the strongest and deepest they've been in two years.  Urdhva Danurasana (upward bow) is strong, deep, and stable.  This pose is one of my...

Friday, August 17, 2018 Woke slightly later than my usual 4:45AM this morning.  I rolled out of bed at 5:15AM, so I'm hitting my mat slightly later than usual. Time to get to it.

Thursday, August 16, 2018 Woke at my usual 4:45AM feeling wonderful. For whatever reason, my backbends have been deeper and stronger than they've been all year; my arms straighten and I'm able to push upwards and together forming the desired "bow" shape of Urdhva Dhanurasana. I'm going to spend more time in meditation and prayer than I usually do.  I attribute yesterday's deep practice to the additional time I spent in thought before beginning my asanas.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018 Woke at my usual 4:45AM to get back into my normal routine. I practiced on Monday of this week and felt wonderful throughout my day; dawn to dusk. For whatever reason, I slept in yesterday, and didn't practice.  My day wasn't bad at all, but I was definitely a little less "on fire" about things.  Having excitement about normal and mundane day-to-day tasks is important in my opinion.  You have to stay interested and excited by the faces you see day-to-day, the chores you do day-to-day, and the general maintenance that comes with a normal day. I'm feeling physically strong this morning, though a little sore from Monday's practice, and a little bloated from this weekend's junk food (which crept into the week a little bit). Time to meditate and pray before sweating it out. Wednesday, August 15, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this about mid-way through my day and feeling wonderful from this morning's practice still. ...

Monday, August 13, 2018 This will be the first time I've hit my mat in about two weeks. I'm a little sore, but looking forward to rebuilding any physical strength that might have been lost.

Saturday, July 28, 2018 Woke, slightly later than usual, this morning, and am hitting my mat slightly later than usual. This would be my 3rd practice in Boston, and 2nd practice in my hotel room. Feeling great physically and mentally, and ready to sweat it out.

Friday, July 25, 2018 Woke 15 minutes later than usual this morning, at 5:00AM. I'm in my hotel in Boston still and, so far, yoga has been infused into my trip in wonderful ways. No instructor led class this morning; just me and my mat. " In this system, yoga is the union of the self and the Lord " Kaundinya's Pancarthabhasya on the Pasupatasutra Friday, July 25, 2018 (Part II) I'm on my mat having just come out of Savasana as I type this. Feeling wonderful after a full practice and excited for what the day has in store. Namaste

Thursday, July 26, 2018 Shaping your mind and shaping your body is the intent of this blog. I'm in Boston away from my hometown of St. Louis and working with a large group of clients and coworkers.  A chunk of us went to an instructor led class this morning and, I have to say, I should probably take instructor led classes more often. Every one does poses differently.  Everyone advises differently.  Everyone guides differently and offers different thoughts and analogies to link and yolk; the actual word "yoga" is derived from the root word of yuj  which means to attach, harness, join, or yoke. This morning's instructor led class was great.  Different vinyasas and a different pace of breath (much slower than what I'm used to) but that added to the challenge.  We held certain poses longer than what I'm used to as well and I'm happy for it. In bed now, ready to crash and tackle tomorrow with some more yolking. Namaste

Wednesday, July 25, 2018 Woke at my usual 4:45AM this morning, and can't wait to hit my mat. I fly out to Boston for work today and, like always, I'll have my mat with me. Apparently, there's going to be a collective yoga class when I arrive onsite.  I'm looking forward to that but, most of all, starting each day on my mat to help battle through any stress. Wednesday, July 25, 2018 (Part II) Feeling great after my practice and ready to clean up and head to the airport. Namaste

Tuesday, July 24, 2018 Woke at my usual 4:45AM this morning feeling reasonably good and reasonably ready for my practice. I'm on my mat as I type this feeling some eagerness to begin, but not a huge drive.  I'm going to try and amp up that feeling of drive while I practice (usually by pushing myself a little more physically), to see what happens afterwards, and if I feel different. Tuesday, July 24, 2018 (Part II) Like yesterday, I'm writing this on my mat the following morning.  Yesterday's practice was wonderful, and definitely sets the tone for my day. I'm feeling ready to sweat it out on my mat this morning and looking forward to shaping my mind and body. Namaste

Monday, July 23, 2018 After a weekend of fun, friends, and camping/floating on the rivers of Missouri, I'm ready to sweat it out on my mat. All of last week, I maintained a clean diet in anticipation of the poor diet choices I'd be making this past weekend.  The food did not disappoint, and I enjoyed myself immensely.  I woke at my usual 4:45AM to begin the reversal of all that delicious junk-food. Physically, I'm feeling sore and stiff but ready to warm up and sweat it out on my mat. Monday, July 23, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this post-practice the morning after. I can easily say that, when I start my day with a yoga practice that everything is easier. Stress doesn't seem as stressful.  Insults and jabs aren't taken personally, and problems that seemed convoluted and insurmountable at first become streamlined and easily resolved.  Namaste

Thursday, July 12, 2018 Today will be a simple and easy day.  I'm up at my usual 4:45AM, ready to hit my mat.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018 Woke up at my usual 4:45AM this morning. I don't know what it is about doing things in threes, but I feel that three days back on my mat realigns me back into a standard yoga shape. I have to say that, as I type this, I only have two practices this week under my belt (afterwards, of course, I'll have three), but I already see an enormous change in myself, physically.  The main thing I see after two sequential practices is a "deflating" of my abdomen.  Hitting my mat for a morning yoga practice is the best thing I have ever encountered for assisting in digestion and elimination. I'm going to pray/meditate before warming up and beginning my sequence. Wednesday, July 11, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this second half of the post the morning after, on my mat, getting ready to begin my practice again. I'm so proud of the feeling I get when I get up at 4:45AM to refine myself.  Some practices are better than others (as certain d...

Tuesday, July 10, 2018 Woke at my usual 4:45AM this morning for coffee and contemplation. Feeling wonderful this morning, and not terribly sore at all.  There's a bit of stiffness in my back from yesterday's backbends, but that's to be expected. Ready to sweat it out on my mat. Tuesday, July 10, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this off my mat, already showered up for my day. I love going to my mat.  The physical challenge alone is reward enough, but, while I've said it many times before, the mental and spiritual adjustments that one can make are priceless.  Physically, I already see a difference in my body.  Arms are still re-building their stamina, but the twists and forward bends I incorporate are already helping with digestion and elimination and the general "deflating" of my body and G.I. track (TMI, I'm sure, but this is one of the main physical reasons why I practice). Mentally, I feel prepared for anything that comes my way today and fe...

Monday, July 9, 2018 It's been two weeks since I've hit my mat. No worries about that break in the practice; I will always return to my mat. In the past two weeks, I just haven't been able to get up at my normal 4:45AM.  Without that, I don't have enough time in the morning to dedicate to my practice. I've kept myself physically active with running and tae kwon do, but the mental shaping of my yoga mat cannot be replaced with anything. I'm looking forward to sweating it out on my mat this morning though I'm expecting to have lost some strength and flexibility.  Whatever is lost is quickly re-gained. Monday, July 9, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this having finished my practice, and showered up for the day. Today's physical practice was excellent.  The Papa John's Sausage and Pepperoni pizza I had for dinner last night was still in the way (#noshame #junkfoodlover) and, when I inverted or attempted forward bends, the softness I've a...

Friday, June 22, 2018, Woke at my usual 4:45AM feeling wonderful. I'm on my mat as I type this, ready to begin my practice. I notice that I hone in on myself for some practices, and then not as much on others.  I don't force myself into anything on my mat (as I believe one of the primary benefits I learn is being ok with how things are on any given day) but, that aside, I do want to challenge myself a little more today and focus myself mentally. The mental challenge as I understand it, is to shut down your mind and your thoughts as you practice.  This is nearly impossible to do for longer than 4 seconds; try it and you'll see!  You'll start thinking about your life, bills, responsibilities, fun activities you have planned...you'll bring yourself back and then focus on not focusing on anything...long story short, your brain and thoughts are running around doing whatever they want and part of the challenge is to control and shape them.  Controlling your body is...

Thursday, June 21, 2018 I'm writing this on my mat, at 6:27AM.  For some reason, I didn't wake up at my usual 4:45AM this morning to practice. I won't have time for a full Primary Series, but I will have time for prayers, meditation, and a warm up. Thursday, June 21, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this the next morning, on my mat for another practice. While I wasn't feeling well yesterday morning, and didn't do a complete practice, the meditation, prayers, and warm up were still enough to shape myself into something.  Every day... Hit the mat... No excuses... Namaste

Wednesday, June 20, 2018 I didn't practice yesterday as I woke at my usual 4:45AM and couldn't get up. For whatever reason, I slept for nearly 12 hours on Monday night (passing out on the couch right after dinner and then shambling over to bed to sleep until 6:30AM Tuesday morning.  That's very unusual for me, and I don't know what caused it. I did celebrate a lot over this past weekend, eating and drinking, and I feel like that may have played a role in it all.  My diet's been 75% clean, and 25% not  clean (healthy breakfasts/lunches and then incredibly unhealthy dinners), and I believe that's contributed to the sluggish and bloated feelings I'm having. I am up, as usual, this Wednesday morning at 4:45AM to sweat it out and hit my mat.  I'm looking forward to what's in store. Wednesday, June 20, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this the following morning, as I leapt up from my mat yesterday after I practiced to go and get ready for my day. ...