James Walsh Yoga

Wednesday, October 28, 2020 Part I, I will always be torn between hour+ runs, deep/athletic yoga practices and my natural inclination towards junk food.  If I had a weakness, it's that.  I usually eat properly, and balanced throughout the week, and do whatever I want on the weekends.  Sometimes, that weekend "extends" itself a little bit into the weekday; as it has this week.   Food is meant to be enjoyed, so I regret nothing, but I'll say that, for someone with sensitive digestion, I quickly become aware that my diet has gone off the rails.  Pair that with a neglected yoga practice, and you get that awful feeling of shame, and laziness paired with guilt.  Enough chit chat, time to begin.  Wednesday, October 28, 2020 (Part II),  Let's see if I can practice what I preach, and keep the momentum going to hit my mat tomorrow and Friday, to round out the week.  Got flung off my normal routine over the weekend, and stayed up to an eye-watering...

Thursday, October 22, 2020 (Part I) Woke at 4:30am this morning, a little later than normal, and I'm on my mat at a shockingly late 6:00am.  Far too much time dawdling, and watching re-runs of Great British Baking Show on Netflix (#maryberry4lyfe).  Today is the third morning of practice this week.  For whatever reason, I've felt decreasing amounts of enthusiasm for my practice as the week's progressed (shouldn't I be feeling more enthusiastic as the week goes by, and my flexibility and strength grow?).   One of the tenants/rules/principles that I've learned through my practice is that discipline beats motivation.  In other words, forcing yourself to do something you're not motivated to accomplish is an exercise in good mental health, as your "feelings" and "motivation" will fluctuate with the wind. Time to begin... Thursday, October 22, 2020 (Part II),  No mojo in this morning's practice,....and that's ok.   Prayer, meditation, Asana...

Wednesday, October 21, 2020 (Part I),  On my mat at my usual 5:30am(ish).  As per yesterday's post, I'll begin, as always with my prayer, and meditation practice before going into my warm up.  Time to begin... Wednesday, October 21, 2020 (Part II),  At times, the contributions we make in our professional, and personal lives (work, family, health, etc.), can seem as though they're not making any difference one way or the other; " I've been chipping away at this low-carb diet for days now and I'm not skinny yet....", or, " I've been trying to learn more about this process/procedure at work but it still seems confusing, and daunting to me", or, specific to a yoga practice, " I've been practicing every morning this week, and I still can't get my heels to touch the ground in downward dog".   It's wise to step back to a "higher level" at this point of thinking, and try to remember that perseverance and discipline win...

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 (Part I), A physical warm up is an essential part to my morning routine and, especially when colder weather moves in, can be as important as the Asanas/Physical Poses themselves.  That's it...nothing profound.  It's 6:00am as I type this, and it's time to begin.  Tuesday, October 20, 2020 (Part II),  I'm writing this post practice.  I'll say that, if I had to do a time breakdown, I spend the time on my mat as follows: 5-10 Minutes - Pranayama/Breathing Exercises, Prayer, Meditation 5-10 Minutes- Warm up before going into my Surya Namaskar/Sun Salutes This warm up can be whatever I want it to be, but it usually includes rolling back and forth on a curved spine to warm up my back, neck, and abdomen, followed by some gentle inversions to "status check" where my legs, and back are that morning.  I do this with the utmost of caution, as the point of a warm up is to see where I am that day; not to push myself to my limits just yet....

 Tuesday, October 13, 2020,  More than anything, a life of balance should always be achieved.  Balance goes out of whack very easily and, for many of us, we can live that way for a time, but it ultimately catches up. I'm speaking today of the very tangible balance in our physical bodies; mental and spiritual balance are a bit harder to grasp identify, and adjust.  For the first time in 2.5 weeks, I'm beginning my day on my mat.  The small hiatus came for several reasons but, in the interim, I've gotten back into a solid running/jogging routine.  This blog is focused on the practice of yoga, so I won't drone on about my uninteresting hobby of jogging, but I will use it to discuss physical balance. After running outdoors, and enjoying the last bits of warmer weather, I've began to notice a very familiar sort of dull, odd, "achey" feeling in my right hip/lower back.  I have grown very familiar with this feeling, and know there's only one thing for it; str...

Thursday, September 24, 2020 (Part I),  The 1 minute video clip above is one of the best analogies I've seen to describe the natural, untamed state of a human mind, and the still, meditative state that can be achieved with practice.  In essence, meditation is as simple as focusing on an object (usually something beautiful, like the face of a loved one, a religious image, or even something obscure and innocuous, like an orange, or apple), and holding the thought of that object in your mind; directly in front of you, like a projection screen on the back of your forehead.   Try doing that now...as you read this....find an object to focus on, close your eyes, and hold the image of that object in your mind.... Within seconds of focusing, your mind will, more than likely, start to stir around, and other thoughts will begin to creep into your head: I have that thing tonight.... That meeting today is going to be monstrous.... I'm worried about this.... I'm worried about that...

 Wednesday, September 23, 2020 (Part I),  Like many, I was initially drawn to yoga by the breathtaking physical poses/Asanas.  I had to try it, and wanted to learn to be more like these magnificent men and women who showed physical strength, endurance, and beauty, all in one.  However, as I began to grow into my practice, and into the understanding of what yoga is, and what it can do to a human, the benefits to my "non-physical" being (my head, my heart, my soul, etc.), have kept me coming back for more.  The physical postures, formally referred to as Asanas, are one of the eight limbs of yoga.  You could study one limb of yoga for the entirety of your life, and still only scratch the surface of it (in my humble opinion).   Today's practice will begin, as all of my practices do; sitting on my mat, meditating, praying, and beginning breathe techniques (formally called Pranayama), to prepare myself for my Asanas, and the day ahead.  Time to beg...

 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 (Part I),  Anyone who reads this blog will know that, on many days, I speak about the monotony and ordinary nature of a yoga practice.  To some, referring to a yoga practice as "monotonous" and "ordinary" may sound disrespectful and unenlightened.  However, I want to break the stigma that a yoga practice means that you're floating in the clouds and living a serene, uncomplicated life and you're eagerly on your mat every day effortlessly connecting to the Divine.  No....I sneer at the price of gas like everyone else.....I overindulge on junk food on the weekends like everyone else, and, very often, I'd rather do anything  but physical exercise....like everyone else. I've written before that discipline beats motivation.  Motivation will be there some days, and not there on other days.  Forcing yourself to go through with something, even when you don't feel motivated to do it, is discipline.   Time to begin...

  Friday, September 18, 2020 (Part I),  If you're new to yoga, and are looking to gain experience, my humble opinion (that no one asked for), is that you head to youtube, buy a DVD, or get some other form of media that helps you understand how to begin.  I've linked the 13 minute video above several times into this blog, as it's an excellent example of how I, and many practitioners, begin their physical/Asanas; you don't need to look like this guy (I certainly don't), but he demonstrates the flow, and the technique of Sun Salutes/Surya Namaskar, flawlessly.    I've maintained a practice for well over decade, and will always consider myself a beginner.  If you're a beginner too, but looking to expand into the world of yoga, buy a yoga mat and, if you're invested, buy at least two foam support blocks and a strap (I keep these accouterments next to my mat at all times, and still use them occasionally, especially if I've been neglecting my practice, and ...

 Thursday, September 17, 2020 (Part I),  Are my 35 year old joints finally going rogue on me (after years of abuse)?  Earlier in the summer, I came back from a camping trip (feeling perfectly fine), only to find myself limping back to my car after 2< minutes of a casual jog; something was wrong with my left knee.  I ran my first full marathon in 2007, and have considered myself, at least, a casual runner, since that time.  I enjoy it as a means of heart/lung health, but I also enjoy the "head clearing" nature of the activity.  Your brain can't whisper anxious/depressing thoughts to you while it's in full on "survival mode" trying to keep your stomach from puking while you round mile #23... Having been relatively injury free most of my life, I was surprised when I came limping back to my car after jogging out 1 minute and limping back the next minute.  It takes a lot to send me back to my car (I put on the outfit, charged my phone, got my Gatorade, g...

 Tuesday, September 15, 2020 (Part I),  On my mat with nothing profound to say other than, life is, and always will be, good.  No matter what the circumstances (and circumstances, good and bad, will be a part of life); life is good.  Time to begin... Tuesday, September 15, 2020 (Part II),  On my mat, having just come out of Savasana.  An unremarkable, however enjoyable, practice this morning.  An unremarkable practice is better than no practice.  As runner/joggers say; " no matter how slow you run, you're still beating the people on the couch".  Time to shower up, and enter the world.  Namaste

 Friday, September 11, 2020 (Part I ), As a week of rebuilding winds down, I begin my day on my mat again (with nothing profound to say).  Time to begin.... Upavista Konasona Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend Friday, September 11, 2020 (Part II), I'm writing this Part II update, as always, on my mat, having just finished my practice, and having just come out of Savasana.  Today was the first time, in a long time, that I executed one of my favorite Asanas/Postures, Upavista Konasana/Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend ......and holy schla-moley did my legs ever tighten up....  At my best, I can easily place my chest on the ground with no strain in this posture; no so today.....due to the inability to practice for the past few months, my legs decided to solidify into stubborn and unmalleable tree-trunks.... The bottom line....don't neglect yourself!  If you do neglect yourself, don't despair when you rebuild, as it takes time.  Right now it's time to shower up, and e...

 Thursday, September 10, 2020 (Part I),  So I wake up.....I go through my morning routine.....and, at a pre-determined time, I come to my yoga mat.  Why?....what's the point?..... I want to try and break the illusion that someone with a dedicated practice wakes up to singing bird, and gong chants, and green tea, and an all around Disney-ish feel to life with Bambi and Snow White.  As a flawed, and imperfect practitioner, I would say that some days do  feel like that, other days feel nothing like that, and other days, right in the middle.  There's nothing "mystical", "magical", or incomprehensible about yoga, and the practice of yoga.  It doesn't guard your mind, heart, body, soul against the world.  However, when the world comes for you (with both guns blazing in the form of something ghastly and horrible from the entertainment industry/news), the discipline of yoga does provide you with clarity on how you could, and should react to the world and...

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 (Part I), " There is no spoon", is a famous line from "The Matrix" where the hero of the movie is learning, more and more, that the world he lives in, and grew up in, isn't real.  He encounters a young child quietly bending metal spoons with only the power of his mind.  The child explains how he does this:  " Do not try and bend the spoon...that's impossible.  Instead, only try to realize the truth....there is no spoon.  Then you will see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself".   A great line, from a great movie but, regardless of how "meta" this phrase seems, there's real-world advice in what the child says.  Religion teaches us that anything that can be destroyed, isn't real.  This means that our bodies, the device you're reading this on, those White Claws in the fridge, and the Earth itself, are not "real".   My humble, subjective, thoughts on this (that absolutely n...

Friday, September 4, 2020 (Part I), Who can you control?.....yourself. Begin, and end, there.  You cannot control others.  You cannot win people over, influence them, or force them to believe what you believe.  You cannot say, " my hatred, discord, aggression, disrespect, and viciousness towards others is ok because I'm supporting something that's good".   What you can do is control the words that come from your mouth.  You can control yourself through your actions, and, with practice, you can gain greater control over the thoughts that flit through your head. Trite, cliche, and old-fashioned as it sounds; be the change that you want in the world.  Begin and end there, always.  Today is the fifth, and final day of my yoga practice rebuild.  I sustained an injury earlier in the summer and haven't been able to practice.  I came back to my mat 5 days ago, and have been going through an abbreviated sequence of Asanas/physical poses to test m...

Thursday, September 3, 2020 (Part I),  Feelings.....emotions, etc.  The modern world of 2020 puts an enormous emphasis on the importance of feelings and emotions. You might find it strange that a website dedicated to yoga provides a conflicting theory on the importance, and unimportance, of feelings and emotions.  I've learned this; feelings change with the wind.  One can "feel" good one moment, and "feel" less good within a few seconds.  What can cause this wild fluctuation in mood and demeanor?....a myriad of things that should be paid absolutely no attention, and viewed as the transitory, temporary, inconsequential factors that they are (you read something.....you saw something....you recalled something....you ate something.....you slept poorly....you don't look the way you want to...you had 3 WhiteClaws last night because they keep coming out with creative and tantalizing new flavors that you're incapable of resisting....etc.).  If feelings and emoti...

Wednesday, September 2, 2020 (Part I),   The intentional misspelling in the title is an homage to "The Simpsons", but the famous line of, " it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" , is the opening line from the Charles Dickens novel, " A Tale of Two Cities".  It continues on to say, " it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness".   As advertised, this blog will speak to the topic of yoga; no political nonsense here.  However, the famous opening line from the novel seems to be very applicable to the year of 2020.  Where does the "worst of times" come from?.....where does the "age of foolishness" live?.... Much of it can be attributed to the information coming from your phone/computer/television and, predominantly, from our "news".  Ask yourself after you've consumed some "news"...." do I feel better or worse for having consumed that?".  Ask yourself, " did I someho...

 Tuesday, September 1, 2020 (Part I),  Part of a rebuild is to get yourself back into a routine.  It's been said many times but it's true that a human being thrives on structure. Technically, one should begin and end their practice at the same time each day.  One should also get out of bed at the same time each day, and go to sleep at the same time each day.  I'm personally guilty of violating these rules sometimes but, as yesterday, I'm back on my mat ready to begin my practice.  Time to begin... Tuesday, September 1, 2020 (Part II),  As I write this, I'm on my mat, having just come out of Savasana.   My rebuild, and recovery from injury, is moving slow, but progressing.  Today's practice, like yesterday's, focused only on my Surya Namaskar/Sun Salute flow.  No additional poses, and no active backbends.   Time to shower up, and enter the world.  Namaste

Monday, August 31, 2020 (Part I) Peace will never come from the following: Social Media Your Television/Your Phone/Your Computer Politicians/Politics "News"/Celebrities/Entertainment Industry The four bullets listed above will rob you of your peace; always.  Be aware, mindful, and conscious of how much of them you consume.    Peace can be cultivated through diligence and practice from the following areas:  Learning to control your mind, and the thoughts that flit through your head Like exercising a physical muscle, learning to control your mind/brain takes daily practice.  Sometimes your brain cooperates, and sometimes it doesn't.    Prayer and Meditation Through prayer and meditation, you can learn to keep your perspective(s) clear.  What is important in your life?  What do you need? Breathe Control There's a reason that people who are hyperventilating seem out of control.  Control your breathing, and you'll gain control over the rest ...

Wednesday, August 26. 2020, (Part I) Was unable to practice due to injury for a few months.  As I come back to my mat this morning, my first thought is how much I've missed my practice, the connection(s) and understanding(s) that come, and the physical benefits of a practice.   Any rebuild will benefit you more if it's slow, methodical, and disciplined.  Time to begin.... Wednesday, August 26, 2020 (Part II) Went through my standard meditation and prayer sequence (10-15 minutes), warm up (5-10 minutes), Surya Namaskar/Sun Salute A, and closing sequence. I'll be back on my mat tomorrow to continue the rebuild.  Namaste