James Walsh Yoga

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