October 31, 2002
Namaste Noble Warriors!
Guess what?
I�ve finished my book manuscript! I�ve made my deadline! Barely. It came down to a sprint finish. I won by a tire�s width, or ski tip, or whatever analogy works for you.
Now, it�s up to NYC....my Agent has to prep the manuscript for delivery to my publisher. He�ll take a long look at it and give it either the green light or....
hell, i don�t know...
if he doesn�t accept it i reckon i�ll either shoot myself or
go for a mountain bike ride.
Probably the latter.
It�s worked numerous times before.
What I do know is this:
1) i�ve done my best and was brave while writing it,
2) my spritual victory has been secured just by my sincere effort,
3) Kathy is a very understanding new wife and i owe her a honeymoon,
4) my brain is mush,
and
5) if it was not for HP Yoga, i�d have carpal tunnel syndrome for the rest of my life. My wrists and fingers and entire body is MAXED out from two years of working on this book!
I�ve published four books already...but no writer am i. i�ve not the constitution. i am an outdoor fitness warrior both by trade and nature. Each hour spent behind a computer feels within my cells like being a newly caged tiger... I WANT OUT!
I WANT TO MOVE and BREATHE !!!!
Based on how my own wrists feel right now, and a certain �wrist ailment synchronicity� that has suddenly appeared within our Tribe, I have dug from my archives the following which I now gift to you...
If you�d like to excerpt from it, like always, please just ask me first.
We just found another guy down in the south United States, doing a column called, �Wholistic Fitness�...he was paraphrasing my copyrighted stuff and calling it his own.
No, I am not suing him. I�m taking the yogic road...and letting the Law of Karma uncover all rhythms of soul.
It�s one thing not to be brave enough to fulfill your own creativity or have the gumption to pull your own research...but it�s another to steal someone else�s!
Oh well, it�s all go(o)d.
Enjoy....
�
HEY! GET A GRIP!
Exploring the Wrists From a Body/Mind Perspective
by Steve Ilg
Founder/Wholistic Fitness�
I know from doing and teaching Yoga that wrists can often rebel at the most basic Yoga postures such as Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog) and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward dog). In fact, limited wrist flexibility is one of the primary �obstacles� to be overcome by many hard reaching Americans as they begin a Yoga practice.
The Yoga masters from India never really talked much about the need for opening the wrists. I can�t find one reference to such a stint in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. I suppose this is because they naturally have more open wrists from living with less fancy �things� like we do. That is the dilemma about Western lifestyles...we�ve engineered so much activity out of our life that we�ve lost our natural suppleness. Because of this very fact, I often spend a lot of class time on poses that soften and strengthen the wrists, because I know in my own experience how delightful it feels to overcome over gripping the world with too tight of wrists.
HAND-LING LIFE
Wrists allow our �doing energy� to finally manifest outwardly. If flexible and healthy, wrists can gracefully articulate and express ease and freedom of movement to our actions...think here of the sensual hand movements from a belly dancer. When our wrists are tight and rigid, our intended action is jerky and clumsy...think here of Shaq trying to shoot free throws! When I owned my own boxing/martial art gym in Boulder, Colorado the most feared athletes in the ring were not the boxers, the wrestlers, or even the kung fu guys. The guys that made your toes curl in fear before even stepping into the ring were the damned grapplers. If you have ever locked horns with a grappler, you know all too painfully quick, just how vulnerable the wrists and fingers are to a master grappler. Here is my final word on the subject of grapplers; ouch.
Metaphysically, our wrists permit us to be supple and beautiful in the way we �hand-le� our various affairs in life and in the manner we express our inner feelings. As energy becomes more fluid through the wrists, we find ourselves more capable to express ourselves with less concern with �what others might think.� We become, in effect, more true to ourselves.
When wrist energy is compromised - as in a sprain or in arthritis - it can be indicative of an inner conflict with what we are doing. There might be a certain tension permeating our actions, a restrictive tendency that hampers our action, a shying away from what we truly think or feel, or perhaps stalling from doing something that we know needs to be done. Through our wrists, we try to hold on to something that really is no longer appropriate to our self cultivation.
Think about those last two sentences for a moment.
Thanks.
CONDUIT OF LIFE ENERGY
When I give bodywork, I pay close attention to wrist energy. I can often gauge how effectively my student can or cannot release tension through the nature of energy running through their wrists. I�ll adjust my work accordingly. When someone I am working on is able to �go with the flow� of the session, the carpal bones will often adjust into a more optimal alignment. I can feel their energy flow more freely, like they are a conduit of life energy instead of a particle within It.
In summary, I think it is interesting that the under appreciated wrist joint is just a bunch of small, crunchy bones seemingly smashed as if by Divine design. Bone tissue is the most concentrated form of energy in our tissues and thus represents spiritual energy. So it is that at the very junction of where our doing energy makes contact with the outer energy of the world, all of our movement depends upon a working unison of fragmentized spiritual energy. It is almost as though, it seems to me, that in reaching out to the world we wish to become more whole.
May you in-joy the opening of your own wrists and feel the freedom of flexible but strong wrists!
Namaste,
coach ilg
October 28, 2002
The wise man is unmoved by words,
indifferent to temptations,
not put in fear of his life by robbers,
and even life and death does not trouble him.
Sun Shu Ao
���
Namaste Noble Warriors!
Thanks to your support of HP Yoga, we set a new opening class attendance record at PowerHouse Gym at last night's Level 1 Yoga w/ Meditation!
Many group exercise classes struggle to get more than a handful of students on their first day or week...last night? 24 of you showed up!
Another hallmark is being set by my Beloved Kathy today as she teaches the first, KIDS YOGA class ever at PowerHouse!
Our seed of Light continues to grow and it's because of you...thank you for your devoted Practice.
I have someone's 'smiley face' ring, which was left after class. just come and see me if it is yours!
There are now HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA mats and clothing in the POWERHOUSE GYM pro shop!
For your convenience, I've listed the current Yoga Schedule at Powerhouse grouped by Level, which some of you have asked for.
Watch for upcoming Special Events as soon as our construction dust settles!
See some of you tonight for Monday Night Yoga!
i bow to you,
coach ilg
www.wholisticfitness.com
���
What a great meditation class that was last night! The intention, the love, and the vibe that you created was beautiful! I love our sweet yoga Grotto! I have found that I don't even need to use my yoga sticky mat under my Ashtanga blanket!
- TQ
�
"Steve -
Last night's Level 1 and Meditation was perfect! I could really focus on the poses! What was the CD that you played at the end of Meditation? What a message!
- Lenore"
Glad you liked it! It was from Tracy Chapman's new CD...i don't have it here, at the moment but it was the first track on her latest release.
- ilg
�����
HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA CLASSES
at PowerHouse Gym Sports Complex
World Class Yoga, Created By A World Class Athlete
HP Class Schedule - Fall 2002
Categorized By Student Levels
(Levels are merely guidelines, not a substitute for personal intuition!)
Level 1 - appropriate for first timers, slower flow, simple sequences
Level 2 - familiarity with vinyasa (flow) yoga suggested, stronger flow, sustained holding of poses, more complex sequences
Level 3 - assumes capability with inversions, half or full lotus,
�
Help keep our Studio a special place for all by observing the following:
No cell phones or pagers in the Studio.
Refrain from wearing perfume or cologne to class.
Arrive a few minutes early.
Do not enter or leave the studio during meditation or savasana.
Keep loaner yoga mats for first timers. Mats are available in pro shop.
~ Namast�.
Level 1 HP Yoga Classes:
Wednesdays: 10:30 am - Kathy (60 min.)
Thursdays; 7:15 pm - Kathy (60 min.)
Sundays; 4:00 pm - Steve (60 min. with optional 30 minute Meditation)
Level 2 HP Yoga Classes:
Mondays; 10:30 am - Kathy (60 min.)
Wednesdays; 6:30 pm - Trina (90 min.)
Fridays; 10:30 am - Trina (60 min)
Saturdays; 9:15 am - Kathy (75 min)
Levels 2/3:
Mondays; 6:30 pm - Steve (90 min.)
Other:
Yoga for Kids
Mondays; 4:15 pm - Kathy (30 min.)
Wednesdays; 3:30 pm - Kathy (45 min.)
Meditation
Sundays; 5:00 pm - Steve (30 min.)
�
Watch for Special Events like Teacher Training, Sutra Study, Workshops, etc. Get on the HP Yoga email list; contact
ILGTRAIN@aol.com
PowerHouse Gym
20914 Nordhoff St.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
818-775-0300
October 22, 2002
NEW �HP� YOGA STUDIO OPENS! � WF STUDENTS ON TOP OF PODIUMS � MY WIFE KICKS ASS AT MR. OLYMPIA PULL UP COMPETITION...and mucho mas
Namaste Noble Warriors!
Wholistic Fitness, Sunrider Herbs, and High Performance Yoga...cracks me over and over again! For 20 years we�ve been so far ahead of mainstream fitness methods that we still only attract karmic angels and spiritual warriors!
Guess that happens when you move at the speed of Enlightenment!
Here a few gems from our treasured Temple of Wholistic Fitness over the last 72 hours...
����New POWERHOUSE GYM YOGA STUDIO OPENS!...FEATURING HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA!
On Monday night, I led 27 yoga student through a totally fun, inaugural class at our new studio in Chatsworth, CA. We cranked up our CHI so hot and heated that we fogged up the room length wall mirror...i love that! Energy made manifest! that fog on the mirror is precisely the way the heated air of Ujjayi Pranayama melts away our 'sticky' and restricted patterns of mind and body! that is why it is sooooo important to learn and commit to the Ujjayi breathing during all HP Yoga classes. the same way we fogged up that mirror last night is the same way the Pran (life force) permeates every cell and every organ system! that same heated breath is like heated pneumatic air that can cut through ANY restriction on your body or in your mind! Ujjayi doesn�t mean �the victorious breath� for nothing!
CHANGE IS GOOD
change always raises some concern. Kathy was getting worked over by everybody's opinions on this and that yesterday. fortunately, most of our HP yogis demonstrated their equanimity and adaptability to flow with the changes. it is important to recall that a key quality in my work with you over these years has been to 'be elegant in difficulty'. as the dust of construction continues to settle, i suggest we all put this into our Practice of the Now.
"Steve,
Is the room that class was held in last night the new home for yoga at Powerhouse? It seems as if it is smaller and quite a bit more crowded than the previous class room. The room being long and thin, and with the absence of mirrors, makes it difficult to see what is being taught or to watch your posture. Your thoughts?
Nat
�
Dear HP Yogi Nat -
let me break down your questions:
RE:
Is the room that class was held in last night the new home for yoga at Powerhouse?
� yep, that's our new studio. although, during our Sage Blessing last night, the image came to me that we were like ancient spiritual warriors gathering in a type of grotto.
i move to refer to our 'yoga studio' as "The Grotto"! what do you think?
RE:
It seems as if it is smaller and quite a bit more crowded than the previous class room.
� Looks are deceiving. We had 27 students in there last night, about the same as in the old room! if you've ever taken a popular yoga class at a Santa Monica yoga studio, twice that many are packed into the same or smaller size room!
what makes the Grotto appear small is the lowered ceiling and dark floor. in actuality the floor space is equal to or larger than any other yoga specific studio in the Valley. its significantly larger than where i teach in Westwood and to many other Westside studios.
RE:
The room being long and thin, and with the absence of mirrors, makes it difficult to see what is being taught or to watch your posture.
� Most yoga studios are long and thin. I don't know of many short and thick ones!
The entire front wall is a mirror. Those who enjoy the mirror, should arrive early and get in the front row. Traditional Yoga studios don't have mirrors anyway and certainly the Yoga Masters didn't use them! Coming from a gym/fitness background however, I voted to have a mirror in there because I think they are helpful to check your posture during sun salutations. after the flow part of class however, no mirror is needed, since your focus should shift toward Pratyahara or sense withdrawal...drawing your attention deeper into your body/mind, not external things like mirrors.
RE:
Your thoughts?
� my thoughts are that we are very Blessed to have a country and a place in which we can freely gather and do such amazing Practice.
my thoughts are of the Masters who attained Enlightenment (Samadhi) by doing their yoga practices everyday in wet, cold Himalayan caves, and in jungles teeming with insects and snakes, and along muddy rivers under heated, humid temperatures.
my thoughts are that our Grotto is a palace by comparison and i can't wait to get back in there and dive deeper into myself.
my thoughts are that there is no clanging blue, metal door, no drafts, no heavy bags dangling about, and no dripping vents.
my thoughts include the beautiful lighting in the Grotto, the killer stereo, great floor surface, and the ideal temperature to keep warm and heated throughout the class and into Savasana. i totally felt my body open more willingly in the Grotto than in the airy, drafty old room. the Grotto is much safer to go deeper. it feels very yin to me; very female, very nurturing, very introspective...perfect for asana practice!
my thoughts are that i will soon fall into love with the Grotto!
-coach ilg
������ My Yogini Wife Tops The Pull Up Podium!
so last weekend my adorable and very powerful wife, Kathy, was in Las Vegas at the Mr. Olympia contest with fellow HP Yoga Teacher, Karen. as Way would have it, one of the companies was putting on a women�s pull up competition. competitors had to wear one of the companies �weighted vests� and do �real pull ups� not the sissy, undergrip kind. the sales rep guy shook his head with awe as 5�1�, 100 lb and thirty two years old Kathy pulled on the heavy vest and proceeded to out pull up every other bodybuilder woman for that day! She beat girls much younger and �beefier� than her, that�s for sure! leave it to a High Performance Yoga Teacher to beat the �strength athletes� at their own game!
hey, i didn�t call it, �High Performance Yoga� for nothing!
good job, Lovey!
��� BE GOOD TO YOUR BODY THERAPY Book
my little book, BE GOOD TO YOUR BODY THERAPY, just passed the 1,000 sold copies mark for last quarter in....Africa! Austria and Germany are the consistent top buyers of that book, regularly posting sales in excess of 2,000 copies per quarter. In Taiwan? 98!
���ASANA AND ROCK CLIMBING...ALL EDGES ARE THE SAME?
�Just as a yogi seeks the "edge" of the asana, leading is the "edge" of
my current Practice. This has been and continues to be a place of great
learning that wouldn't have taken place in other arenas. As {Certified WF Online Teacher } Grant Couture says, (and as you say in the Outdoor Athlete) climbing is potent medicine. The fear has a great message. I am trying to understand the language.�
- Sean Madine, Colorado
���MARATHON? NO PROBLEM>>>A WF RACE UPDATE FROM BRYAN HANTMAN
CONGRATULATIONS to Wholistic Fitness Student, Bryan Hantman of Washington D.C who completed the The Baltimore Marathon on October 19. He states in his Race Report: �At mile marker 25 I began to pick up speed. By 26 I was sprinting. The sprint was a big deal. Nothing else mattered in those seconds. It was a chilling realization: I was holding myself back the entire time. Not wanting to ? hurt? myself....I bought into the fear of going too far in the event.�
Bryan said that thing he really learned from this race was, �to REALLY let go.� I think Bryan articulates perfectly the teachings available in my audio tape, FEAR IN FITNESS, and embodies the WF saying,
�Racing is not about winning, it�s about yourself.�
Bryan is a formal online WF Student training under WF Teacher, Joseph Sheader. Again, great Warrior job, Bryan! You honor our Tribe!
���
� The Under eating assignment has not been difficult, seems these Sunrider herbs replenish my system and ward off hunger.�
Student Adams, NM
and now, from the same Scott Adams...we read...
RACE UPDATE:
Congratulations to WF online Student Scott Adams of New Mexico!
Scott finished First Place in the Mens 40-49 category of the 4th Annual Prairie Dog Dash race held at College of the Southwest on Sat. Oct. 19th. Scott cranked the 5K course in a time of 22:46! Scott is a �star� online WF Student and devout Sunrider herb eater training under, wouldn�t you know it, national class runner himself and WF Certified Teacher, Joseph Sheader. Well done...to BOTH of you! Herbs and WF = the top of podium! We�ve been proving that for 20 years!
�
Now, if Student Scott is using HP Yoga and under eating and relying on SUNRIDER herbs, and wins FIRST PLACE in a distance race, wouldn�t you think more people would stop over eating all that junk food and those chemical powders and over training in one sport and start doing yoga? Hmmm. Baffles me, too. For a long, long time it has baffled me!
���� COMING SOON to DIRECT LINES....My Reactions to the NEW SUNRIDER VITASHAKE! ����� ILG ON ANGER �����Plus Student Input, More Race Updates, and a ton of fun!
Keep Your Practice Strong and full of Lightness!
Coach Ilg
founder/Wholistic Fitness & High Performance Yoga
October 21, 2002
Namaste Noble Warriors!
�Do your workouts not to become more physically fit,
but to feel your heart suddenly fill with the Divine.�
from my working manuscript, steve ilg
Well, Kathy just left to teach the inaugural HP Yoga class at our NEW STUDIO at POWERHOUSE GYM SPORTS COMPLEX! We are all so blessed to see such a small yoga seed keep blossoming in so many abundant ways. Who says there is no quality yoga in the Valley?! It�s all because of YOUR effort!
I want you to be patient if the �new gym smell� is a bit strong for the first couple of weeks...we�ve been �Nag Champing� the Yoga & More studio, but it might take a while.
Here is some information on the new studio and your input...
See you in Class!
I bow to you,
coach ilg
���
Where is the new gym located. could you please tell me YOUR complete schedule at this gym. Thank you. - R
Yogini R -
the new physical address of the new PowerHouse Gym Sports Complex is:
20914 Nordhoff St.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
phone: 818-775-0300
their new website is under construction and currently still has OLD information; www.powerfitness.com
the new complex is located one block WEST of DeSoto instead of of one block east of Desoto where the original one was. it is on the SOUTH side of Nordhoff.
���
my complete Teaching schedule is:
Powerhouse Gym Sports Complex:
Mondays; 6:30 pm - 8:00; Levels 2/3
Sundays; 4:00 pm - 5:30pm; Level 1 w/meditation
West LA: MarkBlanchards Power Yoga
Tuesdays
&
Thursdays; 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm all Levels
���
Steve,
Cant wait to start yoga at the new gym! Ive been working out 2x's as much since it opened. Now im jonesing for YOGA! See ya soon!
- Bill Turner
���
Hi Steve,
I dropped by Power House Friday and much to my amazement I was able to visit with your lovely wife Kathy for a moment. Power House is absolutely incredible! It's the wave of the future and I wish all involved good luck. I am very excited about the Yoga program (just learning) and of course the spin classes. Thank you for e-mailing when there are changes. Especially when a class is canceled. It takes a ton of effort for me to get to the gym and I Really appreciate knowing when a class is canceled. I bow to you. My husband loves me to bow to him. Thanks to you and Kathy for sharing the " I bow to you". Many thanks, Pam
��� HEALING HERBS���
Hi Coach,
I have a very cool story to pass along to you about Sunrider products and my 10 year old son, Luke.
I made it a point last spring to begin giving Luke a Sunrider power shake for breakfast every morning before school... Fortune Delight, Quinary, Vitashake and a banana. Since I am not around him during the day, I cannot be looking over his shoulder when he is making food choices at school, but at least I can provide him with a sturdy foundation.
To make a long story short, Luke awoke this morning with a sore throat. I peered into this throat to take a look and I was shocked at what I saw.
This kid has had a JUMBO right tonsil since he was about 2 years old. The docs always said not to worry about it, it was "normal". I always knew that there was some sort of very low grade something going on in there but he is a very healthy kid and never manifests much in the way of illness. Anyway this morning I looked into his throat and his tonsil is a normal size. I mean, it is the same size as the left and this right one was as big as a ping pong ball.
I have done nothing else, no meds or anything.
I credit this this to his daily dose of Sunrider and his momma's love for him:-)
I also notice that he is pooping a couple of times/day and I know how good that is for him.
As for me, I am rarely sick, have good energy, my skin is magnificent, and my elimination is healthy. All in all, I can honestly say that Luke and I can attribute a large part of our vitality to the herbs.
Namaste,
Patti, PA
PS Blair and I really enjoy your daily on-line meditations !
October 19, 2002
Namaste Noble Warriors!
The more fun we have with life, the more fun life has with us. Don't stop growing just because you are grown up.
- coach ilg
��� LOCAL NEWS...
The new PowerHouse Gym is OPEN! It is big enough to qualify as a nation unto itself! I want ALL of you HP Yogis to write a comment card to DEREK thanking him for being brave to create this new beautiful facility that will help so many people in so many profound ways! I owned my own gym before, and let me tell you, it is stress with a capital �S�...so give Derek some yogic lovin� and thank him for our new Yoga & More Studio!
Group Exercise including HP Yoga Classes start on Monday! Be sure to pick up a new schedule of classes. Kathy has added YOGA FOR KIDS, a PILATES MAT class, and of course Kathy, Trina, and I continue bringing you HP YOGA!
NEW!!! Beginning 10/27... I will be teaching on SUNDAY AFTERNOONS...an easy yoga flow (Level 1) into meditation. This totally kicked back class begins at 4:00 pm and ends at 5:30 pm. Come and merge softly into your evening. I want you to show up after doing a long hike or bike ride or run and be centered for a new week! I look forward to seeing you there...at our new studio!!!!
������ WF DHARMATALK...
�
"We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows."
- Robert Frost
�
����� VARIOUS QUESTIONS, VARIOUS ANSWERS
question: good luck on your book deadline! what music do you listen to when you write?
answer: 80% of the time, silence. other times, i have my Mac PowerBook G4 plugged into international radio and listen to ambient, classical, new age, or trance. tonight i am listening to:
www.astreauxworld.com
question: what is the name of that freakin� cool yoga pose that Madonna strikes in her latest music video for the 007 movie?
answer: a variation of Eka Pada Sirsasana. Madonna rules!
question: Do you have any instructor training classes scheduled for the near future?
answer: Kathy and i are shooting for March, 2003 for the next HP Yoga Teacher Training. will announce later.
question: what is the purpose behind Ujjayi breathing and Mula Bandha in yoga? you are about the only Teacher that really keeps reminding people to do those things in class.
answer: to amplify the pran (life force), condition your system to handle more pran, and eventually to merge prana with apana which are the upper and lower aspects of pran within the body. this merging of pran and apana awakens the Kundalini. in yoga class however, you are just trying to strengthen and empower your energy conduits. direction of the pran comes later, usually with a guru or experienced Teacher.
������ STUDENT INPUT
Hello!
I am currently teaching Yoga in Bakersfield, CA. (I missed your seminar a few months back, unfortunately, but a friend of mine gave me one of your videos, which I do follow in my private practice regularly...and LOVE IT!!)
-Valerie-
�
Steve,
You're the Best! I just read your latest piece on "Gurus, Sex and Videotape", and I have to tell you, I laughed so hard out loud. It was hilarious. You are really gifted. Thanks for making me smile.
- Michele
�
I appreciate so much of www.wholisticfitness.com which
is a cool site!
Love,
Cecilia
�
Dear Coach,
Namaste. Teacher Sheader suggested I ask you this question. Please recommend inline skates for cross training (brand) and snowshoes.
� I absolutely endorse inline skating and snowshoeing as cross training as well as for specialty sports. My first book, THE OUTDOOR ATHLETE, helped popularize these forms of training in the mid eighties. I do not think any of us who initially began clanking around on those big, heavy lace-up skates or who grew up on wood and rawhide 'Eskimo' snowshoes ever imagined the magnitude of what inline skating and sport snowshoeing has turned into!
INLINE SKATING: Any type of inline skating develops the power chain musculature of the quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Inner thighs are trained in a neurally fresh way which I have found contributive to a more powerful knee snap at Top Dead Position on the pedal stroke of cyclists. The entire midsection is strengthened in a very athletic conducive manner. The activity also gives a needed spiritual refreshment from the monotony of cycling. I suggest two forms of inline skating; traditional inline skating and inline skiing.
Traditional: Here, cyclists should mimic a speedskater, that is, focus on keeping the upper body parallel to the earth and really work on using the glutes as the generator for your propulsion. Keeping the upper body low and quiet while producing power from the hips is key. You�ve got to stay low! This type of skating is best done on terrain with only gradual hills and advanced skaters can fly using skates with 5 wheels instead of the more common 4 wheels.
Inline skiing: A pair of roller ski poles are needed along with your skates. These are available from catalog sources such as Reliable Racing Supply (800) 223-4448. Once these roller ski poles have been purchased, a whole new brave world opens! You can engage the upper body (SUPERB for MTB cyclists) which turns the activity into a full body, caloric burnfest! Both nordic styles (classic and skate) can be employed on flats and uphills then, when a downhill comes around, you can be just like Tomba and run imaginary gates! Because this activity is done with poles, falling is not such a big, scary thing and balance is much easier is two poles. Uphill terrain is fun and aggressive and downhills are just a blast. With practice, inline skiing may arise to be your favorite cross training activity...it is for me!
Some studies have shown that inline skating is tremendously effective at burning calories, significantly more than running or cycling at the same heart rates. Inline skating is much easier on the joints than running, but your lower back and spine muscles must undergo a long adaptation phase to dynamically stabilize your core. Always wear protective gear and invest in high quality equipment (high performance bearings and a lightweight, comfortable heel are very important). Get a skate that you are comfortable braking with. Most skaters can't brake well and that is how injuries happen. Since I skate mostly very steep uphills and downhills, I prioritize a skate that can brake fast while under sheer forces.
I�ve been with RollerBlade since the early days, and there is no other company with as much R&D into their products. For cross training, I suggest trying out the Lightning 05 or 07 models both of which have micro bearings are lightweight and responsive. www.rollerblade.com has a cool Skate Selector that you can test.
Snowshoes:
Go Atlas. For running/racing get the Dual-Trac: I helped design their Dual-Trac technology and they have only refined this shoe for the better.
http://store.yahoo.com/skishop/atdualtractr.html
if you want less sport performance, a more reasonable price and a more durable training/all condition shoe get the Atlas 7 Series:
http://store.yahoo.com/skishop/atdualtractr.html
Enjoy the snow,
Steve Ilg
USCF Coach/Founder, WHOLISTIC FITNESS
author; THE WINTER ATHLETE (Johnson Books)
October 16, 2002
For DIRECT LINES
submitted and written by WF Student Sean Madine, Broomfield, CO
{Inspired by Coach Ilg�s article on his Grand Canyon trail race [Direct Lines, 9/2/02].}
There is an interesting event called the Breckenridge Crest that is held
every Labor Day Weekend. It is 25 miles of mountain running including
5000 feet of ascent with an average elevation of about 10,500 feet.
I've considered doing this in the past, but always talked myself out of
it with words like, "� if you train a little harder next year �" During
the week before the run, I decided to enter. I wasn't focused on
performing. As I had never run more than 18 miles in the mountains, I
was there to go into the unknown and to see "what's what".
In the few days before the event, I prepared my mind and body. The most important part of this was the meditation. I wanted to feel the
difference between effort and struggle. I wanted to trust in relaxation
and ease. These are the things that have been a focus during climbing.
A different venue sometimes provides new insight.
Waking up on race morning, I felt great. The CD playing on the car
stereo was Lifehouse, "� What is real? Just a dream �" This became
the mantra for early part of the run. When the cannon fired to start
the race, I couldn't have felt better. It took some time for the group
of about 150 runners to establish flow on the narrow trail. The first
hour seemed to pass very quickly. Above timberline the pace slowed.
The course headed up steep switchbacks to the top of the first climb.
At the top, I switched gears into the downhill mode. If there is a
strong aspect of my trail running, it is the ability to handle the steep
downhills. I bombed the 1000 foot descent. My watch claimed that I had
been running for over 1.5 hours, but I was completely fresh and ready
for the second of the two major climbs.
There was a very abrupt switch from steep downhill trail to steep uphill
trail. It was time to switch from running to power hiking. The wind
increased during this section. My body cooled very quickly. By the top
of the climb, my legs started to cramp. There was a beauty to the
symmetry of the cramping. Both legs seemed to lock in the same way at
the same time. Words from Coach Ilg�s meditation began to arise. "You are not separate from the difficult circumstances in your life." I just
breathed and continued to move forward. Over the next 30 minutes of
running on the "crest" at 12,400 feet, the cramps gradually eased. At
the top of the second major descent, I had recovered and was ready to
move quickly again.
I reached the aid station at the bottom of the second big descent. My
watch read about 3:25. I had completed 95% of the climbing and 17 of
the 25 miles. It was gentle rolling terrain from there to the finish.
As I left the station, I was elated. My pace increased. At that time,
there was no realization that the dragons were waiting just up the
trail. In about 15 minutes, my energy completely evaporated. Every
step became more difficult than the previous one. Struggle began to
replace effort. I began to walk the uphills and run the flats and
downs. The cramping had returned with a vengeance. I'm sure that many
onlookers confused me with Frankenstein as I did my best to just keep
moving forward.
The HP Yoga video began to haunt me at this point. At each transition
from walking to running, I heard the words, "� ok yogi, here is a chance
to be noble." During the long flat sections, my legs wouldn't listen to
the request to move faster. There were more words from the video, " �
stand in the fire. What are you afraid of?" Coach probably didn't know
why his ears were ringing so loudly. This last section took almost 2
hours to complete. It felt like 2 days. There was a constant battle
with the dragons. They kicked my ass. I realized that this was why I
had entered the event, that this was the teaching.
On the final descent into the town of Breckenridge, I could barely
lumber down the moderate hills. All of a sudden I came around a turn
and saw the finish line. It was over after 5 hours and 20 minutes of
effort and struggle. Emotions swirled. Could I have done better?
Could I have run just a few more sections with more elegance? I sat in
the grass and listened to the bluegrass band. The sun was shining and
the mountain air was cool. It was time to let the emotions evaporate.
�
Sean is a beautiful representative of Wholistic Fitness. He is intelligent (he is some sort of scientist), polite, inwardly motivated, and accepts my most difficult training programs with calm steadfastness and an undercurrent of deep joy. Sean has attained a Warrior Level Inka and has enjoyed 3.5 years of WF online study with regular Private Training Intensives with me in New Mexico and Los Angeles. Sean uses Wholistic Fitness to increase his performances in mountaineering and climbing, both of which remain his passion. Sean lives in Broomfield, Colorado and regularly runs, rides his road bike and climbs the same routes I did along the Front Range. Sean has been taking formal online training under WF Teacher Grant Couture for the past year. It is my honor to have him Here Now.
- coach ilg
October 12, 2002
A Weekend Flower...For My Students...
So much change this weekend as PowerHouse Gym is relocating. Change is good for yogis...it keeps our Practice fresh. Whenever change enters my life, I always think of the lotus flower for inspiration.
When I worked at the Ark Bookstore in Santa Fe, a common question about all the Buddhist statues was, "Excuse me sir, why is this Buddha standing on a flower?"
"Well," I'd begin, "that flower is a lotus...and all sorts of Eastern deities can be found standing, sitting, lying, dancing, and even having..., well, you know what...upon the lotus."
"But WHY a lotus?" the new age tourist would ask hurridly, as if in a rush to get Enlightened through their purchase.
"The lotus flower often symbolizes spiritual warriorism because it blooms into beauty from mud and floats on water yet remains dry. Similarly, spiritual athletes should practice their inner work while remaining immersed in the outer world. With lotus like tenacity, we should embrace a passionate yet non-attached devotion to life just as the lotus pushes upward through dark, thick muck to embrace sunshine and blossom into a most gorgeous flower. The lotus teaches a nonjudgmental acceptance of the muck we grew up in, a cleansing within the waters of our life, and an elegant strength from the growth experience."
May your Practice shine with lotus like beauty and may rich personal insight bloom within the treasure of your workouts...
Namaste!
- Coach Ilg
October 11, 2002
Of gurus,sex, lies, and videotape?
With the agony of love
Not the ecstasy
Then the Beloved
Will fall in love with you."
-RUMI
Namaste Noble Warriors!
I�ve gotten a few letters from some of you remarking on the recent gossip regarding famous �Yoga Masters� like Amrit Desai, Bikram Choudhury, and the omnipotent Rodney Yee falling prey to sex and financial scandal and other not-so-yoga like behavior. One of the quotes from Bikram which caused a considerable stir among some of my female students came when the self acclaimed �superhuman� yoga guru Bikram stated in
defense of the behavior of Yee and Desai, that he himself was actually blackmailed several times into having sex with students, "What happens when they say they will commit suicide unless you sleep with them?" he says. "What am I supposed to do? Sometimes having an affair is the only way to save someone's life."
Of course to me, with 15 years of training in yogic philosophy and practice, Bikram�s remark begs the obvious question,
�Why would anyone want to have sex with a tubby little fellow who teaches in Speedo�s?�
But seriously, it�s important not to take egomaniacs like Bikram seriously. I know and have talked with Bikram at his gaudy, smelly Beverly Hills �studio�. He is quite an arrogant little chap,comparing himself to Christ and Buddha and told me outright he could kick my ass in any outdoor or extreme sport because he was, well, �Superhuman� and that i basically �knew nothing about yoga.� He said this to me in front of my girlfriend at that time and we both just looked at each other and cracked up. It takes all kinds. Bikram and many of the yoga �stars� are clever...but Bikram takes the cake with his flippancy about how big his mansion is, how many Rolls Royce's he has, blah, blah. On one Level, he is very good spiritual rascal, testing all of us not to pass judgment on him, for if we do, we are no spiritually Higher than is his ego.
But on another Level, if Bikram would see it in him to send a tiny bit of his millions of dollars to help Tibet, Ethiopia, or Buddha help him...his own India, then i personally feel his �message� would be even greater. The fact that we remark about his idiocy and that i am writing about it is in itself testimony to Bikram�s ability to generate energy about him.
If you want to read more about what happens to people when they call themselves Yoga Teachers but reduce Yoga to merely asana practice (and don't do Intervals!), you can read the whole article at:
http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,42783|5,FF.html
Thanks to WF Warrior Bradley for the site reference.
Now, back to our much more humble, but to me, far more Beautiful Light...here are some catch up quotes from you about this and that...
��
Dear coach,
Thanks for ever-ything.
I was in the gym last week. Moving through a 'flow' series, this thought came to me, 'you must start practicing more earnestly, you are slacking off in your WF studies, if you would only work harder...blah, blah, blah'. The voice of constant discontent, my constant reminder and companion, rears its ugly head. I smile and come back to the weight, the rooting through the feet, the breath deep in the belly, the muscle fibers, pull, stretching, contracting...I am practice, this is practice, there is no other moment, I start to feel, as I do (k)now, a welling of emotion, of udder gratitude as my legs start to caress the floor, my hands sweating , the rhythm smooth. Tears come to my eyes, I feel them roll down my face, in gratitude, such beauty, I move through and dance with these feelings, there is no-one else in the gym, I am alone together with all the others in the gym...'this is what steve was talking about', it was so sweet and kind and nurturing. placing the dumbbells back, feet connected. A stranger comes up to me he says, 'wow, your form is amazing, I never seen such impeccable form, do you do this alot...' 'no, not alot, just enough'...I walk away and the tears roll down my face, everywhere I see god, everywhere I see god...
Let me know how your book is going and when it will be in Wall-marts across the country!!
cheers,
Heikosan Couture
Canada
���
i see yoga everywhere
because yoga is in
everything i see...
- ilgism
���
Dear Coach -
I am going to take an in depth study program on buddhism and I would end up being able to "teach" but I don't think i want to do that. your thoughts?
- R
Dear R -
at Naropa University, my Tibetan teachers always refused to call themselves teachers of Buddhism since beyond time and space (maya) there is only now and it is the emptiness of now that teaches...no human can teach, only experience.
too many strive to teach
instead of just in-joying Practice...
personally, i know i pretty much suck as a �teacher�...that is why i force myself to come to the Big City from my Rocky Mountains...so i can work hard to become a good teacher...but personally, i would MUCH rather be back in Durango
unknown
happily practicing my personal brand of yoga & meditation on my skis, bikes, and snowshoes
emptying into the emptiness
moving beyond the Beyond
(paragate, paragate, parasamgate...)
just in-joy your time well
because it's all you have...
teaching, learning, loving...
ilg
����
Dear Steve -
Does Fortune Delight make you go the bathroom more efficiently? You know "keep the mail moving?" Is it a stimulant in any way? Should I drink it before bed?
- K. W
Dear K -
yes, if you are familiar with any of my published writings, you know that i am very big on getting people to understand that nutrition is only one half of putting food into you...the other half of nutrition is cleansing; ridding the cells from the molecular debris and toxins accumulated from food ingestion, exercise, stress, etc. Basically, how well you 'poop' and how fast your 'transit time' is a key indicator to how well your entire digestive health. Dr. Chen is committed to keeping food moving through the body system as fast as possible and to assimilate all the nutrients in the most optimal manner.
Cleansing foods (like Calli and FD) keep the cell membranes functioning properly, cleansing nutrition is tantamount; that is why WF Students use Fortune Delight and/or Calli throughout the day.
Both FD and Calli work like barbells for your colonic system; it strengthens its function while cleansing it of encrusted fecal and toxic matter during the first few months or years of Sunriding.
FD and Calli are not stimulants in the Western term. FD and Calli do however, 'stimulate' the physiology to liberate impacted fat stores from the body which, as you know, contains many kcals of energy, but also liberating that stored fat produces fluid and often, toxic burnoff which can result in headaches, nausea, and uncommon elimination patterns. All these things are manifestations of the herbs attempting to bring the body into balance, clarity, and strength.
After several months of being on Sunrider, almost anyone can drink Calli or FD before bed...but until the cells of your body get clearer, the resultant enzymatic and digestive and assimilation activity from Calli or FD could be too much before bed. In that case, just don't drink and Calli or FD a few hours before retiring.
Also, Dr. Chen created CALLI NIGHT, a BEAUTIFUL version of Calli Tea that actually does what the original Calli does but with herbs that promote a calming effect neurally...perfect for before bedtime with a good book!
�������
October 07, 2002
CARDIO TRAINING....IT�S IN US
by steve ilg, founder/WHOLISTIC FITNESS Personal Training
I was naturally attracted to Cardio Training. So were you, whether you know it or not. Perhaps you�ve forgotten your initial love affair with Cardio, but it was there. As soon as you could crawl, what did you do? You tried to walk. Then, after walking, you tried to run. Then, oh man, remember your first tricycle?! Can you recall the rush of joy when you rode your �two wheeler� for the first time?! I am a State Champion in bicycle racing. I�ve spent hundreds of hours training on bicycles, but my simple love of riding a bicycle has never left me...riding bikes still exhilarates me!
It�s a natural activity is Cardio. If we sit for too long, we fidget. We need to run. We need to link breath with sustained, rhythmic movement. It�s in us. People that don�t move within the joy of their bodies become depressed and even suicidal. This has been proven in horrible experiments, but the point is principal. Our intuitive Wisdom pleads and prods us to please move and breath. Unfortunately the whirring of our over thinking mind too often drowns out the still, small voice of our inner Wisdom. Too much thinking imbalances hormones and negatively affects blood chemistry.
Our body/mind system pivots upon frequent stints of heart elevated exercise for composure. My own records clearly show depressed and suicidal clients are those who also did not consistently do Cardio exercise in their lives. Hell, if I never moved and breathed in my body I�d be depressed and suicidal too! You think I am kidding, but I am speaking of my family history. But, we don�t need to analyze it, we just feel the difference before and after just twenty minutes of Cardio activity like walking, running, cycling, or hiking! It is common sense to enjoy the rhythmic pulse of your heartbeat mixed with your breath! Those two things - heartbeat and breath - act like soothing metronymic balms for the body and soul once set in motion.
{SIDEBAR:
Depression and Cardio.
Eastern Masters such as Rinpoche Trungpa and the Dalai Lama concur with the Western psychology of Freud and Jung that depression comes from spending too much time in the mind. The mind dominates feelings and overrides the instinct to move and breath. The body grows tense, circulation becomes inhibited, and all that remains is a robotic, automatic body/mind system that is stuck in depression and can�t see a way out. �Treating� depression with drugs cannot work from a spiritual point, since pacification of symptoms misses entirely the karmic or energetic reasons for the depressed state.
Instead, getting back into the body is vital for treating depression. In my endurance races, the best way I grew more confident in my chances for winning came from passing other racers. In combating depression, the best way to rise out of it is to overcome an obstacle, no matter how small. In Wholistic Fitness therapy, this means moving the body and allowing breath (pran) to begin eroding the depression with life and light. Once movement and breath gets going, the nervous system relaxes, blood and oxygen and nutrient delivery to the tissues increases, the mind eases its clutching and life springs back into the spirit.}
I just read that the new guidelines from the National Academies� Institute of Medicine shows that getting 30 minutes of exercise per day is not enough for long-term health benefits. That figure needs to be doubled. Thus, the new standard for personal health is one hour of exercise per day.
Can you see where all these academics are leading us? Back to where our natural state of lifestyle exercise! Chop wood, carry water! Ride your bike to work or to the gym! Hike with your family or friends instead of washing the damn car or watching football on the weekends! MOVE!!!!! BREATHE!!!!
COMING NEXT IN DIRECT LINES: MASTERS WISDOMS, YOUR QUOTES, and MUCH MORE!
October 02, 2002
Overtrained or Under-Recovered?
10 surefire fixer uppers to save you from the Under Recovery Dragon:
By Steve ilg, USCF Coach
Are you feeling over trained, or are you feeling Under-Recovered?
It is probably the latter.
Back a long time ago in the fabled athletic fantasyland of Boulder,
Colorado, my first certified WF Teacher, Randy Owens, came up with a saying, �There is no such thing as Overtraining...there is only Under-recovery.�
That�s my boy for you...coming up with one of those gems that just stick to the inside of your mind like batter on a griddle. If your batter is starting to speak to you about hints of over training� here are 10 surefire fixer uppers to save you from the Under Recovery Dragon:
1) Monitor your waking heart rate. If it is more than 10 beats above normal, then take the day off from any CV or ST work. Instead, practice some yoga and meditation. If you don�t know how to monitor your waking heart rate, let me or a WF Certified Teacher know.
2) Fill your Glycogen Window. Within 30-45 minutes after a workout,
replenish depleted muscle glycogen stores with carbohydrates. Potatoes, rice, or pasta are traditional examples of a post workout meal. If rushed, eating a SUNBAR whole food bar or even a PowerBar or PowerGel can do the trick. Remember, you gotta fill that magical Window WITHIN 30-45 minutes after the workout!
3) Drink! Rehydrate or Die! During the workout, I like using the bodyfat dwindling elixir; Sunrider�s Fortune Delight with Sunnydew. Conventional sports drinks tout the fact that drinking their engineered solutions will carry electrolytes, carbohydrate energy, and muscle rejuvenating amino acids will maximize hydration and restore lost body fluids. I think it is more a matter of what and how you eat during daily life, then during the workout itself. But, you should experiment for yourself. Remember, to drink every 20 minutes of training!
4) Get bodywork and do Yoga! Deep massage and yoga both activate the body�s garbage disposal, the lymph system, rinsing the cells clear of accumulated fatigue toxins from training and providing a sudden rush of blood, oxygen, and nutrient flow into suffocating� tissues.
5) Make SURE your recovery workouts are just that. As my friend and World MTB Champion,�Deadly Nedly� Overend has stated, �Most athletes go too hard on their easy days and not hard enough on their hard days.� Active recovery means keeping that heart rate within Zone 1 preferably...below 65% of Max Heart Rate.
6) Naps. Nuff said, baby. Get em in...Siesta Time + Quality Training =
Podiums and inner Peace!
7) Kick up the intake of Amino Acids and antioxidants. Both will protect post training muscle damage. Sunrider�s NUPLUS is great for this because it is a whole food formula.
8) Make sure that you drink fluids containing sodium, potassium, and
magnesium not just DURING training (see Number 3) but also afterward! Yes, filling your Glycogen Window (see Number 2) is your FIRST priority, but then, make sure you support the electrical activity of the cells by taking in an extra dose of electrolytes afterward. You can use the same intake suggestion as in Number 3 above.
9) Do Yoga. Especially if you are not getting in the naps and/or the
massages! Yoga will achieve the benefits of both of those recovery tips
plus, it is a mind/body practice that will set the stage for...
10) RELAXATION!!! The body and mind and spirit can only heal when it is calm. Learn yogic and Wholistic Fitness Lifestyle techniques and principles so that you are not stressing your physiology during daily life. You can only heal when you are calm, so take breath, adjust your posture and learn how to let go of mental stress.
Steve Ilg, a USCF Coach and Founder of Wholistic Fitness� Personal Training, is a best-selling book author and was named, �Fittest Person In The World� by Ultra Cycling Magazine. Go to www.wholisticfitness.com for info on online training services and products.
October 01, 2002
NAMASTE NOBLE WARRIORS!
WEST LA YOGA:
First of all, thank you for my Valley yoga warriors who travelled over the hill to enjoy the Free Yoga weekend in West LA at Mark Blanchards Power Yoga! Mark and Elizabeth (the owners) remarked how many HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA mats and and sweat towels and logos they saw...HP Yogis really showed up and helped make their Grand ReOpening a high energy success! I am very proud of you! I think the classic quote came from HP Yogini Christine who is trying to move her Westside office closer to the studio so she can make my 6:00 pm classes more regularly! There is a yogini with her priorities! Christine; email me your address...I have a gift for your sincerity!
POWERHOUSE GYM YOGA:
Well it was a Monday morning class five years ago that started the HP Yoga ball rolling in Chatsworth, CA out of a bodybuilding gym. Less then two weeks from now, we'll have our new Yoga room in a brand new, gorgeous facility! We'll have yoga offered nearly everyday, with meditation, lectures, and special events all in our own room! Why? BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF YOUR PRACTICE!!!!
Our beautiful Trina will teach the final group exercise class ever taught in the old PowerHouse Gym facility...and isn't it appropriate that it should be a HP Yoga class! Come and support Trina this Thursday night at 7:15 pm! I would attend myself but I teach in West LA on Thursdays...but I'll be with you in spirit as you bring closure to what was been a remarkable Seed planted in the most unlikeliest of gardens...people kept telling me that yoga will NEVER work in Chatsworth...so much for skeptics!
NEW HP YOGA CLOTHING
Watch for the October Website Special at
www.wholisticfitness.com
coming soon!
I'll close with this question and answer from a student and let you get on with your beautiful and sacred day! Keep watching DIRECT LINES, my Daily Meditations for constant training and practice tips, student quotes, and just general Wholistic Fitness fun!
In Sweat & Spirit,
Coach Ilg
����
A QUESTION AND ANSWER FROM A YOGA STUDENT
���
Dear Mitch -
RE:
First, a quick testimonial and word of thanks: I discovered your teachings
& the Outdoor Athlete in '92 when I used your book to train for a grueling
two week trek along the path of Shipton & Tilman's 1934 approach to Nanda
Devi in the Indian Himalaya.
� my childhood heroes were Sir Earnest Shackleton, Tilman & Shipton...that must have been an incredible trip for you!
RE: Five years earlier I had made a similar trek
in Nepal and had suffered greatly. Even though I was younger and in decent
"shape", I was not strong in the practical, balanced way you advocate. On
my Nanda Devi trek I carried more weight, ate primarily local foods and had
an incredible amount of energy even at altitude. While I have not been a
consistent student over the last decade, every time I have made the
commitment to get healthier I have turned to your work for inspiration.
Thank you!
� Delighted to assist!
RE: When I heard you were teaching in West LA near where I live, I started to
train again to be strong enough to attend your HP Yoga class. I have been
lifting, running, doing some gentle Iyengar yoga and eating well (including
the SR herbs, which have helped me break through a weight-loss plateau that
had limited my performance for the last 10 years). I ordered your HP Yoga
tape and, well, it kicked my ass. I could only do about 2/3 of it. I felt
great afterwards -- particularly my hips -- but my quads were blown out
early on and that limited the number I postures I could get through
comfortably.
� you should rest more often in Child's Pose during the first part of my video tape...like climbing a Himalayan peak, you must pace yourself...a bit part of HP Yoga is conquering ego enough to REST when you need to REST!
RE: So, my questions are: should I keep training before I come to your class, or
will I get something out of it even in my current (relatively weak and
inflexible) physical state?
� just get your ass into my class and pace yourself. the way i sequence my classes results in a very rapid strength fitness gain, but you must listen to the language of your body, not the ego.
RE: How advanced is the class compared to the
video?
� all my classes are about the same. like my main power yoga teacher, Mark Blanchard, there really should be no 'levels' to yoga...one day you may be strong, the other day your legs are sore and tight from running intervals or doing squats in the gym...so your yoga practice will differ. just come to class, breathe through your nose, focus your mind, steady your emotions, and have a ton of barefooted fun! last night i had a 55 year old woman take my class who had never done yoga before...she LOVED it! why? she rested when she needed to and arose to the challenge when she could...she was a better yogi than many who come to my class and try to muscle their way through it! my yoga classes are not difficult, it's the egos that are difficult.
RE: know in my heart that mindful practice is more important than
"getting through the postures", but ... it is kind of disconcerting when you
can't get through the postures.
- Thanks again, Mitch
� Believe me, Mitch, if you can climb Himalayan peaks, you can certainly make through my little yoga classes! i honor your respect for the Practice and am very glad you wrote. i hope i have quelled your concerns and can't wait to see you in class!
May your Practice be strong and true
and may you reach all your summits
Coach Ilg
founder, HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA
www.wholisticfitness.com