June 30, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
Summer. Two things: Iced Calli and Cardio, baby!
Calli and Cardio work together to pull toxins from the cells, rid our bodies of fat, empower our ability to assimilate more and more Life Force (pran or chi) and deepen mental clarity while jettisoning emotional baggage. Calli Tea and Cardio during summer produces a cleaner body and more pure spirit! how bad do you want it, bucko?!?!
Most Americans die from diseases stemming from too many day-to-day choices for luxury and comfort instead of effort and exercise. Stray out of your comfort zone in at least one way, at least once each day. For some, this may mean smiling at a store clerk. As you progress in stretching your comfort zones however, it is the integration of Cardio Commuting into your lifestyle that represents one of the Highest and most transformative Practices of this philosophy.
IT�S IN US
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!
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.
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.
Getting back into the body is vital for treating depression because you are not �treating� it any longer, you are friggin� using it as inspiration to GROW! 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.}
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 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!
May all beings benefit from your inner work(out)...
coach ilg
June 27, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors...
WHOLISTIC FITNESS; A Proven Science Of Motivation For What Lies Within
by Steve Ilg, R.Y.T
Enthusiasm - or dedication - is known as �Alolya� in yoga. It is considered a critical quality to progress in Yoga. Emerson, a great Western poet whom studied of things Eastern, coined one of my favorite quotes, �Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.� When working with a new student, I know that if he or she is enthusiastic, then I�ve got a warrior on my hands and success will come, no matter what.
Most people lose motivation for fitness training quickly. The statistics show that most new fitness programs are orphaned within three months. Even yoga students, so zealously enraptured with early breakthroughs, often lose the luster of their awakening within a few years. Why? Often, it�s because people (even yogis) tend to search externally for motivation. It as precisely at this threshold between external and internal motivation where students run toward or away from Wholistic Fitness and her branch of High Performance Yoga. I teach an inwardly motivated Path. It�s not for everyone.
I have never coached from a cheerleading stance. I do not train my Teachers to be hand holders either. If I meet you in the gym for a planned workout, I don�t need to be hearing about your girlfriend or boyfriend or who said this about that. I�ll show up focused and prepared to stay that way until the end of the session. I�ll expect the same from you. Small talk can wait. Spiritual development cannot. I�ll train a celebrity the same way as I train the construction worker; my primary duty as a Wholistic Fitness Teacher is to point my students toward self cultivation of what lies within, not ahead. You enjoy reading about and perhaps even practicing Wholistic Fitness (and HP Yoga) because you know it builds a better body and a more fit mind. I can capably guide you toward those noble intents, but it remains you who must be willing to do the work...or at least learn to do the work! If my Path requires anything from you? It�s enthusiasm. You�ve got to be enthused because dedication to any spiritual or personal growth process demands it.
When I speak about enthusiasm, I am not talking about a caffeinated, emotional excitement. If you need to drink coffee, wire into headphones, or chug a �turbo tea� just to get �up� for your workout, you need help. You need spiritual help! You need WF help! Can you tell that I am wary of overly zealous exercisers? WF is celebrating over 20 years of professionally guiding students through difficult workouts and lifestyle management techniques designed to inspire and elevate us naturally. I can spot shallow fervor and unwise training patterns a mile away. Depending upon any externals for energy is unhealthy. Likewise, exchanging synthetic substitutes for wholeness and substance depletes inner power. Relying upon engineered and synthetic pills and powders can lead to dis-ease of the liver and other organs which are forced to re-arrange isolated nutrients into a semblance of whole food. Meanwhile, the body also has to de-toxify its system if fed a steady diet of non regenerative foods, sounds, skin care, and even thoughts! Remember, energy gained through external, processed, and synthesized ways is fleeting and unsuited for the long term commitment to the difficulties inherent to self realization.
Genuine motivation - the kind that gets you to be fearless of anything (abhaya mudra) must be animated from a spiritual desire to discover what lies within, not ahead. If you want bigger or prettier pair of biceps, that�s great! I love a nice set of bi�s. I have to work like hell to sport the puny pair I have! Regardless, developing a better body should always be a by-product of a spiritual desire to know yourself better! Train to get better biceps not to show off (well, maybe once in a while!), but to be a better human being. Focus on the inner workout, and the quality of the outer ones will improve along the way. So too, will your biceps.
I am attempting to get you to see that WF training is not so much the difference between choosing tofu over meat, but rather knowing the difference between outer or ego desires and inner or spiritual desires. It is the difference between �ecstasy� and �enstasty�.
�
�I have been going through a sort of metamorphism and have found
that the Wholistic Fitness training I am undertaking with you is in fact a lot of spiritual work. Many things that I realized in your programs have changed the direction in my life...thank you.�
- Grant Couture
Vancouver, Canada
�
Namaste Noble Warriors!
WHOLISTIC FITNESS...A Science of Motivation For What Lies Within
by Steve Ilg,R.Y.T.
Enthusiasm - or dedication - is known as �Alolya� in yoga. It is considered a critical quality to progress in Yoga. Emerson, a great Western poet whom studied of things Eastern, coined one of my favorite quotes, �Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.� When working with a new student, I know that if he or she is enthusiastic, then I�ve got a warrior on my hands and success will come, no matter what.
Most people lose motivation for fitness training quickly. The statistics show that most new fitness programs are orphaned within three months. Even yoga students, so zealously enraptured with early breakthroughs, often lose the luster of their awakening within a few years. Why? Often, it�s because people (even yogis) tend to search externally for motivation. It as precisely at this threshold between external and internal motivation where students run toward or away from Wholistic Fitness and her branch of High Performance Yoga. I teach an inwardly motivated Path. It�s not for everyone.
I have never coached from a cheerleading stance. I do not train my Teachers to be hand holders either. If I meet you in the gym for a planned workout, I don�t need to be hearing about your girlfriend or boyfriend or who said this about that. I�ll show up focused and prepared to stay that way until the end of the session. I�ll expect the same from you. Small talk can wait. Spiritual development cannot. I�ll train a celebrity the same way as I train the construction worker; my primary duty as a Wholistic Fitness Teacher is to point my students toward self cultivation of what lies within, not ahead. You enjoy reading about and perhaps even practicing Wholistic Fitness (and HP Yoga) because you know it builds a better body and a more fit mind. I can capably guide you toward those noble intents, but it remains you who must be willing to do the work...or at least learn to do the work! If my Path requires anything from you? It�s enthusiasm. You�ve got to be enthused because dedication to any spiritual or personal growth process demands it.
When I speak about enthusiasm, I am not talking about a caffeinated, emotional excitement. If you need to drink coffee, wire into headphones, or chug a �turbo tea� just to get �up� for your workout, you need help. You need spiritual help! You need WF help! Can you tell that I am wary of overly zealous exercisers? WF is celebrating over 20 years of professionally guiding students through difficult workouts and lifestyle management techniques designed to inspire and elevate us naturally. I can spot shallow fervor and unwise training patterns a mile away. Depending upon any externals for energy is unhealthy. Likewise, exchanging synthetic substitutes for wholeness and substance depletes inner power. Relying upon engineered and synthetic pills and powders can lead to dis-ease of the liver and other organs which are forced to re-arrange isolated nutrients into a semblance of whole food. Meanwhile, the body also has to de-toxify its system if fed a steady diet of non regenerative foods, sounds, skin care, and even thoughts! Remember, energy gained through external, processed, and synthesized ways is fleeting and unsuited for the long term commitment to the difficulties inherent to self realization.
Genuine motivation - the kind that gets you to be fearless of anything (abhaya mudra) must be animated from a spiritual desire to discover what lies within, not ahead. If you want bigger or prettier pair of biceps, that�s great! I love a nice set of bi�s. I have to work like hell to sport the puny pair I have! Regardless, developing a better body should always be a by-product of a spiritual desire to know yourself better! Train to get better biceps not to show off (well, maybe once in a while!), but to be a better human being. Focus on the inner workout, and the quality of the outer ones will improve along the way. So too, will your biceps.
I am attempting to get you to see that WF training is not so much the difference between choosing tofu over meat, but rather knowing the difference between outer or ego desires and inner or spiritual desires. It is the difference between �ecstasy� and �enstasty�.
�
�I have been going through a sort of metamorphism and have found
that the Wholistic Fitness training I am undertaking with you is in fact a lot of spiritual work. Many things that I realized in your programs have changed the direction in my life...thank you.�
- Grant Couture
Vancouver, Canada
�
June 24, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"There is more to life than accelerating its speed."
- Gandhi
i know that yogis like me are not supposed to get too excited (or too depressed) during the playful and ever-changing flow of life (lila). but i am a very feeble yogi and in my anticipation of being once again in the Presence of one of India's greatest living saints, Mata Amritanandamayi (or Ammachi), this week, right here in the Valley, my spiritually revved up state cannot help but dedicate some DL space to the Mother's teachings.
May your own Practice be deepened by Her Divine Wisdom:
�
"Children, even when a man is cutting a tree down from its root, it gives him shade. A spiritual aspirant should be like this. Only he who prays even for the welfare of those who torment him can become a spiritual person. The spiritual aspirant's greatest weapon is the sword of Truth."
�
"Look at these fresh roses. How beautiful they are! What a fresh fragrance they exude! But what do we give them to make them grow? Just a little used tea leaves and cow dung! What a vast difference between these beautiful flowers and the manure given to them! In the same way, impediments are the fertilizer which makes us grow stronger spiritually."
�
"Children, the coolness of the breeze, the beams of the moon, the vastness of space and all things of the world - these are all permeated with Divine Consciousness. Knowing and experiencing this Truth is the Goal of human birth. In this dark age (Kali Yuga) a band of youths, renouncing all, will set out to disseminate spiritual light throughout the world."
�
Have you heard about unconditional love? It's a much tossed about phrase. Here are how the world-class unconditional lovers play the Game:
How about joyously jumping at the opportunity to suck the oozing puss and bloody wounds of a leper? And then lovingly bathing him to reduce his horrible stench which causes mere passerby's to vomit with repulsion?
Unconditional means just that, baby. Without condition.
That is what Ammachi does. That is Her yoga. When asked how She could keep doing such revolting things without Herself becoming sick or diseased, the Divine Mother stated simply; "Who else is there to take care of him and to love him? Mother doesn't see his external body. She sees only his heart. I cannot discard him. He is my son and I am his mother. Can a mother abandon her son?"
The lepers wounds are soon healed.
You ready to love on THAT Level?
Stuff to work on, eh?
Me too, Tribal Brothers and Sisters...me too. Let's just keep helping each other to work on ourselves, okay? Staying fit is vital because if you don't feel good, you can't feel God.
�
When asked if any person in modern times could become Realized, Ammachi was quick to point out that Her own life only showed that it was possible to realize God even under the worst possible circumstances.
�
May your inner workouts be as sincere as your outer ones.
i bow to you,
coach ilg
June 22, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"How much we learn by forcing ourselves to do things from our non-dominant consciousness
and how little we grow by not doing so."
- coach ilg
�
I singularly congratulate the four - yes four - noblest of Noble Warriors who showed up for my HOUR OF POWER workshop on Sunday:
� Tim Finch
� Yolanda (Happy Birthday)
� Teacher Q (Never Quittin, is right, baba!)
� Student Diaz
your CHI was beyond the Beyond...
have you four ANY idea of what a Gift you are?
i am typing these words with a huge smile
recalling how close to the Edge you all were
how the Dharma of Intensity rang like a bell through your heaving breath
and sweating skin
why are so many people frightened by intensity?
only FOUR people!
where WERE all the yogis?!?!
Wholistic Fitness is about the Dance
sure, the opening and expansion of yoga is great
but not at the expense of HIGH VELOCITY PLYOMETRICS
or intervals
or mountain trail descents!
c'mon!
what good is a loose joint
if it is too loose to conduct POWER baby?!
i am not depressed that more Warriors did not show.
for i know, it is Quality
not Quantity that matters to me.
that's why i turn down celebrity clients
they don't turn me on
most expect too much
and empty not enough
they can't sit still
i guess i learned to thrive upon rejection
most authors must
i enjoy
for example,
when people tell me to take their names off my SUNRIDER HERBS or HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA email list...
ahhhhh....i think...more fat trimmed off...
i enjoy feeling lean, fast, and full of Light Power
rejection turns me on
makes me stronger
firmer in my resolution to climb Higher.
it's a funny thing.
where i come from...
if a World Championship outdoor athlete
said he or she ate friggin' Lima Beans and Stewed Tomatoes steeped in horse pee pee
if he slapped his knee three times before a superset of bench press and squats,
than by God,
it was Lima Beans, Stewed Tomatoes, and Slapped Knees for our training.
at least
that is the Way it is where i come from
where the altitude is so high
that each breath is a precious one
which is
something that low-landers
can
easily forget.
soon enough
we will all part at the Crossroads
you will leave with your joys and despairs
and i will do the same with mine
we will wonder what our song was
our contribution to the Uni (one) Verse (poem)
each alone
looking at the long, lonely Way
knowing
or wondering
if we have what it takes
to walk
our
own
Way.
the difference between knowing
and wondering
is the difference
between those who stand on the podium
and those who gaze upon it.
don't miss out on opportunities to learn.
here's to another week of having the privilege
to workout...let's crank, baby!
may the shared sweat of our Tribe
bring many insights this week
through strength, cardio, yoga, meditation, and nutrition...
keep writing...
ripples make waves...
we are Blessed,
coach ilg
June 20, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
How come so many herbalists or nutritionists say, 'Oh, I always take this when I have a cold or flu!?
Seems to me, that if you know your stuff about nutrition, you should rarely - if ever - be sick. Why take counsel from those who don't live their talk? If you are seeking nutritional counsel, examine that person's abilities across the body/mind spectrum: strength, power, high intensity cardiovascular fitness, endurance, flexibility, posture, balance, agility, speed, coordination, emotional equanimity, and mental tenacity. If a person comes to you seeking to give you advice about nutrition, make sure their OWN body and mind reflects what they intend to bring to yours! don't settle for anything less. Enlightenment awaits those to swim upstream and seek the purest waters.
����
These 10 Basic WF Nutritional Guidelines have helped thousands of my students across the world for 20 years. They are simple tokens of �hip pocket� nutritional wisdom intended to guide you effectively in your food choices:
1) take a sacred pause before eating
2) eat mainly raw, whole foods
3) eat several servings of fruit and vegetables per day
4) limit fat intake, eat moderate volumes of protein and carbohydrates
5) consider nutrition in both physical and spiritual ways
6) half of effective nutrition is about cleansing and elimination
7) reduce dairy and meat to nominal levels
8) eat high fiber foods
9) generally keep your stomach contents 1/3 full of food, 1/3 fluid, 1/3 air
10) your �diet keyword� is: Moderation!
(You have to order my new book, TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION, coming out in January, to learn the details behind my 10 Guidelines and my Ten Viritues of WF Nutrition. go to: www.amazon.com to order your copy today!)
�������
Dear Coach ilg:
I don't read of others with this difficulty, but I am having a hard time
drinking the ilg supreme -- contents: vitashake (packet), quinary
(packet), fortune delight(packet), sunny dew(squirt), vitafruit(squirt),
ginseng(powder from two capsules)dissolved in 10-12 oz. of spring water
and 4-6 oz. of silk vanilla soy milk. The drink causes me to gag. I
can "get it down," but am hopeful that you've a suggestion as to
omissions, additions or changes that may make it a bit easier.
Many thanks.
riCk
Noble Herb Gagger riCk -
ooof. sorry about that, dude!
but trust me, you are NOT alone!
sometimes, the transition to "eating dirt" instead of chemicals and isolated nutrients takes a while to get used to. have faith.
WF Teacher Q was that way until he got slowly adapted, lost 30 lbs of fat and now looks forward with sacred appeal to eating his SR dirt along with the rest of us crazy (but lean, healthy, and powerful) SR Warriors!
here are some options for you to engage;
{Note; use all options with a Warrior's Fierce Desire to Shift Higher}
first: don't try drinking the "Premo" with food. just drink it separate. a Premo is so nutrient dense and full of chi that sometimes, that much chi is just too much for the body to handle, causing a gag reflex.
second: i want you to cut out the FORTUNE DELIGHT (FD) as well as the SUNNY DEW (SD) and the GINSENG too. omit those two things from the Ilg Supreme which - i suppose - would make it an Ilg Almost Supreme.
Later, during the day, drink the FD and the SD as a beverage in itself. use at least 30 ounces of water with this beverage. Take the GINSENG with this beverage, BUT DO NOT BREAK UP THE CAPSULES! just swallow the GINSENG capsules.
then do this:
Week 1: if still gagging, omit the GINSENG
Week 2: if still gagging, omit the FD
Week 3: if still gagging, quit the herbs and eat at El Pollo Loco. just kidding. If still gagging, contact me. a deeper imbalance may be present in your bod/mind. we will work two-gether to learn what it is, and grow Higher because of it.
always have faith in your Body and Mind
that's how your Spirit learns to soar!
hang in there,
dirt-eating ilg, R.Y.T.
June 19, 2003
Dear Fans of Steve Ilg and Wholistic Fitness Tribe,
The Direct Lines Archives, once again, are back in action.
Thank you and I apologize for any inconvenience!
WF Website Manager, John
SUNDAY, June 22
L.A. Workshop Series: Coach Ilg�s Hour of Power
Powerhouse Gym
10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
This class is the secret weapon for anyone�s fitness or sport performance!
When all other factors are equal, performance comes down to POWER!
Having qualified and competed in five World Championships in four different sports, Steve Ilg,a United States Cycling Federation Coach, knows a thing or two about power and sport performance!
Come and experience this toned down version of Steve�s elite class that he
taught in Boulder, Colorado to champion athletes from several sports.
Class includes a warm up, dynamic flexibility, plyometrics*, core strengthening,
and mental skill training.
Don�t miss it! Wear gym clothes with quality fitness shoes.
NOTE:
There will be explosive and deep fiber training movements in this class!
$10 at the door.
in the "grotto" at Powerhouse Gym,
20914 Nordhoff Chatsworth, CA, 91311, (818) 775-0300.
Workshops limited to 20 students. No reservations accepted; arrive early.
June 16, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
"When the power of love
overcomes the love of power,
the world will know peace."
Jimi Hendrix
Here is some of your recent input...may it help all of our workouts this week remain strong and sincere. Always remember, Noble Warriors, the inner work that you do on ourselves benefits all beings. thank you for being brave enough to Rise Above and do the Higher Workouts...
- coach ilg
�
El Coache,
Back in the smoke,
I see the joke
of attempting to poke
the cloak
of the Tao.
It�s a mysterious affair
And to glimpse it is rare
go if you dare
he asks...
do you see?
want to be free?
yes.
follow me.
but ride your own bike
it's not about what you like
the biz
is what IS
hear it?
Breathe with ease,relax your knees and
if you�re lucky you�ll feel the breeze(of the Tao).
don't whine
be kind
watch yo behind
don't be mean
drink an Ilg Supreme
never quit
one day we'll all get IT
much love to you Coach.
your warrrior for love,
Teacher Q
�
hi coach......hope blessings are draping you ! As always i love all the
communications.......and your
direct lines ARCHIVES. thanks
be well............shelli
�
dear coach ilg,
how are you,
your practice,
and sangha..
today?
i'm here..
now.
if you have the time
and it's not too much of
a hassle...i was interested in "sunriding" again.
what do i need to do?
this is a deeper year for me....
many physical and spiritual shifts...
and will need to eat to a cleaner
chi path...
i lead with love, and peace follows...
namaste,
Daniel
�
Your DIRECT LINES {6/13} was soooo beautiful, thank you.....Kelly
�
Hi Coach
i feel WF tugging at my spirit every day...
I'm still doing my herbs, the Ilg Supreme (premo, it's a nick name, now i get it) or two per day, FD
all day and calli night, this stuff is so amazing, i no longer think about the cost of it,
there is a good many things in my life i would give up to say on SUNRIDER forever.
Love from Oregon
Todd B.
�
"There is nothing quite like this training. The format of the training comes from Steve Ilg, Creator/Owner of Wholistic Fitness. I have been studying with Steve since the summer of 96�. This work has changed my life, I cannot put it any other way." - WF Teacher Grant Couture.
�
"I'm kinder, less stressed, calmer, happier and breathing better. I'm not always looking for material objects to make me happier. I look for a moment to make me happy. I don't worry if I can't get a workout in or if I need to stand in line. I just correct my posture and smile more often."
- WF Student Lenore
�
Dear Coach,
Great essay! One of your finest to date (DIRECT LINES, 6/13/03).
Blessings,
Patti
�
Coach Ilg,
Thank you for the Ai Imawa postures!
Your direct lines are fun and helpful; got a kick from you June 1 cycling article.
What follows is part of Dr. Weil's weekly email bulletin of today. It strongly echoes your teachings. Thank you for the breath and wholeness of WF.
"FITNESS KEEPS THE MIND SHARP
Concerned about keeping your wits about you as you get older? A new study suggests that staying physically fit can help. Researchers at the VA Medical Center in San Francisco tested mental and physical functions of 349 adults age 55 or older, all of whom were in good mental and physical health. At the end of the six-year study, those who had been most physically fit at the outset showed the least mental decline and vice versa.
Researchers credited cardiorespiratory fitness (the efficiency of the heart and lungs in the processing of oxygen) with the lack of mental decline they saw in the physically fit participants and said it may have helped by supplying more blood to the brain. Low blood supply to the brain has been linked to lower mental function in older adults and Alzheimer's patients. The results were published in the January 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society."
Every step,
Student Karl
�
Steve,
Your wisdom and insight in appreciated, have a good day.
Barry
�
Dear Teacher Sheader -
Week one Go Ju II is complete. The phrase "to your knees" is a good
way to put my current condition, a very challenging program is this. I am looking
forward to week 2 to see the adaptation that always occurs with a new
program. Anyway rest assured that I am in a well trained state, no
injuries, and my morale is good. I almost feel sorry for the other people
at the gym who don't have week 2 challenges to anticipate. (I think they
wonder if I"m all there or not as I get some strange looks at times.)
- Student DB
�
Dear Coach,
i love it when you share stories of your Journey. thanks. a few weeks back was out on a road ride... stiff head wind on the route home. had the sensation that i was a large glass window. a window meeting this resistance, felt like i was going no where... was totally suffering. it occurred to me, "if i'm a window, why not open up, let the warm breeze blow on through." so i did...became the open window. no "I" no "wind" just Open. the last miles were, as you said, wu wei.
by the way. to get a 35 minute climb around here, i gotta climb then descend the same hill 35 times:)
Love,
WF Teacher in Training, Roche
�
From (t)eacher to (t)eacher you are a blessing! Your work is inspiring Ilg.
Your fan
EROD
June 14, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
yesterday, my intent was to crank off one of my favorite mountain bike rides, Sullivan Canyon, early in the morning. one might think that given my experience in daily workout rituals, this type of get-out-the-door discipline comes easy to me.
it does not.
i still experience struggle - like you - in creating the uncarved block of time required for the "yang" Wholistic Fitness disciplines which must be done to achieve a balanced physique and mind: Strength Training and Cardio Training. Yoga practice hovers between the yang and yin while the other two "yin" fitness disciplines of Meditation and Nutrition eventually become as fluid as each moment and thus, require less logistical preparation.
I allowed the cascade of emails and other business to flood over the start time i had planned for my bike ride. It was nearly noon and very hot by the time my Higher Mind forced my ego into submission and got onto my bike.
Though ninety percent of the time, my Cardio sessions begin with great joy as i feel released into breath and being. But yesterday, my workout began as mere spiritual grunt work. I had to force my chattering mind to take backseat to my breath. Birdsong and ocean breezes were absent from my companionship. Besides myself, only a few lizards scurried under this sun, it seemed.
Sullivan Canyon is no junior varsity workout. From my house, the loop travels 24 miles up and down coastal ridges before a 6 mile upstream haul through Sullivan Canyon proper. At mile 15, after thirteen stream crossings, the final mile of Sullivan hits you as hard as a bounced rent check. Its 17% incline is steeped in breezeless broiler heat. As was the case yesterday, rattlesnakes often guard this section like Hindu serpent deities testing your sincerity; you ready to die for what you feel to be go(o)d?
Knowing the veracity of this loop, within the first fifteen minutes of my workout, my ego began chirping incessant excuses and lobbying for a shortcut around the truth of my intended workout. I had to force my Higher Mind to take up the sword of Truth and slay the egoic gossip. Through carefully measured breaths, I began focusing on yoga, which in this circumstance meant linking breath with my pedaling cadence. Faith that through the holy water of sweat, my workout would take on Her usual blissful qualities if i could just gather enough spiritual momentum. I began my chant that i use on days like this one, when feeling mentally feeble: "Just finish the workout, just finish the workout, just finish the workout."
I did.
And the magic arose. Because i was brave enough to endure.
"Of all the disciplines, endurance is the most important for it is to he whom endures that spiritual victory is assured."
-Buddha
May Your Weekend Workouts Be Strong and Sincere...
(and full of Magic!)
I bow to you,
coach ilg
June 13, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
"Our work in yoga is to undo the tension. Undo, not do."
Vanda Scarvelli
Every moment of your daily life can be a moment of contraction or expansion. Whether stuck in traffic or sitting in your office, you can always practice unalienable body/mind techniques which transform seemingly wasteful chunks of your life into fascinating and precious moments. Each instant that you are awake includes an opportunity to cultivate a more wholistic state of fitness and well being.
Qualities such as integrity, joy, and harmony just don't magically disappear and reappear throughout our life by chance. Such qualities are spiritual and as such, are trainable components of self realization which timelessly dance within our cells. When the proper technique is applied in a given moment, tension is exchanged for relaxed awareness. And, after a few days of practicing relaxation techniques, you will notice a fresh and surprising amount of energy coming through you. Within a few weeks, this newfound energy begins to erase once chronic aches and pains. Old injuries and volatile moods and excuses to which you've begun to grow victim, seductively ease their recalcitrant grip upon your soul. In short order, people begin to compliment your more radiant nature. A growing number of people, friends, and family begin to benefit from your happy presence. Your life suddenly appears as it was no longer. Dramatic and troubling circumstances appear less frequently as you learn to relax into the changing intensities of living and being. Suddenly, what you once knew as mundane "daily life" now cheerfully greets you each moment as your unique form of yoga or union. Your life regains its spiritual intent; it has become your sacred journey of inner peace and balance. Calmness is no longer a stranger, but a faithful and constant companion along your Way.
Enjoy your Practice and treat others well,
coach ilg
June 11, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
an exchange with Fitness Warrior Tobe from today's email:
Dear Coach-
I apologize for not starting {my first email which you made me do over!} with a polite salutation, I meant no
disrespect. I agree, we tend to move too fast in our society and are often
short with those closest to us. Thanks for keeping me in check.
� it's my job...
;-)
i honor you not taking defensiveness...that speaks volumes.
RE: Here is a vitamin/mineral question for you. I take daily the Ilg Supreme
with 8-12 ozs of soy milk, 1 tblspn of Flax oil and every 2 dys or so a
tblspn of psyllium husks (I crave the Ilg Supreme every day).
� right off the bat, i'd suggest weaning off the husks and oil. they do not strengthen the colonic chi and can actually decrease optimal, inner functioning of the colonic lining and activity. you can replace with SR SUNBARS as an option.
RE: I also drink
Calli morning and night and FD once daily and take 60 mg CoQ10 per day. I
have been doing this for one month now. I noticed that with the
combination of VitaShake and VitaFruit most of the vitamin volumes do not
add up to the RDA.
� do not worry about that.
it's the residual WAY that the accumulated EFFECT from the herbs WITHIN you which add up to far more physiologic effectiveness than mathematical RDA numbers. the body/mind knows CHI, not numbers.
RE: Why do you recommend the Ilg Supreme with less than the
RDA and no other supplements (except maybe Ca and C)?
� see above.
you are trying to fit a Western concept into an Eastern Way of Chi Saturation and Development and Regeneration.
RE: I feel great, but have made many other positive changes in my life over
the past year:
Lost 15 lbs in the last year
Quit pot cold turkey a year ago
Vegan-based diet
Zero caffeine (except the trace in Calli)
Small amounts of high GI sugar
Low Na
Low sat. fat
2-4 HP/power Yoga per week
Lots of cardio, incl., intervals (mtn biking, hiking, in-line skating
and skate skiing)
Zazen once per week
Focus on breath and posture
Therefore, it is hard to say what has had the most impact.
� and truly, does it matter?
become a specialist in wholeness
and nothing specific matters
because you feel so dang...GOOD all the time!
RE: The biggest changes I have seen in the last year are the loss of 15 lbs (5
of them in the past 1-2 months) and a total cholesterol drop from 190 to
140. As of 6 months ago it had dropped from 265 to 190 due to Zocor. The
190 to 140 drop I believe is 95% due to my lifestyle and dietary changes.
The doc took me off Zocor as of yesterday. I also take Advair for
exercise-induced asthma and have not had any symptoms in a long time now.
My lung function has gone from 50% to 75% of "normal" - hoping for 100%
next visit.
� first, congratulations on all your victories!
getting off Zocor and losing that fat and increase your pulmonary fitness is absolutely FANTASTIC FITNESS WARRIORISM!
feeble ilg bows to you!
secondly,
i want you to replace your "hoping" which is passive
with visualization which is active.
and keep Practicing with consistency!
do this, and
one day,
mark my words,
you will look back on these years of being on such strange chemicals as Zocor and Advair and wonder, "Man, i can't believe i was sucked into all that shit."
your body KNOWS PRECISELY how to bring itself into a joyful state of Balance...but the key is your willingness to
embrace,
listen, and
Practice.
RE: I have chronic low back pain (for many years, although worse in the last
year) plus I seem to have injured my lower right back/upper hip with sharp
pain at times daily (mostly in the evening) - in the SI joint (no pain in
the leg). Doc says I could have arthritis - we'll see.
� the Doc knows nothing.
you KNOW damn well that yoga, herbs, and consistency in Practice
will erase that back pain.
take it from me, baby...
i know all about that TRIP!
RE: Would you recommend anything else in the HR (or supplement) realm at this
point?
� when you feel ready,
you should begin formal online WF training.
the years ahead shine with opportunity for much more than mere pain erasure...they sparkle with great potential for Awakening and - who knows - maybe Enlightenment?!
why not go for it?
why waste an incarnation not going for the top of the podium?
i applaud your inner endeavor to Rise Higher...
ilg
June 10, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners
who make our souls blossom."
- Marcel Proust
�
here are some exchanges from my email box this morning...may reading it deepen your appreciation for the Teachers in all our lives...
�
Dear Coach -
I saw beautiful Kathy yesterday before Yoga with Trina. Trina is flowing beautifully these days.
� i shall pass the word to our beautiful Trina and my Beloved wife. thank you. yoga teachers don't make much money, we have voluntarily chosen to help others instead of pursuing more moneymaking jobs...thus, when you pass on a compliment to our teaching...you are delivering us a most appreciated paycheck!
RE: Steve, I'm so exhausted. I've lost the desire to push myself. Yesterday i had a meeting in LA, drove home,changed, ran errands and fell asleep in the car. I awoke in time for 6:30 yoga class. I'm living in three different places. I'm behind with my paperwork so that I can help my parents. I need to help them, they've become so frail and disoriented.
� i understand.
this is your most important yoga right now; helping your parents by being present with them.
RE: How can we tailor my work out with this type of schedule? I want to begin my new program with enthusiasm an excitement, but I will feel guilty if I can't give it a 100%
� excitement is a dis-ease.
equanimity is what makes a yogi.
life is full of up and downs
hard and soft
fast and slow
health and illness
having found samtosha (contentment) through meditation,
the yogi inhabits the place beyond the extremes of life
and smiles at the Lila (the Play of the Universe).
RE: If nothing comes of this discussion, at least i feel cleansed from admitting my shortfalls.
� you have no shortfalls
only teachings to learn
and enjoy
RE: My chi is low today. Perhaps it's just a cyclic thing, eh?
I look forward to my SUNRIDER herbs and knowing that you are here to listen to me.
Thanks Steve. May your practice be strong and may you be blessed for assisting others.
� with students like you in my life,
how can i NOT feel Blessed?
in strength & spirit,
your coach
June 09, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"I'm just getting over being back in shape."
- WF Teacher Q
thank all of you who came to my Taoist Yoga Workshop this weekend! Ai Imawa!
for DL Readers only throughout JUNE: get my book,
AI IMAWA; The Postures and Practice of Inner Harmony for only $20 including shipping! also NEW: includes a 8" x 11" handout with each of the 12 postures!
below i review an intelligent, 4-Stage approach to an herbal nutrition question from a student...
Dear Coach Ilg -
After reviewing the sunrider web site of products, I am interested in joining Sunrider as a regular customer.
� that's because you are a wise, wise man! welcome to an elite world of potent and powerful herbal whole foods and conscious skin care!
RE: I am especially interested in the herbal foods ( NuPlus, Vitalite Sun Bars and Vitashake), beverages ( Calli, Fortune Delight and VitaFruit) as well their Sports Caps.
� forget about: NuPlus and Sport Caps.
VItashake is a superior formula over NuPlus (albeit slightly more expensive) and if you consuming Vitashake, Fortune Delight, i feel the Sport Caps would be redundant and not cost-effective. during my competitive outdoor career, i essentially relied on the Ilg Supreme (Vitashake, Quinary, Vitafruit mixed with SoyMilk and water) and Fortune Delight + Sunny Dew throughout the day and in my water bottles during competitions. i would drink up to 3 Ilg Supremes daily during intense training. when i was doing that, all other products (both SR and others) just did not account for a physiologic change. all my biological bases were being covered fullly by the Ilg Supreme. it will do the same for me.
RE: Can you guide me as to which products would be helpful to me?
� of course, though any speciific guidance is not necessary until several months in your SUNRIDER journey. a wise "break in" program covers 4 Stages. Each Stage could range from one month to several months depending upon the level of cellular fitness you bring to your SR Journey:
Stage 1; Pimary Cell Cleansing
Drink Fortune Delight + Sunny Dew throughout the day.
Drink Calli Night at night.
Stage 2; Secondary Cell Cleansing/Bodyfat Loss
Drink Fortune Delight + Sunny Dew throughout the day.
Drink Calli Night at night.
Take 4-6 caps of Action Caps 2-3 times per day
(If needed: Slim Caps and Sunbars)
Stage 3; Cell Empowerment
Ilg Supreme 1-3 times daily
Fortune Delight + Sunny Dew throughout the day
(depending upon bodyfat/cleansing progress the Action Caps, Slim Caps, SunBars can be maintained, moderated, or dropped from the program.)
Stage 4:
maintain Ilg Supreme and Fortune Delight. introduce specific SR herbal formulas after weak organ systems have been identified in prior stages. begin switching to SR skin care program.
RE: I am a regular backpacker (at least 1 trip every 2-3 weeks), regularly exercise for at least 1 hour ( 6 of the 7 days of the week, jogging 4.5 to 6 miles weekly, weightlifting 2-3 times / week, 30-45 mins stretching session 2-3 times weekly). I also add in some QiGong and breathing mediation for at least 30-45 mins at least twice weekly). Thanks. Your Student Fitness Warrior, A. G
� that sounds like a fantastic, very Wholistic Fitness, approach to your training! you will truly enjoy switching to SUNRIDER for your core nutritional program! now, for those specific backpack trips you simply cannot do better than packing in all the ILG SUPREME packages...they take up virtually no space and are ideal for supplying day long energy through the metabolization of impacted bodyfat and increased cellular respiration. just be sure to order the VITAFRUIT in the little vials, instead of the big plastic bottle and all the other products are completely ready and packaged for backpacking. NOTE: do NOT put Fortune Delight or any of the SR products into "Camelbak" type of hydration systems! the herbs will start to grow within the plastic lining of emptied CamelBaks! Remember, SUNRIDER is full of chi, life force, so just stay with the SUNRIDER shaker bottle or a similar water bottle that can be washed thoroughly.
you're gonna fly. and don't get freaked out when you realize you don't need to eat so much food after you mature as a SUNRIDER. physiologic regeneration does not need many calories. just accurate nutrition to support life force.
write anytime and i look forward to hearing more as you Rise Higher with the herbs!
i bow to you,
coach ilg
Director/SUNRIDER INTERNATIONAL
June 07, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"Anytime you can relax you can do better."
- Sensei Kishiyama
For those of you attending my Taoist Yoga workshop tomorrow, you can read about my Teacher, Sensei Kishiyama by visiting his website:
http://home.sprintmail.com/~lonster/index.html
for those of you not near LA, your own Practice would benefit from getting his award-winning video (or CD).
i am looking forward to flowing with(in) the chi with you...
Ai Imawa means:
Harmony Now!
Ai Imawa,
coach ilg
June 05, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"Look to your duty
do not tremble before it.
Nothing is better for a Warrior
than a battle of Sacred Duty.
The doors of heaven open
for Warriors who rejoice
to have a battle like this
thrust on them by chance."
- Bhagavad Gita, II 31-32
Be brave today and smile often and workout from the Highest Place within you...
Today, i devote my Practice,
to your Devoted Practice...
thank you for choosing Wholistic Fitness as a step in your Awakening...
head bowed,
coach ilg
June 03, 2003
COMING UP THIS SUNDAY
join Steve Ilg for...
June 8
L.A. Workshop Series: Taoist Yoga
Powerhouse Gym
10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
This unique class begins by a short introduction before enjoying and exploring 12 simple, elegant standing postures taught to me by Taoist Master, Sensei Kishiyama. These postures penetrate normal consciousness to deepen a connection to our "chi" or life force. They also improve balance and concentration. We then slowly move through the same 12 postures in a fluid, slow manner as in Tai Chi.
The second half of the class is spent on the floor merging into a few yoga postures but with long holds. Most people experience a very deep relaxation effect from this style of yoga. No sweat. Suitable for all ability levels. Calli tea and herbal snacks served afterward.
Come, develop and share your chi and enjoy the peaceful presence of these postures which bring inner harmony within an often chaotic world.
Steve's book, AI IMAWA; The Postures and Practice of Inner Harmony along with other High Performance Yoga and Wholistic Fitness products will be on sale! ..visa/mc accepted
All workshops in the L.A. Workshop Series cost only $10 and will take place in the "grotto" at Powerhouse Gym, 20914 Nordhoff Chatsworth, CA, 91311, (818) 775-0300. Workshops limited to 20 students. No reservations accepted; arrive early. Please bring a sitting cushion.
June 01, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"The real Porsche is not under a hood. It's under your skin."
-coach ilg
ooooh...that feels better.
my eyes are no longer cross-eyed and the neural staccato fire emanating from my exhausted, acidic thighs has stopped. it's been just over an hour since my effort in this morning's 2.50-hour road bike training race.
it's been well over a year since i've done this training ride that races every Sunday morning over Sepulveda Pass from the Valley to Venice Beach and back again. sometimes sixty racers show up. other times, like today, the peleton (main group of bike racers) is less than half that. but it's always hard. that's what makes it a great training ride.
the crowning jewels of this cardiomuscular experience are the two climbs up the Pass as well as several high speed sprint 'primes' (pronounced, 'preems') on the flats. for climbers - like me - we love to attack the steep sections as to break the legs and wills of the other racers. we consider it a duty to surge again and again until we've forced the heartrates of others to shatter into a haphazard, gasping affair. the more pandemonium on a climb, the better. bicycle climbers dream to dance upon pedals like angels of ascension until no other racer can match tempo.
on the other hand, sprinters live to contest the sprints, shoving elbows into each other's ribs at 45 mph if needed to maintain their place. the handlebar to handlebar gallop makes for dangerous moments and there is much team tactics to deliver your guy to the line first. anaerobic chess played with thighs of steel and minds of zen monks.
though now long retired and light years past my cycling fitness, it's still those lung bursting, leg searing efforts when the pavement turns uphill that trips a certain animalistic trigger deep within my aging fibers. my normal soothe and caring demeanor switches instantly into a fierce warriorism that - for better or worse - makes me think that no one can beat me up a hill. i like to be left alone, in front. i don't care if i lose. i do care about not being brave enough to do my utter best.
i was nervous about rejoing the peleton after so long. it's tricky stuff, bike racing. you gotta be aware. skin and asphalt are not brothers. excellent bike handling skills are needed when riding fast so close to so many other riders. each of them wants to be near the front of the peleton where it's safest and easier overall. if you are dangling off the back, you are constantly sprinting over and over again just to stay in contact with the swooping herd of racers. you can't win from the back of the pack.
today's ride must have been a karmic thing. i won both hill climbs and helped my team take all the sprint primes as well. winning the second climb hill put me into huge difficulty. it's longer the first, which is more of a power climb that i can more easily handle with 20+ years of WF strength training in my legs. but the second climb comes near the end of the ride and has an energy sapping gradual uphill of about 3 miles before a steep, decisive headwall which guards the summit. today, i had gotten myself into a four man break away up the second climb. a twenty-one year old, very fit fellow attacked just before the headwall. i accelerated onto his rear wheel, attempting to stay in his draft. which i did. for about twenty seconds. then he attacked again. i had to let him go. i hate it when that happens.
in yoga, the fifth limb of ashtanga yoga is Pratyahara. it means, 'sense withdrawal' that's what i practiced in that moment. i just shut off my ego and went within. it's what we do in yoga all the time. learn to let go. transformation of the trance of torture. the trick to winning races is the same; learn techniques to be elegant in difficulty. don't buy into what the ego is always trying to sell you; you're too old, you haven't trained enough, it's okay not to give 110%, etc., etc. the mature yogi or athlete has learned the same trick; not to listen to that crap and instead pay attention to your breath and posture.
my heartrate was probably nearing 185, which i can hold for some time. i looked up and saw that i was not closing the gap to the leader. that's when the guy behind me passed me like i was going backwards.
let it go, ilg, i tell myself. Pratyahara. don't worry about him, focus on what you can do right now. here. this moment. i went deeper within. the more i could ride out of myself, the more likely i could ride into my Highest Self.
at the top the headwall, the guy behind me had joined up with the young punk...errr, excuse me, the nice young man in front. they were working together. two against one with the summit less than 800 meters away and my legs feeling like wet timber.
i had them right where i wanted them.
the prana started pumping. the chi started flowing at a whole Higher level. the SUNRIDER herbs were doing their thing. i blessed my love of Wholistic Fitness and High Performance Yoga as i stood up on my pedals and stomped upon them with such a cadence as to make that damn RiverDancer dude wince with envy! i was flying uphill in a 42-15 gear as i came up and around those two guys like a Santa Ana wind...they didn't know what hit them as i danced to the summit 40 meters in front of them. a joyful man was i as i cornered the descent feeling like a bird in full flight.
Wholistic Fitness and High Performance Yoga are no joke. neither are the SUNRIDER herbs. many men my age would like to be able to get off the 'couch' and pull off what i did this morning. but it's easier to make excuses why NOT to sign up for Wholistic Fitness online training or NOT do the programs in my books or NOT eat Sunrider herbs. i watch what i eat. i stay at or around 148 lbs. i don't let anything or anyone stand in the way of my Practice sessions. before today's ride i was up early doing HP Yoga and breathing meditations (pranayama). i don't know what the other guys that i beat today do for their training but i know what i do. and it feels right and obviously works as effectively today as it did twenty years ago.
podiums are few. excuses are many.
there is nothing like Wholistic Fitness. it prepares you for the podiums present in your life which come in many ways and within every moment. how beautiful and brave are YOU willing to be today? are you willing to risk? to go on the attack? to dance? to let go?
or are you content to yo yo off the back of the pack where the scenery is just other people's rears?
i designed WF to lift people Higher by not just teaching how to workout, but by teaching them to enjoy working within.
May Your Practice Be Strong & Sincere and May Your Own Podiums Be Many,
coach ilg
{Editor's Note; among Coach Ilg's cycling accomplishments are a State Championship, two course records, and podiums in races from one kilo to 500 miles, with numerous victories in mountain bike, multisport, and road cycling. he has coached several national, world, and Olympic champions and remains a licensed USCF Expert Coach through the same coach as Lance Armstrong.}
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