July 28, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"A paradox of the spiritual journey:
the more you grow the less you know and the more you enjoy knowing you don't know."
- coach ilg
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COACH ILG TO OPEN NEW HP YOGA STUDIO!
there is but one consistency in all the UniVerse; change.
let me tell you, Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles, California is a long, long way from County Road 204 outside Durango, Colorado but that is precisely where my Path of yoga has led.
my new "cave" is situated in a powerful but calming vortex of earth energy at the foot of the Santa Monica mountains in a beautiful plaza one block west of Reseda Boulevard on Ventura. here, you and i will soon have our own High Performance Yoga Studio where we can enjoy the unique challenge and life transforming benefits of daily HP Yoga classes, Wholistic Fitness dharma talks, zen meditations, special events like "Planet Ilg" and "Adventure Sundays", Sunrider Herb evenings, and Master classes with established Teachers from a variety of Paths.
my Studio will reflect and be based upon my personal practices. you'll notice the Vibe immediately. this Studio is my contribution to a Path of Yoga that has helped me enjoy such a sacred and fun life journey. our staff will be certified HP Yoga Teachers trained in both personal fitness and yogic arts. we welcome spiritual and fitness warriors from all walks of life.
i meditated for three years to manifest this space in this location. two short months ago the opportunity opened. with only faith in the UniVerse to provide, i pounced on the moment like Lance Armstrong attacking in the Pyrenees. now, it's up to the strength and support of our sangha (spiritual community) to sustain our Studio and help many other people through the amazing effectiveness of the HP Yoga experience. i know we can do it. we just need to keep our Practice strong and sincere.
let me reiterate; Kathy and i need your support of our new Studio. many of you have asked why don't i open my own studio. well, here you go. now, i need you! we plan to open in September and then host a special Grand Opening the first weekend of November. as i write this, a handful of HP Yogi devotees are volunteering their time, sweat, and support to make our Studio happen. i especially bow to Mark Blanchard of MarkBlanchardsPowerYoga.com who has been of tremendous open-hearted assistance and integrity.
i would love to see my online students and friends from across the country plan a trip to LA for the first weekend of November to take advantage of free classes and special events at our new studio.
this week i am returning to Colorado and New Mexico to perform mountain yoga austerities and bring back some special items from my stupa's, caves, and High Places that will link - spiritually - this new studio with my beloved Rocky Mountains, birthplace of the High Performance Yoga tradition.
off we grow again...
check out and bookmark:
www.highperformanceyoga.com
there are five revolving photos and i'll be updating our construction progress at that website along with teaching schedules a little bit later.
i bow to you,
coach ilg, RYT
July 26, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"Everything in life either makes you stronger or weaker. Everything can either make you contract or expand. Which are you choosing?"
- Coach Ilg
NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHO WON THE TOUR DE FRANCE FINAL TIME TRIAL DO NOT READ FURTHER!
Well, France must be quite stricken with 'Postal Envy' today...
not one, not two, but THREE Americans finished in the TOP TEN of today's decisive time trial, originally billed by commentators as the final determiner between Lance and Germany's bullish Jan Ullrich. But commentators don't race. There is still one more day of racing, and although Jan will fly the white flat of surrender to Lance and not contest the final 200 kilometer "roll into" Paris, the Sprinters Jersey is still up for grabs between Zabel, McEwyn, and Cooke. that means it will be faster then the traditional champagne drinking cruise toward the Eiffel Tower. Lance does need to stay upright tomorrow. But his team is intact and will deliver him as sweet as a baby's breath to the top step of the podium.
Why Jan Lost The Time Trial
He did not appease the gods, that is why. devoted DL readers will recall my various writings on the importance of ritual in the spiritual journey. well, in endurance athletics, you must win the favor of the gods as well in order for Them to turn on the spigot of Divine Benevolence. Lance visited and meditated on the Time Trial course way back in April and again in the cold, wet rain the morning of the event. the wise spiritual athlete knows that by recon'ing the sites of future races, you leave indelible astral imprints of positivism that come back to you during the actual race. Jan, on the other hand, elected to remain in his hotel bed, warm and comfy to preview the course via video. such spiritual lethargy does not win the favor of the gods. thus, Jan went down hard like a cheese omelet on the slippery course, bruising his ego, his back, his bike, and his karma. the only thing good about Jan's crash was the amazing camera work right behind him...not even a wobble of the lens!
Other:
� Tyler gets 4th...another Buddha on a bike, baby! broken collarbone and all...i bow to Tyler. and Hincapie. Hincapie.
� Spanish cyclists need a weightroom. someone please, for the sake of TV viewers across the world, send them a copy of THE WINTER ATHLETE so they can do something, anything about those toothpick arms over the off season. no wonder why they cannot muster the power to capitalize on their natural talents...they need the gym!
� future prediction: Lance has now made winning the Tour so cool that LA Laker's owner Gerry Buss will partner up with Robin Williams and Arnold Swarzenegger to buy US POSTAL. they will put in Phil Jackson as coach, hire Jan Ullrich and Tyler Hamilton and Eric Zabel as Lance's Super Domestiques. under this new management Lance will go on to win an unprecedented 7 more Tour titles. Lance will then become President of the United States and mandate that EVERYONE RIDE THEIR BIKES TO WORK! PowerBar will become the official food of the United States.
well, i don't know about you, but Lance and the US boyz inspired me to go ride my bike over to Westwood to take Blanchard's Level 3 yoga class this morning, so i better get outa here.
i truly trust that Lance's courage in this year's Tour does more than just provide entertainment for non-cyclists...may his CHI fuel more Americans to get off their car-driving keesters and get fit by integrating some more breath and movement into their days via a bicycle....perhaps the best human invention ever created (next, of course, to cross country skis!).
i bow to you.
be brave in some little way today...
love,
coach ilg
July 23, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"Life itself is hazardous... There are sharp rocks everywhere. What changes from
years of practice is coming to know something you didn't know before: that there
are no sharp rocks � the road is covered with diamonds."
- Charlotte Joko Beck (zen teacher)
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when i worked at The Ark Bookstore in Santa Fe, NM my heart rate jumped whenever my Tibetan Meditation Teacher "Fred" visited. i got all worked up because i knew more spiritual meat would be cast my hungry way if i opened conversation with him, which i rushed to do perhaps too often, too hurriedly. Fred was hard to talk to while he was in Lama mode in the Stupa on Airport Road where, under his tutelage, i studied Chenrizig meditation, sutra studies, and chanting. but, when he and his little flowing robes and shaved head floated into the Ark, ha! i had him right where i wanted him; out of the temple and in my bookstore where i was clerk, i was king!
one day, i cornered him in near the Sufi/Gandhi/Alice Bailey section.
"Dear Teacher, i have a question if you don't mind," my spiritual body quivered with the anticipation of being fed more dharma morsels.
"What is it, Steve?" he was probably moaning on the inside, why does this person always pester me when i come in here?
A shudder of joy rippled my cells as i stammered in both stance and sentence,"Ever since i began the spiritual journey i've seemed a magnet for heartbreak and failure. i've been paralyzed, bankrupt, and now being divorced. my dreams get shattered as soon as i step toward them!"
Upholding the Tibetan capacity for understatement, Fred just smiled so sweetly, so deeply into me that i about fell to tears among the fibers of the well worn carpet beneath my trembling feet. He said, "We notice many things about ourselves when we take up the Path of Awakening."
wasn't good enough.
not this time, mister know nothing at all.
i wanted more.
i had my full of this Tibetan understatement crap during my years at Naropa University. i leaned against his underdeveloped pectorals and did not care as a copy of Alice Bailey's "The Light of the Soul" slapped the floor. bookstore customers passed by the narrow corridor surely feeling only compassion for my karma as i accosted a Tibetan monk in the Gandhi Section!
"Teacher," i pleaded, "i need more Guidance than that." i leveled my best Bruce Lee eye of the dragon gaze into his kind oval eyes, "i mean it! you don't understand, everything i do just seems so hard, so difficult!"
"Steve, listen to the waves of your thought while you meditate. And this meditation does not need to be in the Stupa alone. You know how to make muscles but you don't know how to make your mind yours alone. do this: love more deeply, accept more fully, and don't be afraid of being brave."
okay, that one worked.
his words hit me like a bullet of pandemonium.
i crumpled on floor next to "The Light of the Soul."
Fred left me there, crippled in my perceived spiritual crisis.
but picked up and shelved the book.
how good is that?
meditation upon Fred's words burrowed into the greatest of all my fears, which is why most people don't meditate in the first place. what's wrong with keeping fear swept under the carpet of our entertainment and desires of the ego? "...and don't be afraid of being brave." i had long fancied and publicly displayed myself as brave; a champion nordic ski jumper, solo ice and rock climber, mountaineer, bike racing, extreme athlete. hell, i figgered i was about the bravest damn mofo on the planet for christsakes! even OUTSIDE MAGAZINE did entire cover stories on how damned brave i am! take that you little bald monk!
bookstore customers stepped over my body to continue their own brand of spiritual seeking, i lay steeping in a deeper layer to my Teacher's words. Fred was steering me away from sensual, athletic, and financial (lower chakra) forms of attachment and was spurring me up my own spine...toward my heart, toward Anahata and the higher chakra energies.
in his words carried the awkward implication i'd rather not long contemplate;
i am too much a wimp to be who i really am.
that the outdoor sports and injury and personal relationships and financial blues were all just veils designed in part by me to
cover up me.
ooooof.
that hurts.
why should it be so hard to become who we are?
probably - i suppose -
because who we truly are is but an expression of God...
of the UniVerse,
of the One Poem of It All!
probably it is so hard for us to be brave in spiritual ways because it means steadily expressing what distresses us
then, Rising Above all hindrances by learning to embrace and even love those hindrances with skill, courage, elegance, and perseverance.
lots and lots of perseverance. the Buddha make that clear over and again. perseverance baby...that is what matters most on the Spiritual Journey.
at least i was smart enough to pick up Bailey's, "The Light of the Soul."
i opened the book and read,
Book II, Verse 33;
"When thoughts which are contrary to yoga are present there should be cultivation of their opposite."
how good is that?
so simple..."as a man thinketh....so too does he become."
not long after my Bookstore Encounter with Fred, i upshifted to a new level of Awareness. i finished my fourth book, THE WINTER ATHLETE and moved into my greatest fear of all; leaving my beloved Rocky Mountains and move to LA and teach yoga. these two actions - borne from my own spiritual bravery - have resulted in a few people learning
to love more deeply,
accept more fully,
and not be afraid to be brave.
including feeble me.
i bow to Fred
i bow to the Masters
i bow to feeble me
i bow to you
i bow
in wow
of
It
All.
enjoy your dance of breath today.
coming up next in DIRECT LINES, your input and questions!
coach ilg
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July 20, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"High intensity workouts are like spiritual sunrises within. They destroy the darkness and lethargy of ego-created crutches of comfort. We cannot radiate without intensity in our Practice."
- coach ilg
{Advanced Note: in the months ahead, i may be forced to move DL into a subscriber-only format. for as long as i've made DL public to the internet, it seems as though less-creative personal trainers and yoga teachers are uh, 'borrowing' my philosophies and techniques and turning them into "their own" work and capitalizing on their plagiarism and warping of my words and style. i shall do my utter best as i have for 20 years to keep my work available, free of charge as my karmic donation, to all who are sincere about body/mind fitness and appreciate my LifeWork of Wholistic Fitness and High Performance Yoga. thank you. as Dylan sings, "Times, they are a changing..." om tat sat. - coach ilg}
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COACHING DIALOGUE WITH STUDENT P -
RE: Dearest Coach Ilg...Mom's lifestyle is not active, rheumatoid arthritis and the Dr.s all say she
is normal.
� "Normal" according to whom, right?
What is considered "normal" dis-eases of our society is certainly categorically different from what is "natural." Here is what is natural; our bodies capacity to regenerate.
RE: As you can imagine, she has little muscle left. She weighed as
much as 210 when I was growing up. (She's 5'2") Now she is 140.
She is eating pureed vegetables and pasta. (She likes her "comfort" foods)
She did like Vita shake. I was hesitant to give her my FD. What will
nourish her? As always, appreciative for any help,
Student,
P
� Unfortunately, what those of us who are treading as best we can the Path of Awakening soon realize that nearly everything that we once thought brought us "comfort"...things like cars, furniture, TV, convenience foods, etc...in the end just brings us suffering for those things erase our gumption to move, to breathe, to swim upstream against the current. most often, after a lifetime of blowing off regular exercise, the fallout from not training and keeping fit hits hard.
Keep giving Mom Vitashake and Fortune Delight (from SUNRIDER HERBS). Superb products for regenerating her overall cellular fitness and, at the same time, gentling wringing toxins from her inactive body. Some Calli Night at evening would be an excellent way for getting her quality sleep while improving her organ-ic health. Getting her to take ESE + JOI is the elite healing combination for any neuromuscular affliction. but she must move and breathe. my company, WholisticFitness.com can offer you online training and guidance for her.
May my words have helped your situation...i bow to you and your Mom...
head bowed,
coach ilg, R.Y.T.
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Congratulations to my ultra-distance bike racing bro Ron Jones and his beautiful wife, Candace! Ron just wrote me:
"The twins have finally arrived! They are doing great and very healthy.
See link for photos and comments. Thanks for the chi!
http://www.ronjones.org/Personal/Twins/index.html
Namaste'
Ron"
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Dear Coach Ilg -
A training update: Things in the Frugal Realm Training Program are
clicking nicely. While my body has certainly felt exceedingly
well-trained, it is adjusting to the rigors of the Realm quite well.
� anything in excess is not "quite well."
you've gone too hard.
a spiritually mature athlete warrior will dance the edge of sustainable effort without ever going over.
you've gone over.
RE: A
few quick check-in points:
Feeling a twinge: I would stop short of calling it my first WF injury,
� there are no WF injuries...
only egoic ones.
see my counsel above.
get the lesson. you will NOT be studying WF 20 years from now if you go too hard.
as i always advise, "Don't try harder, try softer."
RE: I have a 90 minute training session booked with
Teacher Q for this Saturday morning. How would you recommend I get the
most out of our time together?
� empty thy cup.
Teacher Q is good.
he knows more about recreational fitness than me.
listen to him.
cherish your time with him.
you are Blessed by his presence.
RE: Is there any specific work you would like
us to do together?
� emptiness
RE:
Balancing Act: My yoga practice overall is going well and moving deeper.
However, I am frustrated at times with my lack of progress in some of the
balancing asanas, specifically Malasana (when I try to wrap my arms around
my back, my center of gravity moves back and I fall on my butt), Bakasana
(can't seem to find an equilibrium point), and Sirsasana (can't find
vertical). Asanas that require standing leg balancing (floating pigeon,
ardha chandrasana, etc.) are solid as a rock, but when I try to balance on
my arms or head, I become very shaky. Any specific things to focus on?
� who taught you to be so goal oriented instead of process oriented?
you have so NO IDEA of how LONG it took me to do Malasana or Sirsasana...why are you in such a HURRY!?!?! Slow down, Student L...SLOW DOWN! Enjoy the breath DURING the holding of postures, okay? there is NOWHERE to go in yoga postures save for the witnessing of the breath!
namaste,
coach
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�
You toooo funny, oh "feeble" Ilg! And I am always humbled by your awareness and perspective. Not to mention, your an inspirational writer.
Chow for now,
Joy
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I so look forward to your website 'dailies'...your bit on L 'friggin' A was absolutely HILARIOUS yet profound when you think about what you have chose to do; be HERE with us whacky L 'friggin' A people! but now it's hard to imagine life this city without Teacher Ilg!
love,
d
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Dear Coach -
RE: I have been thinking a lot about your DL on nutrition last week. I was
particularly struck by the concept of spiritual nutrition. Last evening
provided a wonderful helping of spiritual nutrition for me. As I believe
I wrote you some time ago, my wife and I belong to a CSA (Community
Sponsored Agriculture) co-op, whereby we partner with a family owned
organic farm in upstate New York and receive a weekly share of fruit and
vegetables. Tuesday evenings are CSA pick-up days, and have become very
special community gatherings. People come to get their food, but also
bring their families and stay in the park and talk - it creates a true
small-town moment in the big city. My wife ran the pick-up last night,
and I organized the little kids into a baseball game. I provided the
pitching and unconditional support. They provided energy and laughter.
Watching the joy on their faces and the exuberance in their movements
filled me up more than any burrito ever could.
� bingo, baby!
a WF Master Student counts spiritual calories, not physical ones.
proud of you,
coach
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Dear Coach Ilg,
Last Thursday, I was just visiting the gym with my sister, Dana, since she wanted me with her for her first class, and I just want to let you know that your class was amazing, beyond challenging, peaceful, beautiful (I loved the candles) and inspiring. I'm hoping that the rumors of you building your own studio on Ventura Boulevard are true, I would love to be one of your students in the near future.
Thank you,
Amber
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Dear WF Teacher Sheader -
I am not sure that I am totally happy with the cardio intervals. They
seem to be missing something. My heart rate is up where it should be, but I
am not sure if I am really pushing myself. When I used to do 440's and
880's on my own, while training for 5k's, I really felt like I could feel
the edge. Somehow, I don't feel this way with the intervals that I am
doing. Part of the problem is that I am training for a much longer race
than a 5K and thus the intervals are perhaps less intense. The other part
of the problem is that I may need to get a better bead on my heart rate. I
have been thinking of re-reading a book on lactate threshold testing and
figuring out my approximate threshold. This will further help me assess my
heart rate during the interval so that I can push that race performance.
Another aspect is that 8 minutes might not be enough at race pace. Perhaps
I could go further, faster or recover quicker?
Student Jim
� Don't become so attached to the HRM. Use your intuition, cultivate the chi.
I have used HRM with athletes but in the end you need to get on with feeling
your heart not monitoring it. I have never yet used one and I made it to the
world class level, and still radiate the mojo(e) on the track on Interval
day.
Get out there and go zone 3-4 for 8 minutes, recover and do it again. This
workout is utilized by the Kenyan marathon team... it works. You just got to
get out of the head and more in the heart. You will never find the edge
otherwise.
Go(o)dspeed,
Coach Sheader
ADDENDUM FROM COACH ILG TO STUDENT JIM:
i am right with Teacher Sheader on his Chi Hit to you...
out of the head
and into your heart
go!
screw reading another book
start flipping the pages of your inner chapters
and let the most the beautiful mystery novel
unfold; your self-realization!
go!
in breath and posture,
coach ilg
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Hi Steve,
Thank you so much for putting on such a wonderful meditation workshop yesterday - it's just what I needed! As you know, I participate in yoga workshops at various studios in L.A. on a very regular basis. This was by far the best workshop I've attended in a long time. Your students in the grotto have such great energy. You did a lovely job facilitating the discussion. Your handouts were very thorough and helped to answer many questions I've had about Zen. It's a beautiful practice... One I look forward to exploring for years to come!
Namaste,
Michele
P.S. Did you see Lance biking today? I read the Direct Lines reference to Tyler Hamilton - he's awesome! I deserve no "warrior" award for doing walking meditation with a broken foot. The practice is my reward.
July 17, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
"The real Porsche lies within."
- coach ilg
"The gods love dearest who breathes hardest."
- coach ilg
in honor of the halfway point of the Tour de Lance, er, i mean, Tour de FRANCE...i'd like to share some insights, predictions, and then compare a few different recent emails from various WF Online Students who regularly use road bikes as part of their Wholistic Fitness practice.
predictions: in tomorrow's decisive Time Trial the podium will see two Americans; Lance and Tyler. But it will be the German, Jan Ullrich. who takes the top step. This will be due to immunology fallout to the Americans (Lance is just now rebounding from an intenstinal imbalance from pre-Tour and will also be hounded by a nagging shoulder twinge brought on by Arnold Swarzennegger's aggressive rasing-of-Lance's-hand-like-it-was-a-dumbell celebration on today's podium presentations and Tyler's broken collarbone will mar his otherwise idea Time Trial power on the bike). As the Tour hits the Pyrenees, Lance will then produce a Hindu diety caliber of hurt upon the contenders who will then go cry on Phil Ligget's shoulder but who won't notice because he will still be busy leering at Kirsten Gum and trying to think of his paltry one-liners against Bob Roll.
Stuart O'Grady needs to learn to stay in the damn peleton for the rest of the Tour. His sprinting is better than he thinks and launching these suicide breakaways is quite frankly making my own calves cramp.
but, seriously, i trust that each of you who are being inspired by those amazing cyclists racing the Tour de France this month are doing more than just watching them. i trust you are USING their bravery and courage to deepen the intensity of your own workouts...and, if you are studying WF Programs, either online or through my books, you are transforming physical workouts into spiritual workouts. all of my programs are designed to elevate our spiritual energies, program by program, month by month, year after year...until...TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION dances within our cells!
i'd like to give an ilg stamp of bro approval to my friend, Bob Roll who anchors OLN's coverage of the tour each evening with Kirsten Gum. 'Bobke' and i go all the way back to Boulder in the eighties and Team 7-Eleven as well as being neighbors in Durango and Santa Fe. Bob's good natured grinny and gritty delivery on air is precisely the way he is when you are hammering along in a club ride. So, tune into OLN each evening and enjoy my Durango bro's grounded wisdom of the cycling world.
to end today's forum, i share a route description of a road bike training ride that i did yesterday (using inspiration from watching the Tour). it is a favorite of mine and yes, it's a horribly/wonderfully steep climb! The gods love dearest who breathes hardest. get out there today and breathe, baby!
enjoy today's forum. DL is my ongoing gift for you so that your Practice - whoever you are - may remain strong and sincere. in this way, we benefit all others by the inner work we do on ourselves.
i bow to all of you and i am glad many of you are enjoying my TOUR OF GILA diaries now up again at wholisticfitness.com
coach ilg
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CASE # 1: COACHING DIALOGUE: Teacher Sheader with Student B:
Coach Sheader,
Got done with my race today unexpectedly early, and not due to a personal
record. Perhaps you can explain what my experience means--perhaps next to
Ilg's thoughts on the DL with respect to regarding mechanical failures and mental equanimity?
CS: Yes... See page 101 Patanjali... How to know God : "To dedicate the fruit
of one's work to God is to work with non-attachment. Having done the best
that we know, we must not despair if our work has disappointing results, or
is harshly criticized, or disregarded altogether. By the same token, we must
not give way to pride and self-regarding vanity if the results of our work
are successful and win popular praise. Only we can know if we have done our
best, and that knowledge is our only legitimate reward."
SB: On the bike course I was doing great. But about five miles into the
course I felt my calves (once again) tightening up. So I dismounted and
stretched on the side of the road determined not to stop. Once I got back
on the bike I decided to run on a much bigger gear, lowering my cadence--and
that seemed to help matters.
CS: Good. It is important to make these adjustments and not, again, get
attached to one way of doing things but rather be open to try other
possibilities.
SB: About 20 miles into the course the back wheel began to make a strange
sound. I ignored it. I pressed on in the mountain climb (that 7.5% climb)
and I made up much lost ground from the first dismount. --That's right, I
got off the bike two other times to pop the chain back on.
CS: First teaching... non-attachment is not the same as ignoring
something...you are generating karma right?
SB: On the downhill from the mountain I couldn't ignore the thumping sound
of the wheel and dismounted. A flat. This was the first time in a race I
had a flat and was running tubulars so no inner tube was available. I
punctured the CO2 cartridge and hoped the air would hold for the last 5
miles. Maybe three miles from that point it was all over. No air. No CO2
left. I stopped on the road and watched as both cyclists and runners swung by.
It was so difficult to sit there waiting to get picked up when I had so much
fuel in the tank. As I contemplated running the last three or four miles in
my Diadoras with the bike over my shoulder I checked out the cleats. To my
surprise the cleats had been loose (remember that e-mail you sent me about
lose shoes?). "Fuck," I thought, "No wonder I've been cramping. Look at
this!" I had about an inch of play on the right cleat (calf with the most
cramping) and a bit on the left. I just shook my head and laughed at the
scenario.
CS: laughing is the ideal response in these situations...and the laughing
Buddha always joins in.
SB: Meanwhile I sat, watching folks roll and run by and was unsettled about
these mechanical failures. I wanted to continue the race but could not. My
thought, after jumping into the car of shame, was to go ahead and enter into
another event within the next two weeks since I really didn't get the full
race experience (in terms of finishing, not Learning about mechanics).
In terms of the Svadhyaya practice I'm not sure if I understand how I
get into struggle. I'm also not sure how I get out of struggle. I know
that I am in struggle when my body is tense, when my mind is closed around
one or two things--in a "sticky" closed feeling. Stuck on one or two
negative thoughts that repeat like a scratched LP. I know that I "break
out" by not paying attention to the doubt and fear but I haven1t gotten any
deeper than that.
CS: The depth is waiting for you on the Zafu..{meditation cushion}. Attend to the doubt and fear,
don't avoid them. They are powerful dragons worth harnessing. Please keep
me posted on this matter.
Coach Ilg adds:
Beautiful Ones -
make sure Student B has c, b, and a-priority races to work out these mechanical/spiritual kinks.
only pros need to race on tubulars. switch immediately to clinchers and practice repairing flats immediately (no neutral support in your races?).
pushing bigger gears should never 'help'. the key is fast pedaling with as big a gear as possible, low aerodynamic body position, 'snapping' the knees up in the top position, and maximizing hip power by keeping knees in line with ankles. if hip flexibility is lacking; focus there to unleash a god awful amount of performance energy. that is why i created Medium Form (detailed fully in the Appendix of THE WINTER ATHLETE book) and why my HP Yoga video is so lower back/hip oriented.
go!
love from the humble helm,
coach ilg
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CASE #2: HEIKOSAN
today as i rode, i was making my way up a hill; at the top and over the edge i fly and as i descended there was this intention not to use my brakes today, i just said 'let this be a day that i will surrender' as i came into the first deep curve, i just let go and it was amazing as i was taken around the curve, the body took over; something took over...there was no fear, no doubts or concerns just an unshakable guidance... tears streaming down my face, such simple pleasure and bliss on the back of a Bike...we are blessed...i am filled with gratitude...
thank you for creating WF,
heiko
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CASE #3: BRADLEY, PRO CYCLIST
Dear Coach,
On a 4.25 hour training race i was fully capable with a strong group, although my base training is the lowest it's ever been. I can feel that the WF is coming out from within.
- Yogi B
CS: Exactly! As Coach Ilg says," WF is not called 'transpersonal fitness' for
nothing! the accumulated effect of moderation over 5 disciplines is far superior than
specific training in one!"
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CASE #4: COACH ILG's TRAINING RIDE
all the club training rides around here are just going OFF!!!!! everybody is feeling Lance's chi on the road racing energetic paradigm...that boy is definitely a Buddha on a Bike!
your feeble coach ilg took 2nd in the 60 mile version of the Barry Wolf Memorial Training Ride last Saturday. about 120 in the peleton..i attacked the final group of 15 on the big rollers to the last climb around mile 53. hung with a 5 man chase after 2 guys took off, counterattacked after we caught the two guys, two guys from the same team bridged up to me, i attacked them, attacked them again, then with 800 meters left on this final two mile climb, one guy blocked me as his teammate went for the summit. by the time my fat ass came around his teammate i was just too pooped to bridge...got second by 7 seconds...
but i was brave and that what spiritually matters right? to be elegant in difficulty! WF with HP yoga, baby...who needs base miles when you've got hours of Ujjayi on your side?
rubber side down,
ilg
��
{Note the following is an excerpt from my book as yet to be published; VALLEY RIDES; Twenty Classic Cycling Routes of the San Fernando Valley. All rides start at the intersection of Reseda and Ventura Boulevards.}
Las Flores
category: II+
distance: 40 miles
time: 2 hours, 40 minutes (average speed; 15 mph)
terrain: sustained and steep climbing
features: fearsome climbing juxtaposed with oceanside spinning
Unquestionably audacious. An honest gut-check for all fitness warriors of any resolve. Think you have faith? Test it here. Not well-traveled save for the strong and insane. Pondering the solutions to remaining upright on your bike on the featured climb of Las Flores may prove to be an anaerobic koan of stupendous proportion. Do not miss this battledance.
Trickle west down Ventura Boulevard, turn south and scamper up Topanga Canyon climb and enjoy a delicious (45 mph+) sinewy descent to the Pacific blue which will greet a fit rider within an hour of your start time. Succumb to a full frontal blast of seaside joy by turning north and schooner up the Pacific Coast Highway for a few miles.
Set aside all trepidation for it will not help you, and turn right (that is NOT into the ocean) at mile 19.5 onto Las Flores Road. Whoever named it Las Flores must have been referring to funeral flowers, for your ego will shatter and die before you reach Saddle Peak which hovers 3,000� and 6 miles above your specklike bicycle. By mile three of this notoriously difficult climb, even the Mercedes Benz SUV�s will be lurching to pass you with any show of superior bravado, though the gas will be seen pouring from their exhaust pipes as obviously as your sweat pouring from the very fibers of your being.
Forge boldly upward until the first crux of Las Flores is conquered (3+ miles), turn right onto Rambla Pacifico for a stellar recovery uphill before executing a right hand turn again onto Scheuren Road to surmount the final climb to Stunt Road (another 3 miles higher). Reward yourself with the classic Stunt Road descent, turn right onto Mullholland Hwy and back home. Phew.
----------------------------- cut along here -----------------------------
Jersey Pocket Logistics
LAS FLORES; Grade II+
� West on Ventura Boulevard for 3.8 miles (flat)
� Left (south) onto Topanga Canyon Boulevard (uphill)
� Right (north) onto Pacific Coast Highway at mile 15 (roller)
� Right onto Las Flores Road at mile 19.4 (sustained, steep climb)
� Right (northeast) onto Rambla Pacifico at mile 22.7 (uphill)
� Right (east) onto Scheuren Road within 1/2 mile
� Left (north) onto Stunt Road at mile 25.7 (descent)
� Right (north) onto Mullholland Highway at mile 29 (final climb/uphill)
� Left onto Topanga Canyon Boulevard at mile 36 (return route)
� Right (east) on Ventura Boulevard at mile 37 (return route)
� Back at start at mile 40.19
VARIATIONS
grade III: screw the �easy out� and instead of descending Stunt, just keep soldiering south along the fabulous ridgetop ride of Scheuren Road - now called Saddle Peak Road. Turn left at Fernwood Canyon to descend one of my favorite climbs. Turn left at Topanga Canyon and left again at OLD Topanga Canyon and stomp on the pedals during the ensuing 5 mile climb back to Ventura Boulevard.
July 15, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
�Only when strength dances with
suppleness is there
true power.�
- coach ilg
��
hmmm...so there is a bit of a rumor - or 'rumour' as my friend, Dr. Lahbriumn MacIain would say so eloquently (make mental note; speak more like French dudes,errr...Celtic...errr, whatever) - that i am building my own HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA studio here in LA.
really?
well then, THAT would certainly be quite just the thing for a feeble mountain yogi from Colorado like me to do now, isn't it?
let's take a gander at this rumour's evolution...
1 - (1985?) i moved to Beverly Hills thanks to my older sister Connie who had already forged the way to the Left Coast and said that ANYONE who KNEW ANYTHING about ANYTHING was living in LA. lived with Stephan Frease (God Bless You, My Beautiful Teacher!) and assisted him in teaching Pilates on Beverly Drive long before anybody but our clients like Daryl Hannah, Vidal Sassoon, and Gregory Peck even KNEW what the hell Pilates was!
2 - after six months of living in LA and watching my eye contacts turn from clear to brown because of the pollution, i ran like hell straight back to: steve ilg, general delivery, pagosa springs, colorado. i ate from my backyard herb garden, fished from my frontyard lake, and did outdoor mountain sports for a "living" which essentially meant i worked part time at the Recreation Center teaching yoga, living from paltry book royalty checks, and ate PowerBars from my sponsorship.
life could NOT have been better.
2a- from a Buddhist perspective, i was still FAR too attached to the body and to the ego. i had returned to what i already knew:
being comfortable in dangerous high altitudes and kicking ass in sports like snowshoeing, peak running, mountain biking, nordic skiing, ice and rock and sport climbing, and telemark racing. i was most comfortable being in pain in high mountain sports.
3 - could not ignore my Higher Self any longer. spiritual duty - reinforced through yogic/meditation austerities - challenged my lame egoic ass to cut all my physical health attachment power cords and walk my Wholistic Fitness talk where it would test my ego the most, dwindle my physiologic fitness the most, and test my adaptation skills the most....
L fucking A
oh, sorry about that...i do my best to keep DL hovering around a PG rating...feeble yogi that i am...i meant to write:
L "friggin" A
so i answered Brahman's call.
and moved to LA
whereupon i suffered terrible loneliness, apartment finding, bicycle commuting among a veritable forest of SUV's and cracked out Corvette drivers, whacked out GORGEOUS actresses, casting calls, BelAir millionaire private clients and celebs, learned how to love city people as much as sub alpine trees, initiated HP Yoga programs in four different gyms, met my Beloved Kathy, got dialed into the VIP rooms at the most famous Hollyweird clubs, still hung in the top group of any cycling race, and authored my fifth book...
so,
how great would it be to this mountain yogi to actually move to friggin LA and build his own YOGA studio!?!?!
on VENTURA BOULEVARD!?!?!
could it be...
true?
guess you'll just have to keep checking back...
just know this;
feeble ilg
loves
mighty
YOU!
coach ilg
July 14, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"It is when your practice is rather greedy that you become discouraged
with it. So you should be grateful that you have a sign or warning
signal to show you the weak point in your practice."
-D.T. Suzuki
�
Hi Steve,
You probably don't remember me, but you changed my life. I came to train
with you for a week in Sante Fe about 10 years ago. At the time, I was
pretty weak mentally, and physically. The week we spent together was one of
the toughest times of my life. BUT, after leaving Sante Fe I never stopped
training and reaching to get better and stronger. I now can say that I have
changed my body mentally and physically, and taking care of myself is
priority number one!
I have been to Sante Fe many times over the years and tried very hard to
locate you. Some people I spoke with said you moved to California, but
didn't know where. So today, I was thinking of you during my Yoga class, and
thought I would run a search engine on the web, and just like that, here we
are again! There are so many things I want to talk to you about. Maybe you
could call me some time this week, and we can get caught up. By the way, my
name is {PM}, and am a photographer (fashion). Who knows, maybe you
do remember me. Anyway, I am thrilled I found you, and look forward to
talking to you soon.
I have enclosed a before and after photo. I thought you might enjoy.
Take Care,
PM
ps.-I still have the original training manual we used during our week
together. I still review it now and then..amazing stuff!!
����
Warrior of the Week Award
goes to Michelle Ringler who attended my Zen Workshop class and did KinHin zen walking meditation with her leg in a cast for a broken foot! i KNOW the Zen Master i have studied under would have approved of your tenacity for rising Higher! contact me, Michelle, for a complimentary training gift from HP Yoga and Wholistic Fitness!
i bow to your devoted study!
love,
coach ilg
���
Warrior of the World Award
Obviously goes to TOUR DE FRANCE rider, Tyler Hamilton who not only finished Stage 8 (over 150 miles up Alpe du Huez), but did so a) in the top group with Lance Armstrong and b) with a double fracture of his clavicle from Stage 1. so, you think YOUR tough? guess again, bucko! we ALL bow as deep as possible to Tyler! i've ridden in the same peleton as Tyler and have met him. he seemed perfectly sweet and beautiful as a Buddha On A Bike could be! i bow in wow of Tyler H., baby!
���
Dear Teacher Haku (Sheader),
I survived the weekend! From last Thursday to Monday afternoon, I worked at
Rawstock, a fantastic raw food event. Talk about good training! I let
lifting tables, chairs, haybales, and watermelons be my upper body workout
for yesterday. I practiced tapasaya as not getting caught up in the
slackness of over volunteers. It's easy to criticize others, but I did my
work and, if needs were, the work of 5 others.
� Yes, non-judgement. Observation alone to reflect on yourself...as if
everyone else is enlightened and their actions or lack there of are somehow
for your own benefit and path of awakening.
RE: Today I cried. There's a PBS documentary on later today about a
Guatemalan lady whose family was brutally murdered in the military genocide
of the 80s. Apparently a World Bank funded dam was more important than
human life. Dominga (her name) ran away before the killings and was adopted
by an American family. The TV show is the story of her returning to her
home country.
� Much suffering in the world. To engage with compassion and practice
non-attachment is the teaching, and a difficult one it is.
RE: I am deeply saddened when I read-hear-see these realities. My heart
sinks. But this weekend I reaffirmed a thought I've had for awhile: I must
hold my heart high. I cannot retreat from these atrocities. I cannot
change the world, but I can change how love flows through me. With
discipline of the yamas, divine can flow through my being and out to the
world.
� Yes, the love of one mystic does more good than the busybody work of a 1000
activists.
RE: I'm in a stage of my spiritual development where emotions are vivid.
The sight of the plums dripping from trees or sunflowers dreaming of the
Source can bring me to tears. This keystroke makes me smile.
With love,
-yogi
� Indeed a sign of deepening spiritual maturity.
Go ahead and continue.
Godspeed,
Teacher Haku
���
Many are no longer seeking the path; but are dealing with daily resistances
to walking it.
-Marianne Williamson
���
dear steve,
loved the scoop on the poop e-mail!
1st SUNRIDER HERB order placed..calli reg/night...fortune delight :-)
new address...first house....
nice big back yard for outdoor practice..
.meditation...
and just sitting...
with a small japanese maple
and stone pine....
lemon tree.
around the patio....
so a surf bud's uncle has
a web site(surfvids.com)..and last week
got some new shots/vids of our crew
at "suicides"....if i see any good ones
i'll send your way...
yoga and circuit st has definitely
made a difference...in my surfing
the former the most....
along with zazen....
i can't tell you how
many times i gone for waves that
have gone bad
( closing out on both sides on take off)..
yet i've stayed calm as i "ellavator-dropped"
in a "pig-dog" crouch(that's one knee crouch
with opposite hand rail grab)...made the drop
and then cranked a botttom turn..either
front or backside..out of the white water,
and back into the unbroken part of the wave...
i know with a regular intake of herbs...
and evening hunger awareness....those
last extra pounds will melt away...
the i can only imagine...what my surfing
will rise up to...
dan & lani
san jose, ca
��
Teacher Sheader -
Let me share this with
you as I doubt if you have ever had a student do this before. Yesterday I
was at Topsail Beach, NC. After my early morning bike ride and breakfast I
noticed that the tide was at dead low and a sandbar was showing in Topsail
Sound. I decided to swim over to take a look and that's what I did. The
little mud island I was on served as a perfect place to do some zazen. The
only company I had was the sponges as they spit their salt water from time
to time. This lasted for about 20 minutes then I had to start swimming back
to the mainland as the tide had changed and my island was fast submerging.
I finished the swim feeling refreshed and invigorated knowing that what had
just happened was really kind of special. See you soon.
Namaste'
Student Don
���
Dearest Teacher Steve,
What a journey since we last met in your beautiful home four weeks ago! I feel as if I am on a roller coaster. The remainder of my vacation went exceedingly well. I was able to reconnect with wonderful friends and family and really recharge my batteries. I also began to practice yoga and do the breathing we talked about everyday. It was wonderful because I also spent two days walking with my mom and her personal trainer. It was great to meet the woman who is so encouraging of my mom as she travels her journey of moving higher on this Earth. Mom has also been drinking the Ilg Supremes EVERY DAY and I KNOW that this is helping her deal with some really tough emotional and physical challenges right now. For some reason, she doesn't like the taste of the Calli or Fortune Delight. I don't push it, I'm just happy she is choosing to take the other herbs. Any thoughts about why the one would be more appealing than the others?
Once back in Michigan, I started to work full time as a teacher in a daycare/preschool center. The work has been going very well overall the transition has been positive. It feels great to be earning a stead income again! The first week back I was pretty consistent about working out (5x), breathing (3x) and doing yoga (4x). It felt really good. The last two weeks have really been more of a challenge I only worked out twice, did yoga once, and breathing twice. I also found myself (ugg) gorging on unhealthy food and feeling depressed. Just as I was feeling really desolate, I read your beautiful email about eating simply and feeding the body the nutrients it needs rather than the nutrients the ego suggests. It really struck a cord in me and I made a commitment to do the best job that I could to make healthy eating choices. Happily, I can report that for the last three days I have done an amazing job with this goal! I already feel clearer and more at peace. So thank-you so much for sharing your story. It came at precisely the right time.
I also find it very interesting that both of my spiritual teachers; you-the teacher who is helping me develop my male, active energy, and Lynn Andrews- whose teachings help me develop my more female, going within energy, both have strong connections to wolves, and wolf energy. Coincedence? I think not!
Finally, I'd like to ask you if you know of any simple tools or techniques that may help me get through my food cravings and emotional binges. I know that part of what I was feeling over that last week and a half was hormonal (I got my period yesterday, and now feel like a totally different person emotionally). I also think that part of what I was reacting to emotionally was the unconscious knowledge or knowledge that my higher self knew about, but that I just intellectually/consciously found out about today. Namely, the information that my cat Roger has another lump on his bone, which is most likely cancerous Hard news to digest (Again, today I feel okay with this and feel that this is an opportunity for me to work with him energetically towards his healing).
Anyway, I think I have enough will power to get through the cravings experienced during the first two weeks of my cycle. The last weeks however- oiye! When I feel depressed and an unable to recognize why- again, oiye! Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated. I can also tell you that yesterday I worked on my yoga and breathing. Today I went for a really cleansing two+ hour hike by the Huron River (carrying 23lbs in my backpack. So much beauty there! I wish I had your skill for words and poetry so that I could eloquently describe the experience. After a hard two weeks, I finally feel like I am getting back on track. hanks to The Great Spirit for that!
My thanks to you as well for your generosity, knowledge, and time. Much love, joy, light to you and Kathy! Congrats on the birth of your niece.& Namaste, H
Beautiful H -
all is fine.
you are right on pace.
Enlightenment is within your reach in this lifetime if you just keep your Practice strong and sincere.
she doesn't like the taste of Calli and FD because the Calli and the FD are pulling up heavy toxins from her cells. it's not Calli or FD that she doesn't like, it is the intensity required of her Highest Self that she is afraid of. you must love and in-courage her through this transition time.
print out and put this picture of me near your pug table/meditation/Practice area. i will use it (the pic) as an astral Vehicle to help you. you will feel my Love for you and everything will be just as It always has been, ever will be...perfect! there are no hindrances, only opportunities to Rise Higher!
i love you,
your endless ilg
���
Dear Coach:
Sorry to bombard you with emails lately, but your DLs are inspiring me.
Great teaching on food today. In fact, I was about to go scarf some Mex.
food, and instead decided to have a tofu/rice lunch.
Can you put me on your SUNRIDER email list? I was completely doubtful about SR before,
but my experience of NOT having it around and being hungry/depleted etc.
proves its value in a more empirical sense.
One body image issue for me is exactly the opposite of many. I grew up very
skinny and small, and did not hit puberty until about 17. For my first
driver's license at 16 I was 5'4", and 99 pounds -- and I know I was
stretching the truth. So for me, I always feel skinny and wimpy, even
thought i am now 5'11" and about 154 lbs. So when I start losing weight,
and my ribs start showing, these other, older body image issues come up for
me.
SInce starting WF, for the first time I am more weight conscious. I never
weighed myself before, and did not spend much time checking myself out in
the mirror. When does the attention to weight/body turn to an unhealthy
obsession with weight loss etc.? Also, I still can't seem to lose the
middle flab, even though I am losing weight. Any suggestions?
Peace,
Student M
Student M =
First, you did not spell "stretching" correctly. Focus on spelling equates to focus in daily life. 1b; good spiritual victory on the tofu instead of the Mexican hashfest! i only dream of nice big fat burritos these days, but the dream feels much better than the reality.
Second, you have been placed on my SUNRIDER email list. A WF Warriors go like this the first of every month: #1; Rent. #2; Monthly SR Herb order! Don't know which herbs are best for your budget? Just let me know!
Third, do not worry about becoming obsessed with your body. This is arisal of Tapas (burning desire) within your spiritual self that recognizes what all true WF Warriors must come to grips with: there is NO SHORTCUT around the body! you must develop a balanced, muscular, proportionate, and functional physique as the FIRST STEP toward genuine Self Realization. otherwise, all spiritual work remains ungrounded with paltry mental focus and a lack of tenacity and elegance.
Just follow your WF Training Programs under Teacher Sheader and all will be coming.
Nama Shanga Ya,
steve ilg, R.Y.T
author/Total Body Transformation
www.wholisticfitness.com
�
Coach Ilg,
Great stuff on direct lines today.
You are a great teacher.
I bow deep today..
Tim
�
Coach Ilg,
I was really touched by your direct line today. I could feel it in my toes.
It's easy to get caught in thinking that are mentors come from such a
different stock or background than we do. It was good to read about where you come
from.......we all deal with the same trials at one time or another.
thanks Ilg,
Student G
P.S. Got funky with your bro RJ today doing some functional training
stuff that he likes to do.........nice to see that you "old guys" can hang
with the under 30 crowd..........just teasing man, R's a warrior.
���
WF Teacher Q hits the Big Apple!
From July 10th till the 20th,Teacher Q will be training students from the TriState area (and farther) in NYC. He will clinic all the 5 Disciplines and Level One HP Yoga. For those of you who have never had a one on one session with a WF Trainer, don't miss this opportunity! Come and walk your edge with Teacher Q.
Call ASAP as the schedule is filling up fast!
818) 576-1416 or Sugiyukako@aol.com for reservations.
Feel the CHI!
���
T
he Green Dragon Brew(or the REAL Turbo Tea)
contributed by Teacher Q:
12oz iced Calli
1/2 packet Quinary
2 oz lemon juice(0r whatever juice is your favorite)
1/2 cap of Wu Chia Pi(or a whole one IF one can hang)
sweeten with Sunydew to taste(3 squirts for me...or was that 9;-)
i was Zoning!!
this is such a noble work we are living. i HAVE to share it!
Teacher Q
�
Dear Teacher,
In yoga class the other night my yoga teacher explained that we had a
relatively easy end of the session class because of the poor air quality.
The yogic feeling is since there's so much pollution in the air the prana
never gets to us the way it's supposed to. We breathe in shit, not life.
He went on to say that there's nothing wrong with a vigorous practice in a
heat wave (it was 90-something that day). However, there is something wrong
when we've got a "code red" day. This begs the question, am I practicing
non-violence (to the self) if I go out and ride or run on such a day? I'm
probably better off taking a swimming in the pool or doing cardio indoors.
Do you concur?
Student D.
Beautiful Student D -
Pollution resides in air.
Pran resides in ether.
Two categorically different Levels of Lila.
Which do you choose to cultivate?
WF slowly shifts the devoted Student to the recognition of etheral forms of Nutrition. then, the assimilation of It. and finally, the control of It.
ilg
July 11, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA UPDATE; 7/11/03
�God respects us when we work,
but He loves us when we dance.�
old Sufi saying
�
A STAR IS BORN
Kathy and I hope it doesn't go to his unpretentious lovely little head, but our graduate student from my High Performance Yoga Teacher Training, Greg Diaz taught his first and second classes recently in the Grotto...and he KICKED BUTT! Kathy, who attended his second ever class, said that she can only WISH that her second yoga teaching attempt was as technically sound and spiritually inspirational as Student-Turned-Teacher Diaz! Kathy is giving Greg more classes in the Grotto immediately due to his big opening splash which is great news for ALL of us who will benefit from his presence and service.
I must say, having known Student Diaz for a while now as both friend and as his teacher...RARELY in all my years within the New Age scene and things yogic, have i meant as pure and sincere an aspirant as Greg. He truly studies and practices the philosophical underpinnings of the great spiritual traditions like few do. Greg motorpaces me sometimes on my bicycle training rides up and down the Santa Monica Mountains and at every moment he is doing his Practice with smiling, sincerity of service and friendship. We all benefit from Teacher Diaz. i bow to Teacher Diaz. please support his first several months of Teaching, it ain't easy, trust me! Enjoy him for he is a Buddha Jewel.
���
RED MOUNTAIN SPA YOGA RETREAT WITH STEVE AND KATHY
what are YOU doing the last week or so of August?
http://www.redmtn.com/events/presenters/steve_ilg.html
or go to
www.redmountainspa.com. Click on EVENTS at the top. A list of
upcoming presenters appears, look for your humble teachers...
Kathy and I look forward to seeing you there, it's great! We've presented there before and the mountain biking, climbing, and treatments only add to the yoga high!
���
ZEN WORKSHOP THIS SUNDAY!
July 13th, 10:30 am to 12:00
in the Grotto, PowerHouse Gym. details at www.wholisticfitness.com
click on UPCOMING EVENTS
���
A NEW ILG!
My little (6'4") brother, Craig, and his beautiful wife Gwen just gave healthy birth to another ilg...i don't know if the planet is quite ready for more ilgs...but...
welcome to Eleanor (Elle) Sinclair Ilg, 9lbs,1 oz at 19" in Albuquerque, NM on Tuesday, July 8, 2003.
Welcome to your incarnation, Elle!
love,
Uncle Steve and Aunt Kathy!
���
HP YOGA Q and A
Dear Teacher Steve...
i was amazed at last night's (thursday) HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA class...you are UNBELIEVABLE!! i had NO IDEA yoga could be THAT HARD AND SWEATY (but sooo much fun and inspirational!) I am going to be there EVERY THURSDAY! you are so strong and flexible and people tell me that you can do incredible long distance things too! HOW!?! my hips are sooo tight and all i do is the StairMaster! i couldn't do half of what you made look so beautiful and easy! what can i do about my tight hips! oh, and your backbends were incredible! i can't even bend backward...it hurts WAY too much.
hooked on YOUR yoga!
your newest student D
Dear Newest Student D -
first, thank you for such glow!
never tell yourself that you "can't" do something. your sub- and supraconscious knows no off switch and will throw up cast iron walls of doubt if you tell yourself you can't do something. you can do anything you want. but you must work accurately and devotedly toward it.
there is perhaps no greater joy on the planet when an endurance athlete starts to feel his or her hips open...endurance sports produce compaction, a LOT of it, i know. so, a LOT of devoted Practice will be required from you to begin undoing the years of compaction and adhesion within your pelvis. but that's okay. with devoted Practice, 6 years of a power yoga style of Practice can undo a few decades of endurance abuse. that's a pretty stinkin' good deal, if you ask me!
since the hips orchestrate so many planes of movement (extension, flexion, adduction, abduction, lateral rotation, medial rotation, and circumduction), your first Yogic Warrior Work lies in compassionately attacking the toes/feet and the hamstrings. first things first. until the hams release, the rotation of the femur in the hip socket is compromised greatly. that is why in my classes we do a lot of tip toe stuff that causes much inner whining but produces high results.
to open up into backbends, compassionately attack the wrists/forearms and lateral flexion of the spine. first things first. the backbends will come about slowly as more 'real estate' is gained within the lateral spine flexors and the middle spine (that's why last night i kept us in "Reverse Table or purvottanasana" for what seemed like an eternity.
pace your enthusiasm. enjoy the Journey. know that all is coming if you persevere. we're right with you every breath of the glorious yogic Way!
i bow to you,
coach ilg, R.Y.T.
founder/HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA
�
Dear Teacher,
someone told me you race bicycles. your legs sure look like it! amazing! i've been watching the TOUR OF FRANCE on tv for the first time because of you. oh my god! have you ever done the TOUR OF FRANCE? you'd probably win!
your Student B
Dear Student B -
the answer is that i USED to race bicycles as part of my living, but
1) no, i've never raced the Tour de France
and
2) no i would not "probably win", i promise you that!
but you CAN read about my humble efforts during my final TOUR de GILA race, a multistage bicycle race that I did win once.
there is a click for my GILA journals at the only website that counts for spiritual warriors; www.wholisticfitness.com!
and thank you for your kind words! see you in class!
i bow to you,
coach ilg
July 09, 2003
SUNRIDER HERB
JULY, 2003 UPDATE
ilg downline
Namaste Noble Herb Eaters!
"Stay physically hungry but emotionally satiated. Eat to live, not live to eat. Besides, the leaner you get, the better your muscles appear and perform. Most guys I know who are concerned about the appearance of their bodies, would benefit not from trying to get bigger muscles, but from getting more lean. Less is more."
- Coach Ilg
"This is my Uncle Steve...he is from LA...he has a six-pack."
Celsa Faulstich, age 5, enthusiastically introducing me to one of her friends
VOLUME OF EATING
It's an important step along the Way of personal fitness, to examine who taught you about volume of eating. Most of us learned to consume the volume and type of foods we do from our parents. If allowed to remain unquestioned, this is error. My mom loaded up my school lunch box with 'Twinkies' and 'Ding Dongs.' I was popular at lunch break. On Sunday's our family would drive to McDonalds (in the Sixties, this meant a thirty minute - not a thirty-second drive!). If we had behaved at McDonalds, we stopped by the Good Humor ice cream truck afterward as a reward. Having grown up in the Depression, my mom never had these type of 'foods.' Although she fed me this junk out of love for me, little did she know it would require years of inner work and (thankfully) SUNRIDER herbs to slowly erase my addiction to junk and processed foods.
If your childhood family sounds like mine, then you know also that each day revolved around food. What's for breakfast? When is lunch? Is dinner ready yet? Eating in front of the TV without appreciation of food was normal. My dad inhaled his food, gone in sixty seconds. Vacations or holidays only intensified the near religious fervor of eating. Elder men at family reunions were no help either. They seemed emotionally distant from us kids and preferred guzzling beer to being a source of healthy inspiration for me.
By the time we reach adolescence, it's precisely this type of unchained emotional eating that effectively (and sometimes indelibly) mars our natural nutritional wisdom. I doubt if many mainstream American's have ever - even once - truly eaten from pure physiologic need. That, to me, is incredible but explains clearly why our nation is so obese. We eat from an addiction to ego comfort instead of true need.
I am so glad I was warrior enough to do what it took to stay devoted to SUNRIDER and healthy eating. The difference between me and kids I grew up with who did not is like night and day. Several have already died of heart attacks or have been in and out of hospitals with all sorts of diseases all because of their addiction to processed foods and lack of exercise! The quality of their physical and spiritual energy seems to have been effectively severed by way of their lazy food choices. You are what you eat, baby!
OF WOLVES AND SPIRITUAL CALORIES
It is more often than not our spiritual - not biologic - family that rescues us from a life of inappropriate eating. Your spiritual family are beings that appear throughout your life to provide a most magic and loving type of guidance. You can recognize a spiritual family member by the fact that you simply feel go(o)d whenever you are near them or read their Teachings. They elevate your awareness of peacefulness, calmness, and centeredness. They are cheerful, positive, and enthused. Their words and image come back to you, over and over again. Sometimes this takes years, when you have matured enough to 'get' their Teaching.
My childhood wolf, Apache, is the spiritual family member who taught me about eating appropriately. Through His guidance, I learned to eat very little, drink very little, and yet run all day in the high San Juan Mountains of Colorado. During long summer days with Him, I would eat wild berries or herbs luscious with morning dew. At evening, I'd catch Rainbow trout from Junction Creek. As Apache looked on eagerly, I lovingly cooked our fish as campfire smoke mingled with fading daylight trapped in narrow canyon folds. In between these calorically sparse meals, I was not famished but rather fueled by a most natural life force. We chased chipmunks and deer, climbed peaks, and watched ravens ply a searing blue sky.
Someone should invent a spiritual, not a physical, calorie-counter: How many smiles did you create today? How many poems did you read? How many steps did you take that were conscious ones?
Apache made me aware of such spiritual calories. Through Him, I learned that Breath and Playful Movement were vital forms of nutrition. Even though qualities like gratitude, laughter, and politeness are invisible, they are potent ingredients of your Soul-food. I feel compassion for the Big City People with whom I choose to live these days. Many of my Big City brothers and sisters know a lot about many things but next to nothing about splashing around in mountain creeks or sliding down fields of slanted snow. I use the compassion I feel as a form of spiritual nutrition to help me become a better coach and maybe even a better human being.
It's been 25 years since Apache was shot and killed by a hunter. Yet, I continue to follow his lessons of eating sparingly and exercising a lot. Yesterday, I woke up and drank my "Ilg Supreme" SUNRIDER herbs, took 6 Action Caps, and ate half a bagel. Then, I rode my bicycle 66 miles behind a fast moving car covering 3,000 vertical feet in 80-90 degree heat for 3 hours and 45 minutes and wearing out two training partners. During this appreciably hard workout, I drank 3 water bottles of Fortune Delight, ate one Powerbar, and 2 black mission figs. Back at home, I drank another Ilg Supreme had a small meal of herbed tofu and rice. At night, after solo yoga and pranayama Practice, I had a little more tofu and rice with a small salad and more SR herbs. Total calories in: maybe 900? Total calories expended: about 10,000. Total life force (chi) consumed: a ton!
People need to eat less physical calories and prioritize more spiritual ones. Yogis can do "superhuman" feats quite easily because they've learned how to create calories from pran or the life force of the Universe. What little food they do eat is easy to digest, has very few calories, and creates no toxic residue. Ever wonder why the "detox" diets are so big these days? Because people eat so much toxic crap in the first place! You don't need to detox if you eat herbs and train hard.
A sage nutritional step is to simply breathe more consciously more frequently*. Doing so, I promise, is far more valuable for long-term health than some new crazy diet or 'detox program.' If you want a truly effective detox, do what I did yesterday! Breathe and Move! Another wise step is to drink Fortune Delight or Calli throughout the day. This cleanses the cells and imparts steady energy from impacted fat already on your body. This is much wiser than drinking Diet Coke!
Eating SUNRIDER herbs and doing yoga are two key things that keep our child energy close while empowering the evolution of our Higher Self. Your diet should be low volume, natural, and full of nutrient dense whole-foods. Your exercise should include a wide spectrum of lifestyle activities that challenge your cardio, strength, suppleness, and mental fitness.
For those of you on my SUNRIDER email list, the rest of the month will include little email notes and threads regarding the use and enjoyment of SUNRIDER herbs along with your input, questions, and comments!
I bow to you and don't forget....
Eat an herb, baby!
coach ilg, R.Y.T.
author/TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION
* This is why I created the Breath & Posture Beeper Guru in the study of Wholistic Fitness. If you want a customized Wholistic Fitness training program that you can follow online or if you just want to explore the wonderful world of SUNRIDER herbs and skin care, just visit, www.wholisticfitness.com or email me at ilgtrain@aol.com
July 07, 2003
Steve Ilg's
HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA
"Why Just Workout, When You Can Work Within?"
July 13
L.A. Workshop Series: Zen Meditation
Powerhouse Gym, Chatsworth, CA
10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
�We must not lean either right or left, and we must not worry about leaning right or left. Balance is what is important, and that is what I teach. What matters most is always to remain beyond categories.�
--Zen Master Taisen Deshimaru
Of all my �secret� tools as an extreme athlete, the one quality i found most valuable (and life-saving) over the years had little to do with physical training and everything to do with mental training. That�s where my training in Zen paid off...In
the popular media, the phrase "zen-like" is abused and has become trite and trendy. Come to this class. Help restore some nobility to its genuine tradition.
opening words
sitting clinic
zazen (seated meditation) with kin-hin (walking meditation)
Bring a cushion to sit upon and wear yoga-type of clothes. Handouts so you can begin a solo practice.
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.
Nama Shanga Ya,
steve ilg, R.Y.T
author/Total Body Transformation
www.wholisticfitness.com
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
"Hills make all men brothers."
WF Maxim
oooof.
i'm back from Hill Intervals. it was...idyllically intervalic. here is what i did: hooked up with Steve Marlowe and cruised our bikes for 25 minutes over some hilly terrain toward my interval loop circuit as we chatted about the TOUR DE FRANCE. then we did 3 sets of Hill Intervals. All were done Seated. Focus was not on heart-rate but rather bodybuilding. That is, each set is designed to impart new neuromuscular fitness into the powerchain muscles (hips/thighs/midsection). This was done very specifically over the course of three grueling sets: Set #1 For Hamstrings: pull up on the pedals using only the hamstrings. Set #2 For Quadriceps: stomp down on the pedals using only the frontal thigh. Set #3 For Glutes/Abs: pedal in as complete circles as possible merging the pulling up on the pedal through the top of the pedal stroke into the pushing down and finally scraping through the bottom transition before pulling up again.
i love this particular Hill Interval Loop course (i have many around here) because it is composed of 3 brutally beautiful stages which, when combined, equal 3.5 miles and about 10 minutes of total hell/heaven. Phase 1 begins with a 1.5 miles of gentle uphill which is rode in Zone 2 heartrate, this serves as a psychological transition and warms up the specific body/mind play for Stage 2. TIME: about 3 minutes. SPEED: about 15 mph.
Stage 2: 1.5 miles of 14-17% in your face uphill. hot, steep, unrelenting. this is done at Zones 3/4 with every fiber of your being focused on either pulling, pushing, or merging. it ain't pretty. TIME: 4-4.5 minutes. SPEED: if you see 7 mph on your computer, you're doing great.
Stage 3: 1.5 miles of a scintillating, curvaceous downhill through some extraordinary homes. these hills are fully loaded with shade trees and lots of very pretty young moms pushing their babies in strollers wondering why the hell you keep doing laps around them. TIME: less than 1 minute. SPEED: 50.0 mph. yes, that's five-zero as in fifty.
TOTAL WORKOUT TIME: 1 hour, 7 minutes.
try it. you'll love fearing it.
HIGH PERFORMANCE NOTE: those of you who are competitively racing should crank off two, instead of one, sets of each. i used to do three of each when i was racing.
���
last evening
some sort of little bug flew into my glass of wine
witnessing his feeble floundering
i saw a past incarnation of myself
drowning in wine
unable to lift myself
from the world sensual intoxication
so i reached into the zinfandel
to rescue him
it took a while
and ruined my wine
but perhaps
i saved not only this insects life
but maybe a future one
of my own.
who rescued whom?
���
USCF Coach Ilg's Dharma Takes on the TOUR DE FRANCE:
Prologue:
It's obvious to those who meditate and know the Way of the Dharma.
David Millar's chain "coming off" within the last few meters of the Prologue was not a "mechanical failure" but rather spiritual teachings from the Dharma. Millar is a talented but emotional cyclist so, the UniVerse is going to keep testing his sincerity to work on his weakness; mental equanimity. Millar also carries the karmic potential of the team he chose to sign with: Cofidis. Cofidis is the team that canceled their sponsorship of Lance Armstrong as he was "dying" of cancer in the hospital.
Stage 1: the crash within a kilometer of the finish was a manifestation of the Race Director's greed. for monetary reasons, he chose to accept far too many 'first time' Tour riders...something like 55 out of 180 riders will be riding in their first Tour de France. that is way too many Tour rookies. the first week will be very dangerous as was made manifest on Stage 1. Lance must be very careful and his teammates must guard him extraordinarily well in this opening week.
the same type of greedy decision was made by a race director of a famous race here in the US that resulted in me crashing at 40+ mph when a lower category cyclist was allowed to race with us and looked down at his speedometer while foolishly riding too fast at the front of the peleton...thirty of us went down hard and several to the hospital.
racers who are not GC (General Classification) contenders should know better to stay out of the way during the final kilometers of a major race like the Tour de France.
���
Dear Coach...
got the new Program Update. wow!
wonderful stuff! you are like the Miles Davis of program creations. a truly brilliant Coach.
- Q
��
Dear Coach,
i never thought of myself as SERVING, being able to SERVE, there was this BELIEF that i needed to TAKE...my work with WF has given me an overwhelming sense of GRATITUDE for all who come this WAY...i thank you very much for TRUSTING in me so DEEPLY...i weep with such joy that it is shining through me lighting my PATH...
- Humble Heiko
���
Dear Coach -
I'm going to be placing my Sunrider order on Monday. We had a hard time placing our second order online so we'll order by phone. Can you recommend any products that help to speed the recovery of broken bones?
� ESE + JOI
RE:
I was not very mindful on Friday and I broke my foot. It's unbelievable, considering how active I am.
� what matters is how calm you are inside
not how active you are on the outside.
RE: I was sitting at my desk working at home and my cell phone rang in the other room. I JUMPED up to get it, and my foot had fallen asleep. I was wearing UGH clogs and I twisted my ankle, breaking my foot. Very lame!!! It's pretty ironic, because my parents have been telling me to slow down, and I didn't listen. Now, I'm forced to slow down.
� i call this an example of the
Humor of the Universe.
a classic example of how the Universe teaches us what we need to learn most.
RE: I can still do my weight workout, and I'm going to check out the ergonomic bike at the gym for some cardio, but I'm going to have to practice restorative yoga to keep up my practice.
� it will become a Blessing in dis-guise
if you choose to make it so
RE: I was thinking about you and Thich Nat Hanh who have the beeper and phone meditations. I was doing the phone meditation a few months ago, where I would allow the phone to ring three times before answering it, and notice my breath, my thoughts etc... but I got away from it. It's definitely time to revisit the practice.
� Teachings come first with a whisper on the spiritual journey. then, if we keep ignoring Her subtle hints by prioritizing the outer instead of listening to the inner, He will keep ramping up the intensity of the Teachings until they take on the guise of catastrophe or crisis. count your Blessings you got away with a broken foot. now, your job in meditation is to examine WHY the Universe is asking you to GROUND yourself...what are you doing that the Universe needs to GROUND you by showing you a broken foot? take this into your meditation room (but don't try sitting in full lotus with a broken foot!).
now, more than ever, are wonderful opportunities to find out that your Workout is Everywhere...
love and Godspeed in your learning,
ilg
���
Coach-
Happy Independence Day! I am writing because I think I touched something
special this morning. Today was my 30 minute zazen day - the longest
session yet. The first fifteen minutes were fine, although I was plagued
by a little voice (my ego mind?) saying "it's been way longer than 15
minutes...I bet you forgot to turn on the timer...take a look at your
watch...c'mon). To my great chagrin I did look, and found that it was
going to go off in 15 seconds. Ooof.
However, when I reversed legs, something amazing happened. At first, I
felt a very painful tingling in my foot and ankle. That same little voice
was screaming "c'mon...it shouldn't feel this way...stretch your legs out
for a minute...c'mon). This time I pushed that little voice out of mind
and focused on my breath. Then the pain subsided and was replaced by a
joyful, warm tingling in my feet and hands. As I continued to settle into
my breath, this tingling began to work its way through my entire body. At
the same time, I began to feel tremendous heat build up in my gut and
start to radiate outward. Towards the end of the session my whole body
felt full of the most positive lifeforce imaginable. I thought it would
end when I stood up, but for several minutes after my session I felt
incredibly joyful and more full of life than I think I ever have. I
looked in the mirror and felt...perfection.
Thank you-
Allan
��
Steve,
Thank you again for your beautiful work.
Love....Kelly
Namaste Noble Warriors...
"Every day should
be Earth Day and every night should be the Fourth of July."
- coach ilg
�
I'm a little nervous, because in a few minutes I'll be on my bike doing Hill Intervals. Still a twinge of nerves after all these years on Interval Days. But then again, those of you who are faithfully fulfilling your Wholistic Fitness training programs know damn well WHY we warriors wake up just a little bit nervous on Interval Days. We know that in short order, we must transcend our egoic perceived limits of our body and Rise Higher as our heart rates soar into stratospheric heights...in those lofty realms of pure breath and searing lungs resides our most true self. I have said throughout the years, "Never trust ANYONE who doesn't do Intervals." So, here i go again...i must walk my talk...it's good and healthy to be a little afraid...
i'll update upon my return from my workout...
off into the lofty realms of breathing and being...
your coach,
ilg
���
July 02, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
"This is how a human being
can change:
there's a worm addicted to
eating grape leaves.
Suddenly, he wakes up,
call it grace, whatever, something
wakes him, and he's no longer
a worm.
He's the entire vineyard,
and the orchard too,
the fruit, the trunks,
a growing wisdom and joy
that doesn't need to devour."
-Rumi
Be consistent in your workouts and Practices
before the weekend Holiday
especially if you are spending time with family.
WF Warriors are not workout addicts
so don't push your family out of the Way of your workouts this weekend;
instead,
invite them to participate
even if that means
taking a silent moment
doing a yoga squat with them
or just smiling and practicing Patience with family members
make this holiday time
a holy time;
practice Wholeness
here is some input from you all from my emails this morning...
i am Blessed because you are on the planet, caring about your body and your
presence,
i bow to you,
coach ilg
•••
Teacher Ilg,
Namaste. A note of appreciation for today's Daily Meditations. In counseling
with my client's I stress the need for movement and the breath in overcoming
depression and anxiety. I refer to "3 basics", asking the client to monitor
sleep, nutrition, and physical activity. I prescribe an "appointment with
yourself," a ten minute exercise in following the breath. When teaching beginner
skiers, I see the paralysis induced by fear and anxiety(and a lack of respect for
the breath). My first statement to each fearful student is "breathe!" After
working with Teacher Sheader, I prefer intervals myself! May your practice
remain strong and focused.
Namaste,
Student Scott Adams
•••
Coach:
The past couple of DL's have been great. An added benefit of cardio
commute is that you can use your time wisely. For those of us who have
other obligations (family etc.), getting out to ride can be hard. I
commute to the office a couple of times a week. It only takes me about
10 minutes more than the drive/train. I joined a gym near my office
that has full lockers, so I can put my clothes in there. There is
always a way to cardio commute where there is a will.
I also wanted to thank you for WF. The last cycle has been hard for
me, because I have been so busy. I was feeling bummed about this. But
today, at a yoga class, I reflected on how far I have come since I
started WF in November. I was ten pounds overweight, had back pain I
couldn't shake, ate junk food, and wasn't in shape. Today the back is
ten times better, I am fit enough to hang with the Cat. III racers on
the club ride, I am more flexible, and more focused because of
meditation. So, thanks coach, and especially thanks to Coach Sheader.
WFS Mark
(CONTINUED...)
Coach-
OOOOF - the new cycle sure hit my e-mail box with a bang! I am off to the
gym after work to get started. A few quick questions as I read the
program for the first time:
What is the technique for medicine ball crunches?
• like crunches but squeezing a 4-10 lb medicine ball between your knees.
RE:
I've been meaning to ask this since Green Tara. The sequence after the
sun salutations that you describe as vinyasa (flow) - does "flow" mean to
move continuously from one movement to the next (i.e. 1 breath per
movement), or should I hold each pose 30-60 seconds, as I do the others? I
have been doing the latter.
• you can do it either way, depending on time. you'll see in the updated HP
Sun Salutation Sheets i am sending you, that i have underlined specific poses
that have been proven to develop stronger energy lines resulting in more
sound joint health as your yoga Practice matures over the years.
RE:
For the zazen sessions, should I a) count my breaths in cycles of 10
(Namaste) b) focus on the "ocean sound of ujjayi as my mantra" (Green
Tara) c) count my breath in cycles of 25 or d) do something else?
• pick one and go with it.
just keep focused with whichever method you choose for that sitting.
you can change them sitting by sitting, however.
RE:
As I look at the challenge ahead, I thought it would be wise to fortify
myself with some extra herbs. I currently use Vitashake, FD, and Sunny
Dew. How would you prioritize adding:
Quinary
Vitafruit
Wu Chia Pi
Other
RE:
i would prioritize them just as you have them:
1) Quinary (nothing better for overall immunity and Pranic development)
2) Vitafruit (cannot take in enough antioxidants during heavy training in
this age of processed foods!)
3) Wu Chia Pi (direct shot of chi right to the neuromuscular system! aids in
workout recovery and stamina.
RE: I will stop here for now. I am sure many questions will come as I get
deeper into the work.
Peace-
Allan
•••
Coach-
Just got back from my first Frugal Realm workout at the gym (Lower Body
Yang). I have only two things to say:
No cardio my ass!! Maybe this workout doesn't get the superfit heart rate
of a mountain yogi elevated, but this urban jazz musician was certainly
huffing and puffing through my rear squats / gunther hops / jump squats
I see what you mean about focusing the mind. The effort required to get
through the workout (and walk the mile back to my house afterward) didn't
leave much space for stray thoughts. I don't know if I was focused or
delirious, but by about set 5 of the 10 sets of calf raises, there was
nothing in the world except my two legs and those damn plates
Have a great evening.
-Allan
•••
Dear Coach,
a wonder-filled update from Student Shawna. another WF podium finish.
in-joy!
Namaste,
WF Teacher In Training, Chris Roche
13 Weeks ago, I woke up to face an intense day of my professional
certification exam.
I woke up a bit early and went to the room in our house that we refer to as
the "yoga-room" the "meditation-room" or the "tread-mill room". That
morning in early April, I think I referred to it as the "Meditation-room".
I put Coach Ilg's tape in the TV/VCR combo that is mounted up in the corner
of the room and I performed the Ai Imawa postures with him. I then turned
the TV off and performed them by myself and visualized "facing my dragon"
and then "walking the dragon". I went into the Kitchen to mix a Vita-shake
with Quinary some soy milk, water, a generous squirt of Vita-fruit and some
sunny dew (the famous Coach Ilg Supreme). I sipped this as I went through
my check list one more time to make sure I had all of my drawing tools and
supplies for the exam.
I softly stepped through the house and got into my trusty old Volvo and
drove for a 1/2 hour downtown to the testing center. I arrived early and
entered the room I continued to focus on my breath. Timed tests - no drama
there, right? The test began and I stayed calm... no drama, just breath,
pencil, T-square, triangles, paper, thoughts, breath, creative juices
flowing.....this was my meditation, my yoga for the day.
Okay, do you know where this is going????? I received a document in the
mail yesterday from NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design
Qualification) and I was only aware of my breath as I opened the envelope.
It read "Passing points = 500, Your score = 584! YES, I DID IT!!!!! I
fricken did it!!!!! STATUS = PASS!!!!
DEEP BOW TEACHER IN TRAINING ROCHE!!!!
DEEP BOW COACH ILG!!!!
AI IMAWA....
SHAWNA L. SCHAUB
CARSON DESIGN ASSOCIATES
NCIDQ CERTIFICATE NO. 018634
••
Welcome to formal WF Online Student:
shelli stein of fremont, ca
who will be taking Study under Teacher Grant.
May your Practice with us prove empowering and fun.
••
I check out directlines almost everyday.
thanks for hooking me up with formal WF training and for all the belays to
come.
love T
(CONTINUED...)
Dear Coach
it was several years ago that i wrote in a summation that 'riding my bike
more would open up my wf practice to new heights of awareness and ultimately to a
more clear understanding of my role in conservation and environmental
mentorship' but i was a geologist at the time and thought that this was not really
that important it is really a great theory however and some OTHER day i will
pursue this, i was not ready...on my first wf intensive i bought a bike in
Durango and she was with me until i came to Vancouver were it was swiftly stolen and
passed onto to someone else...so i was bikeless for a while...then i got a
bike from the insurance and well i did not ride very much, commuting? isn't
that something you do in suburbs? i am from Vancouver now, it is a big city, no
- commuting must be someone else's idea of fun...i was not ready yet...
yesterday rhonda and i went for a bikeride around Stanley Park with our new
bikes we left early to miss the crowds. it was great, a light breeze off the
ocean, the sun shining, the early morning joggers and roller bladers were going
about their business. we went all along the seawall, the ride was about 2
hours in total. on the way home we ended up in the downtown core in a parkway
area along which the last bit of green space is preserved...i remembered coming
to this very space during one of my lunch breaks when i worked in a downtown
skyscraper with an international mining firm, i was in for the week from
Uzbekistan. i remember it because at that time i was about 40 lbs overweight,
drank alot of booze, ate everything that moved, i was having heart palpations,
restless sleep, depressed, angry, agitated, neurotic and i was studying wf ...as
i was sitting on my bike waiting for rhonda i could not help but smile and
laugh, what a beautiful thing this is...i feel Being right here doing this work
is the most amazing thing, riding a bike, being outside, teaching yoga, eating
as if it was sacred, sitting in meditation, using all circumstances of life
including my wanderings into geology as tools to move Higher...it is all such a
Grand Journey...i have lived into living WF, all along Being on my Spiritual
Journey, never in any moment actually not being on this Quest, it was all apart
of my Medicine as a Teacher and my Understanding as a Student and it all
seems so simple...
as i mentioned before, my bikes name is bali bali (which is farsi for yes,
yes) so bali bali to WF Studies, bali bali to following your wandering path
wherever it may wander...
The Wandering Yogi
Vancouver, BC