October 31, 2003
A riddle for our Tribe:
You have heard of a werewolf of course...
but what do you call a wolf that studies WF?
AN AWAREWOLF ....hee hee
submitted by WF Teacher Haku
October 30, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
�A true warrior is always the last to pick up the lance or go to battle. His battles are fought with the lance of love and understanding. His enemies are prejudice, greed, and bad medicine and the biggest battles are always fought within himself. So, do not go upon the earth to battle unseen demons of the physical world, for your hatred will be like theirs. Instead, go out as a true warrior, with love and understanding.�
from the Vision, by Tom Brown Jr.
- submitted by WF Online Student Mackel
�
Jim Copeland is a true WF Tribal Brother. i love him. Prana oozes from him like serenity from a Tibetan monk. a surfer he. but his waves are changing. waves of thought being questioned more than sets of swells. waves of daily choices. waves of breath.
the mutual rhythm of those three waves - thought, daily choices, breath - fall into a natural synchronicity of spiritual elevation.
but one must learn to listen.
where the listening occurs does not matter; straddling a zafu cushion in the cold of an early morning bedroom or straddling a surfboard upon an undulating ocean as marine mist massages cold mountain canyons. the Awakening Warrior must - at some point - choose to listen to the inner translations which unite the interior world with the outer one.
Jim Copeland (�Jim Bad� as he is known in our sangha) is amplifying his inner listening. what is more important, he is putting into Practice that which he is hearing from his Intuitive Listening.
Jim Bad has crossed the line. there is no turning back now. he knows now he is a yogi. all the events of his self-admitted �partying life� have only ripened his true self for this most recent Shift. you see, eight weeks ago, Jim Bad called me from Santa Cruz. the surfing was good, but something Higher was itching at him.
�Ilg, i�m coming back to LA. i got to. i need to train with you.�
after 20 years of spiritual work, i can sense a Divine Itch when i hear It. so i replied,
�Cool bro, come here. Live with me until you find a place. Come, hang, train, do yoga, eat herbs.�
�I�m there,� he answered. �I�m ready. whatever you tell me, i�ll do.� the tone in his voice told me that he, like any genuinely ready Student, had emptied his cup. he was, in spiritual work lexicon, ripe for transformation.
so it was, six weeks ago, Jim Bad moved in with me. immediately i rekindled the Path of WF within him; we trained for hours on our road bikes, he joined SUNRIDER HERBS without flinching and instantly ordered and ate the SUNRIDER HERBS i told him to get which is, as many of you now know as �Phase One� - Fortune Delight throughout the day, one Slim Cap at night, 4 Action Caps 3x daily. He ate 1 Beauty Pearl per day. besides doing the above herbal progam, he attended at least 2 of my High Performance Yoga classes per week.
in those 6 weeks Jim Bad went from 220 lbs to 193 lbs.
he lost not one ounce of muscle tissue. he never has felt better he told me.
his abs, chest, shoulders, and arms are friggin� ripped! his face is taking on that chiseled �Lance Armstrong� look. his clothes no longer fit him. he thinks i should be liable for a new wardrobe for him. not a chance, bucko, i reply. at work, two girls approached him and commented on his body. the two hotties invited him to a naked hot tub party after work. it�s an LA thang. Jim bad refused, saying, �Sorry i gotta train with my coach tomorrow.�
wise call. because on that day i took him up Tuna Canyon on our road bikes. some cyclists live in LA for years without ever even trying Tuna Canyon. the climb itself, which requires a 20 mile ride to begin, slaughters fat off your body with an ego withering 7.5 miles of wickedly steep (18% grade) climbing that shoots you from ocean to panoramic ridge top with kneecap popping intensity. i try to climb it at least once per week. Tuna Canyon keeps me pure. Her steepness humbles me. Her sharpness soothes me. Woodpeckers clatter about sycamore trees. Red tailed hawks glide as you suffer upward. for those of you who have done Leg Presses in the gym, Tuna Canyon will require hundreds of them before her slopes have been conquered.
Jim Bad arrived at the summit of Tuna Canyon smiling. he is a well trained Warrior along my Path of WF. you can tell by how he answered my question of �So, what do you think about Tuna Canyon?�
�It�s all about the breath. As long as i stayed with the Breath, no problem.�
So, what about you?
What is your weekly Tuna Canyon?
How are you equipping yourself for Enlightenment in this lifetime? Are you doing the gut deep inner Work or just going through the motions of life? Are you on the herbs? Are you doing HP Yoga? WF online training?
Question: if you are not training for Enlightenment in this lifetime....what - exactly- ARE you doing?
It�s time to stop dinking around isn�t it?
Get on the WF Path.
Drop more than bodyfat or mental stress.
Drop the part of you that suffocates your precious chance for enlightenment.
Rise Above, Noble Warrior. Do the work. Tread the upward Path.
I, and my staff are Here Now to help you find a Higher Workout...the workout that has been itching at you endlessly...have you been listening?
i bow to you,
coach ilg
��
Coaches Ilg and Joseph,
Thank you again for the communications about growth, compassion and gratitude. They have reverberated with me ever since.
- Student Karl
��
Dear Steve,
Got your book Winter athlete from a friend... like what I'm reading. I'm a fitness instructor and have just begun... love it.
- Tina
October 28, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
every now and then, my Formal WF Online Students give us permission to share their Cycle Summations with our global Tribe. Cycle Summations occur every 4 weeks when you are an Online Student of Wholistic Fitness. These Summations give a WF Online Teacher insight into your progress so that your next Training Cycle can be accurately designed just for you. Let us respectfully "listen in" to Student S's Cycle Summation to WF Teacher Grant Couture:
Dear Teacher Grant -
hello hello hello..................cycle summary now upon me ! Much
has happened in the last bunch of weeks which will weave it's way into
the summation.
***as is your Way�what a wonderful Way you weave�.
Yoga----observations during this cycle.
In regards to steve's tape i have IN
proved greatly. I say IN proved for two reasons. One is that it is very
INternal for me. I sense the postures cleansing me. It is an inside out
meditation. The "proved" part of that statement is also awesome for me.
**yes this is the way all yoga is; after we filmed that we were all very internal�it is a weaving or knitting together that WF brings to all things, the relationship to wholeness�
In the beginning of using the tape , which is now about a year or so ago,
I didn't think i'd ever be able to use it with any sense of confidence or
strength. I have proven to myself that as steve says we are all so much
stronger then we know. This morning for instance i had to lift a bunch
of boxes, hoist them up a ladder while walking up the ladder and put them
in the attic. I could feel how much functional fitness my upper body
had. The functional fitness is what it's all about. I attribute that to
yoga.
**and under that Steve is not only talking about physical strength, in fact I would suggest that is only the tip of the iceberg�to use this tape consistently for a year is an expression of your dedication to move Higher and Inward�this tape is so not easy on the Ego and yet I feel so needed to cleanse the Soul - well done shelli. When we can stay with something long enough to get through our baggage we start to see Other aspects of what we call Life and it is Grand to have such Views�
Since your absence in august i have gotten full swing into my
teaching and picked up a bunch more classes so i am now teaching 5 yoga
classes a week. Next semester they will be giving me another class at
the college. I like teaching between 8-10 a week so i'm sure in the next
few months i'll add a few more classes.
**nice we learn most when we Teach it seems to me, it comes from our Cells�people open yoga studios because they need to learn a lot about letting go�
One class is at a physical
therapy clinic and i have 3 very large women in that class. These women
would never go to a yoga studio or a gym. No matter what size the body
it is so important to move it and breathe and i am so grateful that they
find the environment i create an environment that supports them being
vulnerable and experiencing yoga.
Yoga always does a spirit good !
**when we accept ourselves in the best way we can no matter what, we give others permission to do the same, we create an circle of acceptance that will envelope all of our tendencies towards separation�again and yet again let it Be so�
Strength Training---power pump routine observations. Hard and
challenging---patience required. I do not feel fluid in it though i do
enjoy the yin and yang of it.
**yes the ebb and flow we go�
I prefer this kind of strength training to
using machines at a gym kind of training.
**WF rarely use machines�only for medicinal-style strength work�this is only to maintain but not really to gain.
For me it's very much about
tuning in and challenge and nurture at the same time.
**like all things that challenge us, surrender is the quality that will see us to the end, with surrender we allow all things to move through us without the chatter and usually negative workhorse of an Ego telling us how it is going to be�just keep going noticing the talk and continuing on.
Where does steve
come up with these things !?
**practice�
Cardio-------much has happened in this realm as well in this cycle.
During the summer i kept putting pressure on myself to make it to the
team training runs on saturday mornings. One of the sites requires a
long car trip. I made it to the 9 mile run with the group. Each week
i'd want to train on my own rather than with the group.
**and the inner whispers are getting louder it seems�
The tendency
with a group is to talk the whole time while running so as not to notice
all the miles being logged.
**yes distraction of the Now
While this can be OK sometimes i found that
especially for the long runs i wanted to BE WITH the run..........no
matter what comes up learn how to be there with myself, mind / body.
**to me it is a distraction to run and talk, physiologically it is not good for the body to do such things � during cardio activity, tongue goes to roof of mouth where it stimulates brain and digestive tract to �support� from anus to mouth internally as the body moves�this much more important then talking. When you talk the tongue is flapping and the digestive tract is loose..cultivating distractions is something in WF we would rather bring attention to instead. We have this life to awaken and being distracted in it does not help, it gets in the Way. So with all things you can bring this focused attention to it can awaken you to a grander vision�just as you noticed in this simple observation�
I
won't ever know but i would guess that if i had not been studying
wholistic fitness during these training times i would have gone to many
more if not all of the training runs.
**and you ARE Here Now and we are Blessed�
Many people who have run marathons
have told me they never could have done the marathon if they did the
training on their own the way i am doing it.
**alone, together we breath�
One day i just decided not
to make myself crazy over not attending the group runs. That was not what
my instincts were telling me to do. So since we last chatted i have done
a solid 16 mile run in new shoes that i decided to buy one half size
larger then usual. This makes a big difference. My 18 mile run was in
very intense heat. I am still learning about fueling myself and
hydration. I was totally withered at the end but recovered nicely. My
20 mile run last saturday was quite an event. It was quite a bit cooler
and i ran around this lake 7 times before heading home for another 6
miles. There were lots of people around which is different then the
usual creek side path i run but similar to what it would be like running
in honolulu.
**miles going up and up Higher and Higher you climb�
After the 20 mile run i had a few hours around the house and then a
friend came over with her niece and nephew. After dinner we all went to
this large sports event place which is hard to describe because i have
never seen anything like it. We played table tennis, badminton, virtual
bowling, pool, bocce ball, for hours.
**tennis anyone?
I know most of the wholistic
warriors out there are not bat and ball/racquet and ball type athletes
but i challenge anyone to a few games of badminton..........what a
workout.
**actually Steve told me one time he phoned up Mike Richter (NY Rangers Goalie at the time) who was in the process of playing ping pong�so it looks like you are not alone�.and it is pretty good company at that.
I am still wondering where all that energy came from.
**energetic lines of opening in the body�better movement�
I have recovered well from all the long runs------i follow the runs
with good food, yoga, enough rest. I will do 23 miles in a week or so. I
have been doing some speed work on the shorter runs. I would say my
hours of cv ( which means running 3-4 times a week and some biking and
walking ) would be about 8 on a low week and the highest week of the
cycle would have been 24.
**are you following the program as it is outlined? Are you following the daily practice sheet on volumes and times?
Funny you should ask what i was thinking about as i brushed my teeth this
morning. My dental relationship with myself has loomed large this past
month and has been one of my biggest learnings about feel everything and
attaching to no thing.
I have always prided myself on how good my teeth and dental health has
been. Very few cavities, brush ALOT, teeth cleaned on a regular basis,
still have all my wisdom teeth. I have had my teeth cleaned regularly
but haven't had a thorough dental check up in ages. Now that we are in a
new place and have had a good dentist referred to us i thought i'd have a
cleaning AND check up. Much to my surprise i have a cavity and on my two
fillings ( years ago i had the silver taken out because of mercury issues
and replaced with an amalgam) the amalgam has broken down and i have some
decay and will most likely put crowns on those teeth. At first i felt
very let down by my teeth---betrayed even. I wanted to use this as a
teaching so i let go and just accepted the facts as they were, felt the
blessing of having needed no dental work for so many years, the blessing
of a dentist i feel comfortable with, the blessing of having great dental
insurance and just let go.
When i brush my teeth i stay present, look in the mirror, enjoy the
sensation of the brush on my teeth and the taste of the toothpaste. I
spit with vigor !
As in the last cycle i am enjoying the meditations. It is good
practice to be in the middle of a hectic day and just take the cushion
and be with the breath. All the running feels like a meditation in
movement too so it is good for me to have the different
meditations..........the sensual, the visual, the kinesthetic.
**yes it seems that everything can help us see ourselves more clearly, to reflect how we are in the world. The body is so amazing how it can do what it does all at the same time everything is working together, this is amazing. What we think about the body has a direct effect on how it functions and reacts to the world around it. There is no separation possible between the mind and body. What we think we will experience in one way or another. So working with gratitude as you discovered goes along way towards healing anything that ails you, it is the start of a true understanding of Life�
My spiritual readings this cycle have centered around the Jewish
holidays which occupy me and fill me with joy. I enjoyed the holidays
with family and was greatly inspired by two different rabbis during this
time. One of the rabbis if i closed my eyes sounded just like steve.
Not in voice but in message. All about letting go----it was eery almost
as if he was talking just to me.
**spiritual Teachings can come out of any mouth, they only Matter when they touch us in the Heart. I was in Montreal a few months back were I was going to Rhonda�s Bubbis unveiling. As we sat in the cemetery around the stone, the rabbi spoke so wonderfully about her grandparents ( I only met bubbi once for an hour or so), then the Chanter started to sing. It was so amazing, such power it brought tears rolling down my face. The song was in Hebrew and Yiddish, I never understood a word he was saying, it touched somewhere deeper in my Knowing however, it touched my Heart. For me that is all that matters, can you be moved by your Heart? will you allow yourself to be stirred to the very Seat of your Soul? WF is a Path of Heart and you are following her beat which is the Beat of your own Awakening�.
NUTRITION: Sometimes i am
so easily satisfied with so little food and sometimes not . On the days
i teach i would say i have a comfortable way/schedule of eating that
allows me to maintain energy and focus. Still have sugar cravings
sometimes, found myself craving meat alot this last week. I noticed
yesterday after lunch how much energy was being pulled to digestion and i
noticed the moment when that process was over and my energy was available
for other things---very interesting observation on my part. I am not
beating myself up or judging around food consumption--just observing and
feel this is an important step.
**we will be adding in the slim caps and action caps this next cycle�so hang on to�..hmmm not sure yet
My energy levels are good----i seem to wake up groggy sometimes and this
is probably related to what i've eaten the night before. I've never been
an early to rise girl but once my feet hit the floor i'm good to go. My
recovery from training i would say is excellent.
**nutrition is key to long term injury prevention�period. As training volumes go up margin for injury also increases p(l)ay close attention this next cycle as the volumes increase even more.
Yesterday........what i ate. Ilg supreme in the AM. A few pieces of
pineapple. Lunch was leftover chinese food which consisted of a soup with
tofu and lots of greens and some lamb and a few bites of a leftover
noodle dish. Some popcorn while watching a movie and for dinner i had
some tomato and basil salad and a slice of yummy whole grain bread with a
spread of farmers cheese and salmon and olives.
I usually do have two ilg supremes but yesterday i did not. My manner
is relaxed while i eat. Appreciative and joyful. I note the texture and
taste of food. I would say i am eating smaller portions.
**FD?
Any changes/thoughts relative to this cycle-------since we started
playing together i have lost 7 lbs ( i think--i did not weigh in when we
started but that would be my best guess ) I have definitely firmed up
though again i don't know how much. In the middle of sept i took my
measurements so i could track this.
Somewhere during this cycle i started to realize--perhaps because i
am now much more comfortable with wholistic fitness principles---that i
am much more interested in the inner journey then the "how far how fast
journey".
**what we focus on will be what we experience�
This shift has caused me to ponder some points. One that came
up for me during this cycle is about steve's writing. I know he's an
elite athlete and champion at many sports. So many times he makes the
point that he can keep up with the younger guys---his body fat is at 5
%----his fiercely competitive nature. I know that i will finish my
marathon standing up and with a smile. I'll not be the slowest one nor
the fastest one.
I don't want to get caught up measuring myself against
anyone else .
**did you know that the subconscious mind has no idea what �don�t� means�all it hears is �I want to get caught up measuring myself against
anyone else.� This journey is so not about Steve Ilg, he is the messenger, you are the one walking your journey just walk it the Way you want to; we are here to support you in any way we can, that�s it�
I do want to live a vibrant and fully alive life. I don't
feel like i can adequately express myself around these thoughts. It's
not that i would want steve or anyone else for that matter to be any less
then they could be---to hold back on expressing their gifts and talents
of which we all have many. I guess it's that i want to protect myself
from becoming results oriented rather than journey oriented. The numbers
mean so much less to me then the endeavor. I look forward to exploring
all this more as time goes on.
**inward you go deeper and deeper until you See yourself in the Flesh, it may scare you to See, that you were Perfect all along�
A question for you teacher G............i will be up in seattle for
american thanksgiving. On the friday after thanksgiving ( november 28 )i
would like to drive up to vancouver and visit with you-----take a yoga
class, have a cup of calli tea , discuss SR and whatever else comes up.
Will you be around and is this something you'd be interested in ? thanks
**yes, I think I will be around�I am not sure I will teaching a class, wait I will be Teaching an HP Class!! Oh great God of Thunder that will be Fun! I only allow you into Studio if you bring �gifts� of SR from your neck of the woods. We are not so lucky up here in Canada as some of the SR products do not make it through up to us. More later.
As for my next cycle I'd like it to run until the end of november and
then do a cycle summation the first week in dec. I will be gone most of
december and then i'd like to start again mid january when my semester
starts again. Can we make this work ? thanks
**yes it is all working�
Objectives for next cycle--------none in particular. I am loving the
road, running like the wind, breathing low and deep, singing my song
and opening opening opening...............
please remember to verify your payment for training with Steve at HQ in LA. Thank you.
As always i appreciate all that you and steve and the other WF warriors
offer up in this poker game of life----i am IN joying learning when to
fold em and learning when to hold em
in gratitude student s
**and we are in servitude to your practice and flowering, there is no WF without your practice�it would just fall away like a leaves last breath but alas you are Here and so we can be to�
All Good Medicine
Teacher G
The Wandering Yogi
1707 Grant Street @ Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
October 27, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
{Note; THE NEW HP YOGA Class Schedule is up at www.HighPerformanceYoga.com...download it today and i'll see you in class tomorrow!}
�Each moment you are alive is a gem, shining through and containing earth and sky, water and clouds.�
- Thich Nhat Hanh
quotes like that little gem above are fantastic, but you gotta suffer like a dog to See and then Feel the lofty heights from which quotes like that are written. see, lil ol� Thich has suffered greatly. He is a zen monk from Vietnam. his classic book, �Peace Is Every Step� is required reading for Online Wholistic Fitness Students. Thich�s story is touching. read Him. for Him to remain so centered and serene yet spiritually powerful is huge. it is a Dharma Blessing to have Him on the planet with us.
my point is, however, that we all gotta suffer to varying degrees before we get to the fruits of our being. i have found that often it is only from near exhaustion that my deepest exhilaration has been produced. i don�t think most people push themselves enough...in whatever they do. i mean, they THINK they do, but really, gut deep, they don�t. they get sucked into medicore ways of being. soon, any spiritual nectar that may have been vibrating within their cells becomes drained as dry as a Santa Anna wind.
it�s probably just me though. my karma this time around. for me, it is always been intensity and endurance that has lifted me out of my individual self to merge with the UniVersal or Divine Self...what the Hatha Yogis know as Sushumna Awakening or what other yogis might call, Brahman or what the christians might call, Christ Consciousness.
it is foolish to think that you can meditate without suffering. the aches and pains that emit from our bodies and mind as we struggle to meditate are Divine barbells challenging our strength to sit still enough to Listen.
meditation, as we know it along the Path of WF, is not something you really DO. it is a by product of a concentrated mind.
don�t worry about meditation or gaining bliss or reaching airy perches of professional spiritual athletes like Thich.
instead,
today
concentrate.
whatever you are doing,
do it with full attention.
that is correct Noble Warrior,
i am telling you that your Highest Workout
is whatever you are doing,
but you must do it impeccably.
and therein
lies your gem...
the gem of Heightened Awareness
which is the gateway
to Meditation and
possibly
(who knows, if you work hard enough)
Enlightenment!
go for it...
be beautiful in all that you do today
and you will begin to See and Feel
things differently
in a more magnificent Way.
that is all.
love from the humble (but powerful) Helm,
coach ilg
www.wholisticfitness.com
www.HighPerformanceYoga.com
October 24, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
�Your work is to discover your life and with all your heart to give yourself to it.�
- Buddha
some WF Dharma follows...thank you for your contribution and support of our humble - but powerful - Path of transpersonal fitness. it is YOUR devoted Practice that makes Wholistic Fitness sing through so many souls...
enjoy, and may all beings benefit from the inner work(outs) that you cultivate each day...
i bow to you,
steve ilg
founder/Wholistic Fitness & High Performance Yoga
�
Coach,
Thank you for another fantastic yoga class today. Listening to Amazing Grace seemed to be the perfect way to end a class on a day when many people are recognizing Mother Teresa, an Amazing Grace to humankind.
There are few people which have been recognized as Saints. One thing is for sure, they come in all shapes, genders, nationalities, religions. Who would have suspected an Albanian girl would grow up and change the world? Her name was Mother Teresa. Last Sunday the Pope celebrated her beatification, the final step on the path to catholic sainthood.
With or without the official title few people devote their lives to help the sick and poor. Fewer see Go(o)d in everyone they meet. She did and I believe she was able to do this because she recognized the power of a smile. On this special day, I will take these words with me as I learn to live my yoga:
�The more you smile at God,
the more you smile at yourself,
and the more you smile at each other,
the (w)holier you become.� Mother Teresa
Namaste,
New Student Mackel
�
Dear Coach,
I bow in humble appreciation of your Monday's Direct Lines. There are many times that I become discouraged for not having the energy to train the way I would like. Your words and the words of warrioress JK have given me inspiration to keep persevering in my daily walk. Thank you both.
Love,
warrior clay
��
Hey Steve.� I just wanted to thank you for working with me earlier this month and also let you know it has been a fantastic help. I did get a copy of The Outdoor Athlete and found it interesting that yoga was not mentioned in that book however it is in The Winter Athlete.� My guess is sometime in between the two is when you discovered Yoga or it discovered you.�
Anyway my motivation has returned and I have been working out regularly since our time.� Looking forward to your new book.
- BS, OH
Brian,
it was wonderful working with you! you are ripe for mining more spirituality from your workouts through Wholistic Fitness.
as any reader of DIRECT LINES knows, i had included yoga as the third of my Five Fitness Disciplines in THE OUTDOOR ATHLETE in my manuscript. but, back in 1985, everybody including my publishers thought that yoga was the work of the Devil or something. so, my publishers told me to call it a different name. i came up with �Kinesthetic Training� for use with the general public. by 1999, when i wrote THE WINTER ATHLETE however, the opinion had changed and i could call it 'yoga' without frightening away readers, especially athletes many of whom have been traditionally scared 'stiff' of doing anything close to yoga.
in my next book, Yoga has risen to receive top billing as an instrumental part of transforming a mediocre fitness program into a Path of Self Realization.
you can pre-order my next book today at a discount. go to: Amazon.com and search under Steve Ilg. the book�s title is TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION.
thank you for your support and practice of our humble but powerful Path,
i bow to you,
coach ilg
���
Dear Coach -
I was just thinking about you the other day.� How are you? � I am sure that your wonderful studio is kickin' some serious hiney� YEA!!� Once my humble studio can stand on its own I hope to come out for a long weekend.� I am looking forward to just taking classes and turning off the teacher mind.� Sigh..what a luxury:):)
Here is some exciting news.� I went in for my interview at the Vajrayana Buddhist Center and was placed in the intermediate training program.� I am thrilled...and a little nervous.� I start classes on Nov. 3rd.� I'm one semester behind so I am busy studying to catch up.� We are studying the Heart Sutra this year.� Yes, the most complicated to grasp...on emptiness.� But, I've always been known to start out with the hardest:)� After two years I can test for the advanced or teacher training program which is 5 - 8 years.�
So, Steve, take care of yourself and know I am sending good energy. thoughts and love your way.
- Fellow Warrior(ess) R
Beautiful R -
"Whatever is inter-dependent, arising from connection, is without cessation and without birth, without end and without permanence, without coming and without going, without division and without unity of meaning; all conditions fully released; teaching release. I bow to the sacred words of the Perfect Buddha. May there be good fortune."
- from the Heart Sutra
i used to chant those words in Buddhist centers for hours
years
but my hips weren't that open as a sat chanting...i fidgeted...so my mind wandered from the chanting...
and my spine was not that straight
and so my nadic system was not capable
of delivering potent energy through those sacred words to my deepest
and Highest cells...
now i chant them with more open hips
a straighter spine
with nadic system more developed
and breath more deeply rooted in chitta
suddenly the words
are no longer what they
once were.
what will the words be five years from now
ten
twenty?
R...
it is fine to go after the Heart Sutra in more advanced
Teacher Training's
but the most
important
teacher of the Heart Sutra
is your zafu
and the fitness of your body
which sits upon it
year
after
year.
chant
after
chant.
head bowed,
The Feeble One
October 22, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
�It takes strength to sit still.�
- coach ilg
i have a friend
who loves and is quick to travel
the outer world,
but has yet to visit her
inner world.
i have another friend
who loves and is quick to explore
�the adventure sports�
but has yet to realize that the pran
cultivated from within
is a million times more of a rush
than mere adrenaline.
i have a friend who drives a pickup
wearing a bumper sticker that states, �No Fear�
but refuses to stretch, �because it hurts.�
why so scared of your world within?
it�s just you
the deepest you
the truest you
you should go explore the real world,
the real adventure,
and Practice being truly
honestly
unafraid.
it takes strength to sit still
but the call of your Highest Life
sings from within
not outside
it takes strength to sit still
but the Grace of this one precious life
wafts like incense smoke from within
not from outside
be the rhythm of your breath
so you can in-Joy the rhythm
of your life
today
right now
this amazing moment.
May your Practice be strong and still,
coach ilg
October 20, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
�Truth appears when you are whole. The Master is merely one who has persevered in His or Her practices. No special talent, just perseverance. That is why the Buddha called �perseverance� the �noblest� of all disciplines.�
-Coach Ilg
it totally cracks me up when people think i am something special or that i have been somehow blessed with special �gifts.� hilarious. i was born weak, legs in braces, narrowed trachea, poor respiration, and unskilled in nearly anything requiring coordination. the only �gift� i had was the same as all humans; the innate capacity to endure. to persevere in my training, in my workouts, in managing my ego excuses. that is all. many people think that yoga teachers or star athletes are graced with some form of Divine Motivation that makes it somehow EASY for us to train everyday, rearrange our lifestyles, take tremendous cuts in money earning potential...none of that is true. we all struggle in our efforts to become more Awake, more Conscious. More whole.
here is a fantastic unsolicited testimonial from a truly beautiful yoga teacher and personal trainer. in Her words that she has chosen to share with our Tribe, you can feel just how little physical or genetic �talents� really count in the day to day struggle to do our workouts or spiritual practices. so here, is a genuine gift from one of our shining gems in our sangha. the gift of expression by a beautiful yoga teacher sincere enough to share...
enjoy the gift and THANK YOU jk!
- coach ilg
�
�Despite my years as a personal trainer and yoga instructor, I am reminded daily of the struggle i have with taking better care of myself. Even though people hire me to help them be more disciplined in their lives, what they might not realize is how challenging it still is for me. For example: I awoke this morning, still tired and sore from last nights' HP Prop Workout with the amazing Coach ilg, aware that I was "very" hungry and craving my new found breakfast; a crumpet with tofutti cream cheese and blueberry jam with a side of egg whites and an ilg supreme (SUNRIDER herbal whole food drink). I had a busy day of private clients ahead of me! Despite my desire for "food," I knew what I really needed was to just sit and practice my pranayama. But what about my blood sugar? If I don't eat now, I might become weak and begin to get the shakes, my body will shut down. But, if I eat now I can't practice my breathing exercises for another 2 hours and by then I will have to go to work and I need fuel. But, if I practice now I won't get to eat for another hour or more and I'm really wanting that crumpet.
This dialogue of conflict, in my mental chambers, continued for about 45 minutes while I watered my plants, played with my adorable cats, fussed about my apartment, all the while I could have been sitting and practicing my pranayama. Getting even hungrier by the second, I did it. I just got on the floor and put myself into downward facing dog, conflict still present in my mind. But I started to watch and listen to my breath. As my breath got deeper it began to drown out the mental chatter of food. As I transition into another posture, trying to physically prepare myself to sit with my breath, my craving of food would reappear. It was a constant battle. But my will to take care of myself was stronger than my attachment to old conditioning. And my craving for food slowly turned into a craving for Pran. An hour and half later, my blood sugar did not drop. I felt more alive with a deeper sense of purpose. And I was proud of myself. I did it. I did my pranayama practice! No big "outer body" experience. Just an everyday, ordinary conflict of desire verses discipline, that I was able to overcome today.
Coach ilg, I share this experience with you because I am grateful for your guidance. Through your DL entries and willingness to "Ride" your talk by example, you have inspired me to rise above my personal attachments and meet my daily challenges with awareness and breath. Thank you.
Namaste~
JK
October 17, 2003
EAT AN HERB...
An Interview WIth Trish Childers; 10 SUNRIDER QUESTIONS
by steve ilg
i�ve emailed Trish Childers - my upline sponsor in SUNRIDER Herbal Whole Foods - at least three times every damn day with SUNRIDER questions for the past uh, 20 years. within 24 hours, she'll answer me in superb detail with info from anything from how to manage Group SV without losing SAB Bonus Whatever Points to which herbs she has found best for use in people with cancer. she is simply amazing. i thought i�d let you in on some of my most biting queries to her recently...
#1 �
ilg: we first met in Boulder nearly 20 years ago when Dr. Chen was involved with Doug Fueschel and the Olympic Tae Kwon Do team. who first got you hooked up into the herbs and what was it that made the Light of Sunrider go on for you?
trish: Someone no longer involved with SR, bet he's kicking himself in the pants at this point.
The "Light" came on when I had contact with a tree trunk hitting me up side my head...literally. Sunbreeze was all I had with me, so I rubbed it on, then got to really see stars as I was passing out form the pain. However, by days end all pain, scraps & cuts were gone from my face. That's when I check out the rest of "that weird stuff" & have eaten it every day for the past 20 + years.
#2 �
ilg: i hear Dr. Chen (owner/founder of SUNRIDER) has some new products coming out...whassup?
trish: he releases new products every year, so keep checking my web site at:
http://opp.sunrider.com/PatriciaChilders
for announcements. But the really big news is the new levels of concentration he's creating on ALL of our current products. Be watching for the changes, I just got a new bottle of Fibertone & I believe it's been upgraded, sure works.
#3 �
ilg: if you were stranded on a desert island and could only be granted 3, no that�s too mean, 5 SUNRIDER products which would they be and why?
trish: well, this answer is different today than it would have been even last year, shows how changes are occurring for me. But, right now it would be Joi to keep my joints & body as pain free as possible. Vitashake to feed everything. Fortune Delight to hydrate & help cleanse. Sunny Dew because I LOVE IT & so does my blood sugar. And Bella to keep making my bodymindspirit younger and younger.
#4 �
ilg: in what ways has SUNRIDER impacted your well being?
trish: on every level possible...emotionally, physically, financially & spiritually.
#5 �
ilg: in what ways has SUNRIDER impacted your financial well being?
trish: I've received a check every month for 20 years...even those years that I was unable to actively work my business, such as deaths in the family, injuries & other challenges. And this was over a period of close to 10 years! What I built in the beginning has paid me over & over. And, never with any hassles form "superiors", all I've ever received from Sunrider & my upline has been support. That's why it's been so easy for me to support you & your organization, I was taught how.
#6 �
ilg: to me, SUNRIDER is both the ideal yogi food and a very spiritual company in the sense that getting involved with SUNRIDER necessitates emptying your cup of opinions, judgments, skepticism, and really you just gotta FEEL by direct experience the transformative power of the herbs. has this rung true for you as well as you continue to introduce the herbs into people�s lives?
trish: absolutely. Just as my beginning...it was the experience or the products that convinced me these products are the best. And, it was the experience with the business people that has shown me this is the only business I want.
#7 �
ilg: how the hell do you use SUNBRIGHT laundry detergent? i cannot for the life of me figure out the whole double dispenser thing.
trish: you poor thing, fill the bottle, put the cap on the "larger side" only & squeeze it gently. The liquid will flow up into the smaller compartment...then is the pre-measured amount for a load of laundry.
# 8 �
ilg: what do you tell people who balk at joining SUNRIDER because it is a �multi level� company but then pour toxic sodas and depletive, fatty foods into their bodies? how do you get them to see the priceless VALUE of eating chi-filled whole herbal foods instead of mass foods produced within the money-motivated corporate grocer system?
trish: usually it's not about being a "multi-level" anything...
most just don't want to give up their burgers & fries, at least not until they are sick as H...! so, i don't do anything with them. I very seldom approach people on the products for that reason. I'm not out to sell them on anything or to change their whole life...well not at that moment, anyway.
#9 �
ilg: why does Dr. Chen insist on so many weird GALA SUNRIDER conventions where all they do it seems is take pictures of each other? why doesn�t he do something cool like sponsor a pro bicycle racing team or at least get more hip with the times?
trish: well, he does sponsor many events & groups, SR just doesn't make a big deal out of it. As for the convention...the real purpose behind these events is for personal identification, meeting someone we can identify with, someone who can inspire us to move out of our comfort zones, to take chances, to reach a little higher, to grow beyond our current limits. It's totally awesome to watch a new person blossom & grow right before your eyes...I've seen this time & time again.
you need to remember Coach, not everyone has a personal coach and most people have no idea they can be successful at anything. that's why SR has a convention, and yes, to also take pictures.
#10 �
ilg: what is the key thing to understanding the pivotal presence of SUNRIDER in our lives?
trish:identifying personal needs & sharing how those needs can be fulfilled.
thank you!
please let us know the address of your website and THANK YOU TRISH for your AMAZING support to myself and my entire downline for the past two decades...here is to the next two!
as you say Trish, �dare to dream�
and as i added; �dare to do�
and as you and i both wish to shout out to EVERYONE:
�EAT AN HERB, BABY!�
namaste,
coach ilg
October 14, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
�Love is a river. Drink from it.�
- Rumi
i have two brooms with which i perform my morning cleaning rituals. one broom is from India. she is handmade from grass, hemp, and bamboo. her svelte bristles are slender, wispy and extend from the handle like filaments of Shakti emerging from a long bamboo flute. as i sweep, these bristles soundlessly shush away used birdseed and leaves from my front porch.
my other broom is mass manufactured in America. his bristles are stout and tightly tethered. made of corn, a scratchy sound emits from the action of sweeping. i have to press hard while sweeping. often the birdseed scatters and corn bristles fracture.
if i�ve concentrated my mind well during my morning meditation and zen life seems close at hand, i sense in the details of my sweeping metaphors of my life. the American broom reflects normal American bodies; stiff and tightly wound. its performance hampered due to its tension, regardless of intent. my India broom seduces me into becoming skillful in my sweeping; i must remain alert if not impeccable in my sweeping. less, i find once again, is more.
when my Practice has been consistent and feels particularly ripe, my porch becomes my monastery. my sweeping becomes prayer. the sprinkles of birdseed symbolize the cascade of my random thoughts. my broom becomes an extension of my breath, erasing the clutter of mental and emotional debris. i understand better my life by understanding better how i choose to sweep.
it might just be me, but i truly feel those who hire others to clean their own homes, have not a h(om)e, but a house.
it might just be me, but i truly sense that those who disdain cleaning their houses not only have no h(om)e, but are dwindling their spiritual chances for Awakening.
sweeping is to me, a most cherished part of my personal fitness and growth.
Dharma blessings,
coach ilg, RYT
founder/Wholistic Fitness Personal Training
October 12, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
�Everybody talks about Zen. Few people actually sit it.�
- Coach Ilg
If you go to the Class Schedule of my High Performance Yoga studio at:
http://www.highperformanceyoga.com/schedule.html
you will see that we are the only yoga studio that actually offers and sits some form of an early zen practice 6 out of 7 days.
In my zen class this morning, it was only Noble Student Clay Clymore and i, sitting alone, cross legged, observing our breath flow in and out as shakuhaichi flute music drifted beside us.
I see or hear the phrase, �zen like,� appear all over the place these days. This means there must be many people now arising early and sitting motionless in predawn hours trying to still their minds before engaging in their day to day actions.
Or does it?
Or do we just like assuming we KNOW what the phrase �zen like� means without actually doing the inner work of zen?
I�ve been teaching zen styles of meditation now for many years. Few people ever come, let alone sustain a consistent sitting Practice. Yet, in the slowing of our mental thought waves lies the real juice of Awakening.
6 out of 7 days, you can now sit some form of zen with myself or HP Yoga Staff Teachers Quentin and Greg at our new Studio. If you study Wholistic Fitness online, then you will be monitored in your own solo Practice. I�ve also clearly outlined how to sit zen in my book, The Winter Athlete as well as in my upcoming book, TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION due out in January.
It is absolutely crazy how impactual a few dastardly simple early morning minutes of just sitting alone consciously paying attention to your breath can transform the entirety of your day.
But you first gotta get up and sit.
�All know the Way. Few actually walk it.�
- Buddha
Enjoy your Practice today and may it be Strong and Sincere and Seated Within Your True Self...
breathe baby...
and
just
listen.
love,
coach ilg
October 11, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
�It is not dying a man should fear, but a man should fear never having lived at all.�
- Marcus Aurelius taken from The Vision
contributed by Student Mackel (see below)
��
Dear Coach -
I have a question, how do WF students deal with tele marketers? They desperately want to talk to someone and it seems to easy just to say �I am sorry, I am not interested.�
- Student Mackel
Dear Student Mackel -
first, use them as a Breath & Posture Beeper Guru.
second, imagine them cooped up in a friggin� cubicle all day long under fluorescent lighting sapping their inner power, doing a job they probably DON�T want to be doing, working with coworkers and bosses they probably despise...flash on this for a moment so that you experience a feeling of compassion, not anger toward them. would YOU want to do what they do everyday? phew...
third, you may interrupt their spiel by kindly saying,
�Oh, i am sooooo terribly sorry but i am a practicing...(insert one of the following; Buddhist, Vedantist, Taoist, Yogi, etc). But thank you very, very much.� then, most probably there will be a silence because their note sheet it does not tell them how to respond to a Buddhist, Vedantist, Taoist, Yogi, etc. In that silence you may say to them, �Namaste.� and hang up. works every time. you have not taken them out of your heart and you have put forth helpful Dharma into their cells.
jao!
love,
ilg
October 10, 2003
Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!
�There is a voice that doesn�t use words. Listen.�
- Rumi
�Why is Meditation one of my Five Fitness Disciplines? Because sooner or later, younger or older, you will realize that as important as creating space is in your body, creating space in your mind is even more important.�
- Coach Ilg
�If all you do is sweat�it ain�t a quality workout baby!
- Ron Jones, Ultra Distance Cycling Champion who incorporates meditation into his training.
�Sometimes saying no to a workout is as beneficial in quality as having a
great, high energy workout.� Recent Direct Lines quote
Coach-
Beautiful stuff on Direct Lines lately. I agree so much with the above
statement you posted. As a corollary, I have been actively involved in
12-Step recovery for over 9 years, and going to meetings is a staple
practice of our program. However, I have learned that "Sometimes not going to a meeting is the right thing to do," especially when one is in need of rest or other responsibilities or commitments are calling. It can simply be irresponsible and selfish to go to that meeting at times, if we're
neglecting our family or loved ones, and other needs are waiting to be met.
Growing up as an active person in L.A., I have believed that I must stay
busy and "productive" or I would "miss something." Now I know that this is fear, and have learned of the beauty, value, and necessity of rest in
complement with focused effort. I guess it's that whole Yin/Yang thing,
which seems so difficult for our Western minds to grasp and practice. Thanks for the continued inspiration and for providing this beautiful forum for us to shared thoughts, insights, and ideas.
- Humbly, Student Orr
��
Coach-
Peace to you. As I sat watching my beloved Red Sox ride a crazy roller coaster last night before finally pulling out the game and the series, I was struck by two big differences from years' past:
1. Winning the Namaste Way: Through the years, the Sox have been known for a lack of camaraderie, famously described as "25 guys taking 25 cabs", all in it for themselves. This year they added, among others, a beautiful ballplayer named David Ortiz. Besides hitting lights out, David brought something else simple and powerful to the Red Sox...the big hug. This guy is the Ammachi of the majors - he hugs guys after hits and outs, after hitting home runs and giving up home runs...no judgment, just hugs. Pretty quickly, the whole team picked up on it, and these guys are now the huggingest team in baseball. I think it no coincidence that, unlike in past years, these guys never give up, on the game or on each other.
2. Visualize it and it will be so: As a member of Red Sox Nation, I have learned to be a fatalist through the years, always expecting the worst and then watching my fears be fulfilled. Last night, whenever those dragons showed up, I breathed deep and visualized the positive outcome - Veritek getting a hit, Pedro getting through one more inning, Derek Lowe somehow getting out of a 2 on, nobody out jam. Somehow, they did.
Bring on the Yankees.
Thank you for the new program.
Namaste- Allan, NYC
��
Bro,
Trying to remember the name you often use for an altar and what its origins are...Yoga, Buddhist?
Also I remember in New Mexico some of the Hispano's use to set up outdoor altars...they had a very native influence...to you remember what they called them? It seem to be a Northern N. M. thing for the most part.
Peace out,
Haku
Dear Haku -
I think you mean a Puja table. Puja comes from Tantraism, an off shoot of early Vedantism. Puja means 'worship."
i totally know what you are talking about...often made of wood, adorned with a collection of milagros from worshipers passing by, right? let me try a quick internet search. hold one.
got it, thanks to Google's amazing search engine. they are called Ofrenda, which is Spanish for "offering." here's one website:
http://www.elpayaso.com/ofrenda.htm
love,
ilgbro
October 07, 2003
namaste noble warriors!
�This is what you should do:
Love the earth and sun and animals, despise riches,
give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others,
hate tyrants,
argue not concerning God,
have patience and
indulgence toward the people... reexamine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, dismiss what insults
your very soul, and your flesh shall become a great poem.�
- Walt Whitman
have an exact picture of what you wish to express in your precious life. otherwise, your flower will not burst. it will remain a seed, withering within you as the years tick by. when around old, bitter people you can nearly sense their regret that they did not nourish their flower. instead of blooming, they allowed the weeds of the hurried world to ruin their inner garden.
perhaps the single greatest thing i worked on during my years as a world level athlete was not biomechanics, but transferring my pranayama (breathing) Practice into the sports i was doing. Pranayama, as far as i can feel, is nothing but the Breath of God moving through us.
perhaps the single greatest thing i continue to work on is to get myself out of the Way of the Divine that courses through me.
tension in the body is just fear, manifesting.
a hurried nature is just weakness, manifesting.
when we are tight, we are full of fear.
when we rush, we are full of weakness.
those who refuse to work on their flexibility, are afraid of blossoming. be kind to them. they are scared �stiff� of encountering what they have held onto within themselves. water them with metta (lovingkindness). make this your yoga (Fitness Practice).
those who are in a hurry, are weak. slow them down. pause between your sentences. take a moment, breathe audibly. let them see that you are taking time. you are strong because you have time, you are yogi. but most people have lost their sense of timing, their sense of inner rhythm. so make it your yoga today to slow people down. smile and breathe as you engage with others.
our society speeds people up. yogis must counter the acceleration with deceleration of breath and mental activity. ripples make waves.
when we are tight, we are fearful.
when we rush, we are weak.
use breath and posture (WF Lifestyle Principle #1) to erase fear and weakness from your beautiful blossoming.
that is all.
have go(o)d day. thank you for reading DIRECT LINES.
i honor your Upward Movement,
coach ilg
October 06, 2003
10/5/03
Coach-
Thank you for sharing your beautiful new studio with me. It was great to
train and enjoy the first weeks of the HP Yoga studio vibe. By the way, HP
is a very common abbreviation used by members of Twelve Step programs for
"Higher Power," for some choose to use "HP" instead of "God" or whatever.
I really enjoyed meeting Kathy, Q, and Greg, and felt like I truly belong in
this tribe. What a wonderful affirmation for me, someone who has struggled
to feel a sense of belonging at times. In some ways, I wish I still lived
in L.A. and could be more involved in the tribal activities and such. My
vision is to lead outdoor activities and trips that integrate HP and WF
activities and trainings. Perhaps there will be a place for that at some
point. If you're ever interested in leading a yoga/climbing/hiking
training/retreat to someplace like J Tree, let me know, for I'd love to be
involved in that.
I wanted to also ask you about Yoga Teacher Training. I'm hoping that you
would consider offering the training in an every day for two weeks or
whatever format, so folks like me who live elsewhere could make it, as
opposed to the 6 or 8 consecutive weekends format.
Thanks again and I look forward to further adventures.
Namaste, Student Orr
���
dear coache',
�
sunriding update....
july-restarted after 2 yrs absence...238lbs/20%bf
now-fortune delight lemon,cali night, action caps...219/12%bf
�
i just want you to know you how much this means for me to start to
regain what was lost in 1998.....when a drunk driver
ran down my training partner and i during a ride
on july 4th....when i weighed 195lbs/7.5%bf...
getting ready for an ironman qualifier....that person
left us by the side of the road like trash....mentally
i kept crashing for months/years after......now
i feel like that long spiral down has been reversed,
and i am soaring.....the effect is across
the board....i sleep better, eat lite..conscienselly,
more understanding,
workout consistantly, meditate regularly,
faithful with yoga
successful job,
loving commited�marriage...
and my surfing is taken on new levels..
i have worked my way up the hierachy
both in skill and attitude....in and out of the water...
after sessions�...some bros ask what's in the sunrdider
bottle i'm drinking....and what is sunrider....?
so i tell them....so we will see.....who is brave
like coache',kathy, q, ts, wf sangha/students...now
who will step up...really look at themselves in the mirror..
stripped of clothes and preconceived notions....
and see what they were...are..will be.....
see the truth...
before i heard your words...but i really didn't listen..
understand ....until this summer....
direct lines....is like feeling the pulse of wf
alive ...
coache'.....i bow low to you...
thank-you.
�
love,
student dansan
October 05, 2003
SUNRIDER OCTOBER, 2003 MISSIVE
for the steve ilg downline
Namaste Noble Herb Eaters!
"All composite matter decays. Work out your salvation with diligence."
dying words of the Buddha
Don't waste your precious life, okay? You might not get another chance. So let�s help each other live fully, treat others kindly, and do not hold on too hard to anything. For nothing is permanent. Our bodies are on loan, so keep them lean and full of Light. Use your physical fitness workouts as portals toward internal or spiritual fitness.
If we listen closely to what the ancient Masters taught, they long ago spearheaded what Western quantum mechanics arrives at; Vibrations. Pran, the yogis call It. Humans are really just energy transformers. We consume energy (pran/vibrations) in various forms (food, conversation, occupation) and then transform and emit it through our behavior and the appearance and function of our body.
Eating low volume, highly nutritious foods begotten from innocent and caring sources moves us closer toward vibrational purity.
My choice for my own efforts in cultivating fitness for self realization has, for the past 20 years, been SUNRIDER herbs. Besides producing world class fitness for me, these powerful herbal foods have immeasurably refined my sensitivity for what makes me vibrate Higher and live a fuller, deeper, more meaningful life. These herbs move me into my inner stillness where oceans of miracles can be explored and enjoyed each day.
I can literally feel myself growing more Lighter and more Joyful. I make braver, more noble life choices and enjoy the deep benefit that comes from taking risks. My anger is steadily being replaced by compassion. Hecticness replaced by unhurried calm. Distrust replaced by subtle Awareness of the inherent Abundance of the universe.
This transformation toward a Higher vibrating you is what wise Nutrition is all about. This is what SUNRIDER herbs produce so quickly; transformation of self by accurate, concentrated, enhanced, and oh so powerful whole foods that are Light in volume, and High in nutrition.
Get clear. Rise above.
I trust SUNRIDER herbs in me, on me, and around me to help me move ever Upward, ever Higher toward the most beautiful Summit i've yet to climb.
Enjoy your Workouts today, appreciate each speck of food, and may you receive Presence in all that you do..and eat!
i bow to your efforts in self-cultivation.
Those of you in my downline will, throughout the month will receive actual SUNRIDER dialouge exchanges between myself and our fellow herb eaters. May this exchange benefit your own enjoyment and use of the herbs.
coach ilg, RYT/USCF
Director/SUNRIDER INTERNATIONAL
��������
feeling sick?
ever feel sick?
we all do.
even SUNRIDER warriors!
it�s part of the human journey.
there is a Divine reason for getting sick.
read how a mountain yogi treats sickness on 10/4�s DIRECT LINES at:
http://www.wholisticfitness.com/weblog/ilgblog.html
����
Hello SteveJi!
Rejoined Sunrider, back with the wf program, fortune delight,etc= five
pounds lost (already) hitting the gym (sometimes you're in my consciousness
there- correcting my form, making intervals more intense for my 53 year old
body- Ha!). Infinite thanks and blessings to you
dear!� When I reach my body goals I'm going to treat myself to a holy� Ilg
intensive! Namaste always! You are light to the Universe!
Love, Maureen Baker
���
SUNRIDER are only whole foods.
they work within you
stabilizing, supporting, strengthening
biologic and physiologic and even energetic weak points.
know this.
when fear of what things "might be"
couple with assumptions
fashioned from ego conditioning,
a negatively charged state of mind
is created
and it is the mind
that controls the body.
do you see?
develop faith and reframe all things positively.
Western medicine is difficult to combine with Eastern healing..
one dissects, dismantles, labels, and isolates
the other is concerned with the movement of energy within you.
your liver can certainly become enlarged if the herbs are asking it to cleanse decades of crap out of your system! but enlarged does not mean 'inflamed'...we don't call a distended stomach "inflamed" if it is simply accommodating digestion, do we? most American,conventionally trained doctors have little understanding of the intuitive wisdom, let alone the capabilities of, your unique body. so, don�t be too quick to rush toward medical treatments. go slowly.
keep in contact more frequently with your SUNRIDER upline person or myself.
reduce the herb intake until you flow at a level of cleansing and healing appropriate to your temperament and willingness to Rise Higher.
- coach ilg in counsel with a new SR warrior
���
Dear Steve,
We are close friends of Trish Childers.�As fellow Sunriders we asked her if she knew any personal trainers�who use the products and she directed us to your website which we found very impressive.�We would like to refer other trainers and yoga professionals to your site as a testimony for the Sunrider Products. We look forward to hearing from you and hope we have a chance to meet you at one of the next Sunrider functions.
- Sincerely
Richard & Marlene Oliner
���
Dear Steve -
Wow...your group hit over 15,000 SV in August!
You & your group continually demonstrate the principles of SR...people sharing with other people! Your leadership & the leadership of your key people certainly is evident.
love ya
Trish
���
http://opp.sunrider.com/PatriciaChilders
����
Welcome to our SUNRIDER tribe:
Shamam,Shlomit
Granada Hills, CA
Jim Copeland
Tarzana, CA
(lost 5 pounds and two waist sizes within two weeks using Coach Ilg's Phase One of SUNRIDING)
���
Hi:
I noticed in your advertisement page that you mentioned Beauty Pearls #360402.
I use to be a distributor of Sunrider�Products and one of the products I loved most was their Beauty Pearls.
I would like information on joining again.� Please send me whatever information necessary.
Thanks,
Gail Wilson��
���
Dear Steve,
I wish I had about 40 Sunrider brochures with me this past weekend. I went to my 20th year high school reunion and people were saying, "You look amazing, what are you doing?" I told them that I do yoga, various outdoor sports, I'm a vegetarian and I eat herbs..." I'm in good shape, but the herbs have really made a difference in my body. I feel much leaner and my skin is much better. I feel that radiant glow!I love the herbs! I've been drinking the Calli AM and PM, Fortune Delight, Vita Shakes. I've also been taking Joi and Ese to help speed along my broken foot injury. I'm into my second week of rehab and the therapist can't believe how fast I'm healing. I think a lot of it has to do with the herbs.
Om Shanti,
Michele
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visit every few days:
DIRECT LINES; Daily Meditations From Coach Ilg
at
www.wholisticfitness.com
or
www.HighPerformanceYoga.com
October 04, 2003
�The proper study of mankind is man.�
Alexander Pope
i've spent most of the past 12 hours in meditation.
i am using my mind and SUNRIDER herbs in an attempt to 'overcome' an oncoming headcold or whatever is manifesting blockage to my chi flow.
i am confident that i shall not miss one training workout or teaching one yoga class. i suppose confidence is a quality bequeathed to one who relies on oneself to overcome challenges, injuries, and sidestep common illnesses. once you know the technique, it becomes easier to repeat. herbs, natural technologies, and the wisdom of yoga make gaining self-confidence quite a bit easier. but you�ve got to practice.
my point is that i considered the initial sensations of �sickness� as a quick test my spiritual weapons. getting sick could be like the Divine�s way for sharpening our spiritual capacities.
one who enters a spiritually conscious life can no longer take the onset of 'symptoms' and shuffle them under some other deck to unconsciously reach for the Vicks Head & Cold medicine. as yogis, we are trained not to be too quick to give our power over to externals. we use equanimity to equalize latent conditioning. with practice of equanimity we can learn to approach each challenge in our lives as opportunities to sharpen our spiritual strength.
this morning i missed my bicycle training ride with the �big boyz.� this fact dismantles my egoic esteem. the measure of compulsiveness that once drove me to podiums as an athlete is quick to offer me guilt for not training. my ego wants to force myself onto my bike and ride anyway, ignoring the blatant fact that i�ve been through long months of endless days trying to build my own yoga studio while running other training and healing services as well.
as my friend, Ananda, just reminded me, �Sometimes saying no to a workout is as beneficial in quality as having a great, high energy workout.� so i here i sit writing true as possible to you, my beloved sangha of fitness warriors. this to me is healing. you, reading this, is helping me naturally growing stronger. i bow to you. here i sit, cross-legged, breath low, spine straight...listening to the language of my body, attending to her needs instead of falling prey to what my ego wants or thinks i �should be� doing.
listening to and corresponding with my body today and not forcing it gives me deep chance to apply the real yoga, the real listening.
the true study of man begins by listening inwardly and responding appropriately.
what if everybody did this?
than �mankind� might just be transformed
into
�beingkind.�
May Your Practice Be Strong and Sincere today...
love,
coach ilg
October 02, 2003
Dear Coach,
a Peace-filled bow to you. in-joy the karmic credits Student Shawna shared with me.
Namaste,
chris
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Teacher in Training Chris,
I officially have had the 2nd person sign up as me being their SUNRIDER herb
sponsor and it is an amazing feeling.
I often wonder how Coach Ilg feels touching so many people, "ripples make
waves" is oh so true.
Everyone keeps asking - what's in that bottle that you always have?
My co-worker, Christina just recently moved to Philadelphia, but before she
left she joined SUNRIDER and a noticeable difference in energy and spirit
was entering her life. I received an email from her telling me that she
just got back from an interview and she was sipping her calli. She had just
read an email that I forwarded her from Coach Ilg and she could feel the chi
that he portrays to all of us. I sat here reading and thinking...does Coach
Ilg have any idea how he has touched us all?
Does he really realize how he
has guided you to a path that has guided me to guide Christina????
We are
all better people because of it. I got a little chill thinking about it and
then realized ....this is just one example.....he's gotta be smiling
everyday knowing that through wholistic fitness and SUNRIDER people are
really transforming their lives, transforming their bodies and souls and
becoming who they are supposed to be. How cool!!
I bow to you for your ever even patience and direction.
Ai Imawa....
student-shawna