May 31, 2004
Hi Coach!
I did not get the e-mail about the HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA studio closing -
Is this true about the studio closing?!
I am so sad!! i do hope you and I can continue our online training however!
And you know I always wish you the best in everything that you do and always tell everyone about you!
Love,
student mac
Noble Student Mac!
no, no, no! perish the thought!
High Performance Yoga� and Wholistic Fitness� have been around since 1982! We ain't going anywhere but
toward Enlightenment through Exercise!
here is the game plan for the summer in regard to our Beloved Studio:
JUNE: studio operates as usual. students must use up their existing sessions before the end of the month.
JULY: studio is shut down for renovation (wait till you see it; weights, meditation chamber, climbing walls, yoga equipment!)
AUGUST: studio re-opens as a private facility but still offers classes and workshops on a donation basis.
only good things coming, especially for those willing to do the deeper Work...
like you!
already, the wise students sense that i am shaking the Shaman's Rattle and are signing up for online fitness training, so when the
studio re-opens, they can immediately begin training at a high level of WHOLISTIC FITNESS! Yoga, strength, cardio, meditation, and
nutrition!
i bow to you and look forward to much quality training in the years ahead!
coach ilg
www.HighPerformanceYoga.com
May 30, 2004
Coach:
You mention in the May 19 DL that you are shredding cyclists logging more than twice the cycling-specific training as you. I too have noticed that I am riding stronger than cyclists I ride with who train at least twice as much as myself. I credit WF with the difference, and going softer, not harder.
- Sincerely,
Mark Featherman
Philadelphia, PA
NOTE: watch for a beautiful essay by Student "Feather" from his Private Intensive with WF Teacher Sheader in Colorado!
Dear Coach -
i love running mountains, really high ones like you did when you lived here (i live in Colorado and am trying to get into the top twenty of the Imogene Pass Race this year.) i came close (8 minutes) from your ascent time on Mt. Audobon last summer! i love your newes book but THE WINTER ATHELTE still remains my training bible...wow i can't believe how fun you have made my workouts!
my question: my back hurts during long descents off of mountains. i know you broke your back and still came back to get in such great shape. any quick suggestions?
as you say in Direct Lines; I bow to you!
your fan and friend, Tim
Dear Tim -
i know you will crack the top 20 of Imogene and many other mountain races if you stay consistent and true to your workouts.
since it sounds like you already have a high level of fitness and are studying my programs i will assume you are already doing yoga, that is most important to long term health for the back for runners due to the high concussion factor, particularly in mountain running.
one secret i use for curing back aches during training runs (i never did this during a race!) was to drop into a Yoga Squat or "Malasana" (page 103 of TBT book) and breathe several deep Ujjayi breaths into my lower back. 90% of the time, that did the trick.
if not, then i would invert myself into a Handstand up against a tree or something. This inversion flushes the acidic chemicals from the dense lower back muscles and also refreshes the lymphatic drainage, freeing up energy flow through the lower back (see photo).
Coach Ilg inverts himself during a training run in New Mexico to help ease out some back pain.
Photo by Ananda
Supplementing your SUNRIDER Herbs with Wu Chia Pi will help increase muscular endurance and strength...a great herb for all athletes, but especially endurance athletes!
Give those three WF mountain yogi tricks a go and see if they work for you!
Cherish your Sweat, Run your Dreams...
i bow to you,
May 29, 2004
Namaste Noble Warriors -
WF Online Training is no joke. It is an authentic and powerful Path of spiritual transformation.
I do not accept those students who think WF is just another fitness exercise.
I accept Warriors of the Spirit...like Student Todd of Aumsville (not a joke..how auspicious is THAT town name?), Oregon who has been taking initial studies under WF Teacher Sheader.
Todd has realized, like all of my sequenced Online Students, that WF comes into our lives when we are
truly ready to FIND..not Seek. Find. You are either going to devote yourself to this Path or quit.
Why? Because I have designed WF to function like a spiritual HIGHLIGHTER; illuminating our weaknesses and fears
where we may have spent lifetimes NOT DOING THE WORK to Rise Above our negative habits and lethargic tendencies.
Most people don't want to do the Inner Work required of a genuine Spiritual Journey. Most new age athletes just want to
dabble in pretend spiritual work minus the sweat and sacrifice. It does not work; spiritual work is, by its very nature, designed to detonate the person-ality. A genuinely spiritual Path, such as WF, doesn't care about your person-ality...it cares about cultivating your SPIRITUAL self...the part of you that is Endless. It is that part of you that I and my Staff are trained to develop. The biceps just come along for the ride.
Before sending him a Blessed pair of WF Mala Beads, i needed to know if Todd was truly ready to quit judging the circumstances of his life as good or bad and consider it ALL as material for self realization. Todd wrote back without
hesitation the following words, through which we can sense a genuine Warrior ready to FIND:
"My Honorable Teacher:
What I want, is to get it! (enlightenment) this time, or die giving it
all trying. The physical and personal cost does not matter to me, I've
started over many times, I have no fear of it.
How I found you this time is just as strange as the rest of the dream
I'm living and I knew it was going to be a ride! I love it, I love a
challenge. WF is a large part of my life and it grows stronger in me
everyday. Live the way, Love the way.
Thank You Coach
Student Todd"
How about you, Noble Warrior?
You ready to FIND...or just keep playing around?
When you are ready to FIND, sign up for Online Training...the Journey of the Soul
through Personal Fitness.
head bowed,
coach ilg
May 28, 2004
Coach,
Happy 43rd.
Feeble Student Be-ryan
--
Walking on willow tree roads by a river
Dappled with peach blossoms,
I look for spring light, but am everywhere lost.
Birds fly up and scatter floating catkins.
A ponderous wave of flowers sags the branches.
- Wang Wei (699-759)
Dear Beautiful Coach Ananda,
Thank you for your loving support and guidance. I am
so blessed to have you and Coach Ilg guiding me.
Although there are many, many wonderful teachers in my
life, I waited many long years to find a true master.
Love,
Student Doreen
Dear Steve:
"IT WAS BUT YESTERDAY THAT I THOUGHT
MYSELF A FRAGMENT
QUIVERING WITHOUT RHYTHM IN THE SPHERE
OF LIFE.
NOW I KNOW THAT I AM THE SPHERE
AND THAT ALL LIFE IN
RHYTHMIC FRAGMENTS MOVES IN ME."
-Kahlil Gibran
RHYTHM ALWAYS....LOVINGLY.....PANTHER
May 27, 2004
Namaste Noble Warriors!
well, geez...now that 65 million Americans are sleeping more soundly knowing that Fantasia won American Idol, perhaps we as a nation can get back to using our 'down time' more wisely to address truly important questions such as, "Is Paula Abdul really attracted to Simon?" "Will Ryan Secrest return to host "AI" next year? oooooh!!!!!!!!! i can HARDLY stand it!!!
okay, sorry. but c'mon...65 MILLION AMERICANS spent their evenings glued to the TV tube last night?
hey, i was one. having never seen an episode of "AI", i wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
as a yogi, it runs against my Practice to speak unkindly about things. and truly, i can understand why non-practicing people are attracted to "AI". why? because those teenagers got CHI, baby!
their technical artistry and command notwithstanding, it is obvious that these kids got guts and a ton of chi to do what it takes to get onto the "AI" podium, let alone win it. i bow to Fantasia.
most people, particularly those who do not Practice or have not had quality Teachers of their Spirit, are as predictable as garden slugs. such mediocre, mainstream people are caught in the current of illusion (maya). if people do not meditate to begin to See Clearly, they remain attracted to Chi wherever they can sense It. Even if It be in posture-slooping, acne encrusted teenagers singing worn out songs. Hey, whatever works, baby!
Most of the 65 million Americans will not know themselves in this lifetime, but they will know which car company sponsored American Idol last night.
Non-warriors who do not Practice working out and working within themselves, are subconsciously attracted to what i call 'indirect chi.' They sense the indirect Chi within fast cars, cosmetic surgery, or in the quality that goes into luxurious material things. Shit, even the least spiritually sensitive can sense, indirectly, the amazing Chi of Lance Armstrong or of drugs (which allows one a small 'peek' at the infinite power of Chi). Pornography is a multibillion dollar business because there is tremendous amount of passionate, albiet indirect, Chi in porno.
What is spiritually important to understand is that to cultivate our OWN (direct) Chi, requires just the opposite of looking outward or at others for Chi. To cultivate our OWN Chi, necessitates drawing the senses inward (pratyhara) and retaining outflowing mental/emotional energies.
Entertainment = spiritual weakness and entrophy.
Inner-tainment = spiritual strength and victory.
oh shoot, i gotta go...i think Regis & Kelly just came on....
;-)
The Dharma Protector,
your feeble coach
May 26, 2004
Hello,
This is Ananda from WF, please check out our newly updated online Catalog featuring Coach's recently released HP Yoga DVD!!! Yeah Baby!!!
(continued from my morning's entry below..read that one first:)
The Gift:
The Gift arrived in tune with my sweat.
Beware of any Teaching that does not involve sweat.
Perspiration, i have come to feel, is our natural Sweat Lodge.
Dancing upon my pedals, climbing up Box Canyon,
The Gift came through me like a wild wind's whisper.
It said,
"Yesterday's pain
is Today's strength."
i bow to you and may you never miss another Workout...
ever.
The Teachings of the Sweat are just too go(o)d to miss.
head bowed,
spine straight...
coach ilg
My Morning:
the situation:
i am supersetting piles of emails with piles of laundry and unreturned phonecalls. Sun slips higher into the day.
i know that i must force myself right now to create time to sweat. i will miss my workout if i don't just do it NOW!
the ego:
my ego is trying to suffocate my Warrior Workout Spirit. it is convincing me that the last thing i need to do is to 'waste time' on my
bicycle again when there is so much work to be done, money that must be made to pay bills, rent...
Students that need attending, business and media matters that cannot be delayed again...blah, blah, blah...
the heart:
my heart feels torn. self pity. why so busy? yogis are not supposed to be busy, let alone overwhelmed!
i then default to loneliness; lonely for my southwest mountains. i can almost smell the San Juan snow melting
like tears over eon old granite during this time of year. i recall Mule deer dancing in harmony with Stellar jays
in a remote alpine meadow as i run through dew damp grasses. i want to be there again now.
the Practice:
using self discipline cultivated through WF Training, i step away from the computer. i engage WF Principle #1: Breath and Posture.
i take a moment and sit near my puja table with no other agenda except to sit near my puja table and breathe consciously in
elegant posture.
the Effect:
after a few breaths i am guided to reach out for a sacred book written by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. i don't know
why, intellectually, i do this. i just do it because i am listening to space between my thoughts, not the thoughts.
the Teacher Arriving:
i spontaneously open the sacred literature from this Realized Being...my eyes drink in His words that jump from the page;
"This horoscope is of the raja yogi.
You will be on the top commanding, after the age of forty three.
Until then, you will have to sweat,
but you will be successful."
the Spiritual Synchronicity:
tomorrow is my forty third birthday.
the Warrior Arising:
i get my ass into my cycling clothes, screw the laundry, bow to my computer, hold my Students in my heart,
and proceed to pedal into my sweat which awaits me under the still rising sun.
May your own Workout be true and strong today...
just do it, baby...whatever it takes...just do it...and LISTEN for the Signs...they are your Teachers
and They are everywhere!
love from the humble (but Powerful) Helm,
your feeble teacher
May 25, 2004
MARK IT DOWN RIGHT NOW - a VERY rare appearance!
Coach Ilg
BOOKSIGNING for TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION
BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSTORE
talk, questions, readings, demonstrations
Encino, California @ Friday, June 11th @ 7:30 pm
818 380 1636 for more info
or
email Nancy at: CRM2583@BN.com
located at Ventura and Havenhurst Blvds
16461 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, California 91436
come, share, enjoy, meet other WF and HP Yoga Warriors!
May 24, 2004
Hi Steve,
I had the�awesome fortune of experiencing your class last summer at Red Mountain Spa.�� I was wondering if you plan on going there again or perhaps somewhere here on the East coast?�� (I'm in the DC area)���� I have your video,� but it just isn't the same.��� I've told everyone I know about you and HP yoga and am anxious to experience it again.���
I might be out in the LA area sometime this summer,�� how would I go about taking a class or perhaps a private training session at your studio?��
Thanks!
Lisa
� Most Noble HP Yoga Student Lisa!
oh, we have a few fantastic upcoming Retreats. Regarding the gorgeous Red Mountain Adventure Spa venue; we are waiting for Karen at Red Mountain to confirm that I will be doing another great HP Yoga week at Red Mountain Spa
the HP Yoga video is now available on DVD.
the yoga programs in my latest book, TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION are all taken from my actual classes.
to take a class while you are in LA, just check www.HighPerformanceYoga.com
for the Class Schedule and show up!
to schedule a private session email me requesting the date and time...provide a few options as well.
i bow to you,
coach ilg
Hi Coach Ilg.
Your DL of today is a must-read!
Today's posting reminded me of
something I heard on the radio recently--but thought I
must have misheard. So I went to the source. The shit
is real. Check it out:
An article in the Journal of the American Medical
Association cites a report that in 1994, 3000
prescriptions for fluoxetine hydrochloride (Prozac)
were written for children aged younger than one year.�
The data source cited in JAMA is: Grinfeld MJ.
Psychoactive medications and kids: new initiatives
launched. Psychiatric Times. 1998;15:69.
The JAMA article source info. follows:
2000;283:1025-1030. Trends in the Prescribing of
Psychotropic Medications to Preschoolers. Julie Magno
Zito, PhD; Daniel J. Safer, MD; Susan dosReis, PhD;
James F. Gardner, ScM; Myde Boles, PhD; Frances Lynch,
PhD.
Your humble Student, Doreen
INPUT ON COACH's HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA DVD keeps coming...MAKE SURE you have yours!
"YAY!
Noble Coach Steve, you do (with great humility) outclass them all - Baron,
Rodney, and all the rest. I'll be
looking out for more HP Yoga DVDs. If you could do one in the great
outdoors, that would be fabulous.
Namaste,
Paul Worhach
Berkeley, CA 94703"
order yours today on the Catalog at
www.wholisticfitness.com
or
www.HighPerformanceYoga.com
Hi Steve
My name is Melissa and I am a huge fan of Mckenzie...I found a link to your website on hers....she said she is in the best shape of her life...Im 24 years old, 5'0", and weighs just under a hundred pounds...i work out 5-6 days a week at the gym - atleast 20 minutes of cardio - i stopped lifting weights b/c i wasnt' getting the results i wanted...it seems i am at a stand still - and Mckenzie looks great - i was wondering what you recommended - do u have any videos or a diet programs that you can purchase or will you be around the New Jersey area of any local gym or such giving seminars?� I am such at a stand still...its hard....i am not looking to loose any more weight...i need to loose my inner thigh extra meet and tone up my stomach...it seems that the the crunches stopped working!�
thanks for your time!
Melissa
Dear Melissa -
yes, i must admit...on the Emmy's my noble student McKenzie certainly did 'steal the show!' with her WF and SUNRIDER herb carved physique!
do not worry..you have found a home with our Tribe! all you need to do is to buy my book; TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION (available everywhere) and order my HP YOGA DVD on my website catalog; www.HighPeformanceYoga.com (click on catalog)
and then get on the SUNRIDER HERBS; the method is listed to the left of this DIRECT LINES forum.
i may be speaking in Chicago later this summer. stay tuned to DL for our upcoming workshop schedule.
buckle up, Melissa...you are about to be skyrocketed out of your 'standstill!"
you ready for Transformation?
love,
coach ilg
"You will have to worship fearlessness. The self is free from fear. The soul cannot be injured; none can kill it; fear exists in the sinful. Fear exists in those who are attached."
- Laxmi Bhavanm, 23.1.62
Spiritual Statistics:
People who watched the Lakers lose Game 2; millions
People who attended Zen/DharmaTalk on Pratyhara (overcoming the power of influences): 1
Spiritual Fitness Consideration:
Those who do not take the time to become ambidextrous, action by action, should consider the root
of their body/mind imbalances and dis-eases. Balance begins with Awareness. Use your non-dominant
limbs today as often as possible. This is WF Warriorism. Note how easy it is to rationalize this spiritual
assignment as 'silly,' or 'i don't have time to do this, it slows me down too much.' Sense the irony.
Two Signs of the Times in Paradox:
Case #1:
Riding my bicycle home after Zen Class i encounter two adolescents in the pedestrian tunnel. i have to bring my bicycle to
a trackstand before 1) they even realize i am there and 2) they actually move to let me pass. as i pass, the one kid says,
"Dude, you got any money i can have?"
I slow again to stall next to him still balanced on my bike. the kid has a $50 haircut/color, the newest Nikes, the latest
jeans, and an iPod dangling from his clothes.
"You willing to work for it?"
Without a flicker of hesitation comes his sharp reply,
'No.'
Case #2:
At Saturday's crazy hard HP Prop Workout (you HAVE GOT to attend one of these!) i had both Jen (14 year old daughter of Student Linda P) and Wess (15 year old son of Student Kelly). These two young warriors love the high intensity and Jen especially loves doing what she calls my, "Mondo Ab" sequences, some of which last 20 minutes nonstop. last week, my
Studio had another MD sign up for privates and then brought along his 15 year old son. earlier in the week, another teenager
joined.
Moral:
Kids are but reflections of who is Teaching them. If the parents come to yoga, they will. Sooner or later. If the parents embrace a fun, fitness lifestyle, they will. Kids want to be cool and feel strong in their sense of self. no better Way to do this then for parents to Practice and let the kids Shift for themselves.
The other side of the coin? Well, if you do NOT Practice and are asleep in the mainstream bs of the outer world, then you will be susceptible to believing crap like this {sent into DL by a Ragin RJ}:
"Ilgbro,
Check this shit out!� Fucking guidelines for high blood pressure in children...?my God!� Stop the fucking madness!� I have never seen so many stupid people that don?t pass the common sense test in all my life?sooner and hopefully not later people like us will be realized as cheaper and less painful solutions.� Until then, let?s chop up the stomachs of little kids with bypass and medicate fat asses into typical toxic Americans!� Grrr?
Ragin? rj!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5015894/
??
Coming up in my SUNRIDER Herb specific email lists: Hidden Secrets Straight from Dr. Chen.
May 22, 2004
Hans Halmosi from Stuttgart, Germany poses with Coach Ilg outside the WF Tribal Headquarters in LA.
See story below.
�Let the lover be
disgraceful, crazy,
absentminded.
Someone sober will
worry about events
going badly.
Let the lover be.�
- Rumi
�
Yesterday, i was obliged to watch regular TV. Nearly an hour and a half of it. It made me sick. I had to do intense inner Practices to deplete the violent power of the vibratory intensity of the television waves upon my cells.
May that never happen again. It seems unbelievable that millions of people are addicted to such wanton witchcraft preying upon undisciplined senses.
The worst part arrived when �the news� came on.
Listen Noble Warriors. Your feeble coach may not know much. But i do know this much: what appears on the TV and the newspapers and the magazines is NOT NEWS.
It is sensationalism of people�s misfortune, greed, and lack of engaged religion and spiritual Practice. The Masters warned about this era (Kali Yuga). It requires very skill-full warriorism to live peacefully, share benevolently, live strongly, and dance true to our Souls.
People are only as kind, giving, and loving as their Teachers. TV, newspapers, and magazines are for the most part not go(o)d Teachers.
Gandhi said that revolution must start �within each individual, one at a time.� If those newscasters truly did what they did impeccably, their consciousness would not allow them to broadcast chronic violence and sensual sensationalism. Nor could the producers of the �news.�
We must Practice more diligently, Noble Ones! Of this, i am convinced. The outer world is not about us versus them.
It�s about us, baby. We must live more strongly, more radiantly, more Lightly upon Mother Earth than ever before.
I�m game...are you?
�
Real News:
* Emanuelle Sella. Italian neo pro during Stage 11 of the Giro d�Italia. 22 years old. launches a solo attack at the peleton on a course that is over 150 miles in length and finishes with 5, count �em 5, mountain climbs. 90 degrees heat. the peleton is flying; average speed is close to 38 mph. Little Sella lays his Soul, his Faith, his Determination and pure GUTS on the road and stays out in front of 160 pro cyclists for 4 hours. each pedal stroke exacting a shriek of pain from his gasping mouth. headwinds forcing into a posture that makes Utkatasana (chair pose) seem like kindergarten. Dehydration dances with heat exhaustion, oxygen debt, muscle glycogen depletion, and lactic acid. the peleton cranks up their collective speed to shut down and shut up this rookie and reaches to within one and half minutes of the suffering Sella. 15 miles and three mountains still to go. Sella keeps glancing back in birdlike fashion to see how close is the charging, hissing, pissed off peleton. Sella cares not and presses even deeper into himself, mining whatever energy is available to propel him up an 18% climb. this is yoga on a bike; breath, movement, inner spirit fused into ONE!
not watching the Giro? i pity you, for this is great and valid human endeavor. the Giro has been going on for nearly two weeks and one more to go.
did Sella win? yes, by thirty teeth clenching, kneecap popping seconds after 6 hours of racing. you should have seen his Italian family at the finish line! this my friend, is what NEWS is all about. it�s on OLN network. jao!
news is when peaceful warriors, fitness warriors are true and brave and noble to their Soul�s work...it can mean being noble during a bicycle race or just getting your ass into yoga class and making progress on that painful hip or lower back. into the gym; being elegant and focused. the variety of fitness and lifestyle principles which dance among WF is what creates integrity of self and elevation of spirit.
* To Hans Halmosi of Stuttgart, Germany who has been here in LA for a Private Intensive with me. Hans has won the warrior hearts of the HP Yoga Cave by this faithful, humble efforts. Hans, knowing he had fear of yoga but was strong in running (he was done two marathons) and strength training (he LOVES Green Tara workouts!) knew he needed professional help to have him break through his fear of yoga. As i calculated my available teaching tools to turn on the Light of Yoga for Hans, i played off of his occupation. Hans is mechanical engineer. I knew then that Hans would be easy to turn on the Light of Yoga. For what is mechanical engineering but interior logistics? Same as Yoga! Yoga is nothing but understanding and eventually embracing and developing our internal logistics! Yogins are trained to find the tension, ferret out the weakness of body and mind and then monitor it in measured dosages of conscious breath.
Yesterday, i receive this email from Hans:
�Dear Steve,
thank you very much again for the intensive with you. I received more than I
expected, both in terms of WF and all the nice people I have met. So I fly
home happy with a lot of momentum to go on!
I am pretty sure that this was not my last intensive with you and that we
meet again.
With Best Regards,
Hans
PS: Could you please give me some information about the conditions and terms
of online training? Thanks in advance.�
UP NEXT in DL? SOOOO MUCH MORE!
Dance your Breath,
Sweat your Prayers baby!
namaste,
coach ilg
May 20, 2004
Steve,
I read your entire book and thoroughly enjoyed it.� I am starting the Green Tara and had a question for you.� I had previously been doing Pilates (mat work only, not machines) and wondered if there was any place for Pilates in your workout.� Does the Strength and Yoga training basically replace Pilates?� Do you think there is any merit in incorporating any of this work?� Thank you.
Norma
Dear Noble Fitness Warrioress Norma -
Thank you for your kind words and go(o)d luck on Green Tara! There is simply nothing like WF!
These days we can obviously see magazines like Yoga Journal nudging their slow acceptance toward strength training and cardio but seem confused by the high intensity required of such training.
Then we see magazines like Outside and Triathlete moving with cow slow speed toward integrating yoga into sport performance training.
Perhaps we will even see spiritual magazines like Tricycle, start embracing fitness training. Myself, my staff of Online WF Teachers, and seasoned WF Warrior Students like Bryan Hantman are dying to know why the hell monks don�t squat! Why limit meditation to a fluffy cushion? How about a barbell across your back?
Since 1983, WF has been way out in front of the body/mind fitness pack. One day perhaps, the masses will eventually trace their way back to the transpersonal roots of Western fitness to our humble Temple. Until then, you and i and our worldwide WF sangha just keep doing what we�ve always done; enjoy our Practices and wonder when the others will Awaken!
Yes, Pilates is fantastic and can be fruitfully interwoven into the Green Tara. You may wish to consider Online Training with us in order to maximize your results.
Yes, my intgegration of HP Yoga + Strength Training will surely outperform - particularly over the long term - a Pilates specific fitness program. No question.
However, the overriding attribute of Pilates is the precontraction of the midsection, a Western attempt, sophomoric as it is, to arrive near the yogic science of Mula Bandha, Ashwini Mudra, and of course, Uddiyana Banda.
Long ago, in the mid eighties, I used to teach Pilates in Beverly Hills under my great, late mentor, Stephan Frease (see DIRECT LINES archive, July, 2002). Believe it or not, there were only 3 Pilates Studios in America at the time. I helped make the third Pilates studio in Boulder, Colorado at Farentinos Gym. I was required to study under Stephan personally for two years before solo teaching.
Now, weekend Pilates certifications and with Pilates studios outnumbering Starbucks, i still remain encouraged, though pensively so, at what Pilates has become. Quick i am to say; as long as the teachers are getting people to safely move and breathe in their bodies and use their minds to explore the inherent joy of breath and movement, i am all for it.
But no, Pilates nor any other singular exercise, including Hatha Yoga, can not even come close to the common sense of WF. One must integrate ALL components of physiologic fitness; strength, cardio, kinesthesia, meditation, and nutrition in order to be truly �fit.� What is more, without proven Lifestyle Principles which draw the fitness disciplines into one�s day to day occupation and actions, then fitness is not truly �personal fitness.�
Enjoy Green Tara.
Keep reading Direct Lines.
Get on the herbs.
Don�t try to fit �fitness into� your life.
Allow your life to be your fitness.
I bow to you, my newest shishya. May all your workouts point within.
namaste,
coach ilg
����
NOTE:; the DVD covers are in and my HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA; Basic Strength DVD is now ready for your order! Go to the Tribal Catalog at either
www.WholisticFitness.com
or
www.HighPeformanceYoga.com
����
May 19, 2004
Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future
of the human race. -H.G. Wells, writer (1866-1946)
{contributed by WF Warrior Wayne Williams; www.waynewilliamsstudio.com}
okay, i'm thinkin' i'm gonna HAVE to back off watching the giro d'italia on OLN.
i just cranked off the ferocious man-eating, chi chomping Tuna Canyon road cycling loop
(aka; "Ilg's 39-mile, 5,000' Hallowed Halls Of Hell") in 2:16. nearly four minutes faster than
my best effort.
i don't know what is going on with my endurance performances recently
(see DIRECT LINES: Saturday, May 15, 2004 Notes From New Mexico...Part III)
i am no longer a sponsored athlete.
i am multi business owner and yoga teacher attempting
yet another new business (The HP Yoga Studio).
though i don't know what is UP with me,
i DO KNOW what is going THROUGH me...i TAF it can help you as well:
* HP Yoga (everyday; includes 2x weekly Prop Workout for strength training)
* Pranayama/Meditation (religiously 1 hour per day at least)
* 6 hours of Cardio per week if i am lucky
* SUNRIDER herbs...a lot. up to 3 "Ilg Supremes" per day. herbs first; rent second. i would
far rather be homeless with herbs, than homefull with no herbs.
if these four things go THROUGH you each week, i promise you world-class inward results.
but consistency is everything.
with this 'training' my efforts up Tuna Canyon are testing - if not tearing off - the legs of elite cyclists
many whom regularly log 20 hours per week on their bicycles.
and i ain't even counting age differences.
i challenge myself with gruelling workouts not only because it is the
Wholistic Fitness Way...
i do it because workouts like Tuna Canyon rip my masks off
Tuna forces me naked to my doubts and mental weaknesses.
Tuna shreds the illusion-caked crud off my perceived 'stress level'
Tuna refines my meditation and deepens the true meaning of yoga; union of body and mind.
Without the challenge of high intensity workouts
we stand no chance of knowing our Original Nature.
One must continually test oneself in the ether of High Intensity and Endurance and Strength to
accurately know and develop authenticity of self.
Driving your car to church or temple once per week is not gonna get it done for your spirit,
i hate to tell you.
You gotta get out and BREATHE baby...challenge yourself and MOVE..
for next to your Deepest Breath
stands God
smiling
proud of you...
Don't do yoga to be happy.
Don't commit to the SUNRIDER herbs to live longer or get leaner.
Don't study WF in the hopes of gaining something.
Do these disciplines so as to tear off your ego mask
and run wild within your Original Nature.
jao!
May 18, 2004
Steve,
While playing with some reciprocal link tests, I found this image of you:
Dorit Thies Photography
Pretty cool.
John
Dear El Coache,
I am heading off to Alaska on Wednesday. With the current conditions and
weather patterns, the plan is as follows ... Mt. Huntington's West Face and
then something on the Moose's Tooth (Ham and Eggs) or something on Mt. Hunter
(Mini-Moonflower). My preparation has been remarkable thanks to your guidance.
The most notable aspect is the very strong and consistent morning meditation
and pranayama session. I'll send details when I return. Overall, I would
describe the sessions as having an internal "vortex" feel. The ever-increasing
energy flow is just amazing. Still, there is much work here.
"Still, it was easier for them to practice high performance than it was to
understand the reason behind it." -Richard Bach, JLS
Here's to high mountain pran, baby!
I'll email you when I return.
Namaste,
--Abu
May 17, 2004
HP Yoga Teacher and WF Online Teacher In Training Ananda doing some Ai Imawa
on coastal red rock formations near the HP Yoga Studio.
"Coming Soon in DL: a report from the Field...Student Mark Featherman enters the realm of a Teacher Haku WF Intensive!"
To study the Way is to study the self.
To study the self is to forget the self.
To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.
To be enlightened by all things is to remove the barriers between one's self and others.
Then there is no trace of enlightenment, though enlightenment itself continues into one's daily life endlessly.
Dogen
Coach Ilg,
After class yesterday I was speaking with my incredible teacher, Joy, about some of the benefits I have seen from my short three months of practicing HP Yoga. Aside from the obvious physical changes my body is going through, and the feeling that I am dealing with the stress of everyday life better, there has been another great benefit that I wanted to share with you.
Being raised Buddhist, as a child I was often at the temple fidgeting as I struggled to sit in, what was for me, an uncomfortable position during prayers and chants. I was often in too much pain to fully appreciate the spiritual and meditative aspects of what I was doing. The prayer posture (both legs bent to one side, hands at the heart) remained a painful and difficult position to hold even as an adult. I needed assistance just getting to my feet and walking after a long Buddhist ceremony at my wedding.
I had been saying to my wife that if I had practiced yoga as child, my Buddhist practice would have been stronger. This was confirmed for me this past week when my parents came into town for a visit. I took them to a Cambodian Buddhist temple they like, to see the head monk. He led us in a long prayer session for my father. For the first time ever, I felt no pain. I sat up straight as a board, and was really able to focus on the moment, the prayers, and the chants. It was really great. My mother even commented on how I appeared.
I thank you and Joy for this. It would seem appropriate that as I write this, my family prepares for more ceremony and prayers, as tonight is Cambodian New Year.
I bow to you both, Vic Nol
May 15, 2004
Notes From New Mexico...
Part III
{Final Installment of my personal retreat. Written on Thursday...coming up; STUDENT INPUT in tomorrow�s DL!�
�Though man can climb to the highest summits, he cannot there dwell long.�
- Shakespeare
In a few hours, i�ll be flying back to LA. though well trained formally by Tibetan monks in skills of detachment, i still wish only to linger among these juniper mountains and ruby lined arroyos. this is why, i am a feeble yogi.
in this moment: i gaze over the snow cloaked Sangre de Christo mountains through which i�ve snowshoed, ran, and cycled these days. leaving them now, i feel i am a mountain lion returning voluntarily to the zoo. bracing for a polluted cage surrounded by hard-eyed onlookers. what i�ve brought to the Big City to teach is difficult yoga which draws spiritual seekers, skeptics, and every now then a warrior or two.
i�ll take the warriors. they are of my clan. they understand the science and spirit of sweat and breath.
the wind is calm this farewell morning. wispy clouds have yet to gather about the sacred peaks. from where i sit i can see the steady march of pinions up the pea green apron of Sandia�s north slopes. a hummingbird pesters a Verbena to my left. Spencer, my rather large cat, has set his hawklike sights on yet another Ring-neck lizard, which he will inevitably catch. as a yogi, my Practice requires me to help ease the lizard�s suffering once the poor creative is caught. with three cats living here, saving lizards is a part-time job. there are not many lizards left.
yesterday, Day Three of my retreat here, i was �hooked up�...the term i use when ida and pingala nadi are open and fused with sushumna (internal energy conduits relating to the nostril flow and subtle anatomy). when my yogic Practices gift me such energetic connection...it�s all over. i can do anything it seems with what the Asiatic spiritual athletes might know as �wu-wei� or effortless effort. however, my spiritual forte comes only within and among the high peaks. even at my feeble level of attainment within the mountain yogic science, yesterday proved again to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if done consistently, the WF and yogic Practices mitigate the damages of sea level city living, pollution, and chronologic aging. in fact, for me at least, the Practices have reversed the out flowing life force (apana) and have retained and developed the indwelling life force (prana) causing delightful dichotomy between chronologic and physiologic aging.
for those DL readers from New Mexico: yesterday, i ran/snowshoed Lake Peak (12,338�) from Santa Fe Ski Basin in 1 hour 43 minutes. that figure includes my mystical summit moment (see below) which probably took about 5 minutes. that is, just to affirm, my round trip time; not just the ascent. car to car baby = 1:43. have fun breaking that time! don�t worry, i�ll spot you the age factor and altitude conditioning you may have!
with multiple run/snowshoe transitions along the route and low Grade 5 mixed snow/rock climbing along the summit arete, these mixed alpine conditions make for the best mountain yoga opportunity i know.
my method for such a Practice:
i wear minimal clothing, so the colder i get, the faster i am inspired to go. no food. a water bottle of Fortune Delight with Vitafruit. trail running shoes. Atlas Dual Trac sport snowshoes.
start at the base of the mountain and begin running up it (in this case, ski slopes). go as hard as i can right from the start until about to pass out. then, sustain and do not stop. for anything. this is mountain yoga. Union baby; body and breath. jao!
my technique;
i turn my attention inward (pratyhara) and work with yogic breathing exercises (secret). soon, my body experiences a lightness (laghuva). using (another secret) mantra at this point, i merge into wu-wei and use meditation skills to keep my thinking mind clicked to it�s Off Position. the pain is intense, but �i� don�t register much of it because the �i� part of me has taken leave. �i� am only witnessing the effort while working inwardly.
my memory of the Practice:
above timberline, running. vast sky. stretches of mantra soaked steep pitches; one snowshoe kicked into the steep snow above the other...over and over again...om, om, om. nearing timberline; now snowshoe cadence like a flying carpet beneath me carries me like a hummingbird darting among mossy spruce. talus summit dome of Tesuque Peak falls silently beneath my flying feet but my heart is hooked onto Lake Peak, another ridge away and higher still. Ravens accompany my inner and outer flight. their black feathered magic shows me ways of moving and breathing in these altitudes that seem unknown to the common man. each foot placement becomes meditation. i hit a loping floating stride and feel fully that i am hovering up this terrain, spirit like. an ilg-ghost dancing at 12,000�. so alone. so all-one.
yogic Masters came to high mountains not unlike this one for a simple reason; the Pran up at these rocky heights is potent. very potent up Here. Gods linger here, helping the aspirant feel true freedom in their cells. angel come here, to these forlorn yet mighty ridgetops to suck on snow and turn into dewdrops for humans who are wakeful enough to enjoy them. it requires high endeavor to be able to get here with fitness enough to access this Realm. i am tumbling toward an ethereal field, distinct from normal consciousness. i am humbled and yet feel magnificently powerful.
in my bones, i am inspired to always keep Practicing...
this Ethereal Float continues as i breeze past technical climbing sections in ghostlike fashion. rock and snow create artful choreography which i am destined to dance today in a skillful, enchanting way. this type of movement has now past the boundaries of athleticism into something paranormal.
twenty inches on either side of my dancing feet are thousand foot abyss�s looking up at me. i easily swing and jump over snow choked granite colouirs.
i observe myself suddenly standing on the summit...looking out for 200 miles in all Four Directions. Ravens now multiplied in number my only sentient company on the auspicious, windless summit.
since leaving the parking lot, now a speck 3,000� below, i have seen but one person on the lower slopes. now, i see everything.
my h(om)eland stretches beneath and around and within me. i feel my students and hold them in my thumping heart. i know not many other coaches work this hard for their students. few coaches pray and meditate for their athletes, but i know the long years of success with my students has endlessly, will endlessly, depend on my willingness to keep working on myself in these austere Practices.
i never linger on summits, regardless of their beauty. they are too powerful and sacred a place to this feeble yogi. standing on summits for me is like you getting hit by lightning. summits, when worked for honestly, are felt as the abode of gods, not humans. to linger on summit is to linger in pride. yogi�s are not trained to cultivate pridefullness. lingering on summits - i am speaking metaphysically now - is how people get killed in the Higher Realms.
i spread my arms in the Ai Imawa posture known as �East/West�...a Taoist posture done to honor the effort we have put forth into our spiritual lives. i felt the back of my heart open. it was at this moment that Brahma came through me. i cannot speak of the next few moments. they were sacred and unique to me and my Teachers. i will share this; i cried like a baby and heard these words coming through my mouth in an animal like roar from the high summit; �I AM GROWING STRONGER!�
Tears from a mountain yogi inspired. Cries from a man, living in a Big City, away from his family of Ravens, snow, and rock.
Still bleating like a prod-poked goat, i began the sheer, technical descent at the speed of reflex, apparently immune from the extreme danger of the tiny ridge. i did care if i fell into the abyss, for the abyss would have fallen into me.
Within moments i was below timberline, snowshoeing in leaping, gleeful bounds down melting double diamond ski runs. a kilometer of dry trail running. f back in the parking lot. people stare at me as if looking at a ghost or something.
back again to the outer word.
later, i rode my bicycle an hour and half to visit my little brother, his wife, and my neice...Ella. i was still �hooked up� and pedaled at a 24 mph average, into the flamboyancy of a New Mexico sunset. wu-wei.
My visit seemed centered upon Ella, who is just trying to walk and breathe in harmony.
�Take your time with this whole breath and movement thing,� i advise the wide-eyed baby...�it�s a difficult dance, but the finest one ever created.�
i bow to you in breath and posture...
see you back in the Big City...
coach ilg
May 14, 2004
Dear Ilgbro:
I recently reviewed our past correspondence. We have a connection that transcends the years. Your words continue to ring true even now..."Your workout is everywhere, make it count!" A little of something is better than a lot of nothing, especially when it is applied well.
You, my friend, apply truth well! It is your truth that has kept me focused through many difficult times; my gratitude extends into many lifetimes. During your difficult times this year I have sent you metta from my sacred center. Despite travails you put forth an "Atlas" for others to find their way--YOU ARE A LIGHT IN THE TRAINING WORLD MY FRIEND. Your humility is well received on this end; however, I will remind you from time-to-time how important this work is. The wonderful words OF "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" so eloquently define our path. It is one of your recommended readings, and has been my staple for 25 years.
THANKS FOR BEING THE HUMBLE ILGBRO THAT IS MY ETERNAL FRIEND, TRAINING PARTNER, COACH, MENTOR, GUIDE, AND YOGI. SEEK PEACE ALWAYS....LOVE....PANTHER 777
Namaste Noble DL Readers!
head bowed in apology for the long delay here...connection issues while out of town, and then server issues upon my return to LA yesterday.
Today is Part II of my notes from my personal retreat in New Mexico and then tune in tomorrow for the final installment before we move back into STUDENT INPUT on Sunday!
enjoy and may your workouts be inspired...
coach ilg
May 11, 2004
COACH�S NOTES FROM NEW MEXICO; Part II
�You are neither this body nor the mind. The self is above and beyond the senses, intellect, and physical consciousness. That is you.�
- Swami Saraswarti
{Written Monday}:
between the blur of my thighs pivots my Trek road bicycle, �Alphie.� we�re both hunkered low on a rising kilometer of an asphalt artery which bisects the Colorado Plateau and the Rio Grande river drainage. Where Coronado once drew both insight and blood from this arid land, today, the pavement upon which i now pedal, brings yet another multitude of people. each time i come back, a shock of new housing expansions continue their monstrous reach into the fragile desert. these ribbonlike roads which i love to ride, will soon invite a million modern people, each one�s weight upon Mother Earth heavy. to populate here is to deplete the final moisture and resources from these parched high plains. few seem to care. more babies being born. more heaviness upon fewer and fewer natural resources. life in Kali Yuga, baby. should be very interesting over the next few decades.
although we find great difficulty in keeping our minds in the present moment, we sure seem to know how to spend money and live like there is no tomorrow and harbor no sentiment for history.
i look down at my thighs which appear golden in the waning sunlight. at this pedal cadence of 100 rpms, each thigh jumps with a sharp muscularity that makes me smile that i have maintained a fitness lifestyle. road cycling for me, creates more than fit legs. it produces a hypnotic trance of Oneness...an aerobic form of sometimes sweet, sometimes sour yoga. there always effort, if not pain. yet in the endeavor there is delivered a unique form of mental emptiness that is a gateway toward spiritual fulfillment.
among most studio yogins, �cardio yoga� like cycling, seems distant and �not traditional� to their ears. not traditional? why? Yoga is, after all, the Science of Change. why should a Bench Press or a 2 - 4 hour road ride into a headwind not be equated with yoga? you want a Warrior Pose? bend your elbows and flatten your spine and ride as hard as you are able into a headwind for a few hours. that�ll produce a Warrior Pose from the very guts of who you really are.
my point is:
wherever one finds Unity of self, one finds yoga, be it on a bike, in gym, on a choo-choo train, or slicing a carrot.
it�s all yoga, baby.
here is what helps the unification occur at any time, doing anything: conscious breath, conscious posture. WF Lifestyle Principle Number One: Breath and Posture.
according to my personal reading and research, the Yogic Masters from the Himalayas would regularly walk barefoot (or close to it) 10-20 miles per day at very high altitudes over rocky terrain. cardio yoga.
Funny to me: how so many contemporary yogins are proud to bend themselves into fancy poses but do not bother to do long (several hours per week) Cardio volumes.
High Performance Yogis are trained in the Ways of the genuine Teachers, the One�s that did Cardio and endured outdoor weather extremes like heat, cold, and wind. this type of sustained mental focus, self-regulation, and spirit of repetition is the hallmark of a HP Yogic Warrior. the results are obvious among those HP Yogins who get out and test the efficacy of the HP Way. Just in the past couple of weeks Timari Pruis, a consistent student of HP Yoga won a 24-hour Mountain Bike Race. solo. HP Yoga student Barry just climbed Mt. Whitney, in record time. solo. Steve Marlowe won the omnium at the velodrome. HP Yoga devotees Michelle Ringler and Steve Mackel just finished in the top ten of an Adventure Race.
High Performance Yoga
means performing within the Higher aspects of ourselves.
that can mean anything to anyone.
you are charge of what Level at which
you wish to play the Game.
HP means knowing who we are by direct and regular
testing of our
mental focus
and self endeavor.
which is what Yoga is all about.
meditate each day so you don�t let the outer world
dilute the Teachings of the Masters.
take personal retreats,
like what i am doing right now.
by yourself.
absorb the moments genuinely.
make no mistake:
yoga is the world�s first and foremost Extreme Sport.
the goal; to transcend all limits of the body and mind.
go
for
it.
off into the higher mountains...in pursuit of purer and purer Prana...
May your Practice be strong...i am meditating on you...you inspire your feeble teacher...
namaste,
coach ilg
May 09, 2004
COACH�S NOTES FROM NEW MEXICO; Part I
i am riding my bicycle across the fragile beauty of New Mexico. i escaped LA early this morning via Galileo (my motorcycle) and the 405 to LAX observing all speed limits of course on the empty freeway, of course.
LA�s freeway system is absolutely magnificent. there is nothing wrong with the system at all. as long as it is 6:30am on a Sunday Mother�s Day!
after answering email at 37,000� on the plane i arrive within the energetic vortex of my homeland and set about my priorities with wolf-like demeanor;
1) surprise the pants off my mom for Mother�s Day (she had zero idea i was coming), and,
2) get my sea-level, pollution caked butt onto Alphie (my Kundalini-colored Trek road bike i keep stashed in New Mexico for my NM visits).
first things first; Mother�s Day. i had been calling my mom from LA for a week pretending i didn�t know when Mother�s Day was. I kept calling her, wishing her a happy Mother�s Day. fact was, it was Ananda, the stalwart warrioress and manager of HP Yoga Studio who forced me to take a direly need time out and return h(om)e to New Mexico. Bless you, Ananda. Thank you. I will repay you for doing quadruple overtime for nothing at the Studio. i can only bow to your amazing sense of and gut deep practice of Sva-Dharma.
the plane landed. i got a car. i called my mom. i still pretended to be in LA. i wished her a happy Mother�s Day. �Maybe next year, after the studio stuff settles a bit, i can actually come and see you!� i said.
�Oh, don�t you worry about that, i know how much you are going through right now...don�t you worry about me, i�m just happy you called.�
that�s my mom.
she�s like the Buddha these days. post menopause. very interesting.
so, knowing she is at home, i stop for a bouquet of flowers. they are in coffee mug as a vase. the mug says, �For A Very Special Mom.�
having visualized my ninja-like surprise, sure enough, it plays out to perfection. i pull up to the house. back door is open. i walk in. first, my Dad and my cat, Spencer Sandis Smith, nearly hit the ceiling as i glide, ghostlike toward them asking, �Shhhhh...where is she?�
�JEEZUSCHRIST!!!!!!� my dad yelps...in his typical - and not very yogic - dialect. �You scared the shit out me...what the hell are you are doing here?�
�Where is she?� i repeat, smiling.
�She�s in the TV room...�
you guys shoulda seen my mom�s face when she saw me come in through the door of her little reading/TV room. speechless. confused. she could not connect the dots.
when she did...she cried.
me too.
i�ve really pushed myself to be in the Big City and trying to impart what i have to teach. she knows how brave i have been in the seven years i�ve spent in LA. she wouldn�t do it. nor would any of my Mountain bros.
i felt an immense cascade of love for my Mom in that moment. i saw her 74 years of age. i felt my own years heavy upon me like a wet trenchcoat. i realized, this is my MOM, man. wow. i need to spend more time with her.
those of us Blessed enough to still have Mother�s around better damn well do our BEST to love them fully. even a cursory study of the worlds spiritual traditions reveal clearly the Absolute Superiority of Mother Energy. to be a female is very High. to be a mother however is absolutely HUGE from a spiritual perspective. only the most accomplished spiritual beings are Mothers. for a Soul to take an incarnation within a womb, a Mother must have journeyed well and deep within Herself to be a capable conduit of another precious life. make no mistake, female energy is always more powerful than male energy. all-ways. study any spiritual tradition. this is why in my Teachings of WF, i have always done my best to emphasize the yin, the female energy in everything from Barbell Curls in the gym, to yoga poses, to breath practice.
i bow to Mother�s Day.
i bow to Mothers.
i bow to female energy.
i bow to yin.
i bow to las luna.
i bow to you...
tomorrow�s DL: a simple bike ride in my h(om)eland.
go(o)d night Noble Ones, from where the Rio Grande laces mountains and mesas beneath a star soaked and sooooo clear night sky.
i am happy.
may all beings experience what i feel in this amazing moment.
namaste,
coach ilg
A contribution from student Yogi Barry:
Over the past 2 years that I have been taking in this gift of yoga, I have been recognizing the changes in my body, mind and how I interact with my environment. Understanding the breath and how essential it is to live in the moment and beginning to take the baby steps needed to bring focus to the mind (a task...). I recently had an experience worthy of sharing to others of how yoga brings us more aware of our environment and the environment more aware of us.
I was in the process recently of completing a personal goal, to summit Mt. Whitney in the winter, alone and as I went thought the steps of completing this task such as, planning gear, food prep, etc. I became increasingly aware of the presence of mind needed in the process of climbing the mountain. Moving with the breath, taking in the full depth of my surroundings, and observing the experience as a whole was a new experience attributed to my yoga practice that I hadn't previously observed. I was in awe of the vastness of the creation and energy that surrounded me, and taken back by the simplicity of the meadows, trees and the creatures living within. As I breached the ridge crest and traversed the ridge through over a mile of hair line turns lying on a 70+ degree wall, I was ever aware of my breath and my movement. With each step a breath, no room for the mind to wonder. When finally I made the summit, I breathed relief and allowed the mind to wander for some time and ingest some nutrition before returning down and home safe.
From this experience the message for me was this: "To be in the moment was to make the summit and return safe from the mountain, now home to be in the moment is to be on the summit."
Yogi Barry,
May 08, 2004
"Spiritual practice is learning how to become your own therapist."
- coach ilg
Heavenly Father, Thou art invisible,
yet Thy energy flows through the rays of sunshine.
Fill my veins with Thy invisible rays,
making me strong and tireless.
May I behold Thy rays of protecting love in the crowded places of my life�s activities.
What I receive, teach me to share with others.
- Paramahansa Yogananda,
1941
contributed by Noble WF Online Warrior Student Steve Mackel who included this passage;
"Coach,
I used this climbing Tuna Canyon with you. I use it all the time."
*
"You know all those interruptions to your Practice?
Those interruptions ARE your Practice!"
- coach ilg
*
FINALLY! HP YOGA ON DVD!!!!!
Due to popular demand, i will be making my HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA video into a DVD in another week or so!
many people tell me that they have bought "ALL the fancy high production yoga videos" and they well, "suck compared" to the humble but powerful CHI of the HP Yoga video!
you read all the usolicited quotes here in DL about HP Yoga...
something is working...YOU!
want yours?
get on the waiting list by emailing me:
ilgtrain@pacbell.net
include your cc/exp date if you are not an Active Online Student
and your shipping address.
****
CHEROKEE CHI!
just in from running Hectic Hill with new Student McKenzie. lemme clue you folks into something; this born and raised Valley Girl is the damn fastest mountain running soap opera star i've yet come across. she had NEVER ran up a real mountain in her life, and she ASTONISHED me by her innate footwork and willingness to push herself through pain. i could tell she was a professional actress; she took my coaching direction perfectly! it is said that good students make great teachers...it is true. i only had to say something once to her, and she snapped right into it and applied it throughout the entire workout.
during one of our yoga workouts, 'Student Mac' told me that she had some Cherokee blood in her. okay i'm thinking, i'm going to remember that for a future interval day and test her Native American guts. see if the Running Medicine is still imprinted upon her Big City Girl cells. having raced cross country against Navajos, Jicarilla Apache, Hopi, Tewa, etc, throughout the American Southwest, i don't like it when people tell me that the have Indian Blood in them but they abuse their Gift by never training hard to develop that Blessed Blood. so, then the other day during a training update, Mac told me she was having a hard time getting her heart rate up during her Cardio workouts on the treadmill, ellipetical trainer, etc. really? hmmmm. guess it's time for a Hectic Hill supervised workout. i knew it was time to get this Cherokee outside under Father Sky. no Cherokee worth his or her blood was EVER meant to run on gerbill wheels!
so this morning, after spending too much selfish time in my morning meditation Practice, i am getting late to meet Mac. instead of riding my bicycle up to the trailhead like i had originally planned, i default to Galileo (my motorcycle) and buzz up Reseda Blvd slicing through the floral scented morning air to meet Mac at the El Caballero trailhead. oh she's got Cherokee in her awl right...dang injun woman pulled a FAST ONE on el coache...she was there all right, warming up doing HP Yoga Sun Salutations next to her MOUNTAIN BIKE! she had RIDDEN HER BICYCLE to our mountain run! here was my student doing a noble Cardio Commute and i was the twerp on the motorized vehicle! aaaargh! but i like that! that is good CHI when the student beats the teacher!
so we take off. uphill. Hectic Hill is ALL uphill, baby. some of you who have done Private Intensives with me out here in LA, know ALL about ol' Hectic, don't you? after keeping her heartrate tethered around 165 and going over some uphill mountain running techniques, i launch us into the real workout; Minutes Are Forever, baby.
Many of you who are students of WF, know all about my classic WF Cardio workout; it's easy; one minute at HIGH INTENSITY, one minute at recovery pace. keep doing this until your puke black blood, baby!
during the hard effort minutes, i am right behind the blonde beauty (not a bad place to be, i might add...hey, it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it!), chopping at her; "Drive with your arms!" "Work from the glutes!!" "Toes in, toes in!" "Find Up Dog in the spine!" "C'mon, develop your SPIRIT right here, right now!" {For Mountain Running techniques and programs see my book, THE WINTER ATHLETE. under the section; Preseason Running..page 163}
After five such intervals up the 20% talus strewn ridge i asked for her heart rate.
"2...(gasping)...hun...(gasping)...dred!"
"I'm sorry, Student Mac, i couldn't quite hear you, what was that again?"
"200...(gasp, gasp)"
"I thought you said you were having trouble getting your heart rate up?!"
"Yeah...(gasping, laughing)...me too."
Most people hold two afflictions in their Cardio training;
1) too much training time in Zone 3. Zone 3 is what professional endurance athletes know as "No Man's Land." (see the WINTER ATHLETE) It is only reserved for carefully calibrated cardio sessions. Zone 3 is in the area of moderate to hard but sustainable effort.
2) misplaced effort. Most non professional athletes don't have yet the inner discipline to keep their easy intensity Cardio workouts easy and then they don't give enough gumption to really hammer their interval (hard) workouts.
Mac summitted the ridge in under 25:00. Not bad at all. The Cherokee Nation can be proud of this inspirational celebrity who constantly promotes fitness and even better, Wholistic Fitness and HP Yoga and SUNRIRDER herbs (Mac gives away FORTUNE DELIGHT and my HP Yoga Video to her co-workers at PASSIONS tv set because everyone cannot believe the transformation in her body.)
Across the Valley, WF Teacher In Training Ananda (who also has Cherokee blood in her) was also doing Minutes are Forever with her client, Tamara. Tamara, rose to the occasion, posting a new Personal Record by four minutes on her course! WF energy was flying through the Valley this morning!
Back at Hectic Hill,
i went over downhill mountain running technique with Mac before our descent. A Red-Tailed Hawk sent some Hawk Medicine to us from 200' overhead. It worked; Mac found her Indian Running Spirit as we sailed down the narrow aret? which plunged waterfall like through the tassle of coastal sage and manzanita.
Here is how many people we saw on that trail this morning: 2.
Here is how many people have indoor treadmills within ten minutes of the trail: probably 10K.
Here is how many people watched the final episode of FRIENDS: 51 million.
Here is what i do not understand; why more American don't stop living other peoples lives through TV shows and begin the best watching available; watching their inner lives, their Real Self, their TRUE SELF
grow
through
their effort in personal fitness.
get out.
run.
breathe.
move.
Dance to the rhythm,
Release into the pulse
of
who
you
really
are!
i bow to you and may Great Medicine visit your Lodge today...
coach ilg
{note: Advance notice:
coach ilg will be making a RARE book signing appearance at BARNES & NOBLE with many of his local Students including McKenzie, in Encino, California on Friday, June 11th!}
May 07, 2004
Ananda,
Absolutely frigging chi in your DL contribution. Love the photos. I am
seduced by the writing (write more in DL!) and imagine a Kokopelli spirit
like me totally vibing with the setting.
I bow,
Haku dude
May 06, 2004
Beautiful WF/HPY Shanga~
A very special gift was bestowed upon me when Steve and i headed north out of the bumper to bumper traffic of LA's congested freeway, towards the majestic sight of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.
Only 6 hours away and that's with potty breaks, (you know those Sunrider Herbs), 15 miles north of Mammoth Lakes, there is a powerful little town, population under 700, named June Lake - "considered by many to be the crown jewel of the Eastern Sierra and just a few miles from the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park" towering above her is June Mountain where Steve and i were privileged to ski her terrain one sunny afternoon. Very quiet as it is not as "well-known" as Mammoth Mountain and hopefully will stay that way.
Some of you may be wondering why we, Coach ilg and myself, were there in June Lake/Mountain. Coach was contacted by Suzanne Nottingham, fitness director of the Double Eagle Resort & Spa, to come up and introduce High Performance Yoga in a workshop to the guest and members of this amazing resort that sits "at the base of spectacular Carson Peak, nestled among rushing streams and towering pines." So we figured it would be a nice get-a-way as well as a chance to bring the love and power of HPY to the people of this area. Little did we anticipate that this magnificent destination and it's surrounding playground be, what we would like to put out there as, the future h(om)e of WF retreats and Warrior Weekends.
Until you, my fellow WF Warrior, are able to experience the grace of this land, i would like to do my best to share just a little more of our explorations & experiences. As some of you Noble Warriors have witnessed on your "WF Intensives" with Coach ilg, his true child-like spirit and love of fitness can't help but permeate all that he does. So, one late afternoon it was time to just go...go where ever the road took us. It took us along four majestic lakes within eight miles of the DER where some of the best fly fishing in the West is provided. It took us off the shoulder of the road to pick wild sage. Steve (AKA: Coach) would spot a piece of Granite that was beckoning him to climb her, all
the while exclaiming, "what a great face for WF novices to start a first climb," or "look at that mountain bike trail, great CV training for WF students."
Every time we encountered some new outdoor experience we couldn't help but want to share it with our WF and HPY Shanga.
On our very first day, Steve and i where sent a messenger. A snow white Owl perched upon a tree limb, watching us as we hiked through the dense forest and bog with snowshoes on our backs. Did i mention this was right outside our cabin? Well, more on that subject later.... as this beautiful god creature and ourselves made eye contact we couldn't help but be moved by it's majestic energy and the moment shared between us. As s/he flew off, s/he left us a piece of his/her white tuff on a branch which now resides on our teachers table in our humble yet powerful HPY cave.
What's the message? This place has it all, baby! Mountains to hike, bike, climb, ski. First time ascents. Lakes to swim, fish (in the yogic life-style way), kayak. A canopy of stars to gaze upon as we nestle into Mother Earths arms.
A fully equipped sports center and yoga space for in-depth study and practice of WF and HPY teachings. Oh, and the spa, written up in countless magazines and noted for it's more than 40 type of spa services and treatments. Amenities ranging from treatment rooms with fireplaces, Eucalyptus steam rooms, whirlpools, a 60-ft. indoor pool and co-ed whirlpool overlooking the mountain terrain.
The Eagle's Landing Restaurant and Bar has the most delectable smoked trout (done on the premise) and fish tacos that melt in your mouth. we couldn't help but order the same meal 2x's in a row. It was just to go(o)d. The two-bedroom cabins have breathtaking views of the forest and mountains. Along with Wood-burning fireplaces, fully equipped kitchens, living rooms sofas that convert to a comfortable queen-sized bed, as well as bedrooms which have either a king, queen or twin beds... i could go on and on, which i already have...but i'm trying to paint a picture perfect retreat for what Coach and i would like to hold in our minds as the future home of Wholistic Fitness/High
Performance Yoga Retreats, Workshops, Intensives and Get-with-ins.
So stay tune my fellow Fitness Warriors for upcoming dates when you can join Steve and i in this magical space, which just happens to sit on a Volcano! Maybe that's why it's so powerful :-)
In Breath and Posture,
Namaste~
Ananda
May 05, 2004
Noble Warriors!
phewwwww!
wow.
i apologize if many of you were not able to access the Chat Room at:
www.mckenzie-westmore.com
during my appearance there with McKenzie,
but let me tell you...
i used to think the mass start of a Pro MTB race was tough to get the hole shot,
holy crimeny!
those soap opera fans are RABID!
an hour passed by like a flicker of a moment...
"How do you make Mac's abs look like that?"
"My mom has Parkinsons Disease, will yoga help that?"
"I want my body to look like Mac's but I have big bones, what should I do?"
"Which herbs do you use with Mac, I want some! How do I get them?"
oh man...
it was intense!
but you know what?
i had them chanting "OM" within minutes and they were saying stuff like,
"Wow! That was fun!"
"Cool!"
"OMMMMMM!!!!!!"
"I feel more relaxed!"
hey baby...
ripples make waves!
new terrain for feeble ilg.
i am smiling.
i done go(o)d.
i bow to Noble Student McKenzie...thank you!
i bow to Joe...McKenzie's webmaster who did well just to keep the pandemonium
down to a nearly manageable level.
i bow to you,
my long-time students and fans of WF and HP Yoga...
our Vibe is unique
powerful
and
so effectively Blessed
by the Masters.
i am nothing.
you guys are everything.
"The body is like the fire which will be put out some time or the other. Thoughts are like unceasing currents, desires are endless; there is no end to lust or to greed. If you go after these then your shadow will follow you. Where have you kept your heritage? Now go ahead with the objective to be accomplished in full view. Everywhere there should be only one absorption. Do not wander. Reverse movement, reverse breathing and name - these are your resorts."
- Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Monghyr, 23.8.61
Namaste Noble Warriors!
1)
TONIGHT WE HAVE A DATE, RIGHT?
Let's give Mainstream America some friggin' WF Warrior CHI baby:
JOIN COACH ILG with McKenzie Westmore, star of the daytime drama; PASSIONS
tonight, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5th
from 6:00 pm - 7:00pm PT, at her CHAT ROOM
at:
www.mckenzie-westmore.com
2) i bow to the San Jose Sharks.
their speed and consistent high quality effort kicked Avalanche ass, big time.
may they hold the Cup
since they obviously emptied their own
to be able to skate so fast and free and artfully.
3) An important Dharma Note from WF Certified Teacher Roche, a love note from Student Abby, and great actual teaching counsel from WF Certified Teacher Sheader to struggling Student C are all below.
4) Coming up soon in DL: photos and a report from our June Lake HP Yoga Retreat!
i bow to you and see you tonight at www.mckenzie-westmore.com
i'm off to ride Fernwood Canyon baby...
still livin' and lovin' WF after all these years...
your feeble coach ilg
���
Dear Wholistic Fitness Students of Chris �Kodanda� Roche,
Each of you began your study of WF under me at a very auspicious and �interesting� time. In my years of WF experience, never has there been such a spotlight directed at us, nor has there been such a time of Transformation. This year has brought us Coach Ilg�s latest offerings TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION and the opening of High Performance Yoga in Tarzana, and I, in accordance with my Inner Duty, have completed my WF Teacher Training and brought to you Twisted Sage in Indiana.
Recently, I�ve experienced some of the greatest challenges I�ve ever faced on all levels: physical, relationship, financial, emotional, spiritual, a computer crash and now a computer �worm�, and a Twisted Sage Yoga teacher resigning with no advanced notice. It�s the kind of stuff that lets you know where you stand in your Practice, the stuff that makes you want to hit the �off� switch and run the other way.
Coach Ilg (and my WF Practice) has calmly guided me through these moments exactly the Way he guided me up Tuna Canyon just a few months back. Most times seemingly nowhere (now here) around, occasionally just within eye or ear shot, and now and then right in front of me shouting encouragement. A true Master, he is. Here are two recent comments from Coach Ilg to me, �the Yogi Warrior must simply accept the challenges of Inner Duty�, and �you must be willing to sacrifice it all to serve your Inner Duty.� This may sound noble or perhaps dramatic, either Way it�s the Truth like only Ilg can tell it. I�ve chosen to follow his counsel.
The past two weeks I have not attended to each of you in the manner you may expect from a Wholistic Fitness Teacher. What can I say? I am human and I am doing my feeble best. I can assure you that having lived through these recent experiences, I am more deeply committed to my Inner Duty than before and will serve each of you in the manner you deserve and in a manner that reflects Appropriate Action.
I welcome your feedback. Know that I am Here Now to serve you.
Love,
Teacher roche
���
Steve,
As always, I in-joyed and am further empowered in mind, body and spirit, by the dharma talk and slow flow practice with you. Thank you for your light, wisdom, and gentle touch, and for giving me a h(om)e and tribe to grow with in my California travel.
Love and blessings,
Abby
���
Studnet C,
Your intention is beautiful.
Jettison the flotsam of attachment to the past, of habit energies, of rat race concerns and "problems."
How you enjoy your sandwich at lunch, noticing the beauty of child walking to school, conscious of your breath during a back squat, mindfully making your tea...THESE things are of far more importance in the scheme of the universe, of your liberation. �All else, though important from a particular perspective, are trivial in comparison.
...When the Chinese invaded Tibet they particularly showed great cruelty to the Buddhist monks. One story tells of a particular village where all had fled as the Chinese approached except one monk. This enraged the Chinese commander for he took pride in the fear he spread. He marched to the monastery and kicked in the gate. There in the courtyard sat the monk. The commander glowered at him. " Do you know who I am? I am he who can run you through with a sword without battling an eyelash." �The monk replied: �" And do you know who I am? I am he who can let your run me through with a sword without batting an eyelash."
Student C, life is go(o)d. Really go(o)d. Even if the 'enemy' is at your gate. �Make the most of it.
It is not what beliefs you adopt
It is not what you do even,
It is how to be.
in peace,
Teacher Haku (Jomanji)
May 04, 2004
Namaste Noble Warriors!
okay,
i need your help...but PROMISE ME you will behave yourself, okay?
we have a chance to help a lot of Americans, especially young ones, toward a Wholistic Fitness
lifestyle tomorrow. i want you to join myself and McKenzie Westmore, who plays Sheridan on the daytime drama, PASSIONS. McKenzie and i are going to be chatting with her fans about fitness and health. WF Online Student and High Performance Yoga studio devotee McKenzie is a huge ambassador of fitness for America. Her body now sports the HP Yoga and WF look and her spirit is soaring toward helping others find what she has found...Wholistic Fitness baby!
So let's have you seasoned WF Warriors join in the chat and help inspire America to get and stay Fit in Body and Mind!
here is the plug below...see you in the Chat Room tomorrow evening!
JOIN COACH ILG with McKenzie Westmore, star of the daytime drama; PASSIONS
tomorrow, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5th
from 6:00 pm - 7:00pm PT, at her CHAT ROOM
at:
www.mckenzie-westmore.com
namaste,
coach ilg
author/TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION
May 02, 2004
dear coache',
RE: DIRECT LINES 04/30/04
bullseye..baby!
you zen archer..you!
love,
student d-san
�
Hi Coach. I think your Ave's would have a much greater chance for success
in the playoffs if they renamed their home arena from the Pepsi Centre to,
maybe, the Sundrider Centre. The name Pepsi sends out such a negative vibe
that is not very conducive to the flow of strong chi.
As for me, I am cheering for the Calgary Flames. If all goes well maybe
they will meet the Ave's in the conference final.
Thanks for all your great insights, comments, teachings in Direct Lines. I
go there every day.
regards,
trevor
���
RE: Game Five of Avalanche vs. Sharks.
Two words baby: Joe Sakic.
���
Competition and Stretching
� It�s a funny thing. Most athletes consider themselves �competitive� yet most are absolutely scared stiff - pun intended - of intense stretching. I know I was. I was so scared to breathe into all the tightness and trauma in my tissues, it took years for me just to learn how to safely and steadfastly turn my unremitting competitive nature inward. The mental and physical edge that arose from bending and stretching my tight body into yoga poses has required from me a degree of endurance, consistency, strength, and tactical knowledge that has far surpassed my highest fitness of multi-sport competitions. As modern athletes begin to embrace yogic disciplines into their training, look out baby. Pran (life force) is far more potent than steroids and I see a new generation of super-athletes emerging from the mist of our current era of looking outside ourselves for increased sport performance. I see new brand of athlete...a spiritual athlete...a Wholistic Fitness Warrior! The root word of �competition� means to arise from within. Sooner or later, today�s athletes will wake up to their true competitive fire and dedicate themselves to the pursuit of Pran.�
- steve ilg
High Performance Yoga, 5*2*04
May 01, 2004
Dear Coach,
p.s. - Really GREAT Flagstaff photo on DL. Definitely a Classic!!!!
--Abu
��
Dear Steve-
I would like to compliment you on your work.� I have your "Outdoor
Athlete" and your newest "Total Body Transformation".� I have been
trying to follow it for 3 weeks now.� I imagine as I write this that
you shake your head (if you're actually the one reading this) at the
word "trying".� I understand.� I am progressing, and now have more
respect for the strength of my difficulties and more compassion for my
own weaknesses than ever before.� I don�t believe that is apathetic,
or defeatist, but simply realistic.� Maybe too much ego in previous
thinkings�. Ramble, ramble, ramble�
Anyway, as I imagine you hear often, I have been aware of you and your
work since the Outside Magazine article a few (ha!) years back.� For
some reason, I was compelled to keep the issue.� Every so often I find
it while cleaning up piles of things I intend to pursue.
My path has been one kind of like those piles.� I get everything
organized and get sprint into it and then slowly get distracted and
overwhelmed by an avalanche of other interests, obligations and/or
various vices.� One example would be going from being a pack a day
smoker to participating in the marine corps marathon in 6 weeks�. Then
struggling again with smoking afterwards.���
The real reason I am writing you, besides trying to give you some
respect/encouragement for your work and apparently hoping for a word
or two from you, is that I saw on your site the May 1st deadline for
Sunrider.� I just joined as a preferred customer.� They require a
sponsor and I put you down.� If you mind, please let me know and I
will have them change it.� However, since I heard about it from you
and assume that there may be some compensation coming your way from
it, I took the liberty in the short time frame.
When I finish sending this to you, I will go to the gym.� I will use
the image of you shaking your head at the word �trying� as I work
out.� As I�m sure you�re aware, your work reaches out far to many
people.� This voice is just reaching back saying thank you for your
example.
Have a nice day.
Sincerely,
Doug Harrison
��
dear coache',
�
the addition in my daily practise of;
�
1- stability ball�instead�of a chair at my desk
2- toe spreaders (yup..makes my wife laugh..at me..too)
3-neti pot
�
has had� subtle, yet deep and strong impacts
on my practise....
1-low back pain gone..strength/flexability up,
2-better balance in gym, on yoga mat, and surfing..
also feel clearer inside..
3- no need for flonase, breath and sleep improvements...
seems to clear out what surf session nasal� drain doesn't..
�
i bow to you,
and thank-you for these gifts.
�
love,
student dansan
��
My Guru -
Lately, I'm attracting positive people; people who have wonderful things
to say about me:
"Dear L,
If every administrator in every school in all the land were as
warm and accessible , fair and HUMAN
as you are, then all the children in all schools could not help
but learn from their comfortable,
contented teachers and would be well. Test score would become
irrelevant; self esteem, humor and
warmth would abide. Everyone would be extra kind and forgiving
toward their fellows. Children would be smarter
because negative feelings would not cloud their ability to
learn at maximum level. Love would permeate and all obstacles to
love would be removed. This would all
occur if you were president of the world. You
have my vote.
Love, Yvonne"
Wow, is that heavy? That's because of your teachings Coach Ilg.
I owe this wonderful accolade to you.
You have helped me in ways you will never know. That's why I
can't let go of WF Programs.
I await my new program with canine teeth. Give me something to
chew on.
I bow to you noble Coach and dear friend.