June 30, 2004
Namaste Noble Warriors!
i can't believe the Washington Post called me, "preachy," yesterday.
am i "preachy" my noble warriors?
i guess i kinda am. i mean, i DID grow up as an Roman Catholic altar boy. i served
daily masses in front of hundreds of perfumed people sitting in missiletted pews
each day, every day from first grade to sixth. the Catholic church is not one to screw around
when it comes to places in which to pray. i ain't talking adobe kivas dug into the ground
or a little puja table stuck into a thatched wall, no sireee! in order to forgive your sins, the
Catholic priest made it certain that you had to confess all your constant sinnery in huge
churches with vaulting ceilings seemingly supported by stained glass images of a well bloodied Christ.
remember, Jesus died for YOUR sins, you little punk! so you better shape up or YOU my little friend...
are going straight to hell in a pagan handcart! so, go home and tell your parents to give more money
next time during the Offering, okay?
seriously, i loved serving masses in my little Altar Boy Clothes. i even got so good at it that i was
elevated to be the Reader. the Reader, in case you do not know, is the guy or girl that reads
well edited passages from The Bible during certain key points throughout the Mass. i suppose that
got me okay with public speaking at an early age, even through my speech impediment (i had and still
have what is known as a Lateral Tongue Thrust. more on that in a later DL..it gets a little too sexy for this
column.)
after school, i sometimes had to serve funerals. yuck. my noble Sangha, please do this to feeble ilg after
i attain Mahasamadhi;
1) do not put my corpse anywhere NEAR a coffin
2) transport my corpse to New Mexico (Devotee Ananda knows where) chop off my limbs and hang them
onto Grandfather Pinion Tree (Devotee Ananda knows where) and let my corpse be food for Raven and Coyote.
3) thank you.
once i got home, sometimes i would play Priest with my little brother, Craig. i had a shoe box for an altar and
raisins and Kool-Aid for the Sacred Communion. Craig was both my (disgruntled) altar boy as well as my
congregation. he hated serving my stupid little masses, but loved eating the raisins. you can only imagine
his disappointment as he attended his First Communion and was served that tasteless flat Communion Host
instead of tasty SunMaid raisins he received in my church!
yep. that proves it.
your feeble coach is indeed preachy. oh well. if the Washington Post calls me preachy about fitness
i can live with that. my bodyfat has hovered around a very healthy and elite functioning
2.5% for the last 20 years. in a nation where our People are dying like fat flies from obesity...i figure
a little preaching from someone who walks his talk is okay.
here is a bit from alert DL reader and WF Student Bryan Hantman:
"Coach,
�Was just mixing up an Ilg Supreme for lunch when I checked out the DL.�
�
It's such�a huge chi hit out here to have a review in the Washington Post.� An-other podium trip, I see!�
Now, if only one them yogi(ni)s over at Yoga Journal would review your book.
In sport and spirit,
- Student Bryan"
ENGAGED WF WARRIOR ACTION:
wanna help get those gym-scairdy cats at Yoga Journal to review TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION?
my agent sent them a review copy in January, they said they would review it in April. uh...it ain't April
baby..
email the head editor and tell her that real American Yoga lies within the blend of both
barbell and baddha konasana....tell her that a little cardio mixed in with a forward fold is
wise...Wholistic Fitness is America's indigenous yoga!
here is the contact:
http://www.yogajournal.com/email_staff.cfm?to=editorial
i bow to you,
your feeble coach
June 29, 2004
your feeble coach has made it into today's WASHINGTON POST...
You can access it online at www.washingtonpost.com then click to HEALTH on the left, and look for "this week's print edition."
or, for a PDF of the article, click here:
washingtonpost.com_ Yin Yang Fitness.pdf
���
"The beginning holds the seed for all that is to follow."
- I Ching
���
NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO " DIRECT LINES" published from July 1-15th for my personal retreat and booksigning tour.
please hold your email until July 15th.
thank you for honoring this Practice of Taking Time to Regather Chi.
REMEMBER: the HP Yoga Studio will also be closed for the month of July for re-modeling, filming, and for my personal retreat.
Thank you, my brave warriors of the Light...my noble WF Sangha!
our humble yet Powerful Tribe is beginning to shake Turtle Island (a Native American term for North America).
eat your herbs, do the HP Yoga DVD, and use TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION during July...you will be more fit than ever!
I bow to you,
coach ilg
founder/WholisticFitness.com
&
HighPerformanceYoga.com
June 28, 2004
Coach,
you would think after all this time together (this is my 12th summer as a WF Warrior for Life) i would learn not to be overly attached or emotional as lifes challenges or events take us to heart. but what the heck....it's fun at times ;-)
so as i sat on our divine yoga platform in the Cave (HP Yoga Studio), it being my last class before the"rebirthing" process of the studio begins. i was brought to tears at all the HPY Warriors sitting out in front of me dripping sweat, with impeccable posture, eyes closed, hands in Namaste mudra, hearts WIDE OPEN, ready for whatever may come. i silently thanked spirit for being blessed to be a guide to such AMAZING BEINGS!!
Coach!! do we have great students or what?!!
i LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE of you that have walked into our humble temple. and to all my regular Thurs night and Sat morning warriors......have a great month. keep a happy heart. do your solo practice. and i will see you in Aug.
Namaste,
Teacher Q
Coach,
As I write this I am at my campsite in Denali National Park, it is 11:30 pm, the day after the Solstice and it looks like it is 7:00 pm in LA. I have just got back from a 180 mile round trip bus ride to the end of the road in Denali. Today showed me how much of a beginner I am. I was hiking solo in grizzly country, trying to be aware and safe when I came to my end of the trail. The McKinley River Bar was in front of me without safe passage. I sat on her banks with the majesty of Denali (Mt McKinley) as close as possible, without flying in. I absorbed 20,320 feet and how it seems to be one big mountain, not a mountain range but when I closed my eyes and couldn?t see her. Maybe it was just too big but not being in my mind?s eye bothered me. I just ujjayied in her presence. I took some pictures and hiked back. No one was on the trail for and hour and half but me. It was great but showed me how far I have to go.
On the riverbank, I thought about what it would be like having a vision quest. I thought it would be scary. I tried to get in touch with my animal spirit but I am not sure what animal that is. I picked up a book in the park called, ?I Heard the Owl Call My Name,? more Indian stuff. Who knows what lies ahead and I let you know how the book is.
I sat up last night, no light needed, and was re-reading TBT. I just can?t settle into a ST routine. I am finding that structuring time is my biggest weakness. I can manage what I like but I keep the rest waiting.
Just thought I?d check in, the clamp down for Vineman Triathlon starts next week.
Aloha for Alaska,
New Warrior Student Mackel
I just bought total body transformation and I have read half of it in just a couple days. I am excited to being.
- Jason Bernhisel
June 26, 2004
hey coach!
i read the article about children with high blood pressure (DL;6/24) previous to typing this. how sad! i cannot believe they are recommending testing children for high blood pressure at age 3!!!!!!!!!!!!! what is this nation coming to? i cannot even begin to imagine a childhood like that. my mom had to fight to get me and my brother inside the house when it got dark. i remember video games only being something we played when it rained, or when it got dark. i remember in the summertime we were ALWAYS in the pool or on our bicycles ( i guess i was destined?). it is so sad to think that even though we rely so heavily on computers now as adults, it is the same convenience that is distracting children from being outside with nature, where they belong. on a similar note of high blood pressure, my cousins husband just suffered a heart attack last week, at the age of only 38! they apparently lost him 3 times, totally flat lined! what an awakening for him.
see you in class!
love always,
timari
(note; 7 years into her WF/HP yoga studies, mountain biker
Timari has gathered pro victories at State, National, and World Levels...
moral; don't let your kid grow up playing computer games!)
A WORLD CHAMPION Born From The Tribe!!!!!
"Steve.
Greetings from Cebu Philippines.
I have beautiful news for all...Young Warrior Kerry Sheader has won a Eskrima-Kali World
Championship! It went to a fourth tie breaking round with a big kid from Holland and Kerry let it
out baby!
He did it with the confrontation of several dragons the days previous and prevailed. His demeanor and
sportsmenship has been contagious to all...and my god the BEAUTIFUL Filippino girls love him.
I will have pictures and more story upon my return. Please share the news on DL and tell EVERYONE WHO HELPED WITH DONATIONS THAT WE BOW TO YOU! My computer access is borrowed and limited.
love you,
WF Teacher Jospeh "Haku" Sheader
June 25, 2004
- Wholistic Fitness...
Where Sweat and Stillness Merge -
- Coach Ilg
One of the meanings of HaTha Yoga is "Union of the Right and the Left."
if you fancy yourself a yogin, then do this:
become ambidextrous before you die.
There are those who consider themselves un-addicted
yet spend their entire lives addicted to using only one side of their bodies.
For example, a person may grow up as a 'right handed' child
and 30 years later find themselves still addicted to what in Western sport training
is called, "Lateral Dominance"...they have only deepened their addiction being 'right-handed."
the serial distortion and dis-ease that such addiction causes is beyond measure, yet i
have heard of no other yoga teacher or Western scientist speak of what seems to me to be a
glaring error in the way we manage our body/mind fitness.
man, why does feeble ilg got to think of EVERYTHING around here? ;-)
seriously, however...
If you are addicted to using one side of your body, i can promise you this much:
you are as unskilled in thinking and feeling reality as are you as unskilled when
using your non-dominant side. think about that.
don't want to be an 'addict?'
want to find kinesthetic Balance in this lifetime?
want to Practice Yoga 24 hours a day? then start using your non-dominant sides.
if you are like most of my Students, you will find what they found and I found. doing so will cause you
to:
1)slow down (a lot)
and
2) become humbled by how stupid you've let yourself grow into one-sided dominance of body and mind.
this yogic realization of your fitness ignorance will cause you to either take two Paths:
1) become patient and devoted toward your Wholeness or
2) think that i am the most craziest teacher of yoga and fitness walking the planet and you will quit
trying to balance your side-to-side lateral kinesthesia.
don't have time for Yoga today?
wrong.
do this:
develop your non-dominant skill coordination today and you will begin to See many new in-sights.
jao!
love,
your Crazy Wisdom Warrior Coach
June 24, 2004
Dear Coach -
i tend to overeat at breakfast. i love big breakfasts. but i often feel like i just want to sleep afterward. i was wondering, what is your favorite breakfast? thank you for DL, i am amazed by your "tribe" of fitness warriors.
- Sandra, AK
Dear Sandra -
my "favorite" breakfast has not changed in 20 years; a Malt Nut Powerbar at around mile 25 during a 50 mile bicycle training ride.
yours was a trick question. yogi's are trained not to have 'favorites' for it brings about dualistic perspectives on life and yoga is about merging, not separating.
i should clarify however, that i have two breakfast's each day. the first and most important 'meal' is what i consider my 'soul food'...food that nourishes my spirit for the day ahead. for me, this means meditation and pranayama. 'drinking in' Life Force through early morning pranayams (yogic breathing practices) are vital to me.
then, i love to train in cardio, yoga, or strength training on an empty stomach but filled with Pran (Life Force).
after that training session, it's an ILG SUPREME, baby! get those herbs in me and i'm go(o)d to go into my day with the satisfaction of quality mind/body/breath training already under my 'belt.' accompanying the ILG SUPREME might be a crumpet with salmon, a healthy waffle (1 slice) with fruit...that type of thing.
may your Early Morning Practices be strong, sincere, and full of spirit...
head bowed,
coach ilg
June 23, 2004
some things just have gotten outa hand...
an ad: "CERTIFIED FENG SHUI THERAPIST
will come to your home and problem solve
poor energy lines."
there was a picture of this woman.
her body did not radiate much Feng Shui "good" energy to me.
i would love to her come to my humble h(om)e and tell me
what would be "GOOD" energy!
all those books on feng shui?
all these experts?
lemme tell ya something useful for free:
"Good" feng shui starts in YOUR BODY
refines itself through YOUR MIND
and EXPRESSES itself THROUGH your home.
"good" feng shui, noble fitness warriors,
begins, like all GENUINE truths...
with SWEAT and YOUR OWN INNER SPIRIT!
don't look to books to 'feng shui' your home...
look to the true tools for transformation:
barbells, bicycles, yoga mats, meditation posture, and herbs..
that is all.
jao!
your feeble teacher
Dear WF Teacher Kodanda -
I love this work and the reaches of the human spirit to which I have been pushed by it in my quiet workout room in the basement (and on the road on my bike).
Traditionally, I worked out with weights to gain mass, now I'm not sure that it is my goal. Society seems to value the large muscular physique and I was enveloped in that world view. Lately, with the WF workout, I'm content to have my body and spirit become more powerful, more flexible, with attention to form, breath, diet and posture.
Thanks again...Namaste,
- Kieran
��
Dear Coach -
You are a blessed being on this planet and we are all closer to reaching enlightenment when we experience your grace.
Thank you for your courage;
namaste'
student keali:)
��
Master Ilgbro -
Read it and weep!
http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myheartdr/home/research-detail.cfm?reutersid=4463&nl=4
Ron Jones, MS
ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor
Licensed Corporate Wellcoach
www.ronjones.org�
"High-Performance Health"
June 22, 2004
RE: DL QUIZ...Why Coach Lives In LA for a $50 WF Gift Certificate (see DL, June 21)
Coach,
Here's a perspective on your quiz:
When we came out to LA for my intensive in February we
had a sense of why you were in LA and why we were
attracted to it.
In one word -- Beauty. The contradictory Beauty of
the world. It's yin and yang.
You've got the Beauty of LA's topography (natural and
human made).
There's the cultural riches and poverty that comes
along with Hollywood and the like. So you're in the
center of cultural shifts (not just tectonic ones) in
how we present ourselves as a People.
More importantly, though, you have layout of the city
in the midst of beaches and mountains -- right on a
magnificent coast. Head to the beach for surfing and
swimming, ride Grunt up the mountain... and, like
that, you could be snowshoeing or skiing.
You've written about it before, and I experienced it
myself, in a city so flooded with people and other
things, look at that photo! Student Ludgate is only
pictured with trees -- only beautiful trees, melting
snow, and the magnificent vista that the San Bernadino
or the other mountains offer.
You can be (ALONE!) with the Beauty of Nature in no
time.
Gassho,
Bryan
RE: DL QUIZ (June 21, DL)
dear coache',
my answer would be...
the proximity of the mountains to the ocean...
the ability to to do summer and winter sports
on the same day...you could bike, run or surf(me)
in the morning ...then snow shoe, snowboard, or climb
in the afternoon....plus the juxaposition
of the clear fresh air of the pristine mountains
to the smoggy hustle of the hectic city...
and�LA seems to be the fitness hub of the
states....
" the west�is the best"-the doors...�
namaste',
student d-san
RE: DL QUIZ: Coach Now Lives In LA Because:
On Jun 22, 2004, at 7:01 AM, Diana wrote:
"Because the master of the household sleeps in the far corner of the house, facing the house, so he can watch over his family.
With the ocean at your shoulders, and the desert, mountains, and beyond in view, you can guide and protect us all.
Either that, or you just came to your senses and realized that LA is just one amazingly gorgeous city!!
Humble student
Diana"
ANSWER TO APPEAR IN NEXT WEEKS DL!
CONTRIBUTE YOUR GUESS TODAY FOR YOUR CHANCE AT WINNING A $50 WF Gift Certificate!
June 21, 2004
DIRECT LINES QUIZ FOR DEVOTED WARRIORS:
a $50 WF Gift Certificate is available to the WF Warrior or Warrioress who can guess, figure out, feel out, or understand the primary 'energetic/feng shui' reason why i moved to LA (hint; the West Coast) in order to impart the Sacred Teachings of
WF to the American Mainstream. Noble Warrior Student Alan Ludgate from NYC intuitively stumbled upon the reason recently after a strong Practice week. You can too. If, in one week, no one gets it...i will have Student Ludgate tell you.
here is a pic of Student Ludgate on his most recent Private Training Intensive with me (how come YOU have not signed up for YOURS?) while training on snowshoes in the nearby San Bernadino Mountains...a clue resides within the pic to the astute Warrior...
in conscious breath and posture and fun...
your feeble coach ilg
Hi Coach!
I just had to send you a Happy Father's Day because you have become such a dad to so many of us - your beautiful spirit is so full of love and teachings and we are all honored and so Blessed to have you in our lives!
Thank you!
Love and God Bless,
Student Mac
June 20, 2004
For departing Noble Student Krakel from formal Online Training...
on behalf of my Staff of WF Online Teachers...we look forward to your
return to the Online Temple soon...from the Head Temple to you....
coach ilg's signature; 'the boarding buddha' in his living room in LA
Noble Student Yo -
wise call on listening to your body; even lions must rest to regain their strength.
i applaud your efforts to reduce your addiction to watching TV.
chronic TV vibrations weaken the cell structure, lower IQ, and imprint negatively the sheaths of the Higher Mind.
use TV like the Warrioress of the Light that you truly are...
eat your herbs, do your Practice, and enjoy your retrun into WF wholeness.
love from the humble Helm,
coach ilg
Tonight's Dharma Talk by coach ilg:
"In Defense of Desire -
Dancing the Edge; Desire as Attachment or Spiritual Jet Fuel
"The perfect Way is not dificult, only avoid picking and choosing."
- Seng - ts'an
tonight at 6:45 pm at the HP Yoga Studio following Joy's 5:00 pm Easy Flow class...
40 minute Zen Sitting into DharmaTalk
HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA:
the only Yoga Studio founded by a Senior Registered Yoga Teacher & Multi
World Championship extreme athlete
�
Coach,
I heard this story on NPR on Tuesday and thought you'd find the guy fascinating (as I did). Here's the blurb:
Mountain guide Ulrich Inderbinen of Zermatt, Switzerland, died last night at the age of 103. He was legendary in Switzerland where he led climbers up the Matterhorn and other mountains until his mid-'90s. NPR's Melissa Block talks with Hermann Biner, a close friend of Inderbinen's, and also a mountain guide. He describes Inderbinen's life and his death.
The guy never (NEVER!) owned a car, a bicycle or a phone. Oh, I was soooo jealous when I heard the story. Anyway, here's the page on NPR's site:
http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=2&prgDate=15-Jun-2004
The story, with an audio link, is down near the bottom.
Hope all is well in La La Land.
Best,
Luke and Spooner
June 19, 2004
THANK YOU for the FANtastic turnout at last night's SUNRIDER PHASE II talk at the HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA studio! Welcome Noble HP Yoga Student and climbing sister; Kelly to the Herbs baby! you will be floating on your mountain bike and up the rock walls this summer!
I LOVE talking about and sharing the SUNRIDER herbs...why? Because out of my Five Fitness Disciplines of WF, it is Nutrition that remains the most un-coachable. People think they can control their lives but most can't even control the 24" of space between their hands and their mouths!
If i know that a student is on my 3-Phase Approach to SUNRIDER HERBS, then i KNOW that that Warrior is going to SHIFT baby! Higher and Higher, Healthier and Healthier. The herbs are a fast, effective, and supremely powerful tool of transformation in my Path. Coming up this summer in the HP Yoga Lecture Series; SUNRIDER HERBS; PHASE III - Lifestyle Herbs and Products!
Here are a few quotes of mine designed to help a few Students that are working within their practical contexts:
�Do your best to shift samsara everyday. As soon as you make effort in the face of difficulty you entice negativity out of yourself. Bravery and devotion will be required to purify the negativity you are drawing out of your lower self. It�s like Phase I of SUNRIDER herbs or your first few yoga classes. You will reach a crossroad, a choice...do you want to push through the shift and enter new and unknown Higher Terrain or do you want to remain in the comfort of what you already know? It is not a question of right or wrong. It�s a question of purifying yourself in this lifetime. The best spiritual athletes are know to run TOWARD their problems and challenges for the sake of purifying karma. What are you going to choose? We are the creators of our own UniVerse (One Poem).�
- Coach Ilg
�
"Spy on your why," - coach ilg
�
�The spiritual athlete needs to be prepared to deal forgivingly with the consequences of their mindlessness. The BattleDance toward ongoing Awareness and conscious fitness is crazy fun, often hilarious, and exquisitely elaborate in the most Divine of ways.�
- coach ilg
June 18, 2004
Dear Noble Coach Ilg,
The DL never fails to blow me away.
Scott's metaphor of walking into your house with dirty
feet is brilliant--and sharing it with you was brave.
Because I have been to and was totally rocked by the
spirit power in your clean and sacred temple/h(om)e,
the visual was right on.
It also hit close to h(om)e, because I, too, have felt
that "oh...shit" feeling after hitting "send." I told
Bryan once that I felt like I just threw litter at
you. Believe me, I had a very hard time with that. I
never told you this before; I was so friggin' ashamed.
But you turned my litter into poetry and art, and you
tought me--just like Scott said--how to clean it up.
You are teaching me what is litter, and how not to
litter.
Coach, I bow to you.
And I bow to Scott, this poetic warrior: brave,
humble, and devoted. I bow to our tribe, whose
inspiring words and experiences amaze me daily.
On another note, I was not going to bring this up, but
since I read about the Brandon Reece's wife's concern
for her feminine look, I'll share my experience. My
body is constantly getting complimented and "hit
on"--at the gym, at work, wherever. This includes
personal fitness trainers working at the gym. For me,
I think the last thing I considered when I entered the
Practice was my appearance. There are countless other
reasons I knew I had found h(om)e! For me, deflecting
this attention and focusing inward has become a big
part of my Practice (don't these guys know they are in
the IRON TEMPLE?!).
Maybe the trainer who complimented me (my body, my
"elaborate" practice) last night was sent to help this
woman! If you think it'll help, you can share this
with her: She can rest assured, she will be feeling
feminine, and no one is gonna let her forget it!
If that's not enough, just show her pics of beautiful
Ananda and McKenzie Westmore.
Finally, yes the herbs are rockin' my world. I'll
leave it at that for now, till my CS*.
Thank you so much, both Noble Coaches.
student d
* = note; in WF Online Study, "CS" refers to a Cycle Summation...
a questionnaire that is completed at the end of each 4-week training
cycle during WF Online Training.
June 17, 2004
coach Ilg,
I bought your book a few months agao and have been working my way throught he exercises and all I can say man is wow.� You have really taken me up to the next level, I have been practicing martial arts since I was 14 and I haven't felt a training high like this since Taiwan.� I train everyday with my wife who is also impressed by your program.� I have been telling her that she should give it a try, it will change her life, but since she has seen the amount of muscle growth in me during this program she's nervous that she'll end up losing her feminine looks.� Any advice?
Thanks
Brandon Reece
�
Noble Warrior Brandon -
wonderful letter...thank you. i bow to your Metta!
tell your wife not to worry. the female WF Physique is absolutely
beautiful...we would NEVER let a woman grow big and bulky muscles...
my female Warrioress's of the WF Way will testify; WF is unmatched for
sculpting functional, lean, and very womanly physiques. just read DL for
all sorts of great testominies from my female celebrities and tness warrioress's,
speaking of great female physiques, i will have our own Ananda, a WF Online Teacher
in Training contact you directly...perhaps your wife could work with Ananda
through our Online Training system!
Enjoy the Practice,
coach ilg
Hi Coach Ilg,
I love your workout and follow it spiritually.
I'm not a natural yang guy (more a long distance runner metabolism), but I
see the greatest results in my life from your Cosmic yang workout program (2nd of 3). Like you
say, I'm developing power in my personal and spiritual life that is
unprecedented for me.
Thanks and Namaste,
Kieran
Coach,
A strange thing happened�as I clicked the 'send' button yestreday. I was delivered a message, it came from somewhere, into my computer, through my mouse and into my heart and mind, It said "You just walked into Steve Ilgs house with dirty feet".�
With great concern for my dirty feet, very humbly and compassionatley�you cleaned�up the�mess. You did so�without making me feel guilty or inferior and then�you even invited me back into your house.�All along the way teaching me how to clean such a mess and how to avoid entering anothers house with dirty feet. How cool is that!?
�There are thousands of Wholistic Fitness teachings that�apply to teaching young�Marines how to be�true�"Warriors" -�rather than just�'conscripts' serving in the military.�Do not prejudge others, humbleness & compassion are are among them.�I could go on and on.�Your awesome!�
�"Thanks" and Semper Fi - Scott���
{Note; this is related to a DL entry yesterday regarding Lance Armstrong}��������
"Workout from that part of you
that was you
before your natural Light
began to dim by too much thinking
and not enough playing!"
- coach ilg
�
"It's strange to me that people find it hard to workout.
For me, the hard part comes when i know i need to recover
and have to use discipline NOT to workout!"
- coach ilg
�
STEPPING OUT OF THE SIDELINES AND INTO THE FIRE:
Welcome to Mellissa Kai of Van Nuys, CA
to WF Online Training to supplement her
amazing transformation she has already gained through
her consistent HP Yoga Practice at my studio in Tarzana.
Noble New WF Online Student will be taking her preliminary Online Training
under Apprenticeship WF Online Teacher; Ananada.
Want to wish New Student Kai some good in her Journey?
Her email is:
melissa.kai@attws.com
���
WF Online Teacher Chris "Kodanda" Roche has made available space for TWO new
students in his clan...jump on board with him! send me an email to request
taking study under his fantastic teaching skills:
ilgtrain@pacbell.net
���
TOMORROW AT THE HP YOGA STUDIO:
JUNE 18th, Friday 6:30 pm -7:30 pm:
Sunrider Herbs, Phase II with Steve
Cell Empowerment/Organ System Balance. Get free of dis-ease before it starts. Possess the energy of a world-class athlete. Presentation given by...a world-class athlete. Don�t settle for mediocrity in this precious lifetime, baby!
June 16, 2004
"If you can't change the world/change yourself."
- lyrics from The Lonely Planet, 'The The'
Coach,
I saw your insight on Lance Armstrong and was quite compelled to chime in, if I may. I think it is very unfortunate what Lance has sacrificed enroute to being such an incredible bike racer, he has sacrificed his family. Yes, being a champion bike racer must be great, but at the loss of my family? No way. My wife and daughter serve to me as guides and fans along my spiritual journey, much the way Lance is guided and adored by fans lining the streets along race routes. I honestly believe that Lance Armstrong could be better, even more unstopppable (if thats even possible) if he put as much time and effort into his family as he does his bike racing career.� Much the same way a Wholistic Fitness Warrior puts time and effort into Yoga, in order to be stronger in the gym. Just a thought, thanks for listening
Semper Fi - Scott
Noble Warrior Scott -
I bow to your input. I offer this; Formal WF Online Students are taught not to pass judgment on others; Rule #1. For what outsiders may see as sacrifice, the Warrior may see as a needed karmic tool for transformation. Families come in both biologic and spiritual form. The Masters are quick to emphasize which is more important...the latter. Richard Bach: "Very rarely do members of the same family grow up beneath the same roof." I know in my own life, my bicycle has proved my most loyal, true, and insight-full family member. Through divorce, bankruptcy, and death in my personal life, it is been my bicycle and breath that has elevated my Perspective into what Lance would call, "Sweet pain, not sour."
May all beings experience Joy within their families, both spiritual and biologic...
coach ilg
"There is very little value in teachers' certificates. The value is in the teacher's way of approaching teaching."
- B.K.S Iyengar
Early morning meditation. Tibetan incense fills my home, moving in waves across space like a manifestion of my pranayama practice. Breath makes for the frontier of my day. Body moves with alacrity from teaching a love-filled HP Yoga class last night to 21 spiritual athletes. Fortune Delight into a water bottle, preparing for a nice long bike ride through Pacific mist. Observing clutter as i reach beneath a kitchen cabinet. Been wanting to clean out that clutter for nearly a year. My Teacher's voice rings out from within, "Aparigraha!"
"No, no! Not now, not today! I want to ride my bicycle!"
"Aparigraha, you feeble yogi!" comes His voice impacting my cells with the force of a Tibetan Yak back-kick.
I sigh as i drop into a yogi squat on the kitchen floor and begin pulling out months of unused grocery store bags, dinnerware, and odds and ends.
To practice the fifth committment of Yoga - known as Aparigraha or non-hoarding, greedlessness, or absence of possessions beyond one's means - requires a firm stance of self. The Warrior must travel light in order to be nourished by the Light. Renunciation of unneeded things, tendencies, habits, and outdated emotional patterns must first be rooted out by ongoing Awareness, then grasped like a sword, and finally tossed out for go(o)d.
Five sacks full of clutter and an hour later, i emerged from my yogic Practice of engaged Aparigraha. Damn does it feel great to get that crap out of my h(om)e. What was i doing waiting for so long to clear that stuff out?
"I am a feeble yogi," i thought to myself as i felt a twinge of guilt for not keeping my life as simple and clear as i could.
"Oh, you are not that feeble a yogi," my Teacher's voice rang out again from my mind.
"I'm not?"
"No..for you chose to miss out out your bike ride - one form of Yoga indeed - and exchange it for another; clearing the clutter from your home. This engaged act of Aparigraha was a strong show of prioritizing yoga over ego."
Teacher went on to encourage me, "Oh Feeble One; You are learning to begin, again and again...and that is what will make you a very strong yogi...for what truly makes a yogi a yogi is to begin again and again."
June 15, 2004
El Coache,
my beloved Teacher....this is not a cardio inspired CHI-HIT message. (not there that is anything wrong with that;-) just a litle poem i found today and wanted to share with my feeble yet kick-ass mentor, as he tirelessly rocks the dragons for us all.
" The master leads
by emtying people's minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resovle.
he helps people lose everything
they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion
in those who think that they know.
Practice not doing
and all will fall into place."
is this my EL Coache or what!;-)
Teacher Q
ps....got a surprise for you at the end of the week. look for it.
June 14, 2004
"Wholistic Fitness Online Training
because you should not use sunblock
on your inner Light."
- coach ilg
Dear Teacher -
I enjoy your cycling insights on DL.� How about some thoughts on�Lance as he gets ready for the Tour, and faces some dragons, such as losing 2' to Mayo on Mont Ventoux during the Dauphine?
Student Mark Featherman, PA
�
Noble Student Mark -
i allowed your question to simmer in my thighmind during my 4-hour road ride this morning along the Pacific Coast Highway and up the 13 kilometers of Latigo Canyon. Do not worry about Mt. Ventoux...the baldness of the mountain triggers Lance�s subconscious about cancer. Lance will have no problem in fitness if his teammates can control the chaos at the Tour. anything can happen of course. Lance came into the Dauphine with well-trained legs and lungs. he will decompress, recover slightly before the Tour...use the first two weeks to develop the snap in his legs and then, well, come the Alpe d�Huez TT...Lance will be on the podium. he will, however, suffer a bit of an injury in his back due to the unconventional setup on his d�Huez bike. even this, however will not deter Mr. Armstrong from Numero Seis. you can look forward to the Euscatel Euscate team to attack like banshee�s in their Basque homeland but the fragility and overtrained physiques of both Ivan Mayo�s and American Tyler Hamilton will keep them right where they deserve; behind Lance. Watch for Heras�s team to make a strategic blunder in the third week and enjoy watch the fastest sprinter in the world, Alessandro Pettachi, nab another three stage wins to bookend his amazing nine stage wins in the Giro.
keep the rubber side down and lift your inside foot when cornering,
coach ilg
United States Cycling Federation Elite Coach
click here for a training shot of Coach Ilg on Sudamani (his road bike). Photo by Wayne Williams
ilgcycljeg.JPG
Noble DL Readers...
no dummy is this alert TBT fan!
love,
coach ilg
�
Hi Steve,
I'm a follower of your TBT program in the UK, near Canterbury.
I've done strength training for many years and I enjoy running, having
completed two London marathons. I"ve only taken on yoga recently and your
book has given me great encouragment to improve. Although it's nice in some
ways to be the only man at the power yoga class among ten women, I do wonder
sometimes why more men don't come along. It's their loss!
Many thanks for your inspiration
John
Steve,
I wanted to touch bases with you due to the fact that I have missed so many of the Tuesday night classes. I have missed your presence once a week.� I feel a person quickly adapts to the positive environment you and your studio offer and I thank you for both.� I feel it is fair to say that most people need to make an effort to be thankful and focus on the positive.� The world is blessed to have people like you to remind the rest of us of this.��
Namaste,
Nichole
Pasadena, CA
June 13, 2004
�
Our Protector of the Dharma:
Our Beloved Teacher Shares WF Teachings
at Barnes & Noble's book signing of TBT.
a WF Field Report from Ananda, Coach Ilg�s Assistant
�
I wish you all could have witnessed your gifted Coach
last night. He was - as he calls it, �Hooked Up,Baby!� to the �Main Source�.
His brave Heart and loving Soul shot Zen arrows into an
audience of inquisitive listeners which expanded to sixty people as
Coach kept delivering his powerful teachings:
"If you think you came here wanting to get to know me...let me tell
you now, it ain't gonna happen. See, to know me,
you're gonna have to Sweat with me! You're gonna have to Move with me! You're gonna have to UnderEat with me! You're gonna have to Sit in silence with me!�
Did you just take a Breath?
Yeah, well, so did everyone else, because Truth is Pran and Pran is UniVersal.
Collectively, we can feel when the Pran is High, when the Pran is Pure,
when the Pran is Present and that's how i felt in that go(o)d moment.
coach delivering the WF Dharma to an evergrowing crowd
The evening started out with about 15 people comprised of
HPY yogi's, personal trainers, friends, clients, and new faces. Soon, all thirty seats where filled. WF student, Mackel drove from Pasenda, WF Teacher "Q" came right from work, and like the seagulls that didn't want to be seen during the day with Jonathan Livingstons Seagull, but at night would venture near the beach to hear him speak the Dharma, seekers and feelers of the Chi started to huddle around the perimeter. Even coffee mug toting people in the Science Fiction aisles that had never felt a barbell beneath their grip seemed entranced by Coach�s bullet like delivery of WF teachings. It was a delightful sight to take in.
�
"People want to feel go(o)d, feel God," and if there's anybody that can have people feed God in their bones, it is y(our) humble Coach. Yes, the WF Five Fitness Disciplines where touched upon. Yes, every time the Tingsha Bells where rung we practiced Breath & Posture (see �Beeper Guru� in TBT).� Even i�shyly demonstrated "Staccato Technique" as i was Coached. But the true�teachings that evening�where about the Protection of the Dharma (Sacred Duty, �the righteous path�) and our�Spiritual evolution in this lifetime.�That, "It's not about being comfortable, it's about�probing our weaknesses and strengthening them. It's about learning to control the 24 inches from our hand to our mouth before we take�into our bodies something that is of questionable nutritional value. That we must train ourselves to sit alone in a room with the fluctuations of our�Afflicted Minds.�Brush our teeth or open a car door with our non-dominate hand. Sit on the floor with an elegant spine instead of sitting slouched over in a chair. Cultivate everlasting Joy in our life's instead of being�attached to happiness, which is only a momentary experience."
�
Did you just take another Breath?
�
If you didn't, reread that paragraph again, let it soak in...and remember the Source and where�IT was speaking from...a podium (and that's not "THE PODIUM") at the back of a Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Los Angeles, a far way away from Coach�s beloved Southwest Rocky Mountains.�
�
It takes a lot of courage and faith to stand in One's Truth, but through El Coache's Intensity, love, humor, compassion, devotion,�chi, he touched the Souls of Many, whether they where conscious of it or not. i felt it.
�
As a Yogin, i know feelings of Pride�are ego centered, but i admittingly share with you all that i was proud of our prophetic�Coach and blessed to be a WF student/teacher of what i "TAF" (think and feel) is a True Path for Self Cultivation and Transformation.
To get your autographed copy of TBT, Coach requires you to get close to Mother Earth!
�
On behalf of Wholistic Fitness, thanks to All who came to listen to Coach Ilg and to buy his amazing book, TBT. Gratitude�to those of you who already have the book and still came to support your Teacher. To WW, you�re the best, baby!
To Nancy, the B&N book signing Coordinator, blessings for your contribution of time and energy. In her words, "the evening was a success. The percentage of books sold was extraordinary compared to other book signing events recently held."
And...to those Seagulls who dipped there toes in the Ocean, what are you waiting for...jump in and as Coach says, �Just begin, again and again.�
�
may All Beings benefit from the Work we do on ourselves.
�
Om Shanti,
Ananda
�
�
June 11, 2004
Dear Teacher -
sending my Chi for your booksigning. wish i could be there to hang with you. what would it take to get you out here for an appearance? would love to create something out here, perhaps this fall/winter.
since the death of my road bike a few years ago, i've relied on my trusty MTB (an old Paramount) for both road and off road rides. last night i was planning to cardio commute (a la TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION) to the yoga studio (13 miles each way). got out the door behind schedule. told Jody, "this will be a test of my WF/HP fitness, i gotta crank." tapped into Mula Bandha* and rode from there. holy shit! shaved 8 minutes off my best time. only thing i've really changed in my practice recently is the bump up in pranayama (yogic breathing Practices). total Yoga on/with the bike. pratyahara... wu wei. "i" wasn't there, "i" watched myself rippin it in my best aero tuck. crazy shit. at one point, i heard myself saying aloud "pull up and out" (refering to Mula, i believe). arrived at the studio feeling like i'd only been on the bike a couple minutes. took the Chi with me to teach Strong Flow.
also! i've been waiting for the name of my MTB to arise for a couple years. finally came to me yesterday near the end of my ride, it's "ILG". how bout that? if you knew my "ILG" you too would know why the name is Perfect:)
Giving the Love,
ko
{Editors Note: Mula Banda or "the root lock" is a Hatha Yoga internal lock of the urogenital muscles and is used in a variety of Practices to recognize, develop, and transcend the Life Force within the body. If allowed to remain undeveloped, Mula Bandha weakness is what allows the regenerative Life Force to escape through the root of the pelvis causing aging and dis-ease, and lack of spiritual verve.}
THE ART OF SELF HEALING...
Noble Student Starling -
from all your poetic Update note...these following words from you
are the spiritual sutra (thread) that will one day
transform ALL of your afflictions into balanced strength and wholeness:
On Jun 10, 2004, at 8:28 PM you wrote:
"The herbs seem to be replacing coffee."
in these words, there is a effortless effort that reveals
transformation happening...at the Cellular Level.
today it is coffee...coffee is degenerative; it destroys nutrients and chi.
the SUNRIDER herbs simply will not tolerate degenerative, offensive forces in your body
if those forces are stronger than your defensive forces (immune and psychoenergetic systems).
next year, instead of coffee being replaced by your intuitive natural strength progression along the Path of WF,
it will be one of the medications you are on today that will be replaced by pranayama or some other
natural self-abiding strength that the WF Path will release!
ten years from now?!?!?
two decades from now?!??!!
always remember, New Student Starling,
your body is constantly regenerating...every thought counts
each action matters...
in your regeneration of Self:
how much of a NEW body do you want?
that depends on how much you can visualize your health and balance...
head bowed to you from a spine that was once limp and paralyzed...
how much can you visualize what you want to heal?
you are in charge,
Coach Ananda and i only Serve what you are capable of visualizing...
love,
coach ilg
June 10, 2004
Welcome to the WF Online Training Temple:
Charmain Johns of Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley West Yorkshire
which i think is in Great Britain...i know for sure that it is east of Sepulveda Blvd!
New Student Johns will be taking studies under Teacher Sheader.
Wish to send her a "Go(o)d Luck" email?
charmaine.johns@projectone.gb.com
Charmaine, may your Practice be strong, sincere, move you ever closer toward Enlightenment!
Our Tribe of hundreds rejoice that you are Here Now with us! You will feel the Light of the WF Dharma immediately.
namaste,
coach ilg
"Where there is no love, put love."
-St. John of the Cross
contributed by WF Teacher Sheader
in regard to today's DL (see below)
dearest coache',
i just�finished experiencing the
HP Yoga dvd...
WOW!....WOW!
amazing ..i bow to you and the faithful tribe
in the video....wow...
....so beautiful..
so true.
i bow low to you.
love,
student d-san
FELLOW HP YOGA TEACHER & LOVE
Dear Teacher Ilg -
i am the most feeble yoga teacher of all. i only drew 1 devoted student to meditation.� the indy 500 (which is only a couple miles from here)�attracted 1/2 million folks +, the ringing gong summoned 1... last sunday was the same.� i'm still here though.
Love,
ko
�
Noble WF Teacher KO!
the UnAwakened world
becomes more and more
transparent.
people watch cars racing around and around in circles
like the uncontrolled thoughts in their own mind.
the more Clearly we begin to see
- Clarity arises from our solo Practices -
the more clear it becomes:
we must cultivate compassion as we See ignorance and unappreciation everywhere...
we must strengthen our internal Practices like never before...
to go boldly forward
and love everyone
because there is no other Way.
love the Lexus jackass who nearly hits you while riding your bicycle
then honks at you, gives the finger while dialing his cell phone with the other hand; love him
for he cannot understand that the real Lexus lies within.
love the people who waste water, gas, and food without thinking, without feeling
the water, the gas, the food = they do not know that heaven pours through their hands.
love the people who vainly attempt to hold onto youth, money, possessions as if they ever could...
love the people who do not come to your yoga classes
love the people
love
again and again
and again over and over endlessly until
nothing of you remains
but
the
Love
Heaven is place
where nothing happens but Love.
Teacher Blanchard says, "Bring the Love
and you will Feel the Love."
love today,
your feeble teacher ilg
June 09, 2004
WF Online Student Tobe Leeson shows precisely where devoted WF Students express the teachings of Steve Ilg; at the front of the pack, baby! Student Leeson, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado has taken initial online training through WF Teacher Sheader for mountain bike racing and now heads under the wing of Coach Ilg as his practice matures along the Wholistic Fitness Personal Training System.
"You may be stiff in your body, but you are probably stiffer in your mind."
- Coach Ilg
As a yoga studio owner, you would not believe how many excuses and rationalizations i hear from the general public in regard to why they've let their bodies become such inhospitable terrain for their day to day living. I know all too well how damned hard it is to begin stretching into the parts of us that are weak and brittle. I first came to yoga as an endurance athlete whose toes seemed further than an ultra marathon away from my hands. Then i softened and gained some much needed real estate in my hamstrings and lower back. My toes became my friends. After switching sports to rock climbing, i gained flexibility quickly with help of wise nutrition through SUNRIDER herbs. Soon i was climbing highly gymnastic routes with Spiderman like suppleness and reflexes. Then, i broke my back. Wanna talk about 'stiff?" I've been there...twice. Big Time Stiff. As in paralyzed stiff. It would require another decade of concentrated inner work, but i have managed to regain a certain amount of elasticity and freedom from pain. I've walked away from both wheelchair and back surgeons through WF and one of her sub disciplines; High Performance Yoga. You can too. Don't give me your rationalizations. Give me your effort and your indomitable will. Then you will succeed. But you must begin. Again and again and again. Endlessly beginning from where you are. Then, you like WF Warrior Tobe Leeson pictured above, will crouch low with cat like flexibility and leap to the front of the race, baby....the Human Race!
May your sweat be sweet today,
coach ilg, RYT/USCF
June 08, 2004
i bow to the...the...the...FLORIDA hockey team( as oxymoronic as that sounds); TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
i bow as deep as my feeble padmasana allows...
this scrappy young team from the near tropics showed the Canadians a thing or two about their own game.
i played ice hockey on Colorado frozen ponds as a child. i figured that is the way hockey was meant to be
played.
Tampa Bay has showed me that warm weather kids can now enjoy the ultimate warrior team sport as well,
and that
my fitness friends
is go(o)d..
all go(o)d.
Congratulations to Tampa Bay, enjoy giving the Stanley Cup a well deserved tan!
and now, here is a fantastic TBT book review by Ron Jones of High Performance Health..
remember, PLEASE COME AND KEEP ME COMPANY during my booksigning at
Barnes & Noble in Encino, this Friday starting at 7:30 pm!
May your Practice be strong and sincere today,
coach ilg
���
Prepared by Ron Jones ( HYPERLINK "http://www.ronjones.org"
www.ronjones.org)
Fitness guru Steve Ilg of Wholistic Fitness has released his new book
"Total Body Transformation."� Ilg has been featured on the cover of
Outside Magazine twice and has coached numerous national,
international, and Olympic champions in multiple sports.� Ilg himself
is a multi-sport champion as well as top-selling author and poet, and
more importantly, is a wonderful human being that cherishes the human
tribe and nurtures the human spirit through yoga, writing, cardio
journeys, or high-intensity "spiritual level" strength workouts that
will send any ego-centered and superficial athletes looking for
somewhere to hide--it's all here in Total Body Transformation!
What a labor of love and devotion for the human tribe my fellow
warriors!� Steve's new book does a wonderful job uniting the world of
yoga and the Western strength training gym.� This is NOT a book for
weak minded wimps or gym rats just wanting a new gym trick.� Whether
you seek a Wholistic Fitness path that is carefully designed for a
three month journey or you just want to read an enlightening book that
can slowly simmer in the inner workings of your mind, Total Body
Transformation can provide.�
Steve's book has been a radiant source of
inspiration along my personal journey.� I highly recommend this book to
anyone that is motivated to go beyond "the normal" physiological
workout programs.� Wholistic Fitness found in Total Body Transformation
is not a passing fad diet or exercise gimmick--it's a way towards
lasting well-being through high-performance fitness and health.
I have learned many wonderful teachings from Guru Ilg in his new book
TBT...token offerings of such enrichments are below...
Learn how to "lift to elegance" in the gym instead of forcing
inefficient and counterproductive strength movements.
Enjoy the "Rasa Eating Exercise" that teaches you to truly think and
feel an appreciation for the food that you take into your body for
nourishment--develop a sincere appreciation for those that brought you
the food, the plants and animals that gave their life so that you might
enrich your own body, slowing down to fully engage multiple senses
including taste and smell--change the way you eat forever!� As Ilg
says, "Learn the beauty of your foods."
Learn virtues to live and flourish by as you self-examine before you
act, "If used regularly, it does no harm; When it is abundant, one
never tires of it and many more..."
Be humbled by the relentless "Beeper Guru" that is a constant reminder
of breath and posture!
Learn the brilliant simplicity of the "1/3 Rule" for eating for filling
your stomach at a meal 1/3 with food, 1/3 with water, and 1/3 with
empty space so you can elegantly glide away from the meal table instead
of slothing away bloated and lethargic!
Wonderful Ilgisms & Sutra Excerpts for Reflection:
"Your body is a master of regeneration, yet how often do you dwell on how quickly you age?"
"Consider: A candlelit hot bath. A cup of tea. A good book. A fresh salad. A walk. Now consider: A fast-food hamburger. A Soda. A bag of chips. Watching TV."
"Being able to work out is a Divine gift.� Give praise."
"You are made from the stuff of stars, let your Light shine! You are made from the stuff of dirt, let Humility usher your Awakening."
"Lack of Confidence, low Self-Esteem, and depleted Mojo are symptoms of
inadequate Strength Training."
"Think of your fitness work as artwork.� It is."
"...yoga is not the ultimate body/mind fitness system.� It's close, but
truly it is the balance of gym workouts, Cardio, Meditation, Nutrition,
plus Yoga that imparts the superior balance of Wholistic Fitness!"
--Steve Ilg, Total Body Transformation
Thank you my dear friend and garra brother Steve Ilg of Wholistic
Fitness for nurturing our spirit and chi throughout life�s journey�a
more humble and noble warrior cannot be found.� May your light of Total
Body Transformation shine BRIGHT throughout this land in such need of
the Wholistic path...Namaste'!
Ron Jones
June 07, 2004
Dear Steve:
RACE: CORPORATE CHALLENGE TECHNICAL TEAM RACE(TODAY)
STRATEGY: TO STAY PRESENT AND SHOW UP
STATUS: OVERTRAINED--TAUGHT SPIN NIGHT BEFORE--NO RECOVERY DAYS
IN WEEKS
TEAM MEMBERS: 2 MALES, 1 FEMALE
COURSE: TECHNICAL-4 LAPS 4KM LONG
PRERACE: UP AT 6:00 a.m. TO DO CHI KUNG AND SUN SALUTATIONS
HEMP SHAKE AND MUESLI TO FUEL
RACETIME: 9:00 a.m.
DIFFICULTIES: SEAT LIP MOVED UP---JAMMED ME IN THE BAG FOR THE WHOLE RACE GRUNTED OUT THE DISCOMFORT WITH PRANAYAMA
INSPIRATION: STEVE ILG --THE ESSENTIAL ATHLETE--MY FRIEND
RACE MANTRA: "AI IMAWA" &"I AM FUELED BY THE POWER OF THIS PERFECTLY DIVINE x PRESENT MOMENT"
RESULTS: WE KICKED IT UP!!! I FINISHED MY SECTION 4 MINUTES AHEAD--SOMETHING STEVE ILG WOULD DO---"LOOK ACROSS THE VALLEY AT THE COMPETITION"
THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION....FOR KEEPING IT REAL.....LOVINGLY....
PANTHER 777
I've read the TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION book and found the yoga to be wonderful. I often had trouble trying to meld my spiritual pursuits with my physical pursuits. Thanks so much for your enlightened approach to fitness, coach Ilg!
Cynthia Rodgers
hey coach!
just wanted to say a big, huge THANK YOU for restoring my body back to its balanced state! our session on friday was amazing, and i have to thank you for the fact that i was able to ride for 5 hours yesterday free from all the "gunk" that had accumulated in my body over the last few months. my legs were just floating on the pedals, and i had such an amazing ride! today i went on a 3.5 hour mountain bike ride, and it felt amazing as well, even after the 5 hour sweatfest the day before. thank you again so much!
love you!
tim
���
Location; San Fernando Valley
Time; Game #1 Lakers Basketball Finals
Era; Kali Yuga
streets paved with silence
freeways as open as a yogin's mind
i ride my bike to teach zen and
impart the Dharma
no one comes
alone on my cushion
empty studio
wonder
what's so hard about people looking within?
later
an email arrives
a student writes,
"The game sucked, i should have sat Zen."
in sweat and endless fortitude of one's own spirit
i bow to consistency of Practice,
coach ilg
June 06, 2004
Teacher's Notes from today's presentation at the HP Yoga Studio:
CHARMING THE PRINCESS
Exploring Hatha Yoga�s Subtle Anatomy
a presentation by Steve Ilg, RYT/USCF
� 1 �
Like the story of Buddha�s Awakening, the process of Hatha Yoga grounds the highest aim of human life; spiritual realization with practical guidelines of daily living and personal fitness.
Many people think i called HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA because of my athletic background. That is true, but the primary reason I called it HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA requires a bit deeper study:
� HIGH = Summit, Topmost, Ultimate, Divine
� PERFORMANCE = action, something accomplished,
the fulfillment of a claim
� YOGA = Union
thus; my style of yoga has been designed to move North Americans toward Divine Fulfillment of the Union between individual Self (Atman) and the Universal Self (Brahman).
�It�s a race, Ilg, so pass somebody.�
Steve's nordic ski coach, Coach Scotty, circa 1975
We are born into a human race. The goal of our race is Enlightenment. So pass somebody...like your old self that is attached to negative and lazy habits and outdated patterns.
� 2 �
Earliest teachings of yoga: 800 - 500 B.C.E.
- Upanishads:
� true essence of Self (Atman)
is same as UniVerse (Brahman)
� Everyone is subject to Samskara
� Your performance in this lifetime determine
the nature of your rebirth (doctrine of karma).
� Go(o)d deeds and renunciation accumulated
sincerely in this lifetime can reverse heavy karmic workloads (samnyasa; Path of Renunciation).
Earliest techniques always involved the breath:
�The oneness of breath and mind, and likewise of the senses, and the relinquishment of all conditions of existence - this is designated as yoga.�
- Maitrayaninya Upanishad 2nd or 3rd century, B.C.E
� 3 �
Until the Classical Yoga era of Patanjali,
yoga consisted of 6 disciplines designed to yoke Brahman with Atman:
1) pranayama - controlling the breath
2) pratyhara - withdrawing the senses
3) dharana - concentration
4) dhyana - meditation
5) tarka -contemplation
6) samadhi - absorption
by the time of Patanjali�s compilation of yogic science around the second century B.C.E. these elements toward union of Self and Selfless, Seer and the Seen, Purusha (spirit/male) and Prakriti (matter or nature/female) would morph into an 8-limbed (Ashtanga) path of union (yoga):
1) Yamas = 5 guidelines for ethical restraint (ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha)
2) Niyamas = 5 personal observations (sauca, santosha, tapas, svadhaya, ishvara pranidhana)
3) Asana = strength/immunity/control of the body
4) Pranayama = control of breath/life force
5) Pratyhara = withdrawal of the senses
6) Dharana = one pointed concentration
7) Dhyana = meditation
8) Samadhi = absorption
� 4 �
Hatha Yoga emerged in the 9th or 10th century
Adepts realized that polarities such as hot vs. cold, male vs. female, happy vs. sad give rise to dis-eases and suffering and delusion.
Hatha Yoga is like the Phys. Ed Dept of yoga which overcomes disease, age, imbalances of body, and disciplined the uncontrolled mind.
Ha = Sun, Right Side of Body, Male, Prana
Tha = Moon, Left Side of Body, Female, Mind
The Immediate Benefits of a Hatha Yogin are:
� Health of body is gained as a by-product of a superior mind.
� Gives rise to and addresses side to side
and kinesthetic imbalances
� Awareness of internal locks
and the power of pranayama.
�The mind cannot be regulated before regulation of the breath. Purification, strength, transcendence.�
� 5 �
The main goals of a Hatha Yogin are:
� Create an absolute balance of the interacting activities and processes of the physical body, mind, and energy.
� Upon attainment of this balance, Awakening occurs to the central force (sushumna nadi) which is responsible for the evolution of human consciousness.
If Hatha Yoga is not used for this purpose, its true objective is lost.
The �Podium� for a Hatha Yogin are:
1) Be able to sit comfortably in Padmasana (Full Lotus) for extended periods of meditation time.
2) Attain harmony of Ida and Pingala (left and right nostril flow)
3) Mergence of Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna Nadi (cause for Kundalini Awakening)
After this Podium has been gained,
the yogin is thus strong enough in body, mind, and spirit to advance into Samyoga (Continuing Ed.!)
{WOULD YOU LIKE COACH ILG TO COME TO DO A HP YOGA WORKSHOP AT YOUR FACILITY? COACH ILG
IS THE ONLY REGISTERED YOGA TEACHER WITH MULTI-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPORT EXPERIENCE...
HIS UNIQUE GRASP OF ESOTERIC YOGIC PHYSIOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY COMBINED WITH HIS
MASTERY OVER ELITE LEVEL SUFFERING AND ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT PRODUCES A GENUINE AND MOVING
EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR YOGA STUDIO, HEALTH CLUB, OR SPA RESORT!}
June 05, 2004
"Welcome to the storms of spiritual transformation.
I have you on belay.
You must climb though."
- WF Teacher Sheader in counsel to a WF Student experiencing emotional turbulence during his first year of formal WF online study.
"Thank you" Thanks also for the Wholistic fitness graphic,� it is a beautiful screen saver/conversation piece.
Semper Fi - Scott�
JUNE 6th, Sunday 10 am - 12 noon:
Yogic Subtle Anatomy; The First Energetic Handhold with Steve
Learn the two main goals of Ha/Tha Yoga and come along for an intellectual ride on the chakras, nadis, and the �Princess Kundala!�
You need this one if you are want more than just the body.
$25.00/Preregistration required, 5 student minimum
����
Ilgbro,
I was reading DL about the inversions during training to ease back problems.� How long should one invert during a hard workout?� Do you go by feel or is there a definite guideline. �I�d like to try some of those mofos!
�Man�Joe Gutcher and my other tribal hermano bike bud Ryan Rickard have been blessing me with �going away� workouts this last week.� We have been flat fucking shredding and throwing down the chi Ilgbro!� Next week I�m hitting them with my push up matrix featuring the infamous Ilgarandas and LaLannes!� I have a motto Ilgbro that I live and plan to die by, �Finish with a kick!��
Thanks, Humble rj
Noble RJ:
it's purely intutive on the inversions. the length of their hold is completely dependent upon the strength of one's solo Practice. follow the Ujjayi breathing...the moment a struggle for easy nasal breathing becomes evident, come down.
with Practice, the body's anatomy and physiology becomes 'transparent' thus making all
exercises, be it a handstand during a run to a bench press completely obvious as to where the form and focus
should merge.
the first gift of love is to listen
the true Warrior of the Inner Workout
learns to LISTEN to whatever he or she is doing...
then the body
will
inform
the mind
and Intuitive Wisdom
shall endlessly guide you Higher and Higher...
RE:
Finish With A Kick, baby!
YES! glad you picked up on this ILGONIAN CLASSIC MOTO!
we must train to be STRONGER
the OLDER
we grow!
older years are not to be spent lazing about in soft-bellied 'retirement,'
older years are meant to be used to dive deeper into the Self
and prepare for the greatest, most noblest workout of all;
to die
consciously
elegantly
and
with controlled navigation of the dying realms...
Finish With A Kick, baby!
true personal training prepares one for the sacred workout of the life and death cycle!
this is what brings such immeasurable gratitude for our life!
love,
your feeble ilgbro
June 04, 2004
Dear Noble Coaches,
Thank you for your encouragement; your words caress my
heart after a tough weekend. Sweet Coach Ananda, you
encouraged me to feel my heart; well, I feel it
healing here in our Work, after (taking) a little
beating, beating, beating...
B and I put ourselves through a
family-obligation-type-thing this weekend in Atlantic
City. Never again! People willingly put themselves in
such a terrible, toxic, manipulating, unnatural
environment. So many broken souls, fractured spirits,
so much greed and violence to Mother Earth. Talk about
misdirected, false chi (recent DL). It was an assault
to all senses. A violent movie constantly playing in
the elevator (e.g., on our way down to breakfast),
smoke everywhere--ashstrays installed in toilet stalls
(!), "uninhabited" bodies smacking into me, stepping
on me... We couldn't wait to get h(om)e and detox with
Sunrider! I literally dreamed about checking my inbox
for my new WF Program.
Our intention on going was largely to make someone
else feel better, but I felt sorry for having
contributed in any way to this energetic vortex. I
feel I owe Mother Earth much attention/restoration for
patronizing that earth-assault.
Man, was this go(o)d practice for breathing. And did I
ever!
In breath, in posture, in full gratitude,
your humble student d
June 03, 2004
Dear Steve
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, You and the WF Shangha For
packing my 3/4 asleep ass around over the years (yeah it's been years)
your influence on my life is Huge, and for all that's on the way
thanks in advance.
- Warrior T.
���
"May my deeds never reach a limit;
May my qualites of excellence become boundless;
And by abiding in immeasurable activity
May I find buddhahood, the state of limitless manifestation.
Limitless is the extent of space.
Limitless is the number of sentient beings.
And limitless are the karma and delusions of beings.
Such are the limits of my aspirations."
- from The Great King of Prayers.
June 02, 2004
���
�Consider yourself a competitive person?
Then focus your competitive spirit on being able to be the FIRST ONE
to see the go(o)dness in every being you meet today.
Consider yourself a perfectionist?
Then focus your perfectness on using your non-dominant hand today...
that should humble you!
Don�t focus on your strengths...they will always be there. Do what
Wholistic Fitness students are trained to do; focus on your weaknesses...
developing our weaknesses into strengths is what brings wholeness
and balance. That to me, is what genuine Yoga (union) is all about."
- coach ilg, dharmatalk, 5*04
���
Our Humble Temple wishes WF Online Student Michael Jarnevic
only health and happiness as he leaves formal online training.
May ALL your workouts be guided from within and be illuminated by
the WF Tribal Light which shall endlessly empower your life journeys.
���
WF Teacher Chris �Konanda� Roche now has a rare opening for a new online student...
go to the Online Catalog at www.WholisticFitness.com
fill out the Application under the Correspondence Program and request
Teacher Roche...first come, first serve baby!
the Temple Door swings ajar for some fortunate warrior!
���
"I just wanted to thank you for the awesome book, TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION
and your HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA dvd! I'm totally into this program!!
THANKS!! It puts together all the pieces in a way I've never seen before
and motivates me to exercise consistently, but doesn't ignore yoga, which is
the one I would do and ignore the rest. Very sweet.
- Heather
June 01, 2004
Keeping up with the coach:
May�s Monthly Practice Totals:
Hours of Strength Training: 1.75 new record for all time low!
Hours of Cardio Training: 40.75
Hours of Yoga: 61.79
Hours of Meditation/Pranayama: 25.50
Calories Consumed: 36.2 thousand
Favorite Monthly Insight Arising From Meditation:
�Our greatest affliction:
Not finding the wisdom of our minds
just because we are too scared and not
strong enough to
sit upright
and alone
in enduring silence.�
- coach ilg, 5/04