May 31, 2005
On the move!
Dear WF Sangha,
I bow to your practice of patience. We are en route to our new home in Flagstaff. We are unsure of the electronic Bardo. Please allow us up to 2 weeks to process orders and to re-establish online communication.
Keep your practice strong.
Namaste.
Coach Ilg
May 30, 2005
Moving Yoga
Ananda less than halfway through our entire night of packing up tonight...
no renunciates are WE!
all i say is:
thank GOD for Dr. Chen and the SUNRIDER herbs!
where is my Practice (5)
awash in a cardboard sea (7)
moving yoga...om! (5)
wanna help load the Temple Truck tomorrow?
stop by anytime after 12!
5720 Yolanda Ave, #2
Tarzana, CA 91356
a tired yet wired
coach ilg heading h(om)e to red earth, mountain snows
Ilgbro�NOBLE Ilgbro!
Stunning DL this early Saturday morning as I sit here in my ATL office�I am touched by the work you have done and the students� comments from their hearts and souls. WW is right you know. Those intervals are reality�not the reality TV. I was feeling �lazy� this morning myself, but after reading WW, will gather his chi hit and run hard at the park this afternoon!
Dude�how �bout an interval reality show?! I�ve often wondered why we don�t have reality shows based upon teamwork, honor, and people just flat busting their asses to lose weight, face challenges, overcome obstacles all the while pulling with their hermanos in honorable competition�maybe we do�it�s the 508 and other endurance sports that rarely get prime time!
God speed on your journey this week Steve. I love you�and always will. You are in my heart and prayers on the next phase of your journey.
Namaste�
Feeble rj
Steve:
This afternoon, while cleaning house, jettisoning "stuff" I came across (amid a pile of WF updates) the "trainer observations" you wrote to/for me TEN YEARS ago when I began WF training!
You may be pleased to hear that the papers are on the way to become paper again.... the training lives on.
You may also be pleased to hear that I am still at it: yoga, cycling, meditation in the arena of being a husband/father/ surgeon. I'll spare you the details of the ebb and flow, but it is all right.
I trust you are still at it as well. Don't underestimate what you do.
Lastly, I miss you.
Kevin, CO
May 29, 2005
FROM DUST TO DUST
Steve,
regarding tonight's DL:
I remember a �intellectual� once talking to a famous Jewish rabbi..he informed the rabbi that science could now explain all the events that happened in the exodus from the Nile changing color to the crossing of the Reed Sea implying there were no miracles. The wise rabbi of course had no argument or problem with these facts. He simply made the point that they STILL HAPPENED....and at least in part lead to the events that followed. The real miracles rarely if ever break the laws of nature. Quite the contrary.
love,
WF Teacher haku
SO, WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT DUST?
Dearest Mr. Ilg,
A friend suggested I look at your site, and so I did. Your practice and principles seem sound. This caught my attention.
"The powerful Meditations within this room left an outline of Chenreezig Buddha on the wall above where my Puja table had been."
Mr. Ilg, as a practitioner of the somatic and contemplative arts/sciences for over twenty years I feel it is my duty to inform you that the outline is not due to powerful meditations. It is due to dust.
Namaste,
JB
Boone, NC
**
Most Noble One On The Path Of Awareness...
i bow to the time and effort you took to write, to your body/mind Practice, and to your metta.
So, Kalyana Mitra, what annoys you about Chenreezig's "Dust" upon my wall?
Are these Dust particles somehow less Sacred to your "twenty years" of Practice than the
red smudge of Kum Kum powder upon a forehead on a yogi in Benares?
Is a Bench Press that much less holy than a Chaturanga?
You judge my personal meditations as not powerful? So be it. For i am the first admit
my feebleness as a yogi.
So, Kalyana Mitra, how do you think my Chenreezig Dust get there, upon my Zendo wall?
by me watching TV
or
by me watching my mind-waves during an average of 6.50 hours of Meditation per week
as predawn smoke of Incense arose like fingers intertwined among my Puja table deities?
you come quickly and intellectually into my Warrior Temple of Sweat and Stillness
of a quarter century
to accuse me like a child of sophomoric and false Teaching and weak meditation skills?
perhaps it is my duty to
"inform you"
oh Fellow Traveler on the Path,
that It is my Duty
my SvaDharma assigned to me by my Teachers
to attempt publicly and without reservation the bridge between western Fitness enthusiasts
and a noble Eastern Lineage of
Mountain Yogis...
no easy feat, especially for such a feeble yogi as i.
i trust you could have Served my Teachers far more capably than i,
of that i do not hold doubt. though i have always started well below average in nearly everything i have attempted,
i can endure.
in-Deed, if i have learned one thing in this incarnation,
it is how to keep my Practice strong and consistent within all physiologic realms.
many
read of my words of the Wholistic Fitness Path on DL
and are Internet-quick to write to me
without
first
Sweating
through the brilliance of WF training
month after month,
let alone decades.
My Temple is strong,
enjoy your tea.
in strength and spirit,
coach ilg
Kate Wolf; author of Brother Warrior
Noble Coach Ilg,
I wish both you and Ananda a chi-filled move to your new h(OM)e. And make sure that you take the time to just Be Together for awhile in this new environment, too.
Amazing that you chose to highlight the lyrics from "Brother Warrior" in your last DL. Not only will I listen to it, I will play it mindfully on my guitar for you both. I know this song well, as it was written by Kate Wolf, an absolutely stunning warrior poet who left the stage too soon to leukemia. She was from California and there is an wonderful celebration of her life every year now that brings the most amazing singer-songwriters, poets, and alive people that you can imagine. She had a very strong commitment to community, the environment, and friendship, too, and I suspect that she would have found a home within WF.
Peace to you both, and travel well. You will be in my heart.
Namaste,
WF Online Student michael thompson of Clan Haku
***
Steve,
Just read today's DL. Best wishes with the move!
Fascinating that you mentioned "Brother Warrior" in DL. When I trained in cardio prior to the current Green Tara, I would often listen to "Brother Warrior" on my MP3 player when I was on the elliptical trainer. Quite a few times, the repetitive motion and that tune got me lost in thought/visualization of snowshoeing across a rugged mountain...not unlike that photo of Kinlani...to the point where even though I was 30 minutes into the session and sweating profusely, I could feel the cold mountain air across my skin and get chilled. Definitely something to explore during the upcoming days of 110+!
Amanda, Marisa and I (and perhaps Max the lab) may take a pilgrammage down to Flagstaff this summer to pay a visit. We can make Motel 6 our base camp, get some hikes in, continue the girls' education in the outdoors...and visit Ilg...and formally meet Joy...if your schedules permit a brief visit one weekend. Amanda is very jazzed about the idea.
Love,
John
RETURNING TO THE WOLF PACK: Student Sasso
Dear Steve,
Thank you for choosing to be here now with all of us!
Thank you for knowing that choosing this Earthwalk, this incarnation, this time spiral was the best path to growth.
And thank you for not turning and running the other way screaming in terror, arms flailing muppet-like when faced with all our clinging needs and insecurities and excuses and delusions.
Thank you for all your love and guidance, patience and friendship, teachings and wisdom.
Nostrils inhaling dirt and grass from head bowed to the ground, So very grateful that you chose here now.
Love,
Anne
***
Noble WF Online Student Anne Sasso, who has a Ph.D in geology is also a freelance author. Anne was the originator of the "ILGMAN" comic strip which appeared in the printed version of DIRECT LINES in the pre-Internet era. Anne, who has studied with me in both Durango and Santa Fe, has returned from a multi year Spiritual SoJourn in South America and is now ramping back up on both SUNRIDER Herbs and WF Online Training. Welcome back, my Beautiful Warrioress! My humble Temple is more warm by the return of your Devoted Practice.
HEAD WF TEMPLE GOES INTO RAJAS MODE; Students Must Carry The WF Spirit
If you felt a Shift in your Practice yesterday, it may have been because i had to do a delicately intense deconstruction of the Main WF Temple from which my Work of WF emanates.
It is vital for yogis to move. Moving keeps us Whole. Lila, the Dance of Life, is experienced through the trained yogin's eyes in three primary UniVersal constituents of nature (prakriti); Tamas (inertia), Rajas (activity/flux), and Sattva (illumined state of beingness). 
After several years of sattvic prakriti, yesterday i had to shift the gunic quality of my Zendo (meditation chamber) into rajas mode; fortunately, my Teaching Lineage is no prima donna Lineage; our spirituality is trained to encounter all Bardo Realms with elegance and durable, practical strength. Still, i was witnessing a watershed of heart filled emotions as i packed my Deities and Ritual Items into boxes with mindfulness... 
after a couple auspicious other-Realm encounters, the Duty was done. The powerful Meditations within this room left an outline of Chenreezig Buddha on the wall above where my Puja table had been.
the Temple Spirit of WF nows lives on within the Heart of my Sangha; YOU! until Ananda and i reestablish the physical WF Main Temple beneath the Sacred Mountain next week, here are a few Practices you can do to help us safely Transfer our Main Temple:
* WF Online Students Only: Use the mantra; OmManiPadmeHum in your Assigned Meditation Practices
* DL Readers and Friends of WF:
1) cut out the above picture of the Sacred Peak above Kinlani, carry it with you or place it near or on your Puja Table
2) get this CD: Sharon Burch; Touch The Sweet Earth
3) play the track "Brother Warrior" as a seated and giving Meditation to myself as feeble Messenger of WF while gazing (trataka) at the picture of the Sacred Mountain.
4) See that mountain as our Tribe's Buddha Ancestor and send Loving Thoughts to Ananda and i carrying our Temple across the deserts to our new h(om)e.
5) Radiate from your Heart Center (Anahata Chakra) Love and Fearlessness (abhaya) to all our WF Sangha worldwide who realize the necessity of using Personal Fitness as a spiritual vehicle through which we can help Serve all others.
"At this time when the Earth/
is waking to the dawn of another age/
i tell you now/
there is no reason/
to be afraid."
- song lyrics from Brother Warrior, by Sharon Burch
you and your Devoted Practice are now, more than ever;
my humble yet Powerful Temple...
carry onward, upward, and Endlessly Inward my Noble Warriors!
from an ocean of cardboard packing boxes
i press my palms together and
bow
deep
to you, my Precious WF Sangha
that is all,
the mountain yogi
May 28, 2005
WF BIRTHDAY DHARMA; "Like passing gas in a breeze."
" if you feel the need to be motivated...your CHI is blocked;)
- WF Teacher Q
*Teacher Q stopped by to pack a few boxes before his ol' coach heads to the hills with Ananda. i Gifted him a new Pranayam and Morning Ritual in return plus a little Sedona Seed Planting...we might be seeing Teacher Q among the Red Rocks as his next Colorful Chapter in his WF Journey continues...here are his words of the evening;
"To Coach and Beloved Ananda,
sitting atop my Swiss Ball, yoga toes firmly in place, first SINCERE session of new ToiletYoga fully completed.� awoke with such inner knowingness and conviction. my body embraced this new practice like a long lost love. 3 bowel movements this morning....3!! Neti went beautifully. coach was there (energetically) to guide. besides a little "brain Freeze" i think perhaps i used to much sea salt;) all was beautiful. i had been doing it all wrong. pranayam was FREAKIN OM-BELIEVABLE!! talk about stirring the CHI beyond the limited awareness most call MOTIVATION. what truly tapped in entity needs motivation? what animal needs motivation? if you feel the need to be motivated...your CHI is blocked;)
�thank you both for loving this Crazy Q with all his crazy ways. you have shown me true love. never did i receive more SHAKTIPAT than with simply rolling packing stuffer around pictures!;) you and the Wolf cleansed my mind and allowed me to see....ME again.
�i bow to you both.
�Happy Birthday non-representing birthday yogi boy!!;) your little pics are cute. you had a HUGE butt even then!!
�there are no words to describe my love for you. and you too sweet Joy.
�gotta go and get ready to move to Sedona!;)
�Namaste
Q"
(teacher q is available for beginning students in WF Online Students)
***
so, WHAT DO YOU GIVE to a Mountain Yogi who considers chronologic birthdays as important as, "passing gas in a breeze,"?* well, Ananda pretty much nailed it for me yesterday with a Tibetan Prayer Wheel, Ganesha and Laxmi statue, Speedo swim goggles (for my return trips to LA so i can continue my lifelong challenge of learning how not to sink), a 15-piece Camping Cookware kit, and a custom made wood sign displaying the nickname of our new h(om)e/training center beneath the Sacred Peak in Flagstaff, "Two Tree Manor."
Chronologic birthdays are considered kleshas in WF Master Studies. Their tendency to add interruption and drama to the flow of life is not conducive to Warriorism.
Sogyal Rinpoche;"Even in the greatest yogi, sorrow and joy still arise just as before. The difference between an ordinary person and the yogi is how they view their emotions and react to them.
An ordinary person will instinctively accept or reject them, and so arouse the attachment or aversion that will result in the accumulation of negative karma.
A yogi, however, perceives everything that rises in its natural, pristine state, without allowing grasping to enter his perception."
*
i have learned however, to Play the Game of birthdays without buying into them and i bow most deeply to ALL of the loving words which many of you streamed...
"Dear TFO,
Happy Birthday! in-Joy.
jeez, has it been another year.....?
tomorrows Practice is devoted to you.
Love,
Teacher ko
*
Dear coach,
Read DL and just wanted to wish you a happy birthday:-)
I just celebrated my 22nd last Friday within the walls of the iron temple with Green Tara's intervals as my candles and my sweat(oh, all of the sweet sweat) as my wish. So much ,we as people in general, forget to look deep within ourselves to find who we truly are. You are so right, this is truely an inner journey.
�
I've recieved my WF Blessed Mala Beads�the other day,along with all of the other wonderful items that�I ordered, and followed the directions that were inclosed with them. WOW, as soon as I picked them up I just couldn't put them down. I meditated with them right away. The beads just pulled me in. I never felt that way before. I was so FOCUSED!!!! Wore them tonight on my mountain bike ride and found myself climbing hills SSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO steep and rough that would normally cause me to dismount.By the way, Love the craftsmanship.
�
One more thing, the WF intro. video, I LOVE IT. MAN that little segment ( WF.COM Promo) gets me SO PUMPED . Seing you in action on the bike, strength training,ect...you just flow with the music. That short but empowering video just... how can I say this...
KICKS ASS!!!!!! Great job to everyone who had put effort into that video.
�
Well gotta go now....................OM TAT SAT
�������������������������������������������������� Namate,
������������������������������������������������������������vito
***
Noble Steve,
Happy Birthday coach!� Love the baby pictures on DL, what a happy lad!
Thanks so much for the prep schedule into the District Time Trial, last night I did a 20 mile TT, �a blistering effort in cold wind driven rain things went great and good confirmation of my form. �About halfway into the effort I realized that my breathing was simply effortless!� My HR was at 175 and I was breathing so easily, as if my lungs were balloons just expanding and contracting into my belly.�� The Mantra has really come in handy too.� You wouldn�t believe the drop in power when the mind wonders from the effort.�� I�ll let you know how things go on Monday.�
One question,� I�ve received the Sports Caps and have begun taking them,� how many would you like me to take throughout the day?
Head bowed, spine straight�. and Happy Birthday bro!
� Sammy
*
coach
Happy birthday!
i hope you're doing something special to celebrate your special day!
(today is also my daughter's birthday..she is seventeen....wow..)
love always,
vic
ps. i'm looking forward to the yoga retreat at Red Mtn!
***
Oh jasmine breeze,
In the open still space of this morning, a most�sacred�in-between realm of contentment dawns ... i�gift this moment with�you.
�
head bowed
smiling still
karen
***
hey coach!
just wanted to tell you HAPPY BIRTHDAY from me and mom! we were just enjoying the baby pictures on DL. have a good weekend (moving i am sure---as i will partially be doing as well). i will miss you, and miss getting to ride with you on the weekends (my friend dan was bummed that you were leaving and that he would not get to ride with you all summer long). promise me you will call me when you are in town during june. i love ya, and you have taught me so much these last 5 years, you helped me push myself to my limits and because of that one of my dreams of winning that national championship came true!
love ya!
timari
***
*TITLE FOOTNOTE: My Bardo Realm Teacher, Mahanidrarishi, used this phrase which i thought was fantastic! Like all great spiritual Masters, Maha knows the utter insignificance of a human's chronological birthday, for it is only the spiritual birthdays that truly 'matter' in the long term.
May 26, 2005
BABY "Coach" ILG: BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR COACH!
***
Baby Ilg; born, May 27, 1962 in Evanston, Illinois fresh on his latest incarnation and entered this lifetime ready to do intervals, jump squats, and yoga poses (in the nude of course!). Baby Ilg was destined and remains determined to this day to change the Way the world works out, both on the outer and the inner!
***
Rejoicing in the Day you Re-entered our Time/Space
Dear Kemosabe,
Tomorrow, the anniversary of the moment when you re-entered time/space with those of us here, at this moment. Out here in the Hinterlands of Hooterville, a small family of warriors rejoice, having been brought near the circle of your influence and inspiration.
The confluence of this anniversary with your journey back to scared lands, having spent the last many years in the "Lost Angels" land - surely no accident, this joining of such moments by Nature, like two rivers joining and roaring onward downstream - taking the power of each, melding into one ever-stronger torrent, changing the landscape as it moves, ever moves, always moves. Moving lives, hopes, dreams, attitudes, fears, stigmas, and most important love.
At this moment, I Think and Feel for you the very best, Kemosabe.
Your humble student of a student (Wendy Cooper) and student of a teacher (Teacher Ko), and so damn blessed,
John
WF Student Mike DeSantis; reflections on persistence and adaptation in WF 
Mike DeSantis, another amazing Noble Warrior of the WF Lifestyle with bella and emma.
Student DeSantis says about the Work of WF: "Practicing this stuff is hard, and my practice is
nowhere near perfect. However, it's practice that MAKES perfect, and your inspiration and guidance has
really helped this humble student practice more and better."
Namaste Noble Coach,
The amount of yourself that you share through DL and through personal emails is so moving, that I really want to share something of myself with you in return. In that spirit, I offer some observations of my own first faltering steps on the path of WF. (I am now 1/2 way through Frugal Real week 3 from TBT, so I have not yet completed a full cycle).
Your teaching to prioritize quality and posture over quantity and weight in strength training; your frequent reminders that "you have your whole life to become wholistically fit;" your reminder that yoga is adaptation; the amount of time you wrote that it took you to loosen yourself and do a deep malasana; the reminders to attend to breath and posture; all these have been beacons on my initial journey.
You've posted some emails to DL from people who claim they don't have the time for WF, so I wanted to share how these teachings helped me with this very problem.
When I started WF, I had 18 month old twins at home and a job at a high-tech startup. I wasn't exactly sitting around with time on my hands wondering what to do with myself. I had a real need, however, to begin this work, and TBT came along at the right time in my life. I started by working out at a local gym during lunchtime (and insisting to management that I had to
take a break for lunch). I was on the final week of Green Tara when my company laid everyone off. Such is life at a startup.
In between jobs, there was no gym membership or workouts for three months, while I scrambled to find another job to support my family (my wife stays at home full time to care for our children, especially my son who has special needs, but that's another story). Three months later, another startup (they seemed to be the only ones hiring at the time), and another gym close to the office. Perfect! Again, I started Green Tara. Again, I practiced for three weeks.
This time, however, management got ugly. They began demanding more hours from me, sending me on frequent business trips. I let the gym membership go, feeling bad all the while that I couldn't stick with the program.
I might have given up on WF entirely were it not for your words. Instead, I decided to adapt. I decided the only way to make WF work for me would be to invest in a home gym setup, wake up early, and do the workouts before getting to the office. This also meant that I would not have certain machinery at my disposal (e.g., leg press), but I resolved to find alternate exercises for anything I couldn't do, and simply press on (your earlier book, The Outdoor Althete, was a great help in this regard).
I started again with Green Tara. I completed it. Again, instability at a startup caused a change of jobs; my new routine made my workouts imprevious to this disruption. I completed Cosmic Yang. Now I am in the Frugal Realm.
The main "muscle" I've trained, through all of this, is my will and resolve to stick to this program. The more I do, the greater is my capacity to go a little further all the time. Every workout, every practice, fuels my desire to keep going. As my willpower
increases, my practice improves, every day. The Sunrider herbs, especially the ILG SUPREME, are another source of fuel for the will. Being an athlete is a major stretch for me. I'm overcoming a lifetime of a inactivity and injury. I spent my childhood and young adulthood, from age 6 to age 18, working through an injury caused by a cyst I was born with in my left femur. The fragile bone broke when I was 6, and the next 12 years were filled with bone graft surgeries, body casts, wheelchairs, and
crutches.
Imagine what your life might be like if you had never participated in any sport between the ages of 6 and 18. I am so very grateful that I was completely cured! So many people I ran into during those years will never recover from their injuries or diseases; I am extraordinarily lucky.
Early fitness explorations for me didn't come until I was in my 20s; hiking, camping, canoing, cardio commuting on my bike, and yoga with a wonderful teacher.
I have never completed stuck with any athletic endeavor as strenuous and difficult as WF. You wrote that completing the program may be the most difficult physical challenge someone has ever encountered; that's certainly true in my case!
I hope to one day compete in an athletic event (I'm planning a century ride in the fall, now that I've returned to cardio commuting and with WF training under my belt), and then apply to become a real WF online student.
Thank you for reading
and for your love and encouragement.
Thank you for caring enough to read and reply! It's an
honor to share the planet with YOU too -- your example
is an inspiration!
Love,
Mike DeSantis
WW: One Last Ride With His Coach and An Awakening To What Is REAL! 
Since shooting the cover of my book, TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION, i have had the indelible honor to tap out the delicate Dance of both Fierce Teacher and humble friend to Wayne Williams, shown above in his WF Chi Cap with his AMAZING wife, Marsha. These two are True Blue Friends to me and Angels to the Path of WF. Their work, behind the scenes of WF, has helped keep my humble Temple from toppling in this city of Hard Knocks. Below is WW's account of our bicycle ride yesterday. The DharmaTeachings ring loud and far from this Brahman/Warrior of the WF Way. Enjoy and may your Practice benefit from WW's sweat and spirit.
***
El Coach�,
Every once in a while I awake and know I'd rather stay in bed. Oh, I know you get that feeling too. Doing my morning practice of Toilet Yoga followed by Neti and Pranayama usually wakes me up. Humm, but not this morning. Every once in a while I'll have my Calli before a light breakfast, read my emails and catch up on the news that often makes my heart fill with sadness at the stupidity and cruelty going on. This usually wakes me up... But not this morning.
We live in a society filled with deception, distraction and entertainment filled with so called "Reality" based programs that are fully edited, or intense evening TV dramas mirroring our fears with obscene violence... They are anything but reality, they are unreality! No wonder sometimes we don't want to wake up.
Now I'm always one to carry on, and since I don't drink caffeine to clear the fog that seems to site just a few feet from my head, this morning I've just got to get going... it's time for some real reality to kick in... Its time for Intervals! There is nothing like the all out intense exertion, recover, exertion, recover repetition of intervals to clear the fog and allow the day to pop in all it's wonderful glory.
*** 'Poipu Sunrise' one of WW's prints available at www.waynewillamsstudio.com
I've had the pleasure of not only maturing as a cyclist under your gentle guidance, I have had the joy of riding with you a number of times a month here in Los Angeles during the last 2 years. You have seen me struggle and grow, climb hills with good cadence that years ago I could barely walk up, let alone ride a bike over. Strength, Cardio, Yoga, Meditation and SR whole food herbs are all a part of the breath and posture, mindfulness, appropriate action and practice that no matter how long it takes... works!
This weekend, I clearly had a breakthrough (a birthday as you call it) when doing the 70 mile Simi ride. We climbed a number of 1-3 mile hills, and I stayed on your wheel, keeping my back flat, feeling my legs doing all the pushing and pulling as my breath stayed calm and determined. There was finally a rhythm to it all, I finally felt the concept of 'no chain...' no ego. In rides past I'd blow halfway up a climb at best, but not this time, and not since, for I found 'myself,' and not the struggle of it all on the hill. What a gift.
But now back to this morning... Its time to take one last ride with you before you leave LA. For this morning I'm facing the reality of Stunt Rd. 'intervals'... and I'm in a fog, trying to wake up.
Doing intervals always makes me nervous, I'll think about it the night before... woof! Intervals! Last week before I started them, I pulled up to a guy at a signal, we said our hello's and upon his asking me how I was doing I told him I was nervous, cause I was about to start doing a set of intervals. You know what he said? "Don't take it so seriously." Brilliant indeed. He set the tone, and I reminded my self of his advice again as the time approached. Stunt Rd. is a steep climb, doing it is like doing a full speed run out of the Grand Canyon. No flat interval for this WF warrior anymore.
It was now time to say good bye to you as you take your cross bike up a separate dirt ridge road and I look at my cycle computer, we've been riding for 1:14:45 and I've got 15 seconds... 14... 13... 12....... just hit it... just GO... for 1 minute, out of the saddle, pushing, standing, open heart, abs tight, deep full 3 part breathing. Zone 4 kicks in and Stunt vaults up before me, MAN, 26 seconds in I'm still pushing as I sit down and continue to climb hard... I'm thinking, "no matter what... even if you are going slow, push as hard as you can, even if it's only in your mind..." that's it, fool your mind out of the fog of unreality... stand up, gear up and go, keep pushing.
Recovery for 1 1/2 min. arrives and I'm still climbing, slowly now, deep calming breaths, settling down... what's this? I'm waking up... time to go again... STAND UP, Kick it up again.... head clearing, fog lifting... recovery, exertion, recover, exertion, recover... and all I can see and feel is my breath, blood pounding through my heart, my body, my head... the road, the hills all around glow with clarity and color, the sky and oh yes, off in the distance on the opposite ridge I hear you yell out, "YEAH, GO WW!!!"
I'm awake now baby, I'm alive, this... this is reality! My head is clear, the fog is gone, the sun has really come out, funny that... the ride home, the hills and all are sweat with sweat, staying low, calm & strong on my bike. I'm no pro-cyclist, but I'm alive and loving it... 135 miles in 4 days. I know you remember that 2 years ago, 14 miles on the flats for me seemed like an difficult time. There is no substitute for doing the work, and the more you do it, the more fun you have!
***Student/Teacher, Friend/Friend, Tribal Brothers of the Breath. Wayne and Coach before a ride. ***
I'm awake and alive... and I'm not going to let my ego tell me this is important or hard, it's just reality and I'm thrilled you and your WF teachings have opened this wonderful door to me and so many others.
As you often say, "Ain't so bad"... not at all. There is so much more fun to have today, work to do, tasks to accomplish, and now, I'm awake to really enjoy it.
With deep love and appreciation...
Your friend,
WW
May 25, 2005
WF Online Student and HP Yogini Sophia on: "The gift of a daily WF pranayama practice"
Sophia, shown above in a fun variant of Natarajasana, is one of those Brahmanic cusp Warrior yogins that visit my humble Warrior Temple to support their more Advanced Grasp of Ethereal Yogic components. In ancient times, the Brahmins (intellectuals) were close friends with and honored deeply the input from the slightly 'lower' Warrior caste. i, and thus, WF and HP Yoga, descend from an esteemed, yet purely Warrior, tribe. Some of our Tribe, like myself, hover toward the Brahmin edge, yet cannot linger in that intellectual terrain for long. this explains, from a yogic perspective, why close to 15% of WF Master Students are above average collegiate education; Masters, Ph.D's, Doctors, and Lawyers. Brahmin/Warriors like beautiful Sophia, re-Members (with) WF because they sense they need a wise and true Ground to their natural samskaric gravitation toward the Body, not just the Mind. i am Honored to serve the Brahmin/Warriors in my humble Temple. the Highest Percentage of Master WF Online Students come from this intellectual/warrior cusp.
here then are Sophia's words, excerpted from an Update she sent me tonight:
"The gift of a daily WF pranayama practice could not have come at a better time. It is helping me to bear what feels unbearable. Returning again and again to conscious breathing is like an ocean of unconditioned presence - there is space for all of the rushing thoughts and colossal feelings to move through, and to dissolve. I feel held in breath and it is good.
Regarding the Sunrider herbs, I had already (before receiving your note) started to (intuitively) cut back, which helped slow things down.
Regarding the netti pot - I have shied away since every time I do it, I end up feeling a burning sensation in the nasal membranes and as if I'm catching a cold for the rest of the day (this did not happen on my first attempt, but every time afterwards). I wonder if I might have more luck with purified water (maybe the chlorine is getting me?) - here's a thought!
By the way, went for a long walk on Zuma Beach yesterday and saw a jogger in a WF t-shirt - - do you have a student in Malibu?
Thank you for continuing to hold the light.
With a deep bow of gratitude,
Sophia
WF Noble Student, Coach Mackel Salutes Coach Ilg Go(o)dbye:
http://www.trithiscoaching.com
What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.
- THOMAS MERTON
***
bro,
Really penetrating DL yesterday..fierce. A keeper to be sure and one of my favorites..save it for entry in a book!
blessings,
haku
***
WF Online Master Student Abu Haiku:
jump into surprise (5)
expand into boundless space (7)
watch ego dissolve (5)
abu
Teacher KO Salutes His Coach's Noble Efforts In The Big City, "......our Temple remains where ever you go."
Dear Teacher,
i re-call, several years back, back in the days when the WF Journal arrived via snail mail. back when hearing from Coach Ilg came only from direct correspondence. in one of those Journal's you shared your experience of being notified, on short notice, that you would have to move from your last apartment. you talked about turning the situation over to the UniVerse, and while out riding your bicycle, you "accidentally" found your current Casa.
i have read the email you sent to your local LA Sangha about the availability of your apartment now that you and Ananda are moving to Flagstaff. i'd be all over renting that space. that Joint is going to continue vibing High for a very long time. 
*** early morning light on dumbbells. Teacher Q used to live in this room before it transformed into the Temple Gym at 5720 Yolanda Ave. in the San Fernando Valley ***
countless hours of Practice and Spiritual Devotions went down there; Spiritual Transmissions, and Awakenings, all of it... you truly converted an unassuming "condo" into an Authentic Temple of Awakening, no doubt.
i know you have been TAF'ing you fell short in the Big City. fuck, dude, could you have picked a tougher podium to teach such a Steep and Direct Path? yet, i know, that you COULD have very easily made the what the Outer World views as the top step, had you been willing to sell out WF. that ain't your Way. you are too fierce and too devoted to your Teachers, who would certainly have not approved of a sell out. 
*** The now gone, HP YOGA STUDIO, on Ventura Blvd. i did my best to bring the HP Yoga Dharma to LA. It was not to take root, this time. in my heart and in Ananda's heart, however, we know we gave everything and then some to keep that amazing Cave active. The chi was so strong in my Cave that it freaked non-Practitioners out...those of us who Practiced sincerely...treasured this sacred spot of refuge in a very busy city intoxicated by external desires. ***
WF will have it's day, in the manner you envision it, in the manner your Teachers will have it. i have Faith in this.
for what it's worth, in my view, you finished your tour of duty with Honor, Dignity, Authenticity, Courage, Compassion, and Love. you have remained steadfast with full Devotion to your Work; all while Serving in the nations, if not the Planets most brutal spot.
so, to me, you finished Way ahead of the field.
and now...here you grow again. the Mountain Yogi's Journey has no end, eh?...our Temple remains where ever you go.
Ilgbro, i'm with you, in the ether.
Much Love to you and Ananda,
WF Teacher ko
May 24, 2005
Good Morning, Noble Father of Four, Jim~
Can i just tell you how much your letter, featured on Direct Lines May 23rd, to Coach ilg about your very first mountain bike race made me smile, laugh and tear with admiration for who you choose to be, a WF Warrior of Spirit in Action!
Congratulations on your amazing Victory. i love the humor in which you were able to witness your ego (and yes by the way, Coach did have a special ego detector put into the WF jersey, it's called "AWARENESS.")
May your day be full-filling in a Wholistic Way this day and every day. Psyched, indeed!
See you at Red Mountain,
teacher joy "ananda"
Dear Noble Coach,
"Fiercely Elegant...."
I bow.
Namaste.
WF Online Student michael t of Haku Clan
FIERCE ELEGANCE: HOW DO YOU CHOOSE TO FILL UP?
***WF Online Student Sophia, enjoys a spontaneous Trikonasana while hiking. ***
How are you choosing to fill up, during your life?
Think long term: is it depleting or full-filling?
What are you choosing to Practice, during your life?
Is it depleting or full-filling?
What are you contributing to the Uni-Verse (One-Poem) with your Actions of Living?
Is it depleting or full-filling?
After a "long day at work"...how DO you choose to fill up?
Before that "long at day work"...how DO you choose to prepare yourself?
people say "I don't have time to read DIRECT LINES...i already spend too much time at the computer."
i ask you,
with exactly WHAT do you choose to fill up your precious Mind, Body, and Spirit?
while the UnAwakended watch TV
the yogin is meditating, or sweating.
"Thinking (cinta) about Reality is highest; thinking about recitation is middling; thinking about the textbooks (shastra) is low; thinking about the world is lowest."
- Kula-Arnava-Tantra, 9;35 (composed between 1000-1400 CE)
about the only spot you need to visit each day on the Internet, i swear to the Deities, is
DL...sure, take a quick glance at the online newspapers; read all the garbage, the depressing politics, the gossip...
then,
click to DL 
*** "HP Yogin "Jamin" from Oregon, jammin' across the Finish Line at Salt Lake City. WF Warriors Sweat Their Prayers!***
and read about REAL WARRIORS who
in-Form the outer world
by the grace and presence of the cultivation of their INNER world!
feeble ilg says;
attend to your Inner (world/workouts)
and your Outer (world/workouts) will present the Truth-Full Divine Dance in front of you.
*** Ron Jones, Sr makes no excuses for his age or abilities in HP Yoga and WF...you know what he does?
He PRACTICES each DAY! Don't get fancy, just get consistent and AWAKEN-MENT will arrive! ***
Today, my Mighty Armed and Mighty Minded Warrior,
go into your Precious Day and
LET NO THING or NO ONE
dare stand in the Way of your Inner Ascent!
be Fierce in your creation of time for solo Practice,
be Fiercely Elegant in your stance,
be Fiercely Elegant in your sharing,
Fiercely Elegant in your compassion,
Fiercely Elegant in your ability to skillfully Love...
Fiercely Elegant in your suffering...even if you get hit by a cell phone talking
car addict and find yourself bleeding and waving in and out of consciousness
next to your gnarled and twisted bicycle in the gutter...you know what?
even then, Oh Noble Warrior,
i want you to Practice...
i want you to Practice harder at that time then ever before...
i want you to be Fiercely Elegant in your dying...
because, lying in a bloody gutter of Nobility with your bicycle
or just reading this DL with the Fierce Grace of your Breath and Posture,
we are, my Friend...dying.
There is no better or worse Way to leave the Stage;
skin cancer is just a valid Stage Exit than getting hit by a car addict while on
your bicycle.
However, it is the amount of time you have spent developing your consciousness,
in meditation, in Practice,
that will count most in your dying...
WAKE UP to the fact that you are DYING
and then, Noble Warrior, you will TRULY begin to LIVE!
the simple fact of death and decomposition,
that simple realization is what should make THIS DAY,
THIS MOMENT
a most Precious Treasure of your Blessed Life.
as i swallow,
as i breathe,
a bird chirps,
the freeway sounds like an Ocean of Wisdom
and
i smile at how this Moment suddenly fills me up...
time to get on the bicycle...and come what may.
love,
coach ilg
***
Dear Steve,
�I will check your direct lines later.
�Just got your message today. The title fasinated me: "Live is Change: Love is Endless!", indeed!
�Take care,
�- C
Most Noble Yogini C
glad you liked the quote.
do not put off reading DL too easily; DL is the electronic Scripture for those who Sweat and Sit Still.
That quote arrived as do all my InSights...
through the most important time in a human's daily life:
Solo Practice.
may your daily visits to Direct Lines
empower your own Daily Practice and keep it strong and sincere,
love,
coach ilg
May 23, 2005
WF JERSEYS HAVE EGO BUTTONS OR CHI OR BOTH!?! WF Online Student JIM JOHNSTON 
WF Online Student Jim Johnston, a devoted Cardio Commuter from Chicago, will be attending our Red Mountain Spa,
Wholistic Fitness Immersion this August...we would love to see you there as well! Only a couple more openings!
***
Coach Ilg,
I received the WF bike jersey last week and broke it in this weekend at a Mountain Bike race.
My pre-race preparation was ideal for a father of four children. I bought my mountain bike two weeks ago and had ridden it once. I spent the night before the race entertaining 8 year olds until midnight (my daughter was having a slumber party) and then got up at 5:30 AM to prepare for the race and to tell the slumber party to go back to bed.
I met my brother at the race. He had injured his back and was my support crew. We really have not had much chance to visit, so we spent most of the pre-race talking. I think I rode the bike once to make sure I remembered how the gears worked.
Okay, so it was race time and I have a big ego. I got in right behind the leaders and figured that I had a good chance to place. I cardio commute on my commute bike everyday, have my WF training going for me and was entered in the Citizen�s class which was entry level for this race. I was looking to kick some serious but.
Do you have an ego detector on the jersey? It was a sloppy day and we started on an uphill climb. I think the jersey could read my ego and it face planted me directly in the mud. Hey, no problem! I ran my bike up the hill and kept pace. Kaboom! Another face plant. Perhaps I should have practiced more with those toe clips. Kaboom! Down again, that mud was really slippery. You know there is probably some skill involved in this sport!
Now I felt really bad. I was dead last by about 30 seconds and wearing your jersey. Not only did I look like a complete doofus, but I was showing WF badly. It was only about 1 minute into the race, and I was already getting cheers like �Keep it up buddy!� Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh! I was reconsidering the sport.
I rode on and wound up in some serious single track hill climbing. I started to pass people back and gain confidence. WF was paying off big time. I was urging the guy ahead of me to go faster up a climb and he yelled back �I got to get my heart rate under 200 first.� I almost said �Dude, my heart rate hasn�t even ticked over yet � so out of the way!� I was gaining confidence by the minute.
It was a two lap course and I was much more skilled on the second lap. You know some of these people actually ride the course the day before! I was coaching my children�s soccer teams and could not. The highpoint of the second lap was when everyone told me to get off my bike and walk up a climb. I merely yelled and attacked the hill. This is one of the advantages of not practicing sufficiently with toe clips, you really don�t want to get out of them. Everybody was quite impressed with the climb and the WF jersey looked good going up the hill.
I ultimately finished 4th in my age group, a little less than two minutes behind 2 and 3. I return to the question of hidden ego detectors in the WF jersey. Is there one? Had I placed in my age group, I might have missed the central point of the day. I made the podium when I got out of bed at 5:30 AM and went to participate in my first ever mountain bike race. Psyche!
Jim Johnston
May 22, 2005
DL QUIZ WINNER: BRIAN SMALLWOOD!
oh, we had a good number of answers, most of them correct!
however, it was Brian Smallwood (above right, with me), who, moments before hooking up
with me for a 60-mile, 6,000+ vertical monster ride up to the snow line above LA,
sent in the following Email before anyone else:
"I know I am too late but the trivia answer is Petes
coffe, Major Dickinsons blend..
Duh!,
Everyone knows that.. or is it only us cycling geeks?"
then, later, after our ride, Brian sent me another email:
"oh, by the way, some really cool sites:
http://webcam.popso.it/stelvio.php?STELVIO_360
(shows the scenery surrounding the highest climb in the Giro d'Italia)
http://www.cyclingnews.com/
(arguably the best cycling website...comes from Australia, doesn't give away the winner of the
stages up front)
I enjoyed the sufferfest today.Took a nap and watched the Giro, doesn't get any
better than that.
P.s. Always wear cycling shoes when....cycling*.
Take care,
Brian"
* Inside joke: as i waited for Brian to get his shit together for the ride, i noticed that he got all his
cycling clothes together, his gear and bike ready, locked the car and started walking his bike to the
pavement to begin riding. it was only then that i chose to re-Mind him,
"So, Bri..you gonna do this ride in your street shoes?"
you guys shoulda seen the look on Brian's face when he realized he had forgotten to put on his
cycling shoes!
Bri, enjoy your WF Sweat Towel and keep getting on those podiums! (Brian has won 6 out of 9 races
since we began training together!)
Other Top DL QUIZ Mentions:
***
Peet's
Major Dickason's
�
Jeannine
in Conifer
{great call, just too late}
***
Caf� de Italino
Sheryl Crow blend?
at least I tried...
love,
haku
***
May 21, 2005
DL GIVE AWAY QUIZ!
photo by; Graham Watson for www.velonews.com
In honor of today's amazing win in Stage 12 of the fantastic Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) by Lance Armstrong's teammate; Paolo Savoldelli (above) in the 6 and a half hour, 218 km "grindfest" in the Italian Dolomites to snatch "the leader's jersey away from CSC's Ivan Basso," i am going to offer the first alert DL Reader a complimentary WF Sweat Towel for the first cycling fanatic that can answer the following trivia question:
"What type of coffee does Lance Armstrong have special delivered to him when racing in Europe? i need both the Brand and the Blend."
Savoldelli followed a move by two-time Giro champion Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Caffita) - whom i picked to win this year's Giro - midway up the day's fifth and final climb on the Cat. 1 Pontives. My man Simoni - who my fellow riders say i ride like, and who is the guy getting his ass kicked by Savoldelli above - is currently in 4th place, 2 minutes behind our new leader; Savoldelli. You want to watch TV and real human drama that is NOT fiction? Watch the Giro d'Italia every weekend at 2:00 pm PT on OLN. i promise you, you will train harder after watching these guys race over a 100 miles every day for three friggin' weeks! These guys are world class, professional sufferers; each day for three weeks straight, baby! check out the CHI hit!
"WF is true, glute engaging Zen!"..... A BODY FOR TRUE PENTECOST
Steve,
You have inspired (and perspired) me to walk a path that can only be seen once my foot has touched the ground. I don't know where it goes, or if it goes anywhere but where I am. This e-mail is in gratitude for the ray of pure chi you and all WF send all the way to rural Washington. Please accept this haiku as a feeble affirmation to true glute engaging Zen. I pray that this haiku might be a container to hold one ounce of a monsoon's chi.
-A Body for True Pentecost-
A dove's naked glance (5)
will transubstantiate my (7)
corpse to burn a star. (5)
Namaste
- Luke Marney
WHY TEACHERS OF STEEP AND DIRECT PATHS OFTEN PISS US OFF...
Yes, i teach a fiercely steep Path of Awakening through sweat and stillness. Most of you will quit Wholistic Fitness, or never join Online Wholistic Fitness Studies because you have been running away from your True Self for lifetimes. Go ahead, keep running. God knows how long I have run. Yet, now...in THIS LIFETIME, i have chosen to STOP in order to Rise Above. I have stopped living un-skill-fully and un-compassionately. If you think i am a tough love Teacher, just be glad you did not take
direct Study under MY Teachers! Ready to feel the CHI? Ready to LIVE the CHI and quit dinking around in your one precious LIFE?!?! C'mon, join WF Online Study and we will break down your ego bones and replace them with CHI BONES! JAO! Onward, Upward, and ENDLESSLY INWARD! - coach ilg
***
"Sometimes when we see too much truth about ourselves suddenly mirrored in front of us by the teacher or the teachings, it is simply too difficult to face, too terrifying to recognize, too painful to accept as the reality about ourselves. We deny and reject it, in an absurd and desperate attempt to defend ourselves from ourselves,from the truth of who we really are.
And when there are things too powerful or too difficult to accept about ourselves, we project them onto the world around us, usually onto those who help us and love us the most�our teacher, the teachings, our parent, or our closest friend.
How can we possibly penetrate the tough shield of this defensive system? The very best solution is when we can recognize ourselves that we are living duped by our own delusions. I have seen how for many people a glimpse of the truth, the true View, can bring the whole fantastic construction of wrong views, fabricated by ignorance, tumbling instantly to the ground."
- Sogyal Rinpoche
May 20, 2005
OF SUFFERING, JOY, and PURPOSE...WarriorArtist Karen Sharpening Her Sword
i coach my Wholistic Fitness Warriors (and Warrioress's) to use herbs, HP Yoga, and WF Daily Lifestyle
Principles and Practices as a means of sharpening the Sword of their Awareness. Why? Because without
Awareness, efforts of Self Cultivation remain uninteresting and bland. With Awareness - which is why i created the Four Lifestyle Principles of Wholistic Fitness, comes development of internal arts. As our Inner World begins to take root,
Life begins to "pop" and "jump" with all sorts of unexpected meaning, insights, and Joys. Above, WF Warrior/Artist Karen Carmona -regularly featured in DL - sharpens her Sword to cut through egoic limits and negative patterns of thought.
***
Whatever joy there is in this world
All comes from desiring others to be happy,
And whatever suffering there is in this world
All comes from desiring myself to be happy.
SHANTIDEVA
***
The times when you are suffering can be those when you are open, and where you are extremely vulnerable can be where your greatest strength really lies.
Say to yourself: �I am not going to run away from this suffering. I want to use it in the best and richest way I can, so that I can become more compassionate and more helpful to others.� Suffering, after all, can teach us about compassion. If you suffer, you will know how it is when others suffer. And if you are in a position to help others, it is through your suffering that you will find the understanding and compassion to do so.
- Sogyal Rinpoche
***
The purpose of life is to work hard, pay the rent, please all the authority figures and conform to all the rules and expectations that others set for us. Isn't it? There's much to be attained by honouring the system. One day, though, when you look back on your life and ask, have I really enjoyed myself? You may find your ability to say 'yes' depends on how successfully you have been able to resist such pressure.
- Jonathan Cainer
***
May 19, 2005
COACH SAYS; Bye-Bye, Birdies!
Bird Haiku
chirping baby bird (5)
little wings lift all burdens (7)
feathered kingdom sings! (5)
- coach ilg, inspired by DL reader Karen
*
why imprison a bird into a cage?
this yogi invites them to visit me in mine!
over the years i have coached finches and sparrows to keep me company at my computer as i work. i love 'my' bird friends and feel my Work benefits from their presence.
*
as i prepare to leave my LA nest to finally return to my more wild, familiar, and lofty one,
i devote this DL entry as a Taking Leave gift to my little feathered friends that i leave behind.
for the past nine years, these birds have been my miniature wild kingdom outside, and often inside!,
my Tarzana home office.
without these euphoric sparks of life which hop about my window sill
and look at me with eyes like unstrung Mala Beads,
my Personal Fitness in this Big City
would surely have been less healthy.
it's funny, sad really, how many people disassociate
the natural world from their boxed in and conditioned notions of Personal Fitness.
it is important, i TAF, to learn the names of birds, flowers, trees, and other wild things.
doing so increases two vital spiritual qualities;
Perspective and Awareness.
thus feeble ilg bows to the sparrows,
to the finches and the hummingbirds,
to the mourning doves, crows, ravens, mockingbirds, warblers, and starlings...
to my nifty, flitty Ladder-backed Woodpecker,
to thee i bow, yet not as fast and as hard as you constantly do!
to the Common Grackles who to me, are anything but common,
as you shower and dance in a polluted gutter of car wash water.
... and to the other eight species of my aviary beings that i have
identified outside my office window,
i bow thank you...
for your company over these years.
your feathered flightdancing among the palms has nourished my animal medicine starved soul
and the misty mornings of LA are much more beautiful with your sunrise sonata's gracing
the noisy freeway air. May your swerving swords of wings continue to clap upon Father Sky
for long years to come.
and so, to whomever humans
move into this cage next at 5720 Yolanda Ave,
Apartment Number 2,
may they also, honor you
feed you
love you
and see you for what you truly are,
a far more Gifted and Graceful Teacher than i!
namaste,
the mountain yogi
May 18, 2005
Dear most NOBLE of ALL teachers,
I've read todays DL several times so far. THIS is THE STUFF I NEED!!!!!! I Love the wisdom!!!!!
I FEEL SOOOOOOO BLESSED to be a part of this path(WF), and I think I speak for everyone by saying that it is with Great Pleasure to have YOU as OUR teacher.
��������������������������
Well I must go now. Tonights meditation will be devoted toward you mountain yogi....
�
��������������������������������������������������� till we meet at the RED ROCK at the WF Immersion Retreat,
� namaste
��������������������������������vito
SECRET HERBS/IMMUTABLE BODY
when i created Wholistic Fitness, i wanted my own body to reflect the
Balanced and Powerful Path that i teach; both by peerless athletic resume and by appearance.
i work each day to refine, define, and enjoy the Sublime body as spiritual Vehicle. if one cannot
control and master the physical body? then the spiritual realms should not even be spoke of, let alone
written about or 'taught.' Where is the Practice behind the Prose? Where is the Sweat behind the Sentences?
If you read my WF Dharma, you can be sure you are reading words that have been wrung from my cells by
decades of multi-disciplined sweat. why? because i think YOU DESERVE a World Class Teacher! I don't
want you to settle for just some perky 'fitness trainer'...
or some hypermobile 'yoga teacher' that doesn't live the Dharma!
no, you are waaay too precious and how you
choose to workout is of critical importance to the entire planet! Nothing is more powerful than one
person solid in his or her own Spiritual Stance.
photo of coach ilg by waynewillliamsstudio.com
**
i saw a photo in a Buddhist magazine the other day of the three "top Dharma Teachers of the past 30 Years."
all three of these famous, preeminent Mindfulness Teachers were slovenly in physique, propped about by furniture, and radiated no Presence from their skin or posture. This to me, is not what preeminent Body/Mind Teaching
is about! Where's The Practice?!?! Where's the SWEAT behind the SPIRIT!?!?
**
Feeble ilg says to these Teachers of Zen; you want a zafu cushion? sit your zen ass on a bicycle
seat and peddle into hurricane wind for 8 hours at your max effort; there is your ENGAGED ZEN!
**
Where is the PRACTICE??! Where's the SWEAT behind so much TALK OF THE SPIRIT?!??!
**
i care not for intellectual zen, nor yogi bodies that cannot squat and do ultradistance.
**
i have little patience for tepid seekers who question my embrace of SUNRIDER herbs
instead of just EXPLORING them by DIRECT EXPERIENCE!
**
in my own Practice of WF, i target what the Ancient Scriptures spoke of; an Immutable Body.
**
when i seek teachings from a body/mind Teacher, i look first at their body;
does it reveal fitness across the physiologic spectrum?
if not, that Teacher has tried to get to Home Plate without touching First Base.
in Body/Mind Fitness, certainly, in WHOLISTIC FITNESS; the ongoing cultivation of our BODIES
must precede all else. For we are HUMAN! so BE FULLY HUMAN!
**
No scripture is worth reading
unless your own sweat drips upon Its pages.
It is so easy to get away from the Body...in this Path
we TREASURE the body by constant Practice within its precious potential.
May your Practice be strong, sweaty, and as sincere as a fly on cowshit today; get REAL,
live the WF Principles; begin with Breath and Posture!
tough love and a spiritual kick in your arse,
coach ilg
***
SUNRIDER HERBS = Secret Herbs As A Catalyst For Inner Energetics
Dear Coach,
superb facilitation with Janet's question below.
i'm learning from the Best...
love,
ko
***
Dear New SUNRIDER Janet,
the ancient yogic scriptures state that as your Practice strengthens you will
come into the presence of wise Teachers who have navigated the Spiritual Terrain
ahead of you and can capably guide you. You will also come into "secret herbs" that
will be instrumental to your Journey.
For the past 20 years, i have shown those Warriors who enjoy the Path of WF the
'secret herbs' of SUNRIDER that have helped move me from paralysis to podiums across
the physiologic spectrum. These herbs help create what the Hatha Yogic Masters
goal was for their Body; the Immutable Body.
Janet: as the herbs begin to make the billions of your cells clearer,
purer, and of a Higher Vibratory State,
you will find your body becoming what the Hatha Yogins know as the
Immutable or Adamantine Body...
a body that Vibrates high enough that "common man" dis-eases,
afflictions, tastes, pleasures, etc, begin to
drop off like blood engorged ticks...such duality is replaced by a
Unified Beingness...something that i like to call;
the State of Wholistic Fitness!
enjoy your Herb pickin'!
love,
coach ilg
May 17, 2005
WF WARRIORS FROM ACROSS THE NATION COME TO CYCLE THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS WITH COACH AND LOCAL WF WARRIOR STEVE MACKEL
Coach with fellow cycling coach and triathlete, Steve Mackel who is a WF Devotee, "WF is steeped in my cells!"
I encourage you to visit Coach Mackel's website regularly...check out this issue which has a shot of WF Warrior like Bryan Hantman (sporting a helluva Malasana!) and me doing a riding front double biceps...hey, that is as big as my weenie arms get after two days and 6.5 hours of riding! personally, i think ALL body building competitions should ONLY occur after making those steroid boys and girls crank out that same mileage and intensity! WF, baby! The Ultimate Noble Warriors Of GENUINE
Multisport; yoga, endurance, strength, and mastery of food!
speaking of food, Student Mackel may have still been feeling a little light headed after our ride together in the hot sun and steeeeeep hills! check it out:
*
Coach,
Thanks for the ride and giving me a wheel to suck coming home. I realized I
am still food dependent. I needed some food after that ride and my burrito
hit the spot. Of course, I was still hungry. I don't think I had too many
reserves from the day before. I TAF my head is just clearing from this
weekend's training.
A WF jersey is in every picture on Tri This this week. Check it out. Be sure
to scroll all the way to the bottom:
Www.trithiscoaching.com
From the bottom of my heart and lungs, namaste,
New Warrior Student Mackel
May 16, 2005
PART TWO OF STUDENT FEATHER's PRIVATE INTENSIVE WITH COACH ILG
CAUGHT ON TAPE: Ananda catches the "Boyz in the Bathroom" - Coach Ilg imparting Secret Teachings
of 'Toilet Yoga' to visiting Online Student Featherman.
Dear WF Sangha...
Day two of my Intensive with Coach Ilg - his last in Los Angeles - started off with some toilet yoga and pranayama, both of which Coach had gone over with me the night before. Then, on to stair yoga and inversions. For this, I had a front row seat, and watched Ilg go through his morning stair/inversions routine. It was very enlightening to watch Coach just do his thing. The amount of concentration...the amazing openness of his hips and spine ... the breathing .... all of this gave me something to emulate, and to strive towards. Plus, seeing a yogi at that level go through his moves imprints those moves more firmly on/in one. Then, my turn to go through the routine (or parts of it, anyway).
For this, Coach was right there. Before the intensive, I felt nervous that I wouldn�t "measure up," or that Coach could see the amount of slacking I do in my personal practice. But with Coach there, I really pushed my edges and concentrated intently. This allowed me to see how much farther my practice could go with the proper concentration and effort. Coach made many little suggestions. At the same time, Coach built me up with comments on what I was doing right.
Then, down came the hammer. We went out for another mountain bike ride, me on Grunt, Coach on his cross bike. The ride consisted of lots of climbing. Coach "Hillig" pushed the pace for most of it, and I followed his wheel. By the end of the ride, I was quite spent. As with every other part of the Intensive, though, it was not so much that Coach hammered me, but that I hammered myself. Just being around Coach Ilg led me to go a little deeper. Again, Coach had some comments to make about form, some breath issues, some tips. Coach also had lots of complimentary things to say as well.
After a shower, a strength training clinic. We went body part through body part and Coach asked were I needed some help. I first watched Coach, then he watched me. The highlight was pull-ups and other fun upper body work on a climbing apparatus hung on a pull-up bar.
In the end, what I learned at the Intensive was not so much the physical stuff, but the mental and internal. Coach Ilg has a very powerful presence, and just being near it is empowering. In fact, the day after the Intensive I fet extremely drained because of the withdrawal of the energy I had been exposed to.
The chi in Coach Ilg's LA apartment was quite intense. As the last Intensive in LA I feel blessed. But not as blessed as those who will be able to soak in the chi in Flagstaff.
Feather
{You can read about Student Featherman's Day One in DL one week ago. Student Featherman, a lawyer, has been taking Online Studies under WF Teacher Haku for two years. His advancement through the Levels of WF Online Training and his devoted effort to come to two Private Intensives, now positions him in the near future for a Master Student Inka and will likely now take studies directly under Coach Ilg in the coming year.}
Ripples Make Waves; Why One Person Being Brave To Share Matters..WF Warrior Karl MacPhee
WF Student Karl MacPhee and his animal companion Caper...Karl is coming to Red Mountain Spa's WF Immersion this August and aspires one day to be a WF Teacher. As evidenced below, Karl has the preeminent quality of a WF Teacher; the endless desire to bravely Protect and Share the Dharma of Fitness!
***
Hey Coach,
Good luck in your new adventure!
I just wanted to send you a picture of the Yoga session I lead yesterday in the Gymnasium. It started out with one class and ended up with 4 classes of teenagers who otherwise would not have tried Yoga!
100 more people introduced to an art over 5000 years old!!
I love my work,
Karl MacPhee
May 15, 2005
McIlgs Breakfast?
Coach,
�Read about your breakfast in DL last week: 1 egg, 2 whites cooked over soy sausage and served up with green chiles. Did you cook the eggs on TOP of the sausage or just make a scramble?
�- Student John
�
Most Noble Curious One,
listen closely. you are too attached to the physical food. remember; the REAL breakfast was Early Morning Meditation, Neti, Pranayam THEN the ILG SUPREME from SUNRIDER HERBS, THEN into the Ilg version of Huevos Rancheros! Very important to precede each physical food intake with a Pranayam Appetizer! prepare (lovingly, mindfully, and non-Dominant handily) the soy sausage first, then the eggs, then turn the heat off, and smother the eggs/sausage not with just "green chiles" no siree bob! you gotta use NEW MEXICO GREEN CHILE (HOT) if you want the JET FUEL FOR THE SOUL, baby!
namaste and nummy nummy for the tummy tummy and Atman,
el coache (aka; el huevo!)
SUMMER IS HERE; SO IS THE WF CYCLING JERSEY!
you got one yet?
WF Devotee Wayne Williams and WF Founder Coach Ilg before another stellar training ride in the Santa Monica mountains
ALL RED MOUNTAIN WF IMMERSION STUDENTS WHO HAVE PAID THEIR DEPOSIT:
ORDER YOUR WF CYCLING JERSEY AND SAVE $1O! i want us to look like a Pro WF Team during our Immersion!
order today at the WF Tribal Catalog or go through directly at:
http://wholisticfitness.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WFTC&Category_Code=HP
STUDENT LUDGATE CRANKS TO A PR with DL INSPIRATION!
Coach-
I hope this finds you well. As I told you in an earlier e-mail, I have committed to running all five races of the NYRR 1/2 Marathon Grand Prix. My going-in goals were to finish every race (I'd never run this distiance before), run faster each time, and stay focused on my breath. The first race was in Brooklyn in March. For that race, unsure of how I would handle the distance, I went out slow (9:00 splits) and picked up at the end, finishing in 1:54:56 (8:46 pace).
Race 2 was yesterday in Queens. My ego-mind was squawking at me all week with reasons not to run - too busy (buying a house, my son's birthday today, lots going on at work), inconsistent practice the past couple of weeks, too little running in my cardio mix. What tipped me to go was your recent DL describing your first bike race in a while. I loved that you attacked at the beginning to see how your body would respond, and that despite getting dropped at the end you still learned something you never would learned in the middle of the peloton. My favorite part of the story was your response when the first guy to join your breakaway asked you how strong you were, and you said "don't know...just testing".
I decided then not only to run, but also to test myself by going out in 8:00 splits and seeing how long I could hold the pace. I knew at some point my legs would complain (my ego-mind is correct that I have not been putting enough road miles on my legs lately), but figured this was the most direct path to find out where I was at.
My results? The first 7 miles I cruised, locked into a great rhythm and knocking off 8:00 splits like clockwork. In miles 8 and 9, my splits began to slow by a few seconds, then at mile 10...I began "to be in some difficulty", as Phil Liggett might say. My CV strength was fine, but my legs began to tighten up precipitously, causing my stride to get short and choppy. By mile 13 (split 9:46...argh) I was getting dropped left and right. I hit the tape in 1:53:46 (8:41 pace), 1:10 faster than last time. While not happy with the bonk (I've got real work to do before the Bronx race in July), I met my overall goal of going faster each race, and I walked away knowing I had tested my limits and left nothing in the tank.
Namaste-
Student Ludgate
New York, NY 
"ONE LESS CAR, BABY!"
WF WARRIOR NOD to CARDIO COMMUTERS!
When it comes to driving cars, we realize how deep runs our lower chakra Attachments. i have had to literally re-arrange my entire life and income potential just to stay out of the car. It is not natural for a human to spend large times of each day in the toxic postive-ionic field of an enclosed car surrounded by exhaust fumes and particulate pollution. As Paramahansa Yogananda wrote, "The saints stress nonattachment so that one strong point of material attachment may not prevent our attaining the entire kingdom of God. Make your life more simple and put your whole mind on the Lord." Attached to car driving? This DL is for your consideration...
Bikes are as vital as blood to the master student of Wholistic Fitness! (photo of coach and Rick Baza by Wayne Williams on Mullholland Highway)
Cardio Commuters turn me on. I consider Cardio Commuters (see my book, TBT for more) contemporary Warriors who Engage their support of natural human movement and interacting with Mother Earth by the regular sweat and spirit instead of an addiction to comfort. Even one bike commute per month can transform a car addict to a Warrior of high inner dimension! Oh, i know all about your easy rationalizations. Save 'em. I have enough of my own, thank you. In our own WF Tribe, we can draw inspiration; We have Cardio Commuters who in-line skate to a bus station, run, and walk to Work to be Light on Mother Earth and Father Sky!
do YOU have a Cardio Commute to share on DL? i want to hear from you! I am collecting data for a future book project! Here is a story of Warriors from Flagstaff, followed by a few of my most memorable Cardio Commutes through the years.
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor ...
By CYNDY COLE
Sun Staff Reporter
05/14/2005
Wind, rain and snow half a foot deep are no match for Susan Hueftle on a bike.
She rides uphill every weekday to her job on North Gemini Drive atop McMillan Mesa, unless the snow is deep enough to stop her.
Riding four miles a day keeps her healthy, out of her car and warmer than people who drive, she said.
Hueftle is rounding up co-workers at the Grand Canyon Monitoring & Research Center to ride for Flagstaff's fourth Bike to Work Week, which starts tomorrow.
As many as 2,000 people are expected to log miles by bike in the coming week. Last year, 1,500 said they had biked to work during the week, according to the Flagstaff Biking Organization.
Cyclist Aaron Tomasi bikes 12 miles into work at UPS about half of the year from his home in Kachina Village.
Stephanie McCarthy, a Flagstaff Biking Organization member and wife of the group's marketing director bikes 12 miles from her home in Timberline to her job at Northern Arizona University when she's in the mood. It takes about 50 minutes each way and gives her time to relax.
She and her husband moved to Flagstaff five years ago partly for its good biking reputation and tight biking community.
Flagstaff Biking Organization will be doing a safety seminar Sunday at Heritage Square to train kids on riding etiquette and how to use hand signals.
For more info on week-long events, see www.flagstaffbiking.org or www.flagvelo.com.
***
El Coache's Top Cardio Commutes
Most Beautiful:
A 12-mile roundtrip MTB ride along the San Juan Trail from the town of Tesuque, New Mexico where i lived to Santa Fe. It included a 1/4 mile hike-a-bike portage. When i first attempted the highly technical commute, i fell several times. A year later, i improved my bike skills enough to nearly master the entire route without 'dabbing' (taking my foot out of my pedal to catch balance). Then, i went on a road trip, came back to find that a Flash Flood destroyed the majority of the trail!
Most Gnarly:
A monster 36-mile round trip (see map above) from my trailer stuck on the Pojoaque Indian Reservation near a "town" called Jaconita, New Mexico into Santa Fe, where i worked at the famed New Age bookstore; The Ark on Romero Street. The infamous New Mexico winds ripped at me, bitter cold, and since my bike route was on the fucking state Highway; big rigs would throw up 60 mph rocks, debris, etc, from their tires. Items thrown at me during that time: beer cans, beer bottles, a half eaten apple, an exploding firecracker. I attribute the tenacity required from me during this commute instrumental in my later winning the State Cycling Championship.
Most Noble Gutter Ride:
Probably when i rode from my San Fernando Valley home in Tarzana into Beverly Hills and back to do my Yoga Teacher Training with Mark Blanchard. ooooof. it was about a 24-mile roundtrip through some of LA's most toxic air and dangerous car addict behavior...particularly at night.
May 14, 2005
WF TEACHER ANANDA WELCOMES ANOTHER NEW SUNRIDER HERBAL WARRIOR: PEARL!
WF Teacher Ananda has experienced a categorically different and Higher physique, mindset, and fitness
by choosing to follow my 3-Phase Approach to the Sunrider Herbs. One of the results is her energy improvement
to attempt new and various sports and challenges in her life. Here i caught her on her first rappel a few months ago.
hey, before you make fun of her scared look, ask youself, when was the last time YOU backed yourself over a cliff?!
Dear WF Teacher Ananda,
Thanks for your e-mail. It's good to hear from you.
ANANDA:
it is i who am thankful for your Mindful decision to become a member of our Noble Herbal Tribe.
PEARL:
I heard about Sunrider through Coach Ilg's book Total Body Transformation.Coach Ilg' philosophy makes a lot of sense to me and I really admire him. I've visited the Wholistic Fitness website and browsed through Sunrider products on the web.
ANANDA:
A true Warrioress! i bow.
Have you started Practicing from Coach Ilg's book yet?
Should you decide now or in the future that you would like
formal Online Wholistic Fitness Training,
just let me know and i will send you an application.
PEARL:
I chose you as my SUNRIDER HERB upline because I looked through the three WF instructor bios and felt I could relate most to you.
ANANDA:
i honor your Trust and will do my Warrioress best to be of service.
PEARL:
I don't have any questions at the moment, but would be interested inlearning more about your experiences with WF and SR products.
ANANDA:
i am going to send you, in a separate email, Phase One of Coach Ilg's approach, based on his
professional and personal experience, to using Sunrider Whole Food Herbs.
PEARL:
I appreciate your assistance and hope to keep in touch.
ANANDA:
it will be important for you to keep me updated on your progress so
i can assist you Appropriately on your Sunrider journey. It will be your
choice. Just know, i am here.
In Breath and Posture,
Health and Abundance,
joy 'ananda' kilpatrick
Wholistic Fitness�
STUDENTS CRANKING; The Path Works When You Work The Path
above; Sunrider/Artist Karen uses Coach's books and the SUNRIDER Herbs to inspire her inward Journey which ignites her artwork. Her email update to WF Online Teacher Ananda:
Sponsorista Bonita y Senor Paz,
�
Herb Sister,��Wildflower with a camera, Warrioress of�Eternal�Perseverance,
i could go on, para�el Senor, but Seriously..
�
Calli sweetly brewed;�
Soma�kisses all around.
May�every~bodhi�Be Herbing Now!
�
Naturally, all fetters fall...as� i continue to Sweat everyday!
�
1)�sweat more this week than in the last few months; doing upper strength training, hiking, and here's the kicker--cycling... even stumbled (elegantly)�upon a new Kung Fu/�Qi Gong clan...oh,�a friend�noticed the "glow" and how "nice" i hold my chopsticks...
2)in-joying neti and early morning pranayama...instead of breakfast? then a workout...que piensas?
3)love cinnamon FD, yum...
4)love you...sweet dreams,
�
Calli in Karen
***
Meanwhile, new Online Student Michael "GoTen" (Coach Ilg clan) has catapulted past stuck points in his many years of spiritual work by hitting the ignition switch of WF Online Training! Here are just a few juicy morsels from his Cycle Summation of his first Online Training Program; Arjuna
Dear Noblest of Noble Coaches, Sensei Ilg....
In this first cycle, the herbs and workouts have brought my Bodyweight from 176.5 lbs down to 172.5 lbs.
ILG:
:-)
hey, the Path works for you when you work the Path!
Which prescribed HP Yoga Postures really felt g(o)d to you? Why?
GoTen:
I always looked forward to the two minutes of Extended Side Angle Pose, as I always relished the challenging of keeping the elegance in the arm position, together with the rotating under of the heart, and the extension in the natural curves of the lower & upper back.
ILG:
How can you erase the duality of annoyance and excitement?
GoTen:
By residing in Arjuna's fundamental message of equanimity, and rising above the momentary challenges. An opportunity to reveal one's Inner Nature is to be relished, not pushed away!
ILG:
Read this quote, then, apply your personal insight to it derived
from your Practice:
"As a result of practicing asana, you begin to understand your own body
language. The body develops its own sensitivity and knows whether the
food you eat is "right" or not. Your internal clock regulates your
schedule precisely, and your body lets you know if you're exercising
too much, if you're sleeping too much, and so forth."
- Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, in INNER QUEST
GoTen:
Although my asana practice has been fairly consistent for 10 years, it is only through discovering HP yoga that I feel these subtle changes really making a difference. I TAF the realignment and lengthening are fundamental to my well-being, and definitely put me far more in touch with what my body, mind, and spirit need at each moment.
The Arjuna practice, in summary, took me from still having a lingering fear of injury, to feeling, at a cellular level, that my body was more elastic and resilient, and my mind was calmer and better ready to face any challenge.
During the next phase, I believe I need to limit my food intake and concentrate more on weight loss. I'd also like to begin adding back in some weight workouts to build lean muscle. I need to continue to challenge myself during cardio workouts to bring the calm of sitting meditation onto the bike (or treadmill).
Over the next several months, I'd like to focus my Yoga practice on continuing to open up the hips, relaxing the knees and shoulders, and improving balance. I'd also like to learn the Ai Imawa exercises and work them into my practice.
humble student
goten
May 12, 2005
Hello again Steve,
I just wanted to thank you for being a teacher of body, spirit and of ego ..... I also wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier in the game. I am new to this whole world and no doubt a little sensitive. My ego got defensive and I replied and acted without thinking.
.... thank you for making a warrior out of me.
Namaste,
Kristi
P.S Congrats on the new DVD
DL READER RED ALERT!
The WF IMMERSION WEEKEND at www.redmountainspa.com is nearly full; if you want to hang this August with us,
contact Ananda ASAP at: hpyoga@mac.com
and yes, for the AMAZING Warriors and Warrioress's who have already signed up: Vicki, Linda, Jeanie, Karl,Haku, Karl and Jennifer, Vito, James, et. al...
YES, we will do our best to ride the world famous BEAR CLAW POPPY MTB TRAIL! the SPA itself has fair MTB's and a couple of Sport Level MTB's, yet in the town of St. George, you can rent great MTBs. the SPA has a fantastic bike path (paved) that must be experienced. Don't ride? Don't worry. the Spa is known their world class beautiful guided hikes each morning!
those of you who missed the hole shot for Red Mtn...sit tight...Ananda and i are working on a WF Immersion for Sedona in the fall. Have you ever experienced the Red Rock stunning beauty of Sedona in the autumn?
Hint: when i announce a WF Gathering, don't hesitate. do what i did as a Nordic Ski Jumper: JUMP!!!!!
keep reading DL...anything vital; you'll get it Here, FIRST!
***
AT THE HEART OF PERSONAL FITNESS LIES A SENSE OF BE-LONGING...
Those of us who live the Wholistic Fitness life...who offer our prayers through
perspiration, not just neatly aligned pews..
Be-longing is the basic truth of our efforts...
the more we sweat and the longer we sit still with our minds,
we realize; we Be-long...we long to BE!
we long to Be like the flowers
who do not worry
or the lizard who is happy to Be just clinging...
we long to Be as tough as the wildflower growing, apparently, out of solid rock...
so beautifully elegant in her tenacity...
just to Be her Longing...
who was it that taught you what it is you know?
who was it that taught you the meaning of "Namaste"?
how well do you treat these Teachers of yours?
my sva-dharma: get people out of their busy minds and into the gratitude
of UniVersal reciprocity...at least appreciate what Mother Nature keeps giving...
it is okay to in-Joy material possessions...if you use them with two ongoing Warrior Qualities:
Gratitude of the Material Go(o)d...
and
The Use of it to take you into the Sweeping Grace of Divinity
like hidden places between freeways
where these photos i took today came from; sandwiched between two of LA's busiest freeways...
millions travel on either side of this once omnipotent coastal wilderness...
now days, people too busy to get out of their cars...
or out of their minds...
to just
Be with their Longing
feeble ilg says,
Do not give away your sense of thanks to Mother Earth
for She gives you
your h(om)e...
allow your invisbility to Arise, Oh Noble Warrior!
i, and all that i humbly have to Share and Practice
Be-longs
to you...
head bowed from the space between your thoughts,
your feeble coach
***
This DL is dedicated to Mother Earth who lies here
in LA so beautifully...
as i prepare for my return to the High Mountains,
the few places surrounding LA that have not yet been raped by
'developers' and car addicts
which sing such a mourningful beauty in so many diverse Ways...
these last, throbbing sacred pulses of wildness
press my heart
and squeeze tears from my eyes.
Thank you Mother Earth of LA...
so many abuse you
each day...
without giving...just taking...
on behalf of those UnAwakened Ones Caught in the Illusion (maya)
i bow to You, Beautiful Mom,
and cannot ask for Your for-give-ness...
i can only look at You with Love and Awe and Sadness...
i
did
my
best
while
i
was
Here
to teach a Higher Meaning of Yoga...
i
did not do too well, i think.
perhaps from the Land of the Snows,
what it is i have to share
will spray like Jet Stream Ujjayi
to touch just the right ears...
in this faith
i must continue
to teach that which comes through me...
however feeble and tired
i feel right now...
for i
BeLong for WF
Namaste Noble Coach,
Best wishes, good luck, and blessings on your upcoming
move to Flagstaff!
I'm a lurking DL reader who doesn't ordinarily write
because I know you're flooded with email. But
something you wrote yesterday really touched me when I
read it, and I had to respond.
I bow to your strength for not making WF into
ThighMaster or TaeBo. If the WF Path were anything
like the ThighMaster path, I would not have made the
effort to follow it for so long (difficult though it
is!).
I dedicate the pain of my first week in the Frugal
Realm (and it is painful :-) ) to your determination
to remain true to your inner voice. I will try to
emulate that determination in my workouts.
Namaste,
Mike DeSantis
May 10, 2005
WHY IS THIS ONLINE WF STUDENT SMILING?
because he's on a WF Private Intensive with Coach Ilg in BEAUTIFUL LA! here is WF Online Student
Mark Featherman just topping out on El Caballero Trail with the famous San Fernando Valley in the background.
photo by coach ilg
***
okay, i know yesterday's DL carried a Whollop, yet we are Yogin's trained in equanimity.
Ananda and i are DEEPLY MOVED by all of your encouraging and supportive emails! THANK YOU!
life is a river of experience...it moves, so let's get back to what ALWAYS MATTERS THE MOST in the
Flow of Life: the Practice, the Serving, the Sharing of Sweat and Stillness...
above is Noble WF Online Student of two years, Mark Featherman of the Haku Clan.
i have just finished Day One of a Two Day Intensive with Student Featherman
Student Feather is currently living and practice Law from Philadelphia...
let's see if he is available to say hello to the Worldwide WF Sangha for a second...yep,
here is he is now:
"Good day sangha and hello. The first day of the Intensive was ... intense. Not so much physically - I thought Coach would hammer me into the ground with huge intervals, or push ups - but with the transmitted intensity of internal matters. First up, a mountain bike ride through the sage-scented trails near Coach's house. Unfortunately, the ride was cut short by a broken chain on Grunt, Coach's mountain bike. The interruption did not occur, however, until after a 45 minute climb. Most amazingly, Ilg did the ride, which for most people would necessitate a mountain bike, on his cyclocross bike, in a 25 tooth gear. A personal dharma on prana was then followed by a pranayama session featuring ujjayi, mula banda, and uddiyana. Intellectual lectures are nice, but experience is what matters. I never knew mula banda 'till Coach literally beamed the sensations into me. My lower body, then my hands, were literally trembling. After the pranayama, a one-on-one "easy flow" yoga class. The HP tapes are good, but nothing compared to having the teacher two feet away, with no other students. Hold on to see if the hammer drops tomorrow, as we hit some more trails, work on more pranayama and yoga, then get busy in the Iron Temple with strength training.
-WF Student Feather"
"Intellectual lectures are nice, but experience is what matters."
Above, Coach's lecture notes for me displayed his intellectual skills of internal yogic anatomy,
yet "Coach literally beamed the sensations into me."
***
WF Private Intensives;
You Ready to Shift or are you still content to just talk and read about Spiritual Transmissions?
Sign up for yours today at the WF Tribal Catalog.
Not all applicants guaranteed acceptance
***
May 09, 2005
RED EARTH H(OM)ECOMING; Coach Prepares For His Next Ashrama (Stage of Spiritual Life)
It has been said that "Yogis must move to keep themselves whole."
On this day, just passing Mother's Day is the Appropriate Time for
me to share with you, My Faithful Sangha:
Time has arrived for me to return h(om)e
to my true Mother...Mother Earth.
Nearly ten years ago, i left my Beloved high mountains and red deserts of the Southwest
to honor the Instructions of my own Teachers. They told me to come to the Big City to Serve and
Protect the Dharma. If i did so, i would be a more full human being, i would gain required spiritual and energetic
development, and, it would make me a more Compassionate and effective Teacher.
Scared, alone, and moneyless, i left behind all my families; genetic, animal, geologic, and spiritual.
i entered the Bardo of LA with my bicycles and a laptop. i caused major grid-lock as i attempted
to park my U-Haul in Westwood at a friends apartment. The transition was utter culture shock; i went from the enormous spaciousness of rural New Mexico to the intersection of Santa Monica and Westwood Boulevards! 
*i take my Teacher's words seriously. i left the pure mountain air and all i love to come to LA
and teach the Dharma to whomever would listen. Above: the actual sign on my front door in LA.*
on that U-Haul, and eventually to the apartment walls in my three different
places i have lived in LA: i taped the following unknown quote 
"Sometime you will have to leave
to return to the world outside
these hushed havens.
Sometime you will have to leave,
but the spirit will never leave you."
yoga is adaptation to change.
change i did. as best i could.
i came carrying only the WF Teachings upon my naked body,
i came only to Serve and learn.
...it's been a helluva trip! on a professional level,
sure, i am sad that i was not strong or smart enough to make WF as popular as say,
TaeBo or even a ThighMaster.
oh, i have had astonishing opportunities to 'sell out' WF. if i harbor any pride in my tired, polluted bones,
it is that through it all, regardless of the amount of media exposure and money promised to me,
i remained Fearless in my protection of these Sacred Teachings of America's Yoga; Wholistic Fitness.
thus, our Temple of WF shall remain humble...at least for now. So be it; for we are a rare Warrior Breed.
on a personal level, i have learned this:
"Life is Change, yet Love is Endless."
Yes, Ananda will be by my side. i am far, far beyond privileged to share the next phase of my EarthWalk with this Radiant Princess of the Pran. This remarkable Being has had an amazing number of Outer World choices she could have made here in LA... that she remains so devoted to the Path of WF and my feeble nature must be Divinely Assigned. i am only a simple Mountain Yogi. so Blessed are the Graces and Difficulties of my life.
So, by this date, next month, Ananda and i will be living at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks, our neighbors are the
bears and foxes of the Kachina Wilderness. Our Work will sing to you with renewed Birth from the whispering, sometimes
wild winds among Ponderosa pines and charged with the spiritual amplitude created by our Sacred Earth position.
i have placed our new Temple precisely where my Teachers told me, within an Energetic Triad that will EMPOWER my Practice
like never before and create our tribes Next Step Higher together: the New WF Temple will radiate her Triad Astral Strength from between the yang High Snow Crystals of 12,000' Mountain peaks, Sacred Vortices of Sedona, and the massive yin energy of the Grand Canyon. Where our new Temple is lies within the Balance Point of Mother Earth's Yin and Yang Elements. Oh...
it's potent, all right...
in case you haven't guessed yet?
Ananda and i are moving to Flagstaff, Arizona..known in Native tongue as, "Kinlani."
* one of the 12,000' "Snow Crystals" that Ananda and i will soon look at across the ski road from our new h(om)e. A red fox lives beneath our back porch *
There should be no fear from my faithful LA Clan; Our plans include keeping a North Hollywood apartment to return to LA one week per month to continue our work with private students, teaching workshops, media projects, Sunrider meetings, train, etc.
nothing has changed
except our physical location
therefore,
Trust
and
as ever
Keep Your Solo Practice Strong...i have given you many Tools...
and, just wait till you see what i have planned for the next Step in WF!
when i get rePlugged into my Mountain Yogi Power Spot, look out baby! For our Temple's Work shall ring like a Himalayan Tibetan Gong with newfound spirit and clarity from Kinlani; the Land of Red Earth and Summit Snows.
your feeble Messenger of a Tremendous Path,
coach ilg
cc; Temple Archives
May 08, 2005
Pran-Ultimate Hipster,
Herbs charging some righteous chi...no subtle escapes...
have yet to in-jest Action or Slim...may they peacefully harmonize the plate!
a picture from TODAY! REFLECTIONS...
where do we go when we have no h(om)e?
we go in and self-less-ly abandon...
i dis-appear
no fear
i merge into one enormous embrace for all mothers who have loved or lost or listened to their children in all lifetimes...beautiful, beautiful, beautiful m(om)...i love you, i will fly for you...i will die for you...
i will live for you too,
so let(s)go, baby!
in all ways
with love,
karen
www.karmona.us
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY; My Cat In Her Lap Mom!
how i know my mom; always gifting Love and Powerful Dharma through
her Way of Being...and, never a kitty cat further than an arm's length away!
a pic of my mom, last year at the end of a long holiday gathering with "Abby" in her lap.
***
To My Mom on Mother's Day, 2005
this morning's meditation i Gift to you
for your gardening of my soul
subtle layers of nurturing
picking up infinite trash on Reservations
just because "someone has to."
you drowned my intellect
into the sea of karma yoga;
"Steve, just be good, be honest, and share what you have to Give...
that's all...i will always be proud of you if you do that."
my swimming never ends
my life waters have known more Darkness than Light
yet your Love for me
has remained the Watchful candle when even the Moon refused
to rise...
"Steve, be your own best friend. The world doesn't know you...
you do. You have to die all by yourself."
My mom,
my Tibetan Teacher in drag...
Oh my noble mom..
i sit here on this Day
manufactured for you and attempt to count the Blessings
of having you as my mom...
i never was much good at math...the numbers are just too many...
i love you and am still swimming,
however feebly in the Ocean of Love which you gave me...
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners
who make our souls blossom."
- Proust
Happy Mother's Day!
love,
your son, steve
TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION REVIEWS AT AMAZON.COM
We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. �The amount
of work is the same.
����������������������������������������������������������- �Carlos Castaneda
(submitted by WF Teacher Haku)
those of you who know this humble yet Powerful Work
those of you who know this Work by sweat and sitting still
those of you who laugh along with this Path of Balance as you attempt to mix
your herbs using your Non-Dominant Hand...
will enjoy the "Statistically Improbable Phrases" words which come up in my fitness book
compared to the predictable fitness books which overpopulate the mainstream:
Now appearing at Amazon.com under my recent book; TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION:
Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
yin workout, yogi squat, yogic lock, yang workout, fitness warriors, zazen sessions, ujjayi breathing, main pose, sacred pause, make your spine, zazen posture, mid spine, lifting form, next pose, postural awareness, fitness athletes, throat lock, two big toes, breakfast patty, elegant posture, classical yoga, missed workouts, indoor cycling, interval workouts, spiritual nutrition
***
are you smiling?
i am!
god i love our Unique Path!
i would like to thank you, the following authors who submitted these kind words about my book at Amazon.com review section...it means EVERYTHING to me when my fellow Tribebeings take the time and effort to quill to few words
into the UniVerse about our Path..
May all beings realized the utter Divinity of Fitness Dancing and Chanting Endlesslly Within Their Precious Bodies..
namaste,
your feeble coach
****
Reviewer:
R. T. Leeson (Steamboat Springs, CO)
��
Steve Ilg is as noble as they come and his work is a work of love. I have read many other books in the fitness category and none compare to the path of Wholistic Fitness. And it is so much more than just fitness. If you want a program that teaches you about yourself and expands your perceived boundaries about what is possible as a human being, TBT is the place to be. If you want to reach all the podiums of life, look no further.
Namaste, WT
***
He who seeks not the hard way seeks not the true way. Dogen.
Reviewer:
Thomas L. Lynn Jr. (Cincinanti, OH) -
An outstanding contribution...Beyond the fitness format Ilg provides a resonant articulation of the connection between the bodily and the spiritual. Moreover, he avoids the temptation of presenting a "short-cut" approach to fitness, rather exhibiting both the need and the benefit of challenge. Additionally, the fact that Ilg has fully recovered from severe spinal and pelvic injury consummate his integrity. I cannot say enough positive things about Ilg, Total Body Transformation, or Wholistic Fitness altogether...P.s. - This review maybe a redundancy as I was uncertain if I transmitted it successfully the first time...
***
Great approach, can't put it down!
Reviewer:
Brian C. Smallwood "well trained" (Santa Clarita, CA)
��
After many years of working out in traditional styles. It is refreshing to see an approach that not only tells us how to workout more efficiently, but why these exercises will do more than just build a lean muscular body. Starting with core conditioning, (physical as well as mental) the body has less barriers and much less chance for injury and illness. My mind is free, I am more aware of everything around me and I laugh along with Ilg as my ego moves aside and lets me get on with business.
Thanks Coach!
Brian Smallwood
Former Pro Mountain bike racer.
May 07, 2005
DRINKS WHILE COMPETING (or doing Cardio)
i continue to field test, even after 20 plus years of peer-less pioneering into body/mind fitness
training, each and every one of my techniques and teachings. my Amazing Teachers taught me;
"Do not teach anything that you do not know by Direct Experience." i take that to Heart...
perhaps more Heart than most professed, "body/mind and yoga teachers." my High Standard
of quality permeates WF Online Training and every product that i make or endorse, such as
SUNRIDER herbs, the Official Nutrition of Wholistic Fitness since 1983.
photo by Ananda of Coach training near Flagstaff, Arizona.
Dear Coach Ilg,
Many thanks for YET more inspiring DIRECT LINES by the way
http://www.wholisticfitness.com/weblog/ilgblog.html
as� I approach two Mountain Bike Orienteering events in two days next weekend its a great help to maintain focus.
�On the subject of this, when you are racing do you have any Sunrider concoctions in your waterbottle or do you stick to 'basic' isotonic style drinks such as Luconzade (if you have that in the US)?
Humbly
Simon Ash
�
Most Noble New Student Ash,
put Fortune Delight with a lot of VITAFRUIT into your water bottles!
the "FD" accelerates access to precisely the Energy System you want, as an Endurance Athlete, to be tapped into; Stored Fat Respiration/Metabolization.
the VITAFRUIT is like the ideal natural alternative to the "gu" carbohydrate gels.
VITAFRUIT is a supremely concentrated 'carb syrup' from exotic herbs that nourish catabolic chi,
i find VITAFRUIT so superior to 'bio-engineered" gels that my only regret is that Dr. Chen doesn't put VITAFRUIT into little squeeze packages and call it:
VITASQUEEZE!
and i ain't even gonna MENTION the Sport Caps!
this morning i floated in mystic speed, a 30 mile, 5,500' cross' ride in 1:59:38...an average of 15 mph off road, up mountains!
all i "ate" was early morning pranayam (yogic breathing practice), a SunBar, 5 Sport Caps.
on board my bike? what else? Fortune Delight/Vitafruit in my water bottles...
when i got home, High as a Sonic Kite, an Ilg Supreme as i prepared one egg, two egg whites, fried over soy sausage and smothered in HOT New Mexico
Green Chile! Yeah baby! Jet fuel for the Soul, i tell you!
this type of chi-performance effort and FUN has been commonplace for me since beginning SUNRIDER herbs over 20 years ago.
go natural, go herbal...go SUNRIDER for your PERFORMANCE!
love,
coach ilg
5 World Championships/4 physiologically diverse sports
Sunrider Director, National SV Leader
GLIMPSES OF THE INNER WORLD,
by WF Master Student Abu
"I experience only glimpses of the Inner World. There is much work to be done.
It is easy to observe greatness in you and the other WF athletes - podiums and summits
attained - all with unbelievable ability. Particularly, the ability to suspend
the intellect and jump into Intensity. I wrestle with my gorilla intellect
constantly. The only time that I jump into Intensity is during Pranayama.
Even then, the jump happens with a great respect - the abyss is near. In my
sports performance the gorilla has me pinned. I TAF that when I throw him out
of the ring, performance - on the rock, ice, and bike - will soar, but it is
sooooo slow.
"It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired; you
quit when the gorilla is tired."
-Robert Strauss
In reading through my beautiful Student Abu's insights above,
the thought arrived on a sigh,
Some of my Largest Fears only become dislodged from my Egoic Mountain (which is bigger and more formidable than Mt. Denali)
when i stay consistent with my Early Morning Meditation Practices. These huge boulder like Fears that i
have dislodged through my abhyasa (defined in yesterday's DL) always seem to roll RIGHT IN FRONT
OF MY ROAD HIGHER! why must such old, heavy Fears keep rolling into and blocking my way toward Freedom?
oh yeah,
guess i forgot...
we need to clear out the CRAP
before the LIGHT can shine!
May your Practice be strong like mountain,
flexible like cloud wrapped trees,
and as expansive as a Mohave heat wave...
your feeble coach ilg
{Initial Photo: "New Drew" the logo for HIGH PERFORMANCE YOGA. Original Calligraphy by Coach Ilg.
photo #2: WF Warrior Mike Powell. Boulder in Topanga Canyon, near LA, this spring.
TIMARI WINS 24 HOURS OF IDYLLWILD...AGAIN! 5 Consecutive Titles! 
"hi everyone!
i successfully managed to win the 24 Hours of Idylwild for the 5th consecutive time in a row! i am very excited to say the least! the race definitely had its ups and downs, but i pulled through. i had a few laps that felt "not so great", and then some that felt great. all the while, everyone kept saying how strong i looked. pretty cool! will update you all more later.
- timari"
Oh, our Path does tend to attract Podiums! Timari (Ellsworth/Kenda) gobbles up another victim enroute
to her victory. See Timari's flat back compared to the girl she is about to pass? Can you sense
her ekagrata (one pointed mental focus?)...that is Timari's devoted to HP Yoga paying off!
That flat spine and open hips help produce 24-hours of energy for Timari...Tim is very
devoted to her Yoga Practice, private sessions with me, and Sunrider Herbs.
maybe one day, her competitors will do what it takes to reach that top step of podium,
get coaching, trust in a Proven Path, and pour your spirit into your sweat each day!
Congratulations, Noble Warrioress Tim! Your effort and professional demeanor honors my
humble Path!
- coach ilg
May 06, 2005
Dear Coach,
I thought I saw a haiku request in DL from 5/4/05
(quote: "(dude, you guys gotta SUBMIT MORE!!!)")
So here goes my humble submission:
nighttime stargazing (5)
me on the earth, stars above (7)
emptiness between (5)
Written in honor of the first warm clear night of
spring here on the east coast.
Namaste Noble Coach,
Mike DeSantis
(following TBT into the Frugal Realm on Tuesday, 5/9/05)
****
Noble Warrior DeSantis,
one,
i bow to you hearing the Gong
two,
i bow to the Non Duality of your haiku and Bless the space from within from where it Arose
three,
i bow to your sweat and stillness that is required to even MAKE it to the FRUGAL REALM in
TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION!
that book has been on bookshelves for two years...
only a handful of Warriors have made it to the Realm...
i
bow
low
to
you!!!
may all beings be transformed by simple allegiance to the Gift of their bodies!
namaste,
feeble ilg
Coach:
Loved the DL from SM regarding the ego checking in during his breakaway. Often, other students' thoughts mirror what is going on for others. I too have been struggling with the interfering ego during hard efforts in races/practice crits/club rides. For me, the little voice says "hey, you're in a break with a strong Cat. II and the 40+ state champion. Whoaa." I TAF that is why I crashed for no apparent reason in my last race - the ego saw it was in the break, and FREAKED.
Because of this, I am looking at each bridge, each time when I think I can't go any harder and do, as a victory.
Feather
***
NEWLY UPDATED WF INTRO DVD and
(just in time for Mother's Day!?)...MORE HP PROP DVD's just arrived!
get yourself to the Tribal Catalog now!!!...
MORE HP PROP DVD's just arrived!
Yoga is traditionally a Path of radical Self Transformation;
my style of High Performance (Divine Action) Yoga upholds this authenticity...
and my Prop Workout combines the highest of Western Fitness Training with
the Hatha Yogi's Path of Encountering the old self and Rising Above it!
***
NEWLY UPDATED WF INTRO DVD!!!
NEWLY UPDATED to include a hilarious SPORT SNOWSHOE INTRO and a peak glimpse at the Wholistic Fitness website to emerge! Initially created to spread the WF vibe among media types, i got enough requests for an intro video to WF that i have made this available to the general public. Now, graced with an Adventure Series Snowshoe piece and a WholisticFitness.Com preview...this stunning footage shot by world class photograher, Wayne Williams also includes rock climbing, cycling, running, yoga, meditation, and strength training.
go to the WF Tribal Catalog and support your Online Temple of Self Transformation through Personal Fitness!
May 05, 2005
Stabilizing EveryDay Mind = Key to Stabilizing "Racing" Mind
"Coach Ilg,
During my high intensity workouts and racing I�ve become more aware of my ego emerging at certain times.� When my efforts reach the upper end of my output of speed and power I notice my ego begins to create excuses for why it would be ok to stop, sit up�ect.� Example:� On Tuesday night during a training crit. I was in a hellacious break away of three (including my bicycle racing coach) for over 18 miles.� With 5 laps to go the field began to pull us back�we picked up the pace and it was just brutal, my mind started to say �well if you came off here it was still a great training effort, you�re the oldest guy in the break, good job�ect�� It required me to recognize my ego�s message and get back to the job at hand, however, �I almost sat up.�� Coach signaled me to attack with 1 mile to go, which I did,�I hung on for the win.��� Question:� any suggestions on how to get rid this ego chatter?"
- WF Student SM"� �
� Beautiful Warrior, listen closely. well, first CONGRATULATIONS you MOFO! tremendous talent you are!
and, as we continue our Work to Stabilize your mind,
your sport performances will only acquire quicker progress.
you are not yet ready to "get rid" of your ego.
mastering that egoic aspect of mind (ahamkara) during racing will come as a training effect
of your Daily Practices.
For now...what you do is anchor the Mind
with a Mantra during competition.
you are not yet ready to receive one from me.
have you worked with Mantram's before?
if so, elaborate.
stabilization of the ego during races, requires recognition of the 5 Mental States during Daily Life,
and then regulation of the thoughts of the mind (Manas) will come through regulation
of the breath during Pranayam.
with Practice, you will then feel a Wholistic Effect occur within the 'texture' of your everyday mind,
and your "racing" mind (pun intended)
will be amazingly
less dramatic and chattery.
you will see. i have integrated all of this and will monitor this in your Online Studies with me.
does this Help?
- coach ilg
Congrats to Dr.V! 
A mere three months after you read about "Gram Man" in february's
DL Special: THE MT. TAYLOR CHRONICLES...Grammage has completed
one of the hardest Stage Races in the nation, the infamous
TOUR OF THE GILA near Silver City, NM. Richard Verderame or
"Dr.V" was one of my teammates for Motorola when i raced the 'Gila Monster'...
***
"If you were to draw one essential message from the fact of reincarnation, it would be: Develop a good heart that longs for other beings to find lasting happiness, and acts to secure that happiness. Nourish and practice kindness.
The Dalai Lama has said: �There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; my philosophy is kindness.�"
- Sogyal Rinpoche
May 04, 2005
Haiku Of The Week;
some DL readers ask me, "How the hell do you keep up the Originality and
energy of DL everyday?" feeble ilg replies, "By spending long hours alone,
at the sacrifice of many Worldly Things, to just ride my breath and allow my
beautiful mind (and ALL minds ARE beautiful!!!) to relax into its own Nature."
- coach ilg training near Flagstaff, Arizona. photo by Ananda
**
our DL Sangha Haiku Poem of the Week Award goes to the ever persevering...
Coach Ilg!...
Yeah!
(dude, you guys gotta SUBMIT MORE!!!)
okay, i admit,
i was
inspired by Student C of Haku Clan!
(Student C: i wanna see those re-worked poems!)
Haiku is simple,
yet the simplest things
requires the highest art...
just ask Lance Armstrong; any fucking body can ride a bike...
yet...
can you ride a bike like THAT!?
anybody can pick up a brush and paint, yet:
"It took me a lifetime to paint like a child."
- Picasso
love,
coach ilg
***
Two Spontaneous Haiku by Coach Ilg on 5*4*/05
Jemez Canyon, near where i studied Zen under Hosien. photo by ilg.
smoky flute music (5)
like mind surfs ether not air (7)
i close eyes stars dance (5)
working in office (5)
quickly the night grows so late (7)
order out..."Food here." (5)
ASPEN TREES ON DL; We All Need To BURN Impurities
Steve,
A key reason, as you likely know, that the Aspen glades are disappearing is because of fire suppression. Like us they need fire (tapas) to clear out the slash and rejuvenate. Every time we suppress nature�s cycle of fire we let the monoculture of pine (which there would be plenty of as will if we did not clear cut them all down) take over the aspen glades. Aspen come in with beauty in an area that has been cleared with fire..a transition time in the life of a forest just as in ours. So much reflected isn�t there.
love and aspens.
haku
LISTENING TO ASPENS DYING
Listening is a far more difficult process than most people imagine. Really to listen in the way that is meant by the masters is to let go utterly of ourselves, to let go of all the information, all the concepts, all the ideas, and all the prejudices that our heads are stuffed with. If you really listen to the teachings, those concepts, which are our real hindrance�the one thing that stands between us and our true nature�can slowly and steadily be washed away.
- Sogyal Rinpoche
My first Teacher, whose Presence Graced my childhood from age 9-16 was an auspicious Black Wolf whom i named, Apache. His primary Transmission to me was two-fold; the Vital Importance of Daily Breath and Agile Movement and the Art of Listening. It was through Apache that i developed WF Lifestyle Principle #1; Breath and Posture. Apache taught me that invaluable quality of being able to listen to such simple things as wind through pine trees, snow falling, snakes rustling through gramma grass, and trout splashing. my time here in the Big City is nearing its end, and it has been Apache's Grace that has enabled me to cultivate deep Beauty from concrete cracks, crows feasting upon garbage, and a child in a stroller smiling at graffiti upon a freeway underpass. That which you seek, Yogin, is inside. photo: San Francisco Peaks, outside Flagstaff, Arizona earlier this week.
i dedicate this DL Entry to my Beloved stands of Aspen trees that are vanishing, irreversibly at a rate of 50% per season and not being replaced by younger saplings due to decades of man's ignorant ab(use) of Mother Earth. 85% of my beloved Family; high altitude Aspen trees that winked at me during summers and shouted at my spirit during their renown autumn firework like displays of falling leaves only a decade ago, are now dead. May all Beings, including the Tree People, be happy.
If you, yogin, have yet to LISTEN to Aspen's 'quaking'...this summer and autumn make it a part of your Practice to climb the fuck out of your car, and hike, no...run to where they live, around 8,000'. then lie beneath their shimmering leaves and they will dance against Father Sky, just for you. Do it this year, for my Beloved Family is dying quickly and i want you to meet them. Don't know where to find Aspen trees? i do. drop me a line.
On behalf of those who cannot Speak in words,
Listen!
that is all,
your feeble teacher
May 03, 2005
TOILET YOGA QUOTE
"My sacroiliac joints and lumbosacral junction are painfree almost all of the time.� TOILET YOGA�will replace wheaties as the new breakfast of champions."���
- Blair Lyon, PPT
PA
{Don't know what my utterly unique, utterly effective, utterly transformative Toilet Yoga is?!!?
oh, i guess that's because you have not yet JUMPED into the countless Secret Teachings of WF Online Training!
available through only five people on the Planet: Ananda, Q, Haku, Ko, or myself. We are on the Path
toward Enlightenment in THIS lifetime! what are you spending your time on while pooping? pooping?
that is sooooo last Dark Ages! C'mon Warrior! Do the Dance of Self Transformation; join WF Online Studies!"
Note; "Toilet Yoga" is a copyrighted term of Steve Ilg and Wholistic Fitness Personal Training.
Noble Fellow Teacher Ananda,
For every one thing you learn from me I learn at least four things from you!
and
IF EVER there was a picture that spoke a 1000 words about non-duality vs. duality..
WF Student Wayne William's stunning photo of you,Ananda, would be it!
Do you see what I mean?
Its right THERE!!!
love,
haku
Subject: DL on duality/non-duality
Even WF Certified Online Teachers like Ananda eagerly lap up each new DL...
Why? Because our worldwide WF Sangha helps each other grow in myriad ways
into the ever deepening world of Wholistic Fitness, High Performance Yoga, and Sunrider herbs!
photo by: WayneWilliamsStudio.com
Namaste, Noble Teacher Haku~
i want to share with you how much i loved
reading and learning from your facilitation with
WF Student Adams regarding duality and non-duality.
most recently i had a student ask me such a question
and i had to pause, for to put into words such Dharma
is still a dance for me.
so thank you for giving me guidance in how to
speak/under-stand on this WF teaching.
humbly,
hands pressed two-gether,
Namaste,
ananda
Coach,
have you checked out the recent copy of Yoga Journal?
the cover states "Be Strong", several articles about
strength, but...where is the HP Yoga? oh, wait there
it is, page 63, and 64. Vajrasana with a Yoga block
between hands. could these "Yoga Masters" at Yoga
Journal get a clue? oh, well. just wanted to get
that off my chest.
wasn't it right when you released your HP Prop video
that you wrote that we would begin to see more HP
inspired stuff in Yoga "mainstream".
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." --
Gandhi
Love,
ko
EACH THOUGHT LIKE A CASH REGISTER/Ramakrishna/Welcome Vito to the Herbs!
�If you spent one-tenth of the time you devoted to distractions like chasing women or making money to spiritual practice, you would be enlightened in a few years!�
RAMAKRISHNA
***
WELCOME TO THE NATION'S MOST POWERFUL SUNRIDER HERB DOWNLINE:
Borreggine Vito of Claymont, Delaware! Vito, who is also signed up for
our RED MOUNTAIN WHOLISTIC FITNESS IMMERSION in August took the
Entry into the Temple Herb Garden under Teacher Ananda, who, by the way,
is close to becoming my second SUNRIDER Director, with Teacher Haku being
my first! Last month, we POWERED to well over 15,000 SV of herb picking!
NO WONDER why so many of you are just CRANKING into a HIGHER LEVEL
of VIBRATION!
i know it's tough to crack through those lower chakral attachments, yet i promise you
Noble Warrior of the Spirit...just do the the Inner Workouts and the Outer Workouts
will Shift pricelessly Higher!
***
Dudjom Rinpoche used to say that a beginner should practice meditation in short sessions. Practice for four or five minutes, then take a short break of just one minute. During the break, let go of the method, but do not let go of your mindfulness altogether.
Sometimes when you have been struggling to practice, curiously, the very moment when you take a break from the method�if you are still mindful and present�is the moment when meditation actually happens. That is why the break is just as important a part of meditation as the sitting itself. Sometimes I tell my students who are having problems with their practice to practice during the break and take a break during their meditation!
***
"Every thought gets counted at the cell level...like a cash register, we ring up our positive and negative thoughts until
at the end of the day - death - we see how much Happiness and Higher Consciousness we have rung up during our
entire lives. This is why i include Meditation as one of my Five Fitness Disciplines and why i integrated 4 Lifestyle Principles
into my notion of what personal fitness. There is no escaping the internal cash register; make each thought count positively
to your cells...and then, you stand a better chance of choosing elegant actions in your life. Be noble; leave a poetic life behind you, okay? Not a money-grabbing, vindictive, spiritually unaware poem! Remember, the word UniVerse means
OnePoem ... what is going to be YOUR contribution to the OnePoem? Greedy or Gifting?"
- Coach Ilg,
5/3/05
May 02, 2005
NON DUALITY and WF; a Facilitation between Student Adams and WF Teacher Haku
Long Time WF Online Student Scott Adams (Haku Clan) holds a WF Prayer Flag on the
summit of Mt. Whitney, CA.
Dear Teacher,
Would you please commnet on duality and nonduality. I am having some trouble discerning what this means. Thanks.
- Student Scott,
Student Scott,
At the most basic under-standing Duality is about either/or and non-duality is dialectical...both/and.
Duality separates and divides. Non-duality unifies...i.e. YOGA!
duality judges, non duality observes
When one lives in the world from a dualistic paradigm, one experiences the world (by choice) in terms of right-wrong, good-bad, us-them, problems- solutions, sinner-saint, past-future, divine-creature, et.all.
When one moves into the paradigm of non-duality they begin to recognize that such separation is an illusion. That really the ground of everything and everyone is go(o)d, is beauty, is union, is inter-connected, and that it is about karma...consequence.
One example might be the experience of ahmmm..unpleasant karma...maybe things are not going well, perhaps you are sick, you made a mistake and are experiencing the consequences...whatever. Buddhist teachings would say the unwholesome acts have probably led to all of this. It is not unlike a guitar that is out of tune however. The guitar is not �bad� it simply requires tuning to play music again...tuning = wholeness. In the Wholistic Fitness lifestyle one practices in such a way that they are moved towards the experience of wholeness; coming into harmony with the uni-verse.
May this help,
namaste�
coach haku
Now when the bardo of this life is dawning upon me,
I will abandon laziness for which life has no time,
Enter, undistracted, the path of listening and hearing, reflection and contemplation, and meditation,
Making perceptions and mind the path, and realize the �three kayas�: the enlightened mind;
Now that l have once attained a human body,
There is no time on the path for the mind to wander.
- PADMASAMBHAVA
May 01, 2005
LIVE EACH WEEKEND LIKE IT'S YOUR LAST!: Coach Attacks Peleton - Dance of the Unknown - and "JoyRiding"!
on Saturday, i attacked the entire peleton on the very first hill. Why? To separate the Warriors
from the Wannabes. i call it my "log-splitting technique"..sever the huge block of racers
down to the Warriors who are really there to race their guts out. It's amazing how,
even athletes...let alone 'regular folk'...are so scared
of high intensity. With my attack, i singlehandedly chopped a 40-man peleton down to 9! thus,
my own Willingness to draw first blood by attacking, i moved from "pack fodder" to the top-ten!
if i teach anything it is to just
Be Brave.
Be Willing to Endure.
Be Devoted to cultivating the best from deep within yourself!
What go(o)d is fitness "training" unless you apply the Training to something extra-ordinary?
My first USCF race in over 3 years, "THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL" race was a hilly, hot, hurtfest
up in my local San Gabriel Mountains. i entered on a whim to test how my Wholistic Fitness
general level of training stacked up against the cycling-specific athletes. Most of these
guys log 10+ hours weekly on their bikes. That's okay.
Cuz i train like YOU, Noble DL Reader...i train and TRUST in WF training!
less specific training,
more Wholistic training!
we cultivate the CHI behind the specifics!
This race, a "C" Priority level in the scope of my 2005 Competition Plans, offered me a low-key opportunity to race against
sport-specific athletes.
so, i did what any Master Student of WF would do before a USCF road race; i fasted on
SUNRIDER herbs for 15 hours before the event.
On the morning of the event i meditated for 30 minutes,
did 1.25 hours of asana,
"ate" pranayama for "breakfast" instead of food,
drove to the race chanting kirtan
with Deva Premal's new CD,
did not warm up on my bike at all instead did more Pranayama and Tibetan energywork,
got on my bike,
rode to the Start Line,
heard the gun go off,
and attacked the entire peleton like a ragin' fucking lunatic on the very first hill of the 40 mile race!
my only goal for this "C" Level Priority race was to Be Brave and Test my WF Fitness against cycling specific athletes.
well, okay, i also just wanted to cause some trouble...i am, by nature, a distinct TroubleMaker. i in-Joy rocking the boat.
I caused trouble awlright, in the way James Brown would cause trouble in a Baroque performance.
i attacked the entire peleton on the first hill,
put my head down and hammered into an Anaerobic Pratyhara.
what go(o)d is Yoga if you don't suffer yourself deeply into the notion of UNION in a pressured
situation?
after 4 minutes of utter solo suffering up this 2-mile, 1,000' climb, another racer hauled up next to me,
his breathing was heavy and rapid.
his words came to me in the way the dying speak,
"How strong are you?"
i allowed a few of my own turbulent breaths to pass before answering,
"It's my first race in a few years...i am just testing."
"Well, your crazy attack got about a 30 second gap on the entire field, what do you want to do?"
"Let's fucking go, bro!"
That is the Art of Relationships in bicycle road racing.
You create teammates by shared levels of verve and fitness
(that is - by the Way - precisely how, karmically, you find yourself with your Loved Ones in 'regular life'),
and then,
if you outwit and out fitness the rest of the peleton to the end,
you must turn on your 'teammate(s)' and kill him (or them) by outsprinting him at the Finish.
thus it went,
he and i united off the front,
until a Chase Group of 7 caught us.
i helped organize us into a rotating paceline of effort, each of us giving short
efforts to break into the Mohave wind before allowing the next person to take the lead.
thus it went on for miles. bicycle racing requires blue collar endurance with moments of sheer intensity.
it's far easier to step on the accelerator of your car than it is to step on the accelerator of your Spirit
when you are suffering like a dog dead of loyalty. i feel most Americans would do well to race bicycles.
it would make them appreciate their fucking cars.
yet, it is Suffering which
hallmarks the Warrior Breed,
and suffer we did in our BreakAway Group.
It was fun
exciting
and
utterly painful all at the same time.
It felt go(o)d to be racing again in a USCF race.
sure, i know this race was not the
Tour de France
and i am no Lance Armstrong,
yet this was a Race
and i could feel my Warrior Bones,
just like Lance does.
no, i did not win.
i got dropped on the final hill and i hated every moment of not being capable of keeping up.
yet,
it was i who, many, many miles earlier,
was the One
brave and willing
that attacked the mediocrity from the start
and
in my bones,
My Warrior Bones,
i think and feel
it is that sole act of individual courage
to trust in oneself
to trust in ones ability to breathe
and Be
that
will matter most
when
i
die.
feeble ilg says,
sue me,
kick me,
outrace me,
yet,
i will remain
willing to endure
in my OWN stance,
in my OWN way,
that which must be endured
which is the Way of Changing Multiplicity and Spontaneous Fitness and Wise Discrimination...
what i am saying is mere Repetition of my Beloved Teachers;
Bring on the Bardo, baby!
for i will be brave!
feeble ilg wil attack with confidence borne from Sweat and Self Lived Spirit,
the Dance of The Unknown!
will you?
*****
Sunday came. time to enjoy the special feeling arrived from racing well done and share the
companionship of Mother Earth mingled with a loved one. what better choice than to take
the Ever Willing For An Adventure Ananda to Red Rock Canyon? Oh, Red Rock Canyon!
So seductively have you nested yourself within the sandstone folds and
creek fed ravines of Old Topanga Canyon...i breathe your
essences of sage and paintbrush, of manzanita and buffalo berry nearly every week! what a treasure
to share our sanctity with Warrioress Ananda...
Ananda, in her first year of mountain biking, shows the benefit of a coach; her form on a bike is
pro level;
especially her uphill technique! check out that WF + SUNRIDER herb carved physique and lung capacity!
she rides the hills like a pro!!!
well...almost! :-)
hey, 28% dirt uphills will make all but the very elite of the elite dismount their bikes!
at the end of the day?
we shared a beautiful ride through yet another stunning Gift from dear Mother Earth!
dude,
if you are doing WF training and the herbs,
then do yourself a vital necessity;
GET OUT TO MOTHER NATURE AND ENJOY YOUR WHOLISTIC FITNESS WTH THE BREATH OF THE DIVINE!
WE ARE ONE PLANET!
WE ARE ONE PEOPLE!
WE ARE ONE MIND!
DANCE, WARRIOR!
what happens when you die and God asks smilingly to you,
"So, did you have fun down there or what!?..Beautiful, wasn't it?!"
to what degree of Dance would you be able to reply to His questions?
there is a TON of stuff coming up this week in DL...so keep tapped into the Nation's Original Transpersonal Source
of Body/Mind/Spirit..all for FREE!!!
May your Practice be Radiant and Helpful to Others Who Have Yet To Awaken From Their Slumber,
your feeble teacher,
coach ilg