October 31, 2006
Student Haiku of The Week; Tobe's Snow II
Dear Coach,
As fall's snows come now (5)
I feel the steel of practice (7)
Open to winter (5)
STORM PEAK (the view from my temple home, at sunset)

- warrior tobe
***
COMING NOVEMBER 10th: THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE "WF SANGHALOUNGE"
ONLY FOR DL SUBSCRIBERS! This new Upgrade to the WF Tribal Cave includes a diverse linkage of Interaction among your fellow WF Warriors from across the world and interactive forums on ALL WF Disciplines and Principles and even our own HAIKU Poetry Forum!
Enhancing our Humble Path Because of YOUR Devoted Practice,
coach ilg
Happy Halloween!
In Strength, Sweat, Suppleness, and SPOOKINESS!!!!
Happy Halloween From Two Tree Manor; your lil' Temple Up On The Haunted Hill!
May all children everywhere enjoy a huge glycemic index spike from all the candy and run around in masks and enjoy the freedom of just being a kid! Hey parents; save SOME of that Trick or Treat candy for the kids!
October 28, 2006
RUNNING WITHIN; Only You Know...Persevere!
"Things will never be perfect. How could they be? We are still in samsara. Even when you have chosen your master and are following the teachings as sincerely as you can, you will meet difficulties and frustrations, contradictions and imperfections. Don’t succumb to obstacles and tiny difficulties. These are often only ego’s childish emotions. Don’t let them blind you to the essential and enduring value of what you have chosen. Don’t let your impatience drag you away from your commitment to the truth.
I have been saddened, again and again, to see how many people take up a teaching or a master with enthusiasm and promise, only to lose heart when the smallest, unavoidable obstacles arise, then tumble back into samsara and old habits, and waste years or perhaps a lifetime."
- Sogyal Rinpoche
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
- T.S. Eliot
photos; the recent Soulstice Mountain Trail Race where i hung on for dear life to finish 3rd in my age category. because people don't know, or forget about my spine injury, if i do well in a race i sometime hear comments from people that i 'sandbagged' the race or other implications that are a passive/aggresive slam against my effort. not even dealing with a smashed spine and pelvis nor living with chronic pain (which you can see in my face above) are 'get out of free' cards from hurtful remarks from the Outer World. Yet, this is precisely what makes our Spiritual Journey so intensely private; only WE KNOW what genetic, karmic, and emotional victories we have overcome. no one else can know or even identify with the intricacies of our unique Pains and Sufferings. It is up to us alone, to make sure our Daily Sweat becomes the Funeral Director for our deep and seemingly endless layers of egoic and samskaric structures.
Oh Noble Yogin, just make certain that when you choose to run,
you are doing so in order to
run into your challenges.
not away from them.
this 'running within' is known as Yoga.
head bowed,
coach ilg
photos by www.MyRacePics.com
Mastery Over The Senses
"Moreover, one gains purity of sattva, cheerfulness of mind, one-pointedness, mastery over the senses,
and fitness for Self Realization."
- Sri Swami Satchidananda
When we work with our bodies, our hearts grow naturally more pure. There is no shortcut around the body. When
our hearts become more pure, we smile more often. We almost shock ourselves at seeing how
exquisite the dance of self transformation becomes; our negative patterns gather less and less momentum.
Anger, lust, and greed start dwindling like dying embers in gone-cold campfire.
Only impure, undisciplined minds run from here to there and back again. The effort to chain such random
thoughts seems impossible at the mental level.
However, if we can just muster the courage to return to the yoga mat and Begin Again and Again,
and endlessly Again...
Aristotle taught us long ago that, "Practice is the best of all instructions."
Thus we learn that whenever we are brave to just Begin Again and Again, picking ourselves up from the muck
we begin to bloom in refreshed Ways unseen, unfelt just before our fall.
So,
Oh Mighty Warrior,
it is through Pain and "Failure"
we begin to purify from the inside out.
May your Practice be strong and sincere today.
om so ti,
the mountain yogi
photo 1) Bharadvajasana - a great warrior in the Mahabharata. it requires great warrior effort to fold a multi-disciplined body into this most medicinal posture...at least for me! photo; ilg archives, Snow Caynon, Utah.
photo 2) Garaduasana - 'eagle posture' teaches us to soar above our strife; gain a Higher Perspective to our perceived illusions and various dramas. photo by Marc Romanelli, White Rock, New Mexico.
photo 3) Transition during Gomukhasana. photo by Ananda, Red Fox Deck, WF Temple H(om)e.
October 27, 2006
Living And Dying in Kali Yuga..Fat, Fat, Fat
You know you are a Warrior attempting to be a DharmaLight when you read stuff like this from the Associated Press:
"...a new study says Americans are burning nearly 1 billion more gallons of gasoline each year than they did in 1960 because of their expanding waistlines. Simply put, more weight in the car means lower gas mileage.
Using recent gas prices of $2.20 a gallon, that translates to about $2.2 billion more spent on gas each year.
Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, chairman of an Institute of Medicine report on obesity, said the findings are almost beside the point:
"The wrong fuel is being focused on," said Koplan, "If you're heavier, the most important fuel you use more of is food."
Eating less, driving less and choosing more active means of transportation would reduce gas consumption, and also help reverse rising obesity rates, he said.
I don't know, Oh Noble Warriors, what it will take to get our WF Lifestyle Message out there. I keep doing my best to write books, offer blogs, articles, and Teach. i need help however.
I need you to NEVER STOP your WF Practice;
be brave enough to live the WF Lifestyle Principles and engage, each week, the 5 Noble Fitness Disciplines of WF.
You and i have incarnated in a Realm whereupon our very survival is in question from day to day. The physical well being of our species lies in the hands of Non-Practitioners.
Trust this: Anyone who keeps their Practice strong and thus conquers the lower chakra passions that destroy Awakened Consciousness, healthy bodies, relationships, and harmonious societal guidelines serves his species endlessly in a Noble Way that will not end when death comes. 
i bow to you and may All Beings Everywhere become Awakened to the necessity of a spiritual-based approach to lifestyle fitness like the one, the original, the humble and yet so powerful; Wholistic Fitness, baby!
May all Beings Everywhere be happy and know the causations of Happiness.
May all Beings Everywhere be freed from spiritual ignorance, and know the causations of spiritual ignorance.
Noble and Humble WF Warriors, get out there today and be the Radiance that your True Nature ceaselessly IS!
i'm off to climb the Sacred Peak and chant for the liberation of suffering for all.
Let's get it done, WF Warriors. It seems like it is up to us to Save Our Species from Self Annihilation! Who woulda thunk it?
om so it,
coach ilg
photo: coach, living his talk, Cardo Commuting in downtown Flag.
ps; i am posting this late. i DID crank the Sacred Mantra for at least 1,000 rounds while K'toolin' the Sacred Peak, traversing over to the Agassiz Saddle, pranayam at 12,000', then a hoopin' howlering whoppingly steep descent down the upper bowl icefields! waaaay too much fun! 3 hours of Zone 3 with some Zone 4 tossed in...i am HIGH AS A KITE ON THE PRAN and i've been down off the mountain for 7 hours! Man, we GOTTA let all our Obese Sisters and Brothers know by DIRECT EXPERIENCE how FUN it is to be WHOLISTICALLY FIT!!!!!!!
October 26, 2006
IWT/IWCT Clarification
Jennifer Heightley, who appears in "THE WINTER ATHLETE" book, shown here deep into my infamous IWT/IWCT workout, circa mid-eighties.
***
Dear Coach Ilg,
I recently purchased your book THE WINTER ATHLETE and have begun following the training regimen prescribed in the Area-Telemark chapter. I have a question about the IWT/ICWT routine. After outlining the sequence of exercises, the book says to repeat 2x for recreation pinheads, 3x for advanced, 4x for advanced who want enlightenment now. My question is this: Was it your intention to have readers repeat both Part 1(IWT) and Part 2(IWCT), or just Part 2?
Thanks so much,
Kevin
COACH RESPONDS:
Namaste Kevin!
Must be that time of the year when a few Wise Warriors pick up THE WINTER ATHLETE and start cranking their fitness up to meet the joys of a winter wonderland! I get this question reasked about every year and sorry i did not make the proper choreography clear in this particular workout.
You repeat Part 2 of the workout, not Part 1. Do Part 1 only once, then get crackin' on Part 2. Glorious pain!
Enjoy the Sweat, live the CHI!
om so ti,
coach ilg
Coach on The Science of Yoga
"Yoga is a very confrontational science by design. The intent of Yoga should not be swept away by the seductive sweat of merely asana or, for the Awakening Athlete, the intoxicating effect from daily training. Attachment to sweat remains an Attachment and breeds only a more sexy brand of compulsion instead of an elegant, balanced effort toward Higher Consciousness. Though vital, our Daily Sweat must be used as karmic acid to erase our accumulation of mental and physical tensions (samskara). That which is tense becomes either fragmented or simply snaps. Thus, Oh Noble Fitness Warriors, let us consistently reMind ourselves that Yoga is a Path of radical self-transformation. This steep and direct Path, outlined by Fire and Light (fear and joy, pain and pleasure), veers not away from our inherent weaknesses and imbalances. Rather, a genuine Path of Yoga makes a direct line right toward the dark, frail, tight, and fearsome holding-vats of our energetic self. 
Not often do even elite athletes or the highest intellectuals possess the caliber of Warrior needed to tread the Yogic Path. Regardless, to me, Outdoor Athletes constitute our current crop of the modern "Warrior Caste*" and remain the optimal caste for becoming Enlightened the fastest, if they are Practicing Yoga wisely.
Why do i say such a thing? Two-fold are my reasons;
1) The Ancient Masters were tough as nails and lived high in the Himalaya embracing a rigorous lifestyle which demanded outdoor fitness and multi-physiologic fitness.
2) Outdoor Athletes already know by Direct Experience the three main hallmarks which make for a victorious Yogin; Perseverance Through Hot or Cold, High or Low Motivation (Abhyasa), Sweat (Tapas/Austerity), and Surrender To Our Own Limits (Ishvara-Pradnidhana).
I have designed the system of Wholistic Fitness which includes High Performance Yoga (Union of Divine Action) from extreme outdoor sports in order to carefully create a Warrior Pathway sensitive to the overall constitutional and temperamental capacities of the modern Western fitness athlete. At a minimum level, WF is a Lightswitch which illuminates a most joyful, powerful, and fun Entry into an Ancient Path Toward Enlightenment. 
The Practice of Yoga inevitably brings us over and over again to a partnership with the yin (female/Shakti) and yang (male/Shiva) forces within our Soul (purusha). The wise Yogin learns to use these UniVersal Forces, not fight them.
I offer this DL in the visualization that all Beings everywhere realize the utter necessity of a spiritual-based approach to daily fitness effort.
om so ti,
coach ilg"
photo 1; the Sacred Peak this morning during my Kin Hin Buddha Path Walking Meditation (see DL:10/22)
photo 2; local Flag cyclist, Tim Allen, training high on the Snowbowl Ski Road during a sopping wet and cold day. photo by Josh Biggs.
photo 3; coach and ananda in partnership; shakti energy resides low in the spine and must be brought up through an ancient sensory-loaded chakrafield known as the Sushumna within the spine before Shakti can unite with Shiva to bring about Enlightenment Energetics. photo by Wayne Williams.
* = means, "Color Of Mind" as Taught in previous DL's
October 25, 2006
Giving Coach Some "Back In The Day" Love...
hi steve!!
i received my HP Yoga Basic Strength dvd yesterday, and i wanted to thank you for taking such good care of that order.
i was one of your students at powerhouse gym* about 7 or 8 years ago, and i want to let you know how amazing
i think you are. your instruction not only inspired me, but it was also my first exposure to true fitness
-- mind, body, and soul.
and i love what you have done with your UPS label. my roommate thought it was so cool, she wanted it put up on the fridge!
oh, remember those "breath and posture" magnets you made us back in the day? i dug it out, and it is now holding up the
UPS label :)
thank you sincerely,
donna nouriel
* PowerHouse Gym, located in Chatsworth, CA was one of five Los Angeles area gyms in which coach ilg initiated the yoga programs. today, each of those facilities have seen thousands of students experience yoga, many for the first time. a living testimony to coach's quote:
"Ripples make waves."
- coach ilg
Mt. Taylor Quad Training Program
coach touches Ananda's hand as he departs last year on the way to the Ski/Snowshoe Transition before winning the Overall Team Title at Mt. Taylor. photo by Grant Daily Tribune.
My 2006 Overall Championship Team Meeting. All a true Warrior needs is a Strategy, no matter how difficult the Task.
***
Since my posting in yesterday's DL, i've been happy to hear that a few of you are actually considering coming out to New Mexico this February and giving your spirit a Pranic Pump by supporting my beloved winter multisport event;
The Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon
Mt.Taylor Quad
Yesterday i mentioned that you can follow WF Online Student, John "Hakado Ru" Kuhlman's training toward completing his first attempt at Mt. Taylor through his wonderful blog;
Hakado Ru's blog
Here is what Hakado Ru is going to use as his training approach. And, you know what? Even if there is no way in Heaven you can or even want to do Mt. Taylor, i promise you that if you pretend you are going to do it and follow Hak's training program, by the time February rolls around, you will be in Sacred Peak Shape, baby!
Here is Hakado Ru's training approach for you to consider:
"Coach,
As we briefly discussed yesterday, per The Winter Athlete book, I'll work the following leading into Mighty Mt. Taylor:
Green Tara (Oct 15 - Nov. 12)
Recovery Week (Nov. 13 - Nov. 19)
Perfect Power (Nov. 20 - Dec. 17)
Recovery Week (Dec. 18 - 24)
Winter Multisport (Dec. 25 - Jan 28)
Also, I'll replace the morning zazen sessions with your WF Early Morning Ritual, which is currently Toilet Yoga Level 6 into Neti into Nadi Shodhana I.
love,
hak"
October 24, 2006
It's TAYLOR TIME!
i've already been skiing and k'toolin' the Sacred Peak twice this year and the swirling remnants of the final recalcitrant aspen leaves dancing among the grounds of Two Tree Manor can only mean one thing: IT's TAYLOR TIME!
i have began my training to defend an overall title at my beloved, long time winter multisport event; the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon. i encourage each and every one of you to make a beeline over to the event's website and sign up as a soloist if you think you have the guts of a Mountain God, or arrange a 4-person, 3-person, or Pair.
the only way i have not done this Noble Race upon this other Sacred Peak, is as a Pair.
i am fixing that flaw this February as i team up with current World Mountain Running Team Champion, Lisa Goldsmith of Boulder, Colorado. Lisa was our Team's runner last winter and this year, this veteran of the High Peak Running Races will do the Bike and Run segments as i attempt to defend my top times in the 'winter events' - the cross country and snowshoe segments.
Below, i have our Noble WF Online Student John Kuhlman, entered as a Soloist in this year's event as spiritual pilgrimmage in his ongoing journey toward Enlightenment via Outdoor Sports. Below, is an excerpt from Hakado Ru's blog:
In the meantime, I've officially begun my training for the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon. The next month will be starting from ground zero with the Green Tara program. This cycle places an emphasis on strength training and gradually ramping up the cardiovascular volume from three to six hours per week. You know, re-building the foundation.
Following a recovery week, it will be on to a more power-intensive cycle and then into the specific demands of Mighty Mt. Taylor.
Actually, you can follow along as the whole program is brilliantly specified in:
The Winter Athlete: Secrets of Wholistic Fitness for Outdoor Performance
This is the training bible for any dude or dudette who seeks outdoor performance in winter sports.
Student Haiku of the Week; Tobe's Snow
In need of sweat, pran, (5)
I await Coach's teaching, (7)
Ready for fast snow. (5)
WF Online Student, Toby Leeson
Steamboat Springs, CO
October 23, 2006
Pines To The Mines, via the Bardo?
Local Flagstaff HP Yogi Ben has made the most of his weekly HP Yoga classes plus a devotion to reading DL. Ben is editing my new version of my AI IMAWA book and DVD. This shot was taken during a MTB ride in the high Kachina Wilderness last summer. Below, Yogi B articulates beautifully his insights from yoga during an absolute monster of a MTB ultra race. i bow to the beauty and bravery of Yogi B!
This is go(o)d stuff!
***
Namaste on this beautiful morning, EC.
It struck me as funny when, this morning, i read your post of the first ascent because sometimes life runs in funny parallels. Saturday i rode the 80 mile Pines to the Mines Ride payntake.com. It is my longest mtb effort ever. It was amazing. we can ride 80 miles anywhere - but to do it on the from Flagstaff to Jerome, and to see all the amazing things in between, makes this truly a spectacular event. It begins at 7am, and i began to ride at 6:30, when it was 25 degrees at my door.
i learned some things yesterday - like how my reliance on yoga and my understanding of my mental practice is growing - but is still puny and weak. At about mile 45, the suffering from the rollers started to kick in. the body responded nobly to all the challenges, and i kept it well nourished and hydrated. out of fatigue and that curious desire of the body to do SOMETHING ELSE other than simple sit crunched up and pedal, i practiced Ai Imawa while cruising rollers at 20 mph. i even accomplished The Foundation, by simply focusing on the pedal strokes while holding my hands in their proper location. i did The Dragons similarly. the Yang was all over - as was the leg-burning that those postures induce. i just grabbed a little bit of Mother Earth and released something into Father Sky, and i felt a little better.
The descent into the Verde Valley - 7000 to 3000 feet - was technical and rocky but there was an aid station with lots of gels and electrolytes and caffeine and fluids at the bottom (60mi). It was 75 degrees at the river. i reloaded my body, asked it for 20 miles more (knowing that 18 of that was uphill approx 4000 vertical feet), and got back on.
about 1500 vertical feet up, I realized that my legs could do this, but my mind was growing uneasy. this hurt. this was really long. this climb has 12 miles still to go (that's two Snowbowls). there were motorcycles and atvs throwing dust that choked my weary lungs. i looked left, and i could see Sedona's red rocks, and i could see the Peaks coming into view, with their snow. Time to quiet the mind. i did another round of Ai Imawa, and used Touching Far Away Things with Our Minds to grab some of the Mountain strength, passivity, and grace to take me up over Mingus Mountain, the Peak's rogue sister to the south. i ticked onward - not fast, not to win, but just to get there, and to learn somthing along the way.
At about 6500 feet, near the top, i began to cramp, only two to three miles from the finish. Time for the Ujaia breathing, and WHY hadn't i been paying more attention to Mulabanda??
Grab her, and heat the prana, and the cramping goes away. Last three miles - 30mph flat, slightly uphill big-ring romp to a steep descent, past a mine, and into town. 7hrs, 4 stops to eat or shed clothes, no flats.
Could i have finished the ride without this knowledge? yes, most other riders undoubtably did - but i felt the energy, entered the cold, entered the heat, climbed more than i ever have before, and faced dragons that i didn't even know i had. that makes me different.
Oh, and safely at home, with the legs so stiff and body so tired i had no appetite, it was time for some Asana Yoga. A few downdogs, some sun salutations, some hip work, and i created an appetite, restored my energy, and found flexibility.
This is the PATH, man, i felt it. Thank you for showing me the first cairn along the way. i look forward to finding more. Enter the cold, enter the heat, and pound away. there's no better way to get the work done. oh, and i was amongst the first dozen riders into Jerome - most seasoned enduro racers. not bad for a first timer.
humbly indebted,
-b
October 22, 2006
Wholistic Fitness Meditation Teachings: KIN-HIN WALKING MEDITATION!
Wholistic Fitness Meditation Teachings
by coach ilg
KIN-HIN WALKING MEDITATION
Coach ilg, in a popular DL photo, shown using a Kin Hin Walking Meditation while performing a Ritual Sweeping of the WF Temple's BuddhaWalk pathway.
***
The Kin-Hin Teachings have long had their roots in WF Studies. Kin-Hin means, "Paying Attention," and is essentially a type of 'walking zazen." It's like a Tai Chi stroll! It is part and parcel of formal Zen Training where students sit for anywhere from 45-90 minutes or longer and then finally are allowed to stand up, and ceremoniously begin a very detailed mindful walk around a prescribed course.
I learned Kin-Hin from the various Zen Practice that undermined my earliest years as a spiritual athlete. It is not uncommon for a student to attempt to stand for Kin-Hin only to find themselves reeling ass-over-elbows falling down on legs that are numbed and too pained to stand! Humility must be often embraced in the Zen practices.
WF is the only personal training system that incorporates Kin-Hin into something as Western as the gym! Since 1983, I have have kept my original: "Kin-Hin Recovery Technique" as part of my WF Strength Training Disciplinary Studies. You may wish to review my books for refresher course on that noble "Iron Temple" teaching!
*** THE ROLE OF KIN-HIN in WF MEDITATION STUDIES
The use of Kin-Hin in our Meditation Studies is often performed as a type of "leg shake-out" during our Zazen or Pranayama sessions in this Path. Though Kin-Hin may indeed serve to restore circulation to legs that have fallen asleep during the cross-legged segments of a WF Meditation, the action of Kin-Hin is NOT a recovery for the mind! Very important to keep the mind focused on what your Teacher instructed you to focus upon during the Kin-Hin.
Traditionally, we use the WF Sacred Mantra, syllabically, to match each footstep with a syllable of the Sacred Mantra. See below.
***
HOW TO: TRADITIONAL WF USE of the KIN-HIN WALK during MEDITATION SESSIONS
1) Sit your prescribed Pranayama posture or, if sitting Zazen, use Zazen Mudra:
When in Zazen, use this hand posture. Right hand
underneath left, thumbtips barely touching, elbows float
off to the sides of the body, palms turned gently toward
Manipura Chakra (Naval Center). NOTE: only for photographic reasons
am i standing; this mudra is always done in Practice as a sitting hand gesture.
2) Upon reaching the intermediate time between your sitting session, begin a Kin-Hin Walking Meditation by arising as elegantly as possible from your sitting posture (May the Gods Be With You!), then bring hands back into Zazen Mudra (above) while standing in front of, or at the side of your Sitting Cushion. Mindfully, bring hands into the Transition Mudra:
Transition Mudra; thumbtips do not leave their Zazen Mudra contact while
you 'spin' your hands away from another to form a "heart" symbol.
3) From Transition Mudra, slowly and mindfully swivel the left hand on top of the right, and then slide the nests of the thumbs together so the thumbs interlock. This is your Kin-Hin Walking Meditation hand posture known as Sassho Mudra:
Sassho Mudra; thumbs interlocked, hand posture is reversed from Zazen Mudra. You are READY TO WALK!
4) Begin a mindful walk (usually toward your left) by lifting your left foot first, turning to face left, letting the heel kiss the earth first, then following suit with the right leg. Begin walking mindfully and elegantly for a total of 3 "laps" around your sitting space; first lap for Buddha, second lap for Dharma, third lap for Sangha.
Each time a foot contacts the earth, connect it with a syllable from the WF Sacred Mantra: OmManiPadmeHung.
Thus:
* Begin with Left Heel/Left Foot = OM
* Right foot = MAH
* Left foot = KNEE
* Right foot = PADH
* Left foot = MAY
* Right foot = HUNG
then repeat the Mantra:
* Left foot = OM
* Right foot = MAH
* Left foot = KNEE
* Right foot = PADH
etc, etc.
5) After completing 3 Laps of Kin-Hin Walking Meditation, return to your sitting cushion, elegantly sit down, reverse your leg posture from your first sit, and revert the Hand Mudra postures above so that you are back with Zazen Mudra for your second sit.
6) To end your session, perform 3 final laps of a Kin-Hin before bowing to your Puja Table (or whatever is in your Sitting Space) and Taking Leave of the session.
***
ADVANCED NOTES
If doing more than 2 consecutive sitting sessions, repeat Kin-Hin for each.
For you hard-core Zazen Athletes (and i have known a few!) raise from your cross-legged sitting posture directly into a pre Kin-Hin standing posture without letting your hands disturb the Zazen Mudra.
Commonly, an eneregetic sphere or ball will 'gather' in the space between a Zazen or Sassho Mudra and Manipura Chakra. Do not be distracted by this energy ball.
Poor Kin-Kin attributes include; wavering arms and hands, sloppy spine, inability to properly pace when walking with others, too 'loud' on the feet, not enough "Tai Chi" attitude in the stealthy walking of Kin Hin, distracted ears, distracted eyes, distracted smell, and the big one; distracted mind. Remember, Kin Hin should be a Wallking Zazen. Still mind; active body! Are you starting to Connect The Dots on how i "invented" WF Teachings from my spiritual upbringing in Zen?
***
SUMMARY
A description of the venerable Kin-Hin Walking Meditation history within Wholistic Fitness, attitude, and techniques of Kin-Hin specific to the Wholistic Fitness® Personal Training System. Kin-Hin has been a pivotal Practice of WF since 1983 and her teachings have permeated all of our Four Lifestyle Principles and our Five Fitness Disciplines!
Om Namah Kin-Hin!!!
October 20, 2006
FIRST SACRED SNOW, FIRST SACRED TRACKS
A Recording Of The First Winter Ascent of The Sacred Peak For 2006/07
account and photos by coach ilg
Wednesday, October 18th, 2006 - WF Temple H(om)e, Flagstaff, Arizona.
In the pre-dawn cold of my Zendo, a familiar shiver of energy danced about my still bones. In short while, i would be making the 17 minute drive up to the Ski Basin, Ananda at my side, to attempt the capture of an obliquely recognized event known among mountain athletes as, "First Tracks."
Whomever pounces upon the earliest snow of the season and climbs to the summit of that mountain, that person gets "First Tracks," of the season. All else who climb, ski, or snowshoe up the peak for the rest of the winter season, must essentially follow he who first nabbed the virgin snow. It is a source of uncommon pleasure that spills forth from my several dozen "First Track," captures over the years.
I suppose one reason for this joy of mine, is that in order to get "First Tracks" requires several considerable attainments, each of which, in my View, point to all that makes for a favorable life:
1) You can't have a "real job." The athlete must be very time flexible time. The first snows wait for no merchant.
2) You really have to get off on doing frequent and brutally hard, dangerous adventures in the high mountains to absolutely no discernible purpose.
3) You truly have to love the peculiar effort and reward from watching the weather, timing your effort, and - in some cases - evading authorities to pull off a victorious First Tracks capture, because really, no one else is going to give a shit.
Today would be Ananda's first attempt for the Summit Ridge. She had never been in Kahtoola's before and she had never experienced climbing up snow and ice above 11,000'. Kahtoola's, as you may recall from last winter's DL's - are the superb mountain yogi weaponry i use to set all sorts of speed ascents and descents in the high mountains. They are made right here in Flag, and you can visit their product and cruise their most noble website here and ask for Danny or Bill, tell 'em coach steve ilg sent you:
http://www.kahtoola.com/kts_aluminum.html
Here is how the Sacred Peak looked as Ananda and i got out of Tawny (our Car Being) and packed our CamelBak SnoBlast's. The ascent begins at 9,500'. The temperature? A balmy 30 degrees. 
"Bless Thee, O Lord, for the living arc of the sky over me this morning.
Bless Thee, O Lord, for the companionship of night mist far above
the skyscraper peaks I saw when I woke once during the night.
Bless Thee, O Lord, for the miracle of light to my eyes and the mystery of it
ever changing..."
- Carl Sandburg
***THE ASCENT BEGINS
These CamelBak SnoBlast® things are fantastic. Wish i had 'em years ago. Here is your Hook Up:
https://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39165446&memberId=12500226
Besides holding a big ol' bladder of water that is kept cozy by high-tech insulation along the feeder tube, there are three compartments that accommodates such weaponry as; Kahtoola's, YakTrax, extra jacket, PowerGel's, walkie-talkie, camera, and goggles. I can run in my SnoBlast without any irritation. The engineering integrity of the SnoBlast easily displaces stress points to keep the mobility of my arms and shoulders in full range.
Our plan - Warriors allWays have plans - was for Ananda to begin climbing at her pace, and i at mine. I was going to
do my best to summit first, then, depending on how she was feeling and where she was at, i would descend and rejoin Ananda to escort her to the summit or as high as she could get today. i knew that other local's would be jonsing to get "First Tracks" so, i was a wee bit, uhhhh, excited...(read, pain-in-the-ass-to-be-around) until i could sink my Kahtoola's into the first snowfields. Above photo; my tracks as i reach the bottom of the 'hard part' - the Upper Bowl. To this point, i have covered 2,400 vertical feet in 49 minutes.
A third of the way up The Upper Bowl, around 11,500'. I am looking for Ananda to appear on the ski slopes
in the upper left hand corner of the photo. Don't fall here unless you want a FAST and dramatic entry
into the Bardo, baby! 
This is my exact view as i churn up the steep slope in a "downward dog" type of position that i call my, "San Juan Scramble" Technique. I can cover immense parcels of dangerous icy, terrain using this technique. To anchor my mind, i focus on the WF Sacred Mantra and peg my Heart Rate at a High Zone 3 until i nearly pass out and have to stop.
But i rarely stop.
Not until the Summit baby!
FIRST TRACKS of the 2006/07 season goes to Coach for the 2nd year in a row!
This one is for my faithful and devoted WF SANGHA, baby! Life at 12,250' is GO(O)D!!!!
Going at an relatively 'easy' pace and stopping to walkie-talkie Joy three times, i summit in 88 minutes, nearly 12 minutes over my Personal Record. No worries, i'll do this workout at least once per week for the rest of the winter, and sometimes will do 'laps' up and down the Upper Bowl! Read it and weep baby! NOW WHO IS CROSS-FIT?! This humble Temple wrote the BOOK on using cross-training to raise the mainstream's consciousness of what genuine personal training and elite outdoor performance is all about! 
And you have to ask WHY i climb to the highest summits?
Summit shot looking south toward Flagstaff a looooong way down!
What about Ananda!?!
After a walkie-talkie communication with her, i found out that our Movie Star Turned Mountaineer
was feeling the MOUNTAIN CHI and willing to keep going higher. So, i turned around from the
summit after leaving a love note etched into the summit snow for her, just in case she made it up there,
and took off like a banshee down the steep, open glade. i do not possess the vocabulary to describe to you
what i feel like as i leap, scramble, run, slide, glissade, and HOWWWWWL my way down hundreds of feet of
steep snow and ice and rocks! LOVE IT!! REAL CHI RUNNING IN REAL MOUNTAIN YOGI MODE, baby!!!!!!
Within moments, i was down at the bottom of the Upper Bowl, where our Beloved Temple Manager Ananda
was beginning the "real part" of the workout...
For safety and efficiency, i coach Ananda in the "San Juan Scramble" technique. i warned her that doing this workout
would be a 'full body workout" and here she is, never looking more radically hip, finding out precisely just how
insanely intense and FUN this Sacred Sweat workout is! She was scared, hurting, joyful, mesmerized, and pranically intoxicated all at ONCE! Now THAT'S MOUNTAIN YOGA, baby! 
"When in doubt, go higher." - motto of The Mountain Gazette.
Ananda broke through several Fear and Doubt cruxes by this point. The summit ridge can
be seen in the upper left. I had her focused on reaching "Shelter Rock" the oblong boulder
seen up high, first boulder to her right in the photo. Her fingers were pretty frozen by now. i was closely
assessing the situation. i've a LOT of experience in the High Mountains of Turtle Island.
I would never endanger a newcomer to such terrain. This cold, intense, scary realm is ideal for
my Bardo Training work with Ananda's spiritual practice. "Intense Cold," is one of the first two Bardo Realms
that our Soul encounters after we Take Leave of our current Form. For the yogi who shies away from Intense Cold and Intense Heat, it is predictable for such a 'low performance' yogin to lose their subtle filaments of Consciousness in these "kindygarten realms" of the Bardo. Such frail Souls will not take another Human Incarnation until they take enough rebirths in an animal, mineral, or plant Realm to ReLearn how to deal with Intense External Conditions. Shame, isn't it? Thus i say unto you;
NEVER RUN AWAY from Intense Heat or Cold. Run INTO THEM! They ARE your yoga mats! Learn how to DEAL WITH THEM! Be not addicted to comfort!
"To know your limits is Wisdom." - coach ilg
All those people that go around proclaiming, "NO LIMITS!" obviously do not study Wholistic Fitness®. Bring these people to me, i will be more than happy to show them their Limits in a number of physiologic and psychologic areas! i never want you, Oh Noble Students of WF, to go around bragging about having "No Fear," or "No Limits!" Such phrases are spoken only by the UnAwakened Sheep that merely pretend to be Lions!
Above: Ananda nears her Limit and uses the mountain yogi's version of "Balasana" or "Child's Pose" to recover. Once you become too exhausted from climbing in the San Juan Scramble technique, just dig your crampons into the slope and collapse into Balasana until your heart rate recovers enough to continue upward. By pushing herself to such a Limit, Ananda has now Learned deep and profound things about herself as woman, as human being, as yogin, and as a Child of Go(o)d. Her Prana and her Practice will now experience a categorical higher Shift as a result of her Bravery to get out, embrace her fear, doubt, and yes, her own Limits of Self. i bow to my Beloved MahaAnandaMayiMa, surely one of the most beautiful, brave, and kind Beings gracing our planet. 
"The reward of a thing well done,
is to have done it."
- Emerson.
Having attained a new personal winter altitude record, and within 25 minutes of the Summit, i pulled the plug on Ananda's brave and noble effort. At "Shelter Rock" we hugged and shared a frozen lipped kiss with boogies running down our cheeks. Such are the Moments of a well lived and well loved life! We then did a quick Pranayam to cop the best Prana on the planet, and then began our descent. Within moments, i had coached a few simple downhill techniques to Ananda and she, as always, caught right on. Soon she wore a smile ear-to-ear and was scooting her beautiful and well-trained buns down the Sacred Snows. The summit - and my fading snow scripted love note for her - however, would have to wait for another day for Ananda.
As so often is the case, the moment we turn around and head for home, Grandfather Sun comes out shining as if to seduce us, "Oh, c'mon my young Human Friends! Play up Here, close to me a while longer!" The wise mountain yogi, however, knows by Direct Experience his or her Limits and makes decisions based on Wise Discrimination; not Trial And Error! The latter way of learning is a surefire recipe for disaster in the High Mountains. One must listen to the language of their bodies, not their egos, if they wish to Climb another day! 
"A yogi's Powers are born of practices performed in previous births,
or by Secret Herbs given by one's Teacher, mantra repetition, steadfast training,
or by deep meditation."
- Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Chapter 4, Verse 1
May my sweat spilled upon the Sacred Peak today benefit your own willingness to sweat each day in some way.
May the time and effort by myself in producing this DL for you today, benefit your own desire to mine spiritual inspiration from the mundane world and expand your notion of what Yoga truly means.
May the Sacred Joy that animates this DL for you,
act as an internal spark plug to radiate your own Light and thus, in turn,
transform your Life into a Light of Awakening for All Beings Everywhere.
Om So Ti,
coach ilg
founder/Wholistic Fitness® Personal Training
final photo of the Sacred Peak: Jill Torrance/AZ Daily Sun
WF Chi Shirts! Up On The Tribal Catalog
Get 'em while they're hot, baby!
Help support your most noble, humble, and powerful Temple
beneath the Sacred Peak!
WEAR YOUR WF-CHI SHIRT and May Your Breath and Posture
be RADIANT, Oh Noble Warrior!
These beautiful ChiShirts make GREAT Holiday Gifts!
October 18, 2006
First Tracks!
i got this shot of Joy "Ananda" Kilpatrick during her new altitude record while ascending
the 'upper bowl' of Agassiz Peak early this morning.
i was able to bag the summit and thus once again captured the coveted "First Tracks" of the winter season on the Sacred Peak. Everyone else this winter? They gotta follow my tracks, baby!
Wholistic Fitness®...The Mt. Everest of Personal Training!
Ananda and i are off to Sedona. i'll be back soon to fire up DL with more great Sangha stories, pics, and Dharma Teachings!
May your Practice be strong, sincere, and may you continue to climb, step by step...breath by breath, toward YOUR personal summit!
om so ti,
the mountain yogi
October 17, 2006
Fresh Hit; Tomorrow Is First Tracks Day!
"When we talk about understanding,
surely it takes place only when the mind listens completely - the mind being your heart, your nerves, your ears -
when you give your whole attention to it."
- Krishnamurti
***
i "took" this shot just moments ago, Tuesday evening, from the Web Cam at:
http://www.azdailysun.com/
(careful, it's addictive! on Camera PreSets select; SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS for this shot of the Sacred Peak)
last year, i was the first up the Sacred Peak to lay down the season's first tracks:
first tracks of last year fell beneath my snowshoes during the last week of October...
summit ridge of the Sacred Peak where i plan to sweat my prayers tomorrow morning...
my hairball snowshoe descent route; you do NOT want to follow your coach down this shit!
i got first tracks last season,
and tomorrow morning, i plan to make it two years in a row...
why not,
when you are WHOLISTICALLY FIT!?!?!
i'll kiss the summit ridge winds for each and everyone of you from 12,000' tomorrow morning!
on the wings of Raven,
your mountain yogi
The First "Stick" of '06!
"The common man, whose Practice is unstable, surely sees not the same snow that
the WF Warrior sees."
- coach ilg
photo: Red Fox Deck, WF Temple H(om)e, 11 am, October 17, 2006
coach ilg's 3 Cardinal Training Precepts:
1) Be On Time
2) Be Prepared
3) Give 110%
photo: oh, Ananda and i are prepared, awlrighty...our season passes for both the Nordic and Alpine areas are secured and ready, right next to our Winter Training Clothes bins!
"Ah! What a day-to-day affair life is!"
- Jules Laforgue
courtesy of HP Yogini Leslie
COACH's NOTE TO FLAGSTAFF HP YOGIS:
ABHYASA NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO CLASS ON HALLOWEEN EVENING
(TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31st...so keep your Practice strong; come tonight and use our DVD's until November 7th!)
***
Namaste Noble Yogi's!
in my recent DL regarding the Soulstice Race, i began my account with a quote from Walt Whitman:
"I swear the earth shall surely be complete to him or her who shall be complete. The earth remains jagged or broken only to him or her who remains jagged or broken."
the quote is sticking to my cells like the fresh snow up on the Sacred Peak.
you see, we only have a short time here, between our first inhale and our final exhale, to take the curriculum of being human. most of our work during our short life spans will be spent in the noble effort toward finding and refining Balance. the Buddha said it best perhaps, "The art of life is Balance."
in HP Yoga, i do not pamper my Students. you deserve better than pampering.
as an intradiscipline of my Wholistic Fitness® Personal Training method, i teach Hatha Yoga as the Ancient Masters intended; as a Path targeting Radical Self Transformation.
what does that mean?
essentially it means;
1) being willing enough to ferret out our mental and physical weaknesses, not relying on our strengths. anyone can do that.
2) being brave enough to develop strength from out of those weak areas of self. doing so lifts us out of the mediocrity of the common, sleeping man.
3) be good, do good.
so, although there may be snow on your porch this morning like here at our Temple H(om)e beneath the cloud hidden Sacred Peak, each of us stands another chance tonight, to enter our Practice Cave by 7:00 pm and turn up our Internal Thermostats as we all begin again at working inwardly on our stuck,
gunky,
tight,
painful,
and weak places.
in the end,
it will be our predominating quality of braveness and perseverance over our weaknesses and negative and lazy tendencies that matters.
come tonight, breathe, get warm and cozy within your body and mind. you know you will feel MUCH BETTER after the inner work has been done! it ALWAYS DOES, baby!
it all begins with the Breath:
Sutra's 57 & 58 of the Shivasamhita:
"As the mastery of breath-control leads to a vision of the Clear Light, it is necessary to work hard for its success.
- 57
"Success is not far away for him who practices this regularly. He undoubtedly gets a command over his breath gradually."
- 58
in (conscious) breath and posture,
coach ilg
founder/Wholistic Fitness® Personal Training
3 podiums in the past three weekends of racing using HP Yoga® teachings
October 16, 2006
Putting A Lil' SOUL RUNNING In My Racing Season...
"I swear the earth shall surely be complete to him or her who shall be complete. The earth remains jagged or broken only to him or her who remains jagged or broken."
- Walt Whitman
The "garra" or "chi" or "prana" is still quite evident in my eyes after completing my third mountain duathlon race in three weekends. With only 5 running-specific workouts, i used my WF Training to get a 7th place overall, an Overall Victory plus a new Course Record, and this past weekend barely squeaked onto the podium with a 3rd place in the 40-49 Age Group and 11th Overall at the Soulstice Trail Race. Oddly enough, i did not see ANY of my cycling peers at these running/duathlon races. Ahhh, the Path of the WF Athlete is a lonely one. 
the Soulstice Race was a big one for me. It took place beneath the Sacred Peak in the hills just to the right in the picture above, which i took this morning. elevation to the running course was between 8,000' and 9,000', although i did make a duathlon out of the race by riding Gunther, my mountain bike, in the wet, raining, and sleeting conditions to the start, which added another polite 1,000' vertical to the day. 
*coach's legs as photographed by Wayne Williams, once again proved their functional fitness against the sport-specific runners.
MY WARRIOR INTENT: KEEP TO THE STRATEGY
all that a Warrior needs in life is a strategy. in fact, one reason why the Warrior Adepts have lost their fear of death, is because their Teachers have imparted to them a Strategy for their Death Moment; Warriors know precisely what to do as they enter their final breath; it's training that erases all Fear.
for the mountain athlete in particular, strategy is required to keep the overall average speed high enough to crush your opponents confidence yet low enough not to blow yourself up and be reduced to a slower than all out attack mode. to get onto any podium worth attaining, means training yourself and doing what is required to launch and sustain an attack upon not just your competitors, but your own inner dragons of doubt, hesitation, fear, and addiction to comfort. i am not a big fan of entering a race just to enjoy the scenery. a race to me is Bardo Training; all i care about is overcoming my egoic forces and physical pains that attempt to keep me from doing my best. 
*besides a beautiful trophy, i got a personally signed Race Poster by the local artist himself , who has hit big recently and will be soon leaving Flagstaff.*
If, on Race Day, i bring my Best and if i can be brave enough to do the do, then i know that the degree of pain that i am willing to endure is going to make anyone who wants to beat me do so by being more fit than i on that day. a Warrior can always cope with losing to a 'better' opponent on a given day. that is the Satya about Sport; the race clock never lies. you just lay your shit out onto the course and may the best Warrior win. if you don't win, that is fine. you can still be an Olympian by toeing the Start Line and as the Gun goes off, say to yourself those immortal lines of the Olympian Way;
"Lord, let me win.
However, if i cannot win,
let me be Brave in the attempt."
This is called, "Developing Character of Self," and is absolutely critical training for the genuine Yogin. If you never do what is required to even start a Race against your peers, you can never, ever truly Know How Tough or How Willing Is Your Current Spiritual Aptitude. 
* "Within the structure of a mountain trail, there is a universe of freedom. the elegant mountain racer sees lines of ascent and descents that others do not; they know of a freedom within the structure that remains unseen by those not as skilled. In life, the yogi sees and cultivates freedom within the Structure of their lives by a balance of Inner and Outer." - coach ilg on one of this five training runs for his incredible string of victories these past 3 weekends.*
Race Day dawned cold and wet. Perfect for ilg. The more epic the conditions, the Higher i perform. i arose when the dark was still deep to go through my WF Early Morning Rituals. With practiced ease, i merged into a Pratyharic Realm whereupon i superimposed race visualizations within the ascending ratio of Prana during my practice. i knew in my heart that few, if any, of my competitors were up at that wee hour, doing this "do" of WF Practices that i am so Blessed to have learned in this lifetime. that Thought alone began to snowball my confidence. In fact, by the time my other competitors were just awaking to suck down their coffee and do their feeble token gestures of "pre race stretches," i had completed an elite series of body/mind/spiritual sequences that gave me a head start before the Race even started.
Out the door, onto Gunther as the rain bit into my face and soaked me wet and chilled before one of the 8 miles up to the Race Start had passed. as Part One of my Strategy, i chose to ride up the gravel road that the racers would be driving their cars up. i did this so they would feel guilty and feeble as they passed me, splashing me with mud and exhaust fumes from their Fancy Outdoor Athlete SUV's.
Several cars stopped and shouted encouragement to me up the Schultz Pass road as the rain turned to snow:
"Hey ilg! You are my hero!" shouted one...
"You're mine!" i shouted back.
"Hey coach! damn dude, you wanna ride?" another offered. his car was passing me right at a steep section so i had to gasp a few breaths before i replied,
"No thanks, bro...i already have one!"
Finally, it was one of my own HP Yoga Students that stopped his car in front me, rolled down his window, and i could see him smiling and shaking his head,
"Coach...god damn...i KNEW it had to be you riding up here in this shit...i just KNEW it!"
You see, Oh Noble Sangha, that moment right there between a Teacher and his Student is what i care about leaving for you. My life is my message. Yoga, at least HP Yoga, is not about doing fucking Scorpion Pose. Yoga is about UNITING with what is; be it rain, snow, cold or Fear. The best Scorpion Pose is to find the Venom of the Scorpion and play judo with it; turn the venom of the Stinger inside out and let the poison turned into Divine Power that inspires All Beings. To leave the spirit of the Scorpion upon the Yoga Mat is a sin. One of the worst kinds, because leaving a Scorpion on a Yoga Mat breeds arrogance and arrogance is a sure way to go backward instead of upward.
* photo of the Soulstice Start by Josh Biggs of the Arizona Daily Sun.
At the Start, my Strategy was
1) a mindful cycling - to -running transition,
2) go conservative up Sunset Trail the first super steep climb of 1.8 miles, then establish a fluid meditative elegance during the traverse and gentle rolls of miles 2-4.5 and attempt to pick off runners in front of me,
and
3) HAMMER the SHIT out of the long, steep, technical and wet downhills and then, if need be, sell my soul to outsprint anyone near me on the final short headwall to the Finish Line.
i had pre-ridden the Race Course on Gunther two days before the race. i do my homework. on that day however, i was unsure of precisely how the Race Director was going to finish the race as several options existed. so, on that cold mucky morning of Race Day, i swung off the Schultz Pass road and onto the muddy trails to ferret out exactly where the Finish Line route was. This Warrior Effort, would prove to be quite important about an hour later!
As the Gun went off, i fell into an easy stride in mid-pack. i practiced Non-Attachment as i watched the elite mountain runners start scampering up the long, wet climb and disappear into the mists of the rocky heights. it is Wisdom that lets a Warrior know his or her own Limits. i could not have hung the first mile with those dudes as much as they could hang with me in a HP Yoga Class or on a bike. So, i let them go. That is called, Strategy of Patience. it can take a feeble warrior like me, several decades to learn.
within a mile, the chain of runners ahead me began snapping like broken links. they had either gone out too fast, misjudged the terrain (did not pre-inspect the Course), or were just idiots. i enjoyed passing them and really felt like i should be handing out Free Class Cards to my local HP Yoga class to them. If they only knew that the guy in the cycling clothes that just passed them has only run 5 times this year, they might be inspired to do more non-Running workouts!
the Trail was like running up a waterfall. my Merrell Trail Shoes were sticking like Velcro however, and i just trotted up my ol' mountain biking trail that i know so well like you might converse with a friend. i dropped into my own Teachings of Mula Bandha Awareness, Big Toe Push Off, Pistol Grip, etc. All the stuff in my books were as valid and potent in that moment than they were when i first wrote them. True Chi Running, you see, comes from Tadasana, or the basic yogic principles of Pranic-Based Alignment. All sport techniques can be traced back to Yoga. We don't really enough need outdoor sport coaches. We just need real Teachers of Yoga.
By the top of the initial climb, i had probably worked myself near 11th or 10th place. the 2 runners in front of me, stopped for water at the top of the climb. i ran past them, excited to begin the descent. i LOVE running down mountain slopes as fast as possible. it's like one of the best Gifts Available to the mountain yogi. sooooo fun! all sorts of mini-lines, energy vortexes, and foot-strike possibilities. running downhill fast to me is like Anaerobic Chess Playing; so many possible combinations at any given moment when you are suspended in mid-air! make a poor choice? turn your ankle and go down HARD! make a Wise Warrior Choice? and you Soar Like Osprey through the rainy, wet pines! even the wildflowers will applaud the mountain yogi who finds his or her Practice in mid-flight!
i guess my downhill meditation was cranked up, cuz i never heard the two runners behind me again.
yet, i had Work to do, and Warriors work not to acquire. Warriors work to become. the next guy in front of me was a stalwart running 'guru' of the local mountain running scene. this ol' guy lived, slept, and ate mountain running. for all of that though, his very Presence was as lumbering as a Sasquatch. i studied his running form - or lack thereof - like a wolf calculating his Prey. his foot strike, everted, was sloppy. he wore his shoulders like ear pendants, crimping his lung capacities. in his ungainliness i found the fever to attack him. i wanted to Teach him how to run like a wolf, how to breathe like deer, and how to merge like sun into water. i felt the best way to Teach my opponent was to kick his ass as elegantly as possible. so i pounced upon him during a switchback and glided sharply by him like an early winter wind, leaping across boulders and above the wet tree roots which would remain for his ox-like movements obstacles instead of spiritual launchpads.
i worked soft and easy within great pain as i fancied myself a heat-seeking missile; my target? the next runner. sure enough, i came upon my next victim. strong and sure was this guy. Strategy Here; take a page from my road cycling experience. Draft the motherfucker. Just stay on his "rear wheel" and bug the shit outta him. Just let him know i am Here, right behind him. If he slips, i'll fucking run right across your damn face; better traction for my shoes. So, that is what i did. I figgered i would spend the rest of the race right here with this guy then, do my best to outsprint him at the Finish. i have been trained to do this for several hours in cycling races. no big deal for me. oh, i also climbed into his Mind and fucked with it by over-exaggerating my Foot Strikes and my Breathing. i wanted to LOOM in his Mind. i wanted him to just keep thinking about me.
you know what?
he pulled over!
surprised the bejezus outta me!
the DUDE JUST PULLED OVER AND STOPPED!
i could not believe it.
hmmmff, i thought to myself. that was odd. so, i accelerated into a Zone 4 Heart Rate for about 30 seconds along the narrow trail etched into the steep slope. i did this acceleration to discourage him from hanging onto my draft like i did him. i hate that shit. after a minute or so, i took a chance to look around (not recommended on such terrain!). he was gone. talk about a pysche job! you GO ilg!
the next mile was Nirvana; though in significant back pain from my spine injury, i kept elevating my conscious attention to the mental deck of cards that i play when competing. i just never allow my ego to pull my Higher Awareness into the Pain. it is a Mental Dance which begins at the level of just dying to pull over and stop and yoga squat to relieve the searing neural pain in my lower back and right hip and ends at devoting all the Pain to Brahman as karmic purification.
then another miracle happened. i saw one of the top guys. i caught a glimpse of him as his form dashed between misty pines; he was just about to begin the long descent. i calculated where the Race Course had to go before that particular place. damn. i ain't gonna catch him. so, just as i was almost ready to let my ego be satisfied with 6th or whatever place i was in came a Race Course Marking! the Race Course totally cut off a large portion that i was psychologically prepared to run! Holy Entropic Decline, Batman! i am only minutes away from the final descent! with that Knowledge, i spurred myself to go clobber that mofo in front of me. just before the turn onto the mile long steep descent, he turned and looked at me.
"Oh shit," i bet he thought, "It's that cycling guy!"
i saw Fear in the way he turned his head away from me. That was all i needed. Crank the Leg Turnover Throttle to High. Go hard ilg, you are almost to him. the hill began dropping away like a roller-coaster track at it's high point. this is MY Terrain, you mofo i in-couraged myself. within 40 seconds i had made a successful bridge to my next victim! GAWD I LOVE RACING! having seen my OverExaggerated TailGater Obnoxious Teachnique work so well on the trail just before, i employed it again. i 'sat' right on this guy's heels so close that his backkick was nearly scrapping my shins...
"You like dat shit, huh?" i thought-smacked him over and over again, "You like me running right up your ass down this shit? huh?"
within a mere 40 meters, you know what?
he slowed so much that i became concerned with getting caught from behind so i pulled out from my Life List Of Long, Arduous Mountain Running Descent Memories a certain card; my course record descent of Pagosa Peak in Colorado. one fall and bang, bang you are dead! so, i veered off to his left shoulder, stuck it in HIGH GEAR and shot myself down that trail like snot from Floyd Landis's nose during a breakaway. the dude didn't know how to respond to this attack. his Teacher did not impart to him the proper anti-Ilg weaponry. so long, thanks for playing!
mind numbing descent. pain in hips. elegance through difficulty. i see two more guys in front of me less than 800 meters before the final kicker headwall to the finish. one of the two is walking. must be his knees, i thought. not enough strength training baby; fuck you. you should have done the WORK, baby! i did and now it's time for me to drop your walking ass. the other guy was just about to pass Walking Guy. he looked fast. i had zero choice; i had to hammer by both of these mofos and crush them on the final few meters of this descent cuz i am going to be vulnerable on the final climb.
i was in a world of hurt and i knew i had to hurt more...i felt that i was, miraculously enough, within striking distance of the Podium and God Hath No Fury Like That Of An Ilg Within Sight Of A Podium.
it was a black and blue lycra ninja warrior that sailed past those two mofo's that morning in those resplendent high woods. i hit them hard as possible. Walking Guy attempted to run by the sound of it. Running Guy glued himself onto my draft because, well, he was smart. he knew i was a faster descender than he and he was going to contain me until the final uphill and put the byattttach slap on me.
what he did not know is that i had something he did not.
i had myself another Strategy! like i said earlier, all a Warrior needs sometimes is a Strategy.
* photo of the Soulstice "muck" by Josh Biggs of the Arizona Daily Sun. you can still see Gunther's tire tread marks from my pre-race inspection ride; a Warrior Effort that kept the Podium within sight for me during the bleak, painful moments of the final kilometer.*
see, when this punk ass fool was sipping his god damned capafuckingchino while driving his SUV with his pinkie finger up Schultz Pass Road this morning, you know where i was?
i was on my mountain bike suffering up the finishing trail of this race.
and you know what i found out by doing this?
i found MUCK!
plenty of good, ol' fashioned MUCK!
MUCK after MUCK and MUCK extending for 300 meters before the Finish Line.
That MUCK, my Noble Friend Along The Path, was my final Arrow in my Quiver. i knew that if i could just get to the MUCK with even a few seconds lead over this mofo who is drafting my ass, he would have a whole world of hurt trying to outsprint me in the MUCK. see, HE DIDN'T KNOW about the MUCK, cuz, well; he was lazier than i. reminds me of so many people, unwilling to pre-inspect the Bardo Terrain. they just die with ignorance and unwillingness to at LEAST pre-inspect that Terrain of the after life. Stupid, stupid, STUPID!
so, leading into the final steep, rocky uphill before the MUCK, i pulled out one of my most potent Cards In My Deck: my "I've Done WAAAAAY more Jump Squats Than You Will EVER Even Imagine Doing," card and ran point blank into that headwall as if that headwall was itself the Finish Line, for in my Strategy, it was. I attacked the climb at a Zone 4 Heart Rate and heaved my gasping carcass up every foot of that headwall as an exorcise to my inner demons. i yelled. i screamed. i purged myself.
i had no idea what Running Guy thought. actually i do. he probably thought, "Oh good, that crazy guy was gone waaay too early, he will blow up and i will get him right before the Finish and beat his ass! Haaaa!"
you know what he got instead?
MUCK.
and that's the Way the Cookie Crumbles for those unwilling to do the DO! 
i had no time to linger after the race, i had a bike ride to complete before hypothermia set in. as i arrived back at Two Tree Manor, my body was shivering with cold. yet, a Warrior always takes care of his Faithful Pony before himself. so it was in the cleaning of the Muck from Gunther, my Soul rose from the Muck of the morning like a lotus flower, radiant and warm, and bringing to me a degree of Sacred Joy that can only arise from Warrior Effort In The Muck.
i bow to Muck.
long live the Muck in our lives.
it serves High Purpose in Transformation.
if we are Willing to travel into and through it.
are you?
om so ti
thank you for reading. may it help your Practice and Performance so all Beings Everywhere be freed through the Muck of Spiritual Ignorance.
your mountain yogi
this DL is a devotion to my feeble natural capacities in Cardio, a WF Discipline that has proved to be such a Teacher to my weaknesses and Pain. thus through my sweat and spirit, this DL i honor Sutra's 57 & 58 of the Shivasamhita:
"As the mastery of breath-control leads to a vision of the Clear Light, it is necessary to work hard for its success. - 57
"Success is not far away for him who practices this regularly. He undoubtedly gets a command over his breath gradually."
- 58
photo above; Coach holds his trophy and check for his win at Gaspin In The Aspen one week before the Soulstice Race.
***
COME, RACE NEXT YEAR!!!!
SOULSTICE RACE COURSE INFO:
www.natra.org/
special thanks as per DL of 10*14
DL photos being thwarted...
Most Noble DL Sangha,
Blogger is still not allowing me to post pictures...i know you are salivating in anticipation for more DL's especially after the amazing past three weekends of utter WF Ass Kicking!
trust me, i am too!
hang in there...
send letters to Blogger, not me!
head bowed,
coach ilg
October 14, 2006
TRIBAL NEWS ALERT: Yet Another Podium For Coach...in RUNNING??
10-14-2006 Soulstice Mountain Trail Run Division Results
Heavy Rain/Light Snow/High Winds
40 Degrees
Soulstice 10K
Steve Ilg
3rd Place; 40-49 category
11th Overall (out of 70 runners)
unofficial 1st place Duathlon (coach rode his mountain bike to the Start)
"This one really hurt, i am really happy about this podium," Coach said at the partying pandemonium of Pay n' Take, the hip downtown Flag brewery which was, tonight, the site of the awards ceremony, "with only 5 running specific workouts under my belt, to come away with 2 podiums and a 7th place in the last three weekends of racing? Uh, you do the math on that one! (smiling). My quick switch from cycling racing into mountain trail racing so successfully simply speaks volumes for what WF has to offer those of us who, for reasons of injuries and/or time restraints, cannot - or perhaps do not wish to - train specifically for running. I relied on several WF and ancient yoga techniques to get onto this podium against this talented field of specific mountain runners. The final mile was brutal; a slugfest upon my hip and lower back joints. A lot of Sushumna Activation, for sure! Also, a whole lot of Trust in the WF Path and Faith in myself proved to be key. Oh, and thank Lord Buddha for SUNRIDER Herbs, PowerBar, and BioBuilde Amino Acids. It was not my running fitness that enabled me to get onto this podium; it was my nutritional and wholistic disciplines, that is for sure. I wish to thank Neil for his amazing efforts in producing this race and to all Race Volunteers who stood out there in the high woods for hours in the rain and snow. i bow. i am Blessed. it is my wish to see YOU on the Start Line next year!"
other WF Tribespeople who completed the race:
Shannon Money (Flagstaff)
Bob Morrissey (Flagstaff)
John Kuhlman (Las Vegas)
Details to come on yet another podium for Coach's incredible string of victories in 2006!
enLIGHTenment...Auspicious Signs Affirm Student's WF Path
Noble Coach Ilg,
I had to share this literal moment of enLIGHTenment with you. As I was reading bedtime stories to my daughter, we experienced a blackout. After bathing the room in the soft glow of candlelight and donning my trusty Petzl headlamp, we continued with the stories.
My daughter fell asleep and I came out to the main room to find my wife peacefully dozing on the couch, softly lit by flickering candles. So beautifully quiet. So magical to be instantly disconnected from the modern world. I spent some time simply sitting in the dark... listening... being. Then I went to my bookshelf and took down your book TBT.
I let the pages fall open to a random (?) point in the book and began to read. As I began reading the introduction to the Green Tara program, I came to the section entitled "Timing is everything." As soon as my eyes found the words, "The Light of Yoga" the lights came back on in our neighborhood.
Beautiful.
Coach, I look forward to christening Mark's new Yoga studio in Brentwood with you and Ananda. I plan to ride my mountain bike from Mulholland up and over the hill, down the "whoops" or Sullivan Canyon and into my old neighborhood to sweat (and probably die) with you. Hopefully there's a place for a slightly dusty WF devotee in the room.
In Light and Stillness,
humble student bg
COACH RESPONDS;
Noble Student BG,
i trust you "got" Shiva's exquisite Teaching; Turn off the Lights more often; Wax on, Wax off!
there is ALLways space in my HP Yoga Classes for CARDIO COMMUTERS, baby!
keep the faith in your sweat and Ananda and i will see on the 4th!
Om So Ti...May There (continue to) Be Happy Omens
head bowed,
coach
October 13, 2006
Student Haiku of The Day; Subtle Energies
Namaste Noble Warriors!
sorry, Blogger is simply not letting me publish photos these days...95% failure rate and a whole ton of my time is lost...so, please excuse the Messenger...the CHI is still fresh and alive within the words, however.
namaste Coach +Joy,
when haikus pour forth (5)
from the subtle energies, (7)
YOGA has begun. (5)
-ben
COACH's NOTE:
HP Yogin and DL Reader, Ben Sullivan has used his Practice of HP Yoga and WF Dharma through DL to help him crack the top ten of the National Mountain Biking Championships. Here he is suffering up the local ski hill road during the SnowBowl Hill Climb race earlier this year. Quality Haiku poetry must be well seasoned by an individual's embrace of pain. going directly into our Pain is the only way to be, eventually - this lifetime or a future one - freed from it. A quality Haiku poem should reflect all that is intoxicating about the Daily Discipline of Training; it must create an environment ripe for insight, then evocation of feeling, followed by an "Ah-HA!" moment in the final line. this must be done within the mandatory 17 syllables.
why do i like Haiku and encourage them from my Students?
zen.
speaking of zen; i've got myself a wet, cold Mountain Running Race to go compete in...
May All Beings Realize the utter importance of getting out and DOING THE DO;
be it in the wet, cold rain and snow...
be it in the dank chambers of our Anger Arising and Lazy Tendencies,
be it in the stealthy, ninjalike stalking of our physical and mental weaknesses and DEVOTING OURSELVES FULLY,
at whatever the cost, to becoming truly Balanced...
truly
Wholistically
Fit...
off to the races...including the most important race of all;
the Race Toward Enlightenment in the Human Race!
om so ti,
the mountain yogi
photo above; Coach on the podium last week, after winning the Gaspin' In The Aspen Mountain Duathlon. photo by Flagstaff HP Yogini Shannon.
COACH TO TEACH IN LA; NOVEMBER 4th!
come early!
see Teacher Blanchard's new studio in Brentwood!
joy and i will be heading down to Venice after class for a rope climbing contest on Muscle Beach!
come and join the sweat and spirit!
see you on November 4th in the City of Angels!
click to enlarge; 
Save the PDF version and print out to put on your fridge!
Om Namah Mullet Head!
most beloved coach,
Saw the "old" Outside cover on DL (10/12) and it brought back many memories for me. That cover got me to your first book, which in turn got me to the second, which led to online studies and a path that continues to dazzle and amaze me at every turn. For that I bow deeply in thanks. And for not showing/expressing it more often - a deep heartfelt thanks for all that you and others do for those trying to follow the path. You and others never get enough accolades for the endless work behind the scenes that everyone puts in for us to be able to reap the benefits of what you sow, thank you again.
Got to comment on the cover though, as I look back over many years - NICE MULLET!
humbly working the path (and in mullet envy),
student moses
Steve "Coach" Ilg Scores his 4th Victory
check it out on my Team's blog:
http://redrockracing.blogspot.com/
October 12, 2006
OUTSIDE LOVE
Dear Coach,
regarding yesterday's OUTSIDE MAGAZINE entry in DL:
I still have my copy of that magazine. It sits in a basket right next to my bed. I have looked at that cover just about every day for the past 14 years. Though it took a long time to get on the path with you, that picture and article provided the spark.
With my head deeply bowed in thanks,
WF Online Student Harry
October 11, 2006
That Wonderful, Long Lasting Ilg Inspiration...
The Cover That Launched 10,000 Meditations. May 1992: After nearly breaking the legs and rupturing the lungs of the then Chicago-based OUTSIDE Magazine editorial staff on a guided "hike" up Lake Peak above Santa Fe, Coach's fitness so inspired the OUTSIDE staff that they assigned a writer to do a story on him. The story assigned was to be one page. Turned out that the feature on Coach was one of the magazines longest and became one of the most popular in the magazine's history. Through his skillful pen, writer Don Katz, inspired millions of outdoor athletes as he recorded the multidimensional training effect from his 3-Day Private Intensive with Coach in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Coach turned down 90% of the Seekers that Knocked upon his humble Temple Doors and several big ticket corporate offers after that article was published. Today, many of Coach's Online Students are still enjoying the WF Training that was first inspired by this article. Ain't it about time OUTSIDE Magazine do a follow up piece on Coach? Think people would be surprised that 15 years later Coach, at age 44, is still winning overall victories in several sports and inspiring all type of athletes to do such 'funny things' as meditation and yoga and inspiring studio yogis to do such 'non yoga' things like strength training, running up mountains, and competing in extreme, outdoor sports?
Probably not.
Below, an old fan of Coach's finally subscribes to DL and tells us why.
We already know why, however!
She is smart!
***
Namaste!
Coach doesn't know it yet but he has been a wonderful influence on my training since...92?... whenever that Outside article led me to buy his first book, "The Outdoor Athlete". Then his other books followed, and of course I found the website. There've been ups and downs, with career, family, etc., but the inspiration, and the approach to overall fitness that meshed so finely with my own thinking, have carried through and I'm back on my 'path'. I look forward to wonderful DL subscription.
jd
***
Wholistic Fitness since 1982; The Uncertifiable Path
We don't give out Teaching Certificates over a weekend.
We hook you up to your Sacred CHI over a lifetime!
logo by WF Devotee Brad Gantt
Student Haiku Of The Day; Long Before I Looked...
rock knows no meaning (5)
to Creator he just IS (7)
long before i looked (5)
***
Noble Sacred Mountain Yogi,
please accept these rock pictures and WF Haiku poem
-praises to you and your Path and your latest Victories!
gratefully and humbly from the Halls of your Temple,
WF Online Student steven (of Clan Haku)
NYC
October 10, 2006
Understanding Even A Little Bit...
{a note to our Flagstaff HP Yogins} -
Namaste Noble HP Yogis!
"If we can understand, even a little bit, the things that are truly meaningful to us,
we will begin to see how difficult material striving makes for the accomplishment
of our spiritual goals."
- Lama Karma Rinchen
Joy and i are looking forward to seeing you tonight in class to once again,
sharpen our Inner Looking Tools!
from beneath the beautiful Sacred Peak cloaked in her autumn best,
i bow to you...
coach ilg, ryt/uscf/cpt
author/Total Body Transformation
http://www.wholisticfitness.com/
photo (wwww.MyRacePics.com);
using HP Yoga fitness,
last weekend Coach set a new Course Record at the "Gaspin In The Aspen" mountain duathlon.
as Coach says,
"The Path works,
when YOU work the Path!"
October 09, 2006
"Booted" Student Still Receives The WF Light and Love
Dearest Noble Joy,
I know Coach booted me from the temple, and for good reason, but I wanted to let you know that you and he have been on my mind as of late. As I grow older and encounter more and more people in this increasingly hectic and chaotic world of ours, all that you do and stand for amazes me more and more because I have many more people with whom to contrast the Wholistic Fitness Tribe. There are so many people just trying to get by, just trying to stay afloat, and because of various social determinants that is all they can do. I am often saddened by this and wish I could be of some help to them. Lately during these episodes of concern I think of you, Coach, and the rest of the gang whom I have never even met, trying to change and improve the world, and I feel my inner vibrations quicken and my energy lighten when I do so.
Thank you for doing all that you do and being who you are. Thank you for trying to change the world one person at a time.
Om Namah Shivaya,
andrew
P.S. I do not expect any response to this e-mail, but have you asked yourself lately, "What is enlightenment to me?"
WF Intensive Slide Show by Student SS; DO NOT MISS THIS!
"From flatland Indiana to the textured depth of Arizona," Student Shawna, a professional photographer, submitted the following personal journal plus STUNNING SLIDE SHOW of her recent pilgrimage beneath the Sacred Peak.
May all of you book your '07 WF Private Intensive soon and come to our humble, powerful Temple so Ananda and i may Share with you what can only be described as a "5-Star Life Experience," by nearly a quarter century of WF Private Training Intensives.
om so ti and special Dharma Blessings to our Cherished Shishya; Shawna
-coach ilg
***
student-shawna's Journal Entry.
Friday, September 8th, 2006 - Flight from Phoenix to Indianapolis
'clouds! student ss likes clouds! so do i' coach ilg
clouds - are we attracted to their beauty because of the clutter we have in our minds?
Some days the skies are crystal clear, blue, and everything seems so clear while other days clouds fill the sky. can we relate?
When the winds pick up and carry the clouds along or take them to another place it's like breathing. the breath entering the body flushes the thoughts/clutter aside. but if you really dig into pranayama it's not only going to carry those clouds or thoughts along, it's going to create an opening in the sky for light to shine. storms are needed for release – just as clouds move in for an afternoon shower, so do our emotions. once a release has occurred the storm stops 'what a crazy world we live in.' funnel clouds or spinning winds may be work that is needed to dissolve the clouds into the atmosphere. releasing them, feeding mother earth so that the cycle can begin again.
Not everyday is meant to be blue skies. when there are clouds moving in, a storm follows – this is the balance. so to keep a balanced mind/body not too saturated with clouds, one must practice pranayama and spinning around – using all limbs to create motion and movement – the breath to clear the mind.
God shows us this direction everyday, why do we not listen? 'Hey, take those cotton balls out of your ears' we have been sleeping.
i strongly recommend that all WF Students drive from Phoenix to the Flag via Sedona. It only costs $18.50 round trip in gas with a Hybrid. How can you pass up the incredible views? From flatland Indiana to the textured depth of Arizona if not mindful, the stimulation can become intense.
may you enjoy this journey of images as much as the journey itself was (in)joyed.
www.schaubphotography.com/slideshows/WFintensive
Sending Much Love,
Namaste warrior teachers of the universe – I bow to you.
In breath and posture,
your humble student-shawna
October 07, 2006
TRIBAL NEWS FLASH! Coach Sets New Course Record In Mountain Duathlon!
IN THE HIGH COUNTRY ABOVE FLAGSTAFF -
Reports indicate from the Gaspin' In The Aspen Duathlon*, that Coach Ilg, a defending Age Group Champion and 3rd Overall in the Long Course of this race last year not only won the Short Course Overall Title this morning, he set a new Course Record by two minutes!
Coach was unable to compete in the Long Course this morning due to a prior and wonderful commitment to perform wedding vows for two of his HP Yoga Students.
RACE DETAILS COMING SOON from the Coach Who Walks His Talk!
Another stunning overall victory from Coach to give yet another heaping Self Help dosage of faith for all those people who have broken their back and have doctors tell them, "There is no way you will ever run again!" And for all of you who have NOT broken their backs, uh...C'MON baby! WF! the Humble, Powerful Path that truly is amazing; all you gotta do is work it!
*
http://www.flagstaffnordiccenter.com/duathlon.html
October 06, 2006
Uddiyana Bandha; be inZane To Begin!
I have not an idea why today's studio yogis seem to poo-poo bodybuilders.
in WF, we do not make fun of bodybuilders. instead, we do what all yogis are supposed to do;
Accept them as our Teachers and learn from them.
most of today's studio yogis would do well in their own Practice to learn from bodybuilders how to
develop the basic building block of the Ancient Yogic Pranayamic Tool that is
fundamental to ALL inner energetic yogic work; Uddiyana Bandha (the flying upward seal).
Right there in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Scripture describes the very FIRST STEP to
Uddiyana Bandha:
"Pulling the abdomen back in and making the navel rise is Uddiyana Bandha. It is the lion
which conquers the elephant, death."
Chapter 3, Verse 57
To my eye, friggin' Zane looks like a Lion in the photo above; far more so than most of today's current crop of "yoga stars"!
i mean, who among today's yogis are as capable as Zane in their expression of controlled prana in their midsections!? Most are fat and flabby in their pooch compared to Zane!
so why do the studio yogis snicker at bodybuilders so often, still to this day?
weird.
sad to see so many asleep while pretending to be Awake.
Now,
how about pulling out that HP YOGA; PROP WORKOUT DVD and getting the TRUE UPLIFTMENT
MUSCLES trained APPROPRIATELY??!!
HP Yogins; Though We Be A Small Tribe, We Are Fierce Like The Ancient Masters!
om so sweat,
the mountain yogi
photo 1: my Bodybuilding UpaGuru; 3-Time Mr. Olympian Frank Zane demonstrating one HELLUVA BEAUTIFUL "stomach hollow" that used to score major points in competitions. i just wonder now if he has used his amazing "stomach hollow" capacities for what truly matters; Uddiyanic Fitness! Zane's trademark was his elegant, strong, and OPEN physique! I loved his body and imprinted upon it for my own efforts in balancing my physique because Zane's body allways looked capable of doing sports and other functional fitness endeavors. Look at how OPEN his armpits are! To have your armpits flare open to the anterior so expressively requires tremendous flexibility of the shoulder rotators!
photo 2: coach during the filming of his PROP WORKOUT DVD; perhaps the most effective asana session available on the planet!
note: Coach was a regional level bodybuilder podium placer in the eighties.
October 05, 2006
Loving It!
bro,
Love the new DL format!
blessings,
haku
Seeking Online Training; Advice to a WF Warrior in Waiting
Hello Coach Ilg,
I hope that your backpack trip was ejoyable. I hope to be able to do that and much more some day again. I was wondering if you have looked at my application. I hope you have, if not please do and if you can, please give me an answer on if you will see me or not. It has been a year for me now since I have been active in any sport. The drugs I am on has taken its tall on me and I need to get off of them some how some way. I feel you can help with this problem. I rather been in pain then be on these drugs anymore. So if you think you can help me get my life back or not please let me know. Thank you for your time.
CN
Most Noble Seeker From Pain C,
i KNOW i can help you through the radical wisdom of this Path.
however, due to the many Seekers who wish to Study this humble, powerful Path
there is a traditional system of Acceptance into Online Study which must be observed.
i review all New Student Applications during the first of each month, and consult my Certified WF Teachers
to discuss them in the Teacher's Kiva.
if there are Openings and if your Application is accepted, you will certainly be notified.
i will say that the number of Students patiently awaiting on the Temple Steps is significant.
this Waiting Time is best spent by the Seeker by subscribing to and studying the Archives of DIRECT LINES.
Unique is my effort, steady and sure, to impart many WF Teachings and Dharma Arrows through this
forum of DIRECT LINES for the benefit of our worldwide tribal brothers and sisters. At only $10/Month, this
is surely worthwhile.
DL Subscribers often stand a better chance of being Accepted as an Online Student
because it shows me their sincerity to Study and enjoy the unique Benefits of this Authentic Path.
hang in there and know that Appropriate Action is allWays being done. i endlessly attempt to Serve all whom
Knock upon our Temple Door.
i bow to your Practice of Patience,
coach ilg
photo #1; the Tibetan Stupa in Santa Fe, New Mexico where Coach studied for several years
photo #2; Hanuman, the son of Shiva - most loyal and fierce Warrior for Rama (incarnation of Vishnu). Hanuman is the epitome of a Spiritual Warrior.
October 04, 2006
WHO LET THE (War) DAWGS OUT!?!??!?! Coach Mongrels His Unique Way Into the infamous "War Dog" Top Ten!
Of Aspen Leaves and Blood Blisters; the sure signs of a WF Warrior entry into fall! The only sport-specific pain i received from racing a high altitude half-marathon mountain race last weekend was this lonely blister on my toe. With only 5, count 'em 5, practice trail runs under my belt, my steadfast practice of Wholistic Fitness enabled me to crack the top ten at the summit turn around and amazingly enough - miraculously enough - i experienced absolutely zero Lactic Acid soreness, joint pain, or any other post-running race effect from a race of this caliber! at age 44, i have NEVER experienced such a miracle before! Can you IMAGINE if this Stuff gets out?! Imagine how many people would LOVE to be able to just jump into a race like this with relatively zero running-specific training and finish not only in the top ten, but one-up EVERYONE by turning it into a DUATHLON! c'mon!!!!!! you GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!?!??!!!
"The Path works,
when YOU work the Path!"
- coach ilg
here is a graph of the Race sent into the Temple office by alert and awake DL Subscriber Brad G of Sherman Oaks, CA. The elevation at Doyle Summit is 10,800'! 
Here is a shot of the summit turn around from the race in 2003. This beautiful saddle overlooks what is known as the "Inner Basin" of the Kachina Peaks Wilderness which is actually the opened gash from when Mt. Humphreys (the tallest peak in Arizona seen hovering over this group of War Dogs in this photo) blew her Crown Chakra in a volcanic explosion several million years ago and reduced her stature from nearly 17,000' to her present height of 12,633'. 
With only 5 practice runs to deviate from my usual Wholistic Fitness practices, i not only cracked the top ten at the summit turn around, i was the only mongrel to ride my mountain bike for an hour and over 1,700' to the "start" as i ditched my mountain bike, changed into my running shoes and mingled into the War Dog runners and took off up, up, and up to the Doyle Saddle.
Here is another shot taken the day before the Race. from Left to Right, the Sacred Peaks are: Doyle, Fremont, and Agassiz. the War Dog turn-around lies in between Fremont and Agassiz. I took this photo from within the Inner Basin at a GORGEOUS spot known as Lockett Meadow. 
at the start of the War Dog Race! Run goes up to Doyle Saddle and back - about half marathon in length. This informal run climbs 3000 ft. and returns back to the Trailhead. Only one trophy - the famous "true grit" award to the person in last place. No recognition for first place mens and womens division - those folks are in great shape and the race is a cakewalk for them. The standing record is 1 hour 28 minutes by Victor Todecozy. A Box of bandaids is awarded to most injured runner. The Wardog is the oldest trail race in Northern Arizona. First run in 1981, as an organized trail race with Nike and Coors as sponsors, it has gone through potential defenestration, but it still survives! Last year a record 37 people eschewed the St. George Marathon and other events to get back to trail running roots at the Wardog. This year it was BYOB – however, when the runners stopped running and were drinking their well earned brewskis, there was still one mongrel out there; a WF Warrior named ilg who still had to ride his mountain bike back to the real Start Line; my front door! 
Next year; whoEVER you are,
WhaEVER you do,
mark the First Sunday of October in your calendar and GET YOUR DAWG ASS out to Flag and do this great race; don't cost you a dime and the experience is...PRICELESS! I would say nearly half the of the War Dogs just hiked the race, so don't think you gotta run it! a Heaven of a time will be had! and for those MONGRELS like me that want to turn the War Dog Run into the War Dog DO DU (do the DUATHLON) i will meet you at the Schultz Creek Trailhead at 8:00 am next year, okay?
here were my times - gauge your training accordingly:
MTB UP: 1 hour, 8 minutes from my house at 7,200' to 8,852' (final 1.6 miles are EXPERT mountain bike intensity; be ready!)
RUN UP: 1 hour, 28 minutes from 8,852' to 10,800'. (okay, so i was slow as a snail - the up AND down run record is only 1:28! - yet, still, i hung on like a WAR DAWG!! i saw bobcat, white breasted swift, deer, bear scat, some type of hawk in the deep forest, kaibab squirrels, and zone-tailed hawk...along with the changing aspens and unfolding airplane like views as i ran the trail, i was a bit 'distracted' from pure racing! check out the link provided in my DL of a few days ago for more pics of this great trail!)
RUN DOWN: 41 minutes. took my time. why? see above paragraph!!!!
BIKE DOWN: 29 minutes! SO FUN! i was so fatigued that coming down Schultz Creek which some of you Intensive Students have rode with me, i was ironing out lines so fast cuz i was just too tired to care! i was just like, "Fuck it if i crash, i wanna git home and lie down!" it was crazy fast descent!
TOTAL TIME FOR THIS SACRED WORKOUT/RACE:
3 hours and 46 minutes
TOTAL VERTICAL ASCENT FOR THIS SACRED WORKOUT/RACE:
i lost count
***
COACH's PRE RACE RITUAL:
* Puja (worship plus Rock Vinyasa as devotional movement)
* 8 BioBuilde amino acids
* SUNRIDER HERBS: 2 x MetaBalance, 4 x MetaBooster, 4 x Action Caps, 5 x Sport Caps, 3 x Dandelion Root, 3 x Wu Chia Pi, 1 x EverGreen
* one small egg white and burrito and New Mexico Green Chile salsa
* digested for two hours (had to wake up EARLY to do the above)
* did WF Early Morning Ritual including Toilet Yoga (fast flow), Neti, and At-Sink Pranayama
* total of 3 bowel movements before i started...PERFECTLY EMPTY at Start!
DURING RACE:
consumed 1 CamelBak of water & 1 large Water Bottle of water, 2 PowerGels, 1 PowerBar (could have REALLY used another PowerGel or two!)
POST RACE:
6 x BioBuilde, 1x Ilg Supreme (felt like NECTAR OF THE GODS!!!!!! IMMEDIATE CHI RETURN!), 2 x MetaBalance, and one HELLUVA tasty MOOSEHEAD beer!!!!!! YUUUUM!!!! man, i wish i could just suck down beers like most of the rest of the men my age!? LOVE the taste of beer, however, any more than one beer makes me instantly fat in the worst of ways and completely puffs out my internal organs thus interfering horribly with my Pranayama Practices. May Shiva be damned forever for taking away my beer and wine drinking capacities!!!!! aaaargh!!!!!! The Path narrows, right? 
Oh well, how BAAAAD do you want it (Enlightenment), right? It's our choice when it comes to alcohol intake; PODIUMS or POOCH! However, i swear to Lord Patanjali, next year i am gonna smash my WAR DOG DUATHLON record and have TWO DAMNED BEERS!!!!!! wanna join me?
May this entry inspire your own Efforts in your own Practice
and TRUST that a WF Warrior can Dance ALL the DANCES within the capacities of the human body and mind!
om so ti
from the season of the falling leaves,
coach ilg
the mountain yogi
October 03, 2006
Of Brad Pit and Triathlons
Namaste Noble Warriors!
thank you for all the great input on my blog(s) this week...
you might enjoy the last two entries from a Las Vegas, Nevada Student of mine that has received great benefits from
his practice of HP Yoga. His writing is funny, heartfelt, yet potent:
http://theoutdoorjourney.com/journey/
i bow to you from beneath the Sacred Peak,
coach ilg
KEEPING UP WITH COACH: September Practice Stats Are In
Barely capable of raising my arms after completing what i feel was my best yet Warrior Effort of 2006 which already includes 3 First Places in two different sports. Hey, WF is an effective Path...if YOU work the Path! You will read about this Warrior Effort in the next DL. Hint; note my trail running shoes fastened to my CamelBak!
photo by Temple Manger Ananda at Two Tree Manor.
"The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something."
- Yamada Roshi
September, as you have guessed from reading all the potent DL's which have flown through my feeble pen (well, keyboard) during this past month, is a peak Wholistic Fitness training period for me. AllWays has been. Can't beat the September CHI!
I did not have any races scheduled in September so i could focus upon what WF Warriors love to do most; shape shift into new and different Levels of body/mind fitness. It is what yogis do; we adapt to change faster and more powerfully than any other species or type of human on the planet.
For me, September Yoga means getting out and attempting to run - very awarefully - on my once shattered spine and pelvis. My skeleton cannot bear the 100+ miles per week of running i once did before my climbing 'accident' (aka; Divine Blessing). As the aspens leaves flutter about my footfalls along all the mysteriously beautiful Kachina Peaks trails outside the WF Temple Home, often my body is racked by searing neural pain as my old injury receives the concussion of each footstrike upon Mother Earth. Most men, and even the more stoic-in-pain women i daresay, would likely not volunteer themselves to the degree of pain that i must now endure to run.
Yet, i ain't gonna stop. I just must keep applying the Ancient Yogic Internal Locks and breathing practices so as to literally 'lift my etheral self' higher than the self associated with the physical pain.
The most valuable Practice for me as i attempt to run is my exclusive-to-this-Path; "Early Morning Ritual" which, during this time of the year, really emphasizes the incredible "Rock Vinyasa" - a Secret Temple Practice of mine self evolved from the dire need to create space in my lower back and hips. i nearly have completed an introductory booklet and DVD on this amazing Practice. Watch for it. If you have pain anywhere in your body; do this Rock Vinaysa Practice and watch the sharp, biting Pain begin to soften into purity of consciousness inviting your Higher Self to keep Rising Higher than the pain.
As you will soon read in an Exclusive DL Subscriber Only entry; by what i did this past weekend, i have proven once again the absolutely unmatched power of a WF Practice that completely defies ALL current notions of how one must train for, compete in, and excel in brutally tough trail running races with comparably non-existent running specific volumes and without ANY excruciating muscle soreness or joint pain after competing in such races.
I have always Taught you that, "The Pran (chi or life force) is stronger than anything else," and that is why, when you look at my September Training Stats below, i PRIORITIZE the three "Yin" Fitness Disciplines of WF and not the two "Yang" Fitness Disciplines of Cardio and Strength Training. This approach to competitive running is categorically opposite to the predictably obsessive traits of conventionally trained runners. the Way i continue to shape shift my body and her physiologic capacities throughout the years is done by a devotion to Meditation, HP Yoga, and Nutrition (pivoting upon SUNRIDER HERBS and a special Amino Acid Formula).
Study these Actual Practice Stats from last month and then watch DL for how i unleashed all this "invisible fitness" of meditation, HP Yoga, and herb-based Nutrition in a Half Marathon Mountain Running Race with only 5 practice runs!
I think you might be at least surprised, if not shocked, at just how FAST and EFFECTIVE a WF Warrior can shape shift his or her own Body and Mind by Way of tweaking what matters most: their Spirit (aka; etheral fitness via pranayama and mental training).
One day, perhaps even during my lifetime, the rest of the Fitness and Yoga world will Awaken and begin to study the Path that has been providing such amazing levels of self-transformation since 1982.
Then again, probably not. We in this Tribe, tend to soar a little too high, a little too far ahead of the pack. That's okay. We got each other, right?!
Oh, and when you read through these Practice Stats,
i need you to make sure you DO NOT TRY TO MIMIC THEM!
Don't show them to conventional athletes or to other yogis.
They will not understand.
in particular; DO NOT TRY TO MIMIC my extremely low caloric intake vs. caloric output!
this is a Coach's Direct Order!
if you do,
you will probably become faint, screw up your blood sugar, wreck your metabolism, get ill, get injured, or worse!
remember, i have the benefit of training in WF and on the SUNRIDER Herbs for a quarter century; do not think you are going to keep up with me without that base training across the WF Disciplines and herbs, okay?
Here you go and may this Entry
serve notice to your own Practice Stats across the WF Disciplines and Lifestyle Principles,
om so ti,
coach ilg
COACH's SEPTEMBER, 2006 PRACTICE STATS:
Strength Training = 5 Hours (an average of 15 minutes/per day)
Cardio = 40.50 Hours (an average of 1.35 hours per day)
HP Yoga = 52 Hours (an average of 1.75 hours per day)
Meditation/Pranayama = 45.50 Hours (an average of 1.50 hours per day)
Nutrition = an average of 1,595 calories per day
October 02, 2006
DL of 9/26 gets Nominated!
- a darkened version of the picture that has sent more Email into my inbox than any other; a shot of me coming out of a deep meditation via Siddhasana (see DL 9/26/06)
***
To my Teacher,
Another nomination for DL of the Year 2006. I know there are no coincidences. I had, however, been thinking about Siddhasana. The Sutras say there's no asana like Padmasana and Siddhasana and here's what i was pondering. For those of us who do not have Padmasana permission from our energetic and gross bodies YET, would sitting in Siddhasana be a g(o)od asana for sitting anytime and anywhere (while eating ,reading etc) to help those hips open?
and lo and behold your Siddhasana teaching appears.........beautiful Teaching and picture/example. Thank you
open hippie love,
ss
COACH RESPONDS:
Most Noble Student SS,
no.
the correct Siddhasana, the traditional Siddhasana is much more difficult than Padmasana. you are probably mistaking "Burmese Foot Position" (see TBT) for traditional Siddhasana. the Scriptures are very clear about how to sit in the energetically appropriate Siddhasana; the heel of the left foot must press INTO the perineum (space between genitals and anus) and the other heel presses the pubis; above the genitals. with just a touch of exploration, the yogin will realize just how difficult this posture is to attain - let alone maintain for up to several hours - the heels press into deeply profound nerve centers (the prelude to the Nadis) which can take most of us years to slowly and safely be guided through as per our Teacher's instructions. what you do NOT want to do is to start cramming your heel bone into this very sensitive and energetically potent area; that is a recipe for a screwed up neural impingement/crushing and/or a disastrous Kundalini episode.
stick with WF Online Training Guidance to prevent going backwards in energetic work and hurting yourself.
absolutely fine to keep fine tuning Burmese Style in both elegance and duration.
om so ti,
coach ilg
How Old Were You?
Dear Coach,
as you say,
"I bow in WOW,"
of YOU!!!!
your DL of 9/26 with that photo of you in "The Adepts Pose" has riveted itself in my mind!
AMAZING photo!
now, when i sit down to Meditate, i just try to imitate that photo and in doing so, i now realize a greater depth
of understanding of your quote,
"It takes STRENGTH to sit still (and elegantly)!"
question; how old were you when that photo was taken? you look quite young!
in deep respect for what you continue to Give and Teach by example and effort,
JB
Oregon
COACH RESPONDS:
"Dear Noble Warrior JB!
thank you for your letter!
you are very sweet...that picture was taken the day before i wrote that article...last week!
age is 44 and a half.
The Path works,
when YOU work the Path,"
right?
May your Training be Blessed,
coach ilg
DROPPING THE OLD SELF
Temple Manager Ananda,
i hope to begin online training later next year (if I am worthy and ready). Coach has inspired me to make some big changes in my life, and things are still settling down. The Winter Athlete gave me great resolve to go deeper down the path, and the Path has led me farther from my old self than I would have gone without the encouragement and wisdom that Coach gives so freely. I bow to you both.
Humble Student
Tim Sweeney
Brattleboro VT
DL is the Mirror That Keeps Me Focused
One of the things that helps keep me focused is the Direct Lines. There are times when I get negative thoughts like "Why are you doing this, just quit." Then I read a Direct Line like the one last week about the lady who went to one of your classes and said that was all she could do. It reiterated to me how easy it is to quit. Someone can always come up with an excuse that makes themselves feel better or justify quitting. The mirror helps prevent me from doing that.
Ready to Rock,
again and again...
Harry
October 01, 2006
ANNUAL WAR DOG TRAIL RUN!...errrr, MOUNTAIN DUATHLON, baby!
""Who can be a wild deer among
deserted mountains
happy with grass and pines."
- Han-shan
photo of coach training on the Weatherford Trail, 9,200'.
oh yeah, like THIS is gonna work.
in a few minutes i am about to embark on Arizona's oldest mountain trail run known as "The Annual War Dog Trail Run." This half-marathon run climbs 3,000' and used to be sponsored by both Nike and Coors back in the day when outdoor adventure athletics still had some grounded soul wisdom.
now, to bring a little more WF CHI to this event, instead of commuting by car up to the 8,800' trailhead, i am gonna ride my mountain bike and intercept those mountain runners like a ninja in lycra and THEN run with the runners to the 11,400' saddle and back again.
at least,
that's my plan.
ouch.
i'll sign off with a haiku for you:
this is gonna hurt. (5)
keep the CHI and think of me (7)
we learn by doing (5)
LINK to my intended adventure of today...some beautiful shots
scroll down to VIEW SLIDE SHOW of Weatherford Trail:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/weatherford-tr.shtml