Following Milarepa's Route Through The Bardo

When you are strong and healthy,You never think of sickness coming,But it descends with sudden force, like a stroke of lightning.When involved in worldly things, You never think of death's approach; Quick it comes like thunder, crashing round your head.
MILAREPA

"As we advance into the Journey of WF, the realization sooner or later must be attained; i did not create this Path for
just living longer or winning trophies or being "happy" here and there during our lives.

i created this Path as a Bardo Training! To confront the daily monotony and the day to day confrontations of our ego wishing to be comfortable is the Practice Grounds for Rising Above our predictable tendency to be scared stiff of death and our unWillingness to follow the Ancient Master's Pathways through death and into Enlightenment.

To me, genuine Personal Fitness is synonymous with Spiritual Fitness and to be fit spiritually means having a body that is radiantly powerful in ALL her dimensions and thus creates the springboard into spiritual fitness which is a million times more difficult than merely attaining a world class physical fitness. That is kindygarten compared to overcoming death! Yet, rare is the Personal Trainer or even the Teacher of Yoga that coaches his or her students into the Bardo Training preparations! Why push death away when you can TRAIN for it?"
- Coach Ilg

***
Photos:
1) free soloing a 5.8 route to test my meditation - mental control - in southern Utah last year. i can't Teach true meditation without willing to test my own Practice of it! And truly, no matter what the 'experts' might say, your meditation ain't shit unless you are Dancing your Mental Control with Death or high risk to the physical body. Everything else about training the waves of the fluctuating mind is just pretend. in this Path, we don't pretend. we do the DO!

2) on ice in the San Juans. leading an ice climb, especially on Colorado ice, is almost always a Bardo Training exercise; must be prepared to, "die on the lead." Thus, ice climbing is superb at extracting the common man from his addiction to 'worldly things.'

3) entering the Bardo Realm of Death Valley during the Furnance Creek 508, while setting a new course record.

We don't just TALK body/mind/spirit in WF;
we have friggin' been LIVING IT in world class ways since 1982!

Keep it real
Keep it grounded,
Keep it steady and firm in the Practice of WF!

Temple Haiku Guidelines

Most Noble Sangha,

i TRULY CHERISH all of your Haiku Poetry submissions!
keep them coming because on the next enhanced version of WF.com
i am having a slew of cool WF Forums for easy research and gathering of Students to exchange ideas, news, etc.,
and i will have a Temple Haiku forum as well!

however,
you must submit these 'zen poems' in the Traditional Manner.

do not make me do extra work.

here are the Haiku Guidelines to be followed with a couple of popular examples from our Tribe:

always write in parenthesis the number of syllables required for each line and the lines need to be:

first line: (5) meaning; 5 syllables - this line traditionally tells us what season/mood the author is evoking for us.

second line: (7) meaning; 7 syllables - this line traditionally 'sets us up' for the final line

third line: (5) meaning: 5 syllables - this line is traditionally the "ah HA!" line...the real PUNCH that takes us toward Enlightenment!

EXAMPLES:

Temple home awakes (5)
Noble Student flies back home (7)
aspen leaves clapping (5)

- coach ilg

***

Transformations bring (5)
Demons fire to the surface (7)
Let the pain heal me (5)

- WF Online Student Tobe


***

May your training sting (5)
May your Meditations sing (7)
If you ain't no punk! (5)

- coach ilg

Coach's LATEST USSSA Article and PROGRAM Now Published!

i bow to your Devoted Practice and offer you this article today as a Gift
from beneath the Sacred Peak
with
the visualization that
all "Two Legged Beings" get OUT this winter and DO THE DO!

enjoy:

www.snowshoeracing.com/home.htm

(scroll down, look right for my "RUNNING ON WATER" column!

namaste,
the mountain yogi

SIDDHASANA; The Adepts Pose

SIDDHASANA; The Adepts Pose

i dedicate this DL entry to my MahaNidraRishi. i bow at your Lotus Feet.

"Especially since fracturing my spine, i have come to see the skeleton as the sherpa for the spine and not the spine as the caretaker of the skeleton. It has become my maxim therefore, to focus upon cultivation of the Ancient Forces within the spine, and let the skeleton and her associated muscles and actions, shift for itself."
- coach ilg
3 First Places in3 Different Sports so far in 2006

Above: Coach in a rare photo just exiting the Traditional Siddhasana (Adepts Pose). Perhaps you can pick up the expression of Laghava or 'bodily lightness' from Coach's body in this photo. Much of this Laghava, according to Coach, comes from...


DO NOT MISS COACH's AMAZING TECHNICAL AND PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS "Rocketship toward Enlightenment" posture..

THIS ONE ENTRY IS WORTH A YEAR's SUBSCRIPTION PRICE!!!

Drabble

contributed by WF Temple Manager Ananda

BEGINNERS FRIGHT, BEGINNERS LIGHT

Below is actual counsel from a local yogini who came to her first HP Yoga Class. She had been doing "Bikram Yoga" for some time, however, this was her first immersion into well, you know; the HP Yoga intensity of focus. Beginners will always Teach us by allowing us to revisit our own first encounter with Yoga so i have edited this actual exchange - the first of several i did with her for free - so that we can reaffirm our own Practice intent.


****
Namaste Coach!
I must say, I was quite discouraged after my first class. I shook uncontrollably and was definitely the weakest one in the room.

COACH:
Most Noble Yogini,
the very first thing i want you to know about your Journey into yoga is that,
'your yoga is YOUR yoga!'

the "shaking" comes from the amount of Prana or Life Force, hiting your untrained subtle anatomical vessels, known as 'nadis.' with continued Practice, the shaking will stop as your nadic fitness develops. hang in there!

What did i tell you before class?  "Do not compare!  Do not compete!"
Just pay strict attention to listening to the language of YOUR body, of YOUR breath!
You must come to your yoga mat with mind devoid of your past and future and enter the present...allow the 6,000 year-old Science of Yoga begin to work slowly and deeply;  do NOT let your EGO thwart the slow science of Transformation;   Trust in me to Guide you slowly, effectively, and safely. Most of all,  Trust in the Path...and just BREATHE!


YOGINI G:
I can see how your class is so wonderful for the athletically inclined.

COACH:
i have taught 83 year-olds this style.
i myself was in a wheelchair, paralyzed.
do not assume this style is just for the "athletically inclined"!
the name; High Performance Yoga
means;  Divine Action Union!


YOGINI G:
I wish I were more fit like that.


COACH:
you took ONE class!

quit the self pity right now, okay?
you are an infant in this Inner Work.
me too.
we help each other along the Way, okay?
just show up for class without expectation and allow this Proven Path to Elevate you!



YOGINI G:
I felt embarrassed - and I know we're not supposed to be watching each other, and it's our own thing, but I felt so self conscious.


COACH:
it will pass.
pay attention only to what matters most;   the WITHIN!


YOGINI G:
What I really liked was the savasana. I hadn't been through such a powerful guided relaxation. Was that lavender you sprinkled in my face?

COACH:
well, i did not sprinkle it in your face...!  ;-)  yes, it was Lavender.  i just wafted it above your nose.


YOGINI G:
You are a strong presence and a powerful inspiration. I don't know if you'll see me again - and not for me not wanting to try. I think I'm too old and infirm.

COACH:
oh Jesus! oh Buddha...oh Lord Patanjali! 
get out the Violins for Yogini G!... 
stop that egoic bullshit and GET TO CLASS!    
NOTHING is more PRICELESS for your long term health of Self.
you will be VERY surprised at how fast you get stronger...i have been Teaching a looong time and trust me,  you have all the potential in the WORLD!  
do NOT GIVE UP; be a WARRIOR WITHIN and your whole family and life will respond in deep and powerful Ways!


READ THE ENTIRE EXCHANGE AT TODAY's DL SUBSCRIPTION FORMAT as Coach reveals more fierce loving with this frightened beginner along the Path and admits to a very interesting and touching perspective from this exchange...
PLUS
MORE GREAT ASANA PHOTOS of coach by world class photographer, Marc Romanelli near White Rock, New Mexico
including:
Vrkasana
transition sequence involving Eka Pada Bujasana
and Garudasana

It's All About Joy...JOY PREMIERES ON STAGE TONIGHT!

I swear our WF Tribe has the absolute coolest, toughest, best looking, stoic, versatile, leanest, and meanest babes on the planet! our very own Temple Manager Joy "Ananda" Kilpatrick is a world-class example of our humble yet powerful Tribeswomen.

Tonight, for the first time since leaving LA, Joy will be taking the Stage in the premier of:

you can bet your best bottom bracket that i will be right there, front row, watching my Beloved strut her well-trained, 20+ years of professional acting stuff on stage. i have been absolutely enchanted by her pro level transformation of spirit as she steadily prepp'ed herself for this demanding, emotional role of "Mutti" a Jewish mother during the Holocaust who must face the horrific realization of the Nazi's coming to take her children away from her into the hell realm of the concentration camps. here is a photo of Joy during a scene from a local newspaper reporter who, understandably, was absolutely enthralled by Joy's commanding presence on stage; check out the CHI in Joy's face!:

it has been deeply moving for me to watch this professional actress immerse herself into Mutti. all, and i do mean ALL, of my former "Significant Others," have always lost track of their own Sense of Self when caught in the steve ilg/WF Temple vortex which, unless you actually work each day at this Humble, Powerful Helm, you have zero idea of just how intense our Vortex is on individual spirit (Atman). Joy is not only keeping her creative self and independently based Bliss intact by taking the stage again, she is also using for the first time in her acting career all the CHI accumulated by her own WF, HP Yoga, and SUNRIDER Herb Practice over the past 3 years:




that this amazing woman, the daughter of a Marine hero who literally grew up in a martial art dojo and went on to become a leading lady of stage, dance, and film has chosen to devote her unlimited capacities and chi to further my humble Path of WF touches me in the deepest fibers of my soul.

shown here with Patrick Stewart on the set of "SAFE HOUSE," our Beloved Temple Manager is set to take the Stage by storm tonight and if i were you?

i'd book a ticket and get your butt to Flag before the play ends on October 14th.

ticket info:
www.theatrikos.com
or call:
928-774-1662
(do NOT email joy or myself regarding this event!)

more on my Grand Canyon trip coming up next on DL!

photo above: yesterday, Joy and i visited a local vintage clothes shop and sure enough, Brahman manifested this 40's period dress which is PERFECT for the role of Mutti. Joy was sooo stoked. To me, her finding this dress right before Opening Night must have felt like me getting hooked up with a full on carbon fiber new racing bicycle before a race! the Art of Coupleship truly lies in drawing upon our own Bliss Paths and relating them to our Loved One. This creates an intimate standing-under of our Partner and instead of feeling threatened by our Partner's choices to pursue that which Moves and Nourishes Their Soul, it STRENGTHENS and ELEVATES the relationship.


hey Ananda...
Break A Leg, baby!

om so ti,
your loving coach, Teacher, friend, colleague, training bro, fan, pea-mate, and Partner...
steve

Sacred Workout Complete; Coach returns from the Grand Canyon

COMING UP NEXT IN DL SUBSCRIPTION:

Namaste Noble iDL Readers!

did you miss me?

oh man, once again, thanks to the multidimensional fitness afforded to me by my own Practice of WF,
i was able to drop into and out from not only the Grand Canyon in a Sacred Way,

yet also, i was able to use this backpacking trip as a wonderful ReConnection with my little brother Craig, who was self-admittedly; "Waaaaaay out of shape and scared stiff," of backpacking into the very bowels of the Grand Canyon which he had NEVER EVEN SEEN before!

coming up in DL i will tap you into some of the WF Techniques and Teachings and outdoor equipment that i used to safely and strongly provide an AMAZINGLY RICH experience for myself and my brother.



it has been probably 30 years since i shared a backpack trip with my little brother. as a young, first time father, my little brother found a new ignition switch during this trip to respark his own fitness of body, mind, and spirit.

after i catch up a bit with my WF Online Students and my SUNRIDER Herbal Warriors, i will be right back with you, providing more fun pictures and LOTS of valuable outdoor wilderness and internal spiritual Teachings and Sharings...

it feels go(o)d to back at the Humble Helm of the world's most amazing and unique Path of Personal Fitness; WHOLISTIC FITNESS!


with blistered feet and soaring chakras,

i bow to you,

coach ilg

photos:
#1; coach pumps his fist after a new PR in "Wilderness Jacks." what, exactly, is "Wilderness Jacks"? coming up in DL!
#2; my 'little' (6'4") brother Craig "Two Man" Ilg at our campsite, not looking too totally stoked about my 'Zen Rice and Tuna" meal i made for him after his WARRIOR HIKE up the AMAZINGLY Clear Creek Trail
#3; Bright Angel Creek, a refuge of icy clear water which feeds into the Colorado River right beside our campsite.
#3; the awesome flow of the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon as we begin the 9.3 mile, 4,000'+ climb back to the South Rim on Day 3.

Coach Hikes The Canyon as Joy Returns To The STAGE!!!!

Namaste Noble Warriors!
i am off to go backpack the Grand Canyon with my little (6'4") brother, Craig! i will be back steering the wheel of the Humble Helm by Wednesday. i will do my best to take some killer photos of our immersion into one of the most powerful places on Turtle Island, so enjoy the Archives and keep your Practice STRONG!

YES! the RUMOR is TRUE!
our Movie Star Turned Mountain Gal, Joy "Ananda" Kilpatrick is returning to the stage...nope, not Hollywood this time, right here at our great little playhouse called, Theatrikos!
so tell you what, why don't you plan on coming over to Flag and see the GORGEOUS Autumn Aspens turn color and while you are here, catch our own Ananda on the Stage!

here is some information however you can also visit: www.Theatrikos.com

September 23 through October 14, 2006

“And Then They Came For Me:
Remembering the World of Anne Frank”

By James Still

Performances to be held on:
September 23, 28, 29, 30, October 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 at 8 p.m.
September 24, 30, October 7 at 2 p.m.

Call 928-774-1662 for ticket reservations

"And Then They Came For Me…” is a unique theatrical experience: a multimedia play that weaves videotaped interviews with Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II. Part oral history, part dramatic action, part direct address, part remembrance...the ensemble driven “And Then They Came For Me…” breaks new ground and has been acclaimed by audiences and critics in productions across the United States.

Joy gives voice to the enduring character of Mutti, Eva Scholoss real life mother.

Joy's Brief Bio:

* Joy Kilpatrick (Mutti)

Joy is honored to be making her Theatrikos debut with this passionate group of actors and artists. Humbled to give voice to such a brave and enduring character, joy would like to thank Randi Klein, the director, for this opportunity.

Joy received her BFA from the University of Miami before continuing her Acting studies with the Burt Reyonld's Institute for Theatre Training, a one year internship which gave her the opportunity to work with such Stars as Burt Reyonlds, Charles Nelson Reilly and Dom DeLuise. Joy then took oversea study at the National Theatre in London on Scholarship. Upon returning to the states, she has had the honor to work as a professional actress in stage, television and film. Her most recent film credit is playing Patrick Stewart's daughter in SAFEHOUSE. She has also written and instructed a Yoga Video for Peter Pan Productions, titled: Quick Fix Power Yoga, which now Airs on Exercise TV®. Joy recently relocated to Flagstaff from LA with her beloved partner and their two amazing cat beings to experience a Higher quality of Living. Joy now devotes her time to teaching Wholistic Fitness® and Yoga. "May all beings be free from suffering."

• Member of Actors Equity Association

***
photos:
1) Coach at the Grand Canyon
2) Joy at 23 when she won the Carbonnell Aware for "Best Supporting Actress in a Musical"

What The World Needs...

TODAY IN DL SUBSCRIPTION LEARN A TIBETAN MASTER's TAKE ON WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS,
PLUS...

"...This first, most pivotal Lifestyle Principle of my work - Breath and Posture - can also be Seen as "Pranayama and Asana". That is, the WF Yogi's numero uno duty is to Breathe Consciously throughout their day and to find a "comfortable seat" - which is what 'asana' means - within the dynamic circumstances of their day. Asana does not mean just being flexible or "good" at one sport or fitness discipline. That ain't Yoga, hell, that ain't even Fitness! What that is? Stagnation. Yoga is not about stagnation in a sport or fitness component; it's about Radical Self Transformation and being able to Dance ALL physiologic and psychologic realms, baby!"
- Coach Ilg
creator/Wholistic Fitness Personal Training System
"The Mt. Everest of Personal Fitness."

photos:
#1) Temple Manager Joy "Ananda" Kilpatrick finding her "comfortable seat" during Utthita Vasisthasana on Miami Beach.
#2) Coach stops during a recent mountain trail run to take advantage of some pretty potent alpine Prana to crank off a quick "Pranayama Appetizer." Just stopping during our busy days to simply breathe consciously seems to have become very Elite Yogic demeanor during Kali Yuga! WF is one of the few styles of yoga that prioritize Pranayama; just like the Ancient Enlightened Masters instructed. Funny how so many new yoga "Teachers" and their students are not willing to follow the Ancient Path. Our very FIRST Guideline in our humble, Powerful Path is "Breath and Posture," for where there is no conscious breath (prana/apana) there is no life!

And You Wonder WHY You Should Do An WF Private Intensive?

And What, you think i am just LYING to you about the Pranic Amplification that hits your cells if you come to the Sacred Peak and TRAIN?!

What, you think i moved here for the scenery? Well okay, maybe a LITTLE for that reason, however, my Teachers instructed me to move here for a very specific reason; the quality of the Pran here is pure and specific enough to virtually BEAM a specific form of Prana into the vyanic field of our body's cellular structure. Hell, you don't have to believe me and all my antics...
why not listen to one of the Wise Warrioress's that made pilgrimage to the Sacred Peak and is now REAPING the multi-layered benefits that runoff like spring water from a WF Private Intensive. i give you WF Student Amy of Oregon (see photo above taken during her and Todd's recent Intensive):

***
Most Noble Coach and Ananda,

I was thinking of you both while I was lying in bed on Monday night and how I would construct an e-mail to give you updates on my practice and progress since our intensive. I woke up Tuesday morning with vivid memories of us levitating in my dreams. What fun that was! I could FEEL the energy creating the movement! I haven’t been able to duplicate it in the waking state yet. I’ll keep trying!

My energy level has been soaring since Todd and I left the Two Tree Manor in August. I have been practicing seated meditation on most days of the week as well as active meditation through HP yoga and running. I am absolutely astounded at the energy levels I have been able to sustain. I ran 20 miles last weekend in 2:37 (a 7:45 pace). I felt kick ass (sorry, had to use the language for descriptive purposes). I still had enough energy to complete two top rope climbs with my brother that afternoon. To my surprise, I wasn’t even hungry that whole day! Talk about prana flowing! My appetite for food has been suppressed since then.

I honestly could not understand how coach can perform at such super human levels with such a small amount of food! I had been pondering that since I left Flagstaff. Now I know! Wow! Wow! Wow! That is all I can say. I feel better than I have in years (not that I was feeling bad before). I have cleaned up my diet since I am no longer craving carbohydrates. I feel awesome. Meditation is so powerful!

I am seeing the world through different eyes. I feel like my sense of reality is changing. I can only hope that I am shifting out of the realm of daily awareness and entering something much more grand, even if only for glimpses. I can’t wait to see what is next.

I will continue to train for the San Francisco Marathon on October 22nd. I will let you know how that goes.

You are both always in our thoughts and in our hearts.

Namaste,
“Vyanic Princess” Amy

Running Into Shakespeare - "In me thou see'st"

The hummingbirds have left.
Four days before the first overnight freeze.
How do they know
what they know?

Why have we lost such inner science of Self?

Whom Taught YOU to know, what you "know"?


Yesterday evening, Ananda and i took our Practice to another of our backyard trails known as
"Upper Oldham"...a narrow slice of alpine trail that twists and turns upon itself as it snakes its way up
the steep slope like the Princess Kundala Herself snaking Her Cosmic Way up Sushumna. It would take me nearly
26 minutes to run up and into the trail's summit alpine meadow still bejeweled by wildflowers hanging on for dear, dear life.


no small feat, bringing your feet up this route;
it climbs from 7,600' to 9,000' in a mere 1.5 miles!
i devoted my sweat last evening to the Autumnal Gods, and
though my spinal injury still sears my body with pain while running,
i surrender the Pain as karmic Purification to Brahman and His Dance That Is..

oh, i can only trust you enjoy Shakespeare
and true chi running...

May your Practice be Blessed and strong and fleet on this Day of Days...

READ COACH's BEAUTIFUL JUXTAPOSITION OF SHAKESPEARE WITH MORE MOUNTAIN RUNNING PICS ON TODAY'S DL!

Coach Lombardi Meets Ram Dass?

The NY TIMES says of coach ilg; "This Yin-Yang version of Vince Lombardi has few rivals..." his peculiar yet undeniably effective form of personal fitness training "...is like Coach Lombardi meets Ram Dass."


+

=

?


***
"Most modern athletes, performers, and leaders -though they be of our Warrior Clan,
still have little notion of where their Highest Victories lie. The modern athlete has lost track of
where his true podium lies. The modern performer has confused their stage presences, and our
so-called Leaders in politics and business have grown indeterminate in their spiritual integrity thus
confuse material wealth with genuine wealth. Such dissolution of Nobility and Character arises
because..."

DO NOT MISS COACH's SIZZLING SPIRITUAL KICK IN THE ASS TODAY!
including his: "3-Points of human behavior which all veer away from the real purpose of taking a precious human incarnation."

SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO DL; the last stop of Common Spiritual and Fitness Sense left on the Internet! Coach Ilg will keep you true to your Highest Self!

Pain IS a Picnic; So SLOW DOWN!

"Whenever we are brave enough to create the time to go
slowly, i mean really, really, REALLY slowly into our Pain
- be it physical pain, emotional pain, or mental pain -
we are granted inSights which begin to purify that Pain
thus bringing Transformation of it."
- coach ilg
a no surgery/no drugs conquerer of a fractured spine and smashed pelvis


accordingly to Wikipedia, the word Picnic means:
PICNIC is an acronym which stands for "Problem In Chair, Not In Computer".
"It is most commonly used by experts to describe to one another that the problem was not in the computer but was instead caused by the user operating it."

in my own lifetime of pain, i observe most people dealing with chronic or acute pain (and we can think here of consistent exercise), are the same way. It's not the Vehicle of Pain that is the "problem," rather it is...

READ COACH's ENTIRE ESSAY ON THE PICNIC OF PAIN IN DL SUBSCRIPTION!

photo; the WF Temple 'picnic' bench is situated so that visiting Students can enjoy a quiet moment gazing upon the Sacred Peak. how long has it been since YOUR last 'picnic'?!

Teachings From My Sensei; Singletrack Sartori

Excerpts from Coach's entry today...arguably, one of this best ever!...


on the Sacred Peak (5)
mountain biking with Sensei (7)
he Sees lines, but where?! (5)


yesterday i got schooled again by my Sensei of the Singletrack, "Tattoo Bob."
his curriculum for me and another bro from Prescott this morning:
a 3-hour, billionjillion vertical feet of climbing and
extreme descending over terrain more suitable for rock climbers, not cyclists.

after an hour of Zone 3 climbing up "Sunset Trail" - a famous slice of technical singletrack that pierces
a God-Gifted Temple of wildflowers and alpine hanging meadows.
the only sermons up here are those given freely by the birds who ask for no "offerings" of money or affiliation of your soul.

... it was then that my Teacher granted me a private exposure to one of his "Jedi Moments."
a moment so suspended in Pranic Flow and
non-comprehensible intellect, that if i did not Know better, the whole sequence of events could not
possibly have happened.
at least not on this Plane.

...In mountain biking, it's the obstacles that make it so much fun.

in life as well, though we seldom are skill-full enough to realize it, it is in-Deed the Obstacles (karma) that make our short lives here such a wild and woolly trip until our final exhale...

...in the outdoor sports, the Teachings come fast, hard, and painful.
it was from this necessity of focus within the extreme outdoor sports that i created the science of Wholistic Fitness and her subDiscipline of High Peformance Yoga.

it is this instrumental requirement for sustained concentration for hours and hours through high intensity effort that imparts the unmatched Transmission of our little known, yet pretty potent Path beneath the Sacred Peak.

May your own Practice be gifted with insight and a ton of sacred fun...

love and light,
your mountain yogi

photos:
1) WF Temple Manager Ananda, practicing the tough Teachings of WF. coach.
2) coach at practice within the Temple Training Grounds. HP yogi ben.

DO NOT MISS COACH's combination of yoga, zen, and extreme mountain biking in today's essay!

THE DHARMA JUST KEEP POURING over at DIRECT LINES!

OFFICE WARRIOR WORKOUT; Another Coach Ilg DL Subscriber Special!

The Sacred Peak, this morning.It's that most magical time of the year for me. Autumn!! Flagstaff only averages 25 days per year of 85 degrees or higher, yet has 206 days with temperatures below freezing. Each morning now, frozen dew on the summit of the Sacred Peak glistens as if winking to me, "Go(o)d Morning, Coach! Ready to play with me again today?"
Answer is: YES!!!!

yesterday evening, taking a break from Serving the Dharma through online coaching and serving myself some Iron Temple Pranayama!
yup,
sure 'nuff...
It's the time of year for "Falling" into WF Shape in a Big Way!
After a season of racing bikes, now is the time to see if any of my bike racing competitors can hold my wheel as i ramp up the cross training intensity with strength training, plyometrics, asana, rock climbing, sustained mountain bike ascents and extreme descents, trail running, and ski-specific training.

come and catch your old coach!

see the above photo?
this muscle pump came from only 5 minutes into my "OFFICE WARRIOR WORKOUT" using only old school dumbbells. and, remember, i am only several days into my off season from bike racing against the best sport-specific bike racers in the state. that is what i so LOVE about the Practice of WF;
the WF Warrior can change their body shape to suit their Dream Chasing, we are not like Tennis players that may be world class with one arm while their non-dominant arm hangs like a withered branch from their twisted back torsos! Balance throughout the body equals balance throughout the mind. such physical balance leads naturally and powerfully into an ideal foundation for meditation as we grow older.

often, like you, i have only 15-20 minutes to train in the gym. fortunately, with unique WF copyrighted techniques such as the infamous "Staccato," "Envelope," "3-Stage," and "Shivaya" those few minutes provide the WF Yogin with a WICKED pump, resolidification of internal locks like Mula Bandha, superb pranayamic conditioning (using Ujjayi and 'Bhastrika Blows' techniques between sets), and a fantastic CHI CHARGING WORKOUT that blows all the crap and clutter out of our minds and body...

whatever yogi says that a Bench Press is not as Sacred as a Chaturanga is certainly not from our TRIBE!

Here is my OFFICE WARRIOR WORKOUT that provides me a SUPERB STRENGTH TRAINING EFFECT within 20 minutes or less; ONLY FOR DL SUBSCRIBERS!

SEE DL SUBSCRIPTION FOR COACH's 12-Minute; OFFICE WARRIOR WORKOUT!


LIVE THE PATH!
LIVE THE PRANAYAMIC PATH OF WF!

A Coach Ilg Approved, "Ai Imawa Workshop"!

"God doesn't give you answers, he gives you options."
WF Teacher Roche option-seeking in the Ai Imawa Posture, Mother Earth/Father Sky

***

With Coach Ilg's Blessings,
WF Teacher Roche will present:

“Exploring the Life Force”
September 17: 9:30a.m. - 3:30p.m.
Workshop fee is $75 if registered by September 8 -- $85 after the 8th.
Indianapolis, Indiana
CITYOGA Downtown
Chris Roche presents “Exploring the Life Force” at CITYOGA. This workshop will explore UniVersal Energy, known as Chi (Asian Arts) or Prana (Yogic Sciences):
Learn to recognize, feel, and understand more deeply the concept of Life Force
Dis-cover how to cultivate, harvest, and direct this potent Energy via physical activity, pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation, and nutrition
Learn to apply the awareness of Life Force in your Yoga Practice and daily life


Never Before Taught in Indy – The Taoist Practice of Ai Imawa!


FOR MORE:

http://twistedsageblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/september-workshop-scheduled.html

No Herbs For Your Children?

Noble WF Online Student Alan Ludgate of New York, is one of the many Father Warriors in our Tribe that KNOWS the vital importance of introducing his children to the regenerative POWER of the SUNRIDER Herbs! Below, Student Wendy has run into a "Kali Yuga Snafu" (spiritual dark age f^%k up). Her pre-school will not "allow" her child to bring her health giving SUNRIDER herbs to school with her! Can YOU possibly help this young mother attempting to simply feed her child the healthiest food possible in this Obesity Stricken society?! Man, when WILL the Outer World WAKE UP?!

***
Namaste Noble Herbal Warriors!

you know, it is a sad, sad, very sad spiritual dark age
when a young mother is not "allowed" to send her child to school with
accurate, healthy, and immune-building nutrition.

instead of not allowing her child to drink her "herbies," the school superintendent
should be EMBRACING the presence of SUNRIDER herbs for ALL the children!

send me an email if you can help out Wendy and her child.

until then,
know that it is a great Blessing of our incarnation
to be able to order and eat these foods so conveniently
and even get PAID for doing so!


i bow to you from beneath the Sacred Peak,

coach ilg, ryt/uscf/cpt
Lead Director/SUNRIDER Herbs

***

Dear Coach Ilg and Ananda,

I Trust this note will find you both well.

Ran into a challenge today. As I beamed with happiness last week telling you how my 3-year old daughter Jesse drinks a water bottle full of her "herbies" each day at school, I must have spoken too loudly.
Today I received a note from school telling me that "only water is allowed in the water bottle." Feeling crushed. She's been so healthy.

Wondering if somewhere 'out-there' amongst the Great Ilg Downline there may be :
1) an M.D. in the state of IN willing to write a note stating that she may/must have her herbs in her water bottle,
and/or
2) someone who may know whom I should write to in order to begin to effect change for all children in this regard. (essentially, the state IN if you choose to work/place your child in pre-school/daycare you forfeit your right to choose how/when/what to feed your child.)

Any ideas?

With Much Gratitude,
Student Wendy

3 Haiku's For Departing Intensive Student Shawna...

today on DL Subscription...

three unique Haiku's to honor an AMAZING WARRIORESS EFFORT from visiting Student Shawna...



***


Personal Training? (5)
i've raised the Standard so high (7)
only few can See (5)


Most Noble and Cherished Student Shawna who was brave to take pilgrimage beneath the Sacred Peak to deepen your Online WF Studies...The WF Gods smiled upon your Bravery and we all bowed to your Gumption.

On behalf of our Humble Temple H(om)e...
thank you for gracing us with your beautiful Spirit...

on behalf of Ananda and the Temple Cat Beings...

om so ti,
coach ilg

Student Shawna Shouts Out

See how Student Shawna from Indiana is surviving and THRIVING during her
Private Wholistic Fitness Intensive with Coach and Ananda!





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Don't Give Up; Noticing A Busy Mind Is A Blessing!

When people begin to meditate, they often say that their thoughts are running riot and have become wilder than ever before. But I reassure them and say that this is a good sign. Far from meaning that your thoughts have become wilder, it shows that you have become quieter and are finally aware of just how noisy your thoughts have always been. Don’t be disheartened or give up. Whatever arises, just keep being present, keep returning to the breath, even in the midst of all the confusion.
- Sogyal Rinpoche

"Normally we pay no attention to the arising and disappearing of thoughts in our mind, and just act on what is passing through at the moment," teaches my beautiful Lama Karma Rinchen of Santa Fe. In Wholistic Fitness, i have created many Lifestyle and Fitness techniques to get you and i to simply 'watch the mind," and begin to truly See what is passing through. i use this image of a dying Aspen leaf floating downstream in an alpine creek to "watch the arising thought pass through."
- coach ilg


"It is easy to reach me, Arjuna," teaches Krishna to the Warrior in Chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita, "for the yoga practitioner, steady in practice, who thinks of me constantly and has no greater attachments." In other words, Enlightenment is a certainty for those yogis who surrender their actions, thoughts, and self to the Lord. For most of my life, i related my notion of Lord to Prakriti...the Shakti energy of Mother Nature. I love God, i just know Him/Her by another name; Nature.

{READ COACH'S ENTIRE DHARMA TEACHING TODAY ON DL SUBSCRIPTION!...DO NOT KEEP MISSING OUT ON THESE UNIQUE FITNESS WARRIOR TEACHINGS! SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR PENNIES PER DAY!

COACH'S NOTE TO THE iDL SANGHA:
i am in a Private Training Intensive with our Starlet Student of the Year; Shawna Schaub for the next two days.

have YOU scheduled YOUR WF Private Intensive for 2007, yet? Prices will increase next year for these one-of-a-kind Experiences Beneath The Sacred Peak!

photos by coach:
1) WF Online Student, Warrior Tobe, practicing "Mind Watching" during a recent WF Private Intensive
2) Aspen Leaf/Mountain Stream
4) Sacred Peak cirque during a twilight mountain run

WF Road Warrior; Student Mackel shows us the Way of the Road Trip

1. WF Student and Triathlete stud Mackel performing Alternate Nasal Breathing after swim in Virgin River Narrows

***
Coach,

I'm back and on fire after an incredible Walk About in the Southwest. Everything we did was the best. The best mountain bike rides, backpacking, car camping, yoga, tai chi, and finished by seeing Buddy Guy at the Hard Rock in Vegas.

Utah rocked and attached are a few pictures.

My Saturday long runs are getting g(o)od. Off to make an Ilg Supreme then my Brick. Doing hills and yoga tonite.

Namaste my Coach,

NWSM

***
see more GREAT pictures from Student Mackel's Road Trip at:
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Falling Into Truth

working out some moves on a 5.12a sport climb yesterday (yellow route). i fell three times on this route before climbing it. i see falling as a way toward Mastery, nothing less. just as the sailor cannot be afraid to lose sight of the shore if he wishes to discover new terrain, so too must the yogi be fearless in his or her Search For Truth (which usually is nested in our Weaknesses and Unconscious Patterns and Tendencies).
***


There is wisdom behind why i inCourage my Students to climb...

READ MY ENTIRE ESSAY WITH MORE CLIMBING PICS at:
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photos by HP Yogi Ben