Tuesday, October 31, 2006

WF SanghaLounge Premiering November 10th!

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!

Saturday, October 28, 2006

RUNNING WITHIN; Only You Know...Persevere!



"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 i hear comments from people that i...

READ COACH's ENTIRE TEACHING PLUS MORE KILLER PHOTOS OF COACH RACING ON TODAY's DIRECT LINES; SUBSCRIPTION FORMAT!

photo 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...



READ COACH's GREAT TEACHING TODAY PLUS MORE INSPIRING PHOTOS of Coach in ASANA and more QUOTES from Masters!

So,
Oh Mighty Warrior,
if you are truly ready to travel through your
Pain and "Failure"
and begin to purify from the inside out...

Come on! ReMember (with) your Spiritual Warrior Tribe! We have been WAITING for you!!!

SUBSCRIBE TO DL TODAY!

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) Garadusana - This posture of Eagle medicine teaches us to...

Friday, 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."

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.

READ COACH'S ENTIRE MESSAGE AND CALL TO ARMS (and legs, and lungs!) IN
DL SUBSCRIPTION!

photo: coach, living his talk, Cardo Commuting in downtown Flag.

Thursday, 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



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.






"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..."

DO NOT MISS
this most unique and provoking DharmaTeaching by COACH appearing today in
DL SUBSCRIPTION!

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.

* = means, "Color Of Mind" as Taught in previous DL's

Wednesday, 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

READ THE FULL PROGRAM APPROACH AT DL SUBSCRIPTION!

SEE YOU AT Mt. Taylor in February!

Tuesday, 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.

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!

Now Appearing; Tobe's Snow

today on DL;
Student Haiku of the Week!

Monday, 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!


READ THIS GREAT, GREAT STORY on DL Subscription TODAY!
Such Unique Training from a very Unique Temple pays off for Yogi B
!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Wholistic Fitness Meditation Teachings: KIN-HIN WALKING MEDITATION!


SUMMARY of Coach's Teachings now appearing in today's DL Subscription Format;


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!

Coach demonstrates the three hand postures associated with the Kin-Hin Walking Meditation. photo above; the Sassho Mudra

Om Namah Kin-Hin!!!

Friday, 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...

DO NOT MISS THIS TECHNIQUE AND TEACHING PACKED STORY FROM COACH's DANCE UP TO GET "FIRST TRACKS!"


STUNNING PHOTOS PLUS AN INTIMATE LOOK AT ANANDA's brave effort for the summit!

DL SUBSCRIPTION: WORTH A MILLION TIMES THE FEEBLE ENTRY PRICE INTO THIS VENERABLE CAVE OF DIVINE INSPIRATION AND TEACHINGS FROM AMERICA'S OUTDOOR ATHLETE!

Wednesday, 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!

Be Sure to SUBSCRIBE TO DL, cuz what you read and see and feel HERE?
just the TIP of the ilg iceberg, baby!

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

Tuesday, 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

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

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.



*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.*


the Soulstice Mountain Trail 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.


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.

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...


READ THE REST OF COACH's FANTASTIC, PODIUM GAINING EFFORT in DL SUBSCRIPTION...

a few more excerpts to just give you a hint of what you are missing as you glimpse directly into the amazing "mental deck of performance cards," from this peerless athlete, coach, and mountain yogi...


*
"...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."

*

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..."

*

"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 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!"

*

"..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. "

THAT IS A SMACKING...DO NOT MISS THIS UNIQUE, CHI FILLED GIFT FROM COACH!!!


***
COME, RACE WITH COACH NEXT YEAR!!!!

SOULSTICE RACE COURSE INFO:

http://www.natra.org/

Saturday, 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,..."


SEE DL SUBSCRIPTION FOR MORE ON THIS YET ANOTHER AMAZING 2006 Result from
THE COACH THAT STILL DOES THE DO...

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 TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION.

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..."

READ THE ENTIRE PROVOKING TRUE STORY on DL Subscription and find out why Coach often signs off with;
Om So Ti

Student Haiku of The Day; Subtle Energies

"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?"
- coach ilg



READ COACH's ENTIRE ESSAY, PLUS STUDENT BEN's GREAT HAIKU POEM, PLUS GREAT TRAINING PHOTO's
on TODAY's DL SUBSCRIPTION FORMAT!...the PLACE ON THE INTERNET WHERE THE CHI IS SINCERE!

Friday, October 13, 2006

CoACH TO TEACH IN LA; NOVEMBER 4th!

come early!

see Teacher Blanchard's new studio in Brentwood!

joy and i will be heading to Venice Beach after class for a rope climbing contest on Muscle Beach! come and join the sweat and spirit!


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/

Thursday, 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

Wednesday, 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...


read the Beautiful Haiku Poem submitted by Student Weiss of NYC...

only on: DL Subscription...the Tribal Newspaper of the World's Original Transpersonal Fitness System...


also; Coach's bike racing Teammate and HP Yoga Student Chris Latham scores a Victory at the White Mountain 100-mile Mountain Bike Race!

don't miss the CHI, baby!

subscribe TODAY!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Understanding Even A Little Bit...

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!"

Monday, October 9, 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

NOTE:
Student Shawna's Personal Journal Entry available to Subscribers only, however, here is her most beautiful Slide Show of her WF Intensive with her introduction. May we see you soon beneath the Sacred Peak for some WF Training unlike anything offered on the Planet!

***
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

Saturday, October 7, 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

Friday, October 6, 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! pic by www.waynewilliamsstudio.com

note: Coach was a regional level bodybuilder podium placer in the eighties.

Thursday, October 5, 2006

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.

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

WHO LET THE (War) DAWGS OUT!?!??!?! Coach Mongrels His Unique Way Into the infamous "War Dog" Top Ten!


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!

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. 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...


DO NOT MISS THE REST OF COACH's AMAZING EFFORT IN THIS RACE PLUS HIS PERSONAL PRE, DURING, AND POST RACE nutritional intake and rituals!!!!

THIS ONE ENTRY IS WORTH THE PRICE OF SUBSCRIPTION, WE PROMISE!!!!!!!

Tuesday, October 3, 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:


- note; due to safety considerations; only DL Subscribers can view Coach's extraordinary Training Stats...
back in the many years before DL Subscription, too many conventionally training athletes tried to
literally keep up with Coach and became confused, injured, and actually vented at Coach because of their
frustration at not understanding the science of WF and how to replicate the results or capacities. thank you for understanding!

Monday, October 2, 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

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

Sunday, October 1, 2006

ANNUAL WAR DOG TRAIL RUN!...errrr, MOUNTAIN DUATHLON, baby!


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