Dear Steve, I am a 56 year old woman who is trying to lose weight and get fit. I try to walk three times a week but with my very busy work schedule don't always get to it; but know that I have to do something about my weight. I am feeling very fat and uncomfortabe in my clothes. I jiggle all over mostly in my thighs, butt, gut, arms, I guess almost everywhere. I have a bulging disc in my neck so situps on the floor are out of the question for ab work. I was talking with my sister on the phone today and she suggested that I write to you and maybe, just maybe, you might have a free weight dvd or others that you could recommend for sale. If not I would very much appreciate some guidance in using free weights to firm up. I am also trying to figure out what to eat to help the process along too. Going to a personal trainer might be nice if I knew a good one but also finding time to go to someone is harder than doing the workouts in my home because of my crazy work schedule right now. I hope and pray that you will write me. Blessings, Cynthia TNCOACH RESPONDS:
Most Precious Seeker Cynthia,
i am meditating on your letter.
more later.
in the meanwhile,
i want you to focus on your Conscious Breath and Elegant Posture...
head bowed and Dharma Blessings upon thy Practice and May you realize your Practice everywhere,
rev. coach steve ilg
to my Sangha;
so...if you were ilg,
how would YOU respond?
she is obviously (in Taoist linguistics) "an unpolished Gem,"
she obviously needs SUNRIDER Phase One
MAP Amino Acids
Joy's Quickfix Yoga DVD and carefully monitored CV prescriptions right now instead of 'weight training'...
so...where do i Begin Again with this Seeker?
you probably think that since ilg has been doing this stuff professionally since 1982
this type of person just easily slides into some pre-proven category of mine and
i just quickly fire off a pre-made response to her.
no.
she is as precious to me as are you.
in the Guru/Disciple or Teacher/Student Relationship
each such relationship is like a mother becoming pregnant...
all sorts of utterly unique subjective and acute variables begin to Dance in my
mind...let alone the Skillful Means as to employ long-term tactically with her...
so...
ilg does what ilg told her...
ilg must sit.
sitting takes time.
perhaps you, in your own Practice, have realized the immense discipline it takes
to sit just for oneself...let alone countless others.
ilg's current best-selling item in my humble Online Pro Shop
proves the difficulty of the time:
it's not my recent Strength Training or HP Yoga® DVD or recent PDF or Book...
you know what
ilg's best selling Product is?
hint: it's not a Product.
it's a Service.
that's right; never before has there been such a spike in the demand for
my faithful students who sense ilg's sincerity
and steadfast Practice
for my
Prayer & Meditation Requests Serviceso...
ilg sits more now
than ever before.
interesting isn't it?
"The World's Fittest Human"sitting
still
for so
many
who
don't
"have the time"for
- or training in -
Prayer and Meditation.
so...
on this night of Nights...
once
again...
ilg kisses Go(o)dnight to my baby daughter and my understanding Beloved Ananda,
and
retires into my Zendo...
tired,
yet convicted
to sit still
and hook up with the Deities of WF
once again
for the Benefit of those who Seek Higher Help...
Higher Strength...
Higher Compassion...
Higher Mercy...
and ilg tells you this much;
it is deeeep and Sacred Honor
to drag ilg's feeble self
again and again
and endlessly again
into 'my' Zendo
to do
that which
ilg does...
may all Personal Trainers
may all Teachers of Yoga
love their Students
as
ilg
Loves
thee...
that is all...
off to the Zendo.
O(men)
Ah(men)
OM(en)
OM
Rev. ilg
photo: rev ilg in reverence in the WF Temple H(om)e Zendo
"When babies are born our little faces are a canvas of cosmic beauty coming into form. As we grow and our egoic shell toughens by way of habit and conditioning, we lose track of our cosmic beauty. If we don't have Dharma Teachers in our lives, sometimes we can get completely lost in our ego, and as we age we frantically wage war to fight off aging. It's okay if Aspen leaves turn old and yellow and die, right? That's only natural! Well, when it comes to US we arrogantly think we are somehow more superior than a tree and thus should be immune to aging and death. Some people even put plastic into their faces and other invasive cosmetic forms of 'beauty.' Yogis realize that innate cosmic beauty never leaves us. Cosmetic beauty is a dead-end waste of time and vital energies more wisely put toward self-cultivation and inner work."
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