all these years sitting...

all these years, sitting (5)
Temple Zendo still sooooo cold (7)
outside...chickadees! (5)

- ccoach ilg, apres today's Early Morning Meditation

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
230 AM MST THU NOV 30 2006

.SYNOPSIS...VERY COLD AND BREEZY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TODAY BEHIND
THE MOST RECENT STORM SYSTEM....THIS PATTERN IS
PLACING NORTHERN ARIZONA UNDER A STRONG AND COLD NORTH TO NORTHEAST
FLOW ALOFT. FOR THIS MORNING...THE COLD AND DRY AIRMASS WILL RESULT
IN THE COLDEST LOW TEMPERATURES OF THE YEAR.

i pray on this coldest of days that the blood does not freeze in the Four Legged and Feathered Beings. i am not tough. the Animals are tough. i pray to Vishnu to help me reMember all my countless lives in those Realms and impart to me their Medicine to help all Two Legged's realize their precious Human incarnation and inspire them to seek the Highest Summit of Enlightenment in this very lifetime.

tomorrow i will conclude my Honoring Cardio As Yoga teaching.

may your own Practice be precious today and may you live today with the spirit, hunger, toughness, and freedom of the wild animals...

speaking for those Beings who cannot,

head bowed,
hands folded at heart...

your mountain yogi

photos; a Mountain Chickadee and the Sacred Peak during Brahmmamahurti in subfreezing temps by coach ilg.

note: "chickadees" in my Haiku above refers to my beloved "Mountain Chickadees" an adorable, plucky little black and white bird native to these parts who bounces about the woods in a delightful dance.

Honoring Cardio as Crucial To Yoga; Part I

i got this shot of WF Temple Manager and Teacher Ananda descending the Sacred Peak after working with her yoga practice where it really counts; during high intensity cardio at high altitudes. the modern yogi quickly forgets and ignores this most noble root of yoga. in Wholistic Fitness? we HONOR it!.

Honoring Cardio as Crucial To Yoga; Part I
by coach ilg

MIND THE GAP!
in my travels and conversations with today's crop of "yoga teachers" i continue to be surprised at the glaring gaps in their notion of Hatha Yoga and the Himalayan sized gaps in their embrace of other fitness disciplines. most seem especially frightened by Cardio Fitness. i can only suppose this is because they do not want the concussion and lactic acid pain to "ruin their yoga." i've had several yoga teachers tell me enthusiastically after one of their classes that i would only have to, "give up my gym and cardio training to become a really good yogi!" they would sometimes quickly add, "Heck, because of your potential, I'll even give you a price break on my Yoga Teacher Training Certification coming up next month!"

true.

this to me is very funny. sad, actually. since regular and mandatory ultra-endurance Cardio efforts known as taking pilgrimage has been a pivotal part of Traditional Yoga since, well, forever! leave it to us Americans to think we can somehow out-think the Ancient Masters and hurry ourselves into Enlightenment.

in Wholistic Fitness, we are quite happy to honor the sanctity of sweat during Cardio Training as a pivotal asana to our MultiDisciplined Understanding and Practice of Yoga.

Here is an example, one of many, from the stories of the Masters which illustrates my point of keeping Cardio Training as a crucial part of Yoga Practice;

"Once I was traveling all alone in Tarai Bhavar toward the mountains in Nepal..."


DO NOT MISS THE FIRST PART OF THIS SPIRITUAL KICK IN THE ASS TEACHING BY COACH TODAY IN DL SUBSCRIPTION FORMAT!

STUNNING PHOTOS; SCINTILLATING INSPIRATION!

A MUST FOR ALL YOGA TEACHERS AND PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINERS!

DEPTH NOT WIDTH; Look Within, Not Wider

Just wanted to say I hope your DL's keep rolling out of that Chi filling mind! Almost every week one just speaks right to my heart!
-Joe
Spokane, WA

Meet and talk with Joe and nearly 60 other WF worldwide warriors exchanging Practice insights and encouragements and inspirations each day in the WF SanghaLounge, available only to DL Subscribers.

Why is it a wise notion for a Warrior to hang out and check out all the new Posts in the WF SanghaLounge? Cause every now and then I pop my head into the various caves in there and facilitate for free. That’s right; occasionally you get complimentary coaching from me if you just show up in the SanghaLounge and contribute.


The Masters have always warned the aspirant along the Path of Awakening not to seek too wide; learn and develop a few Proven Tools of Transformation from your Teacher, then Practice going DEEPER for years. Too many Students do not know how to control their hunger for spiritual growth and turn outward to become addicts to new styles of yoga, meditations, personal growth seminars, books, etc. Meanwhile, they do not See the magic of Transformation available to them right beneath their noses; such as a toilet, a stairwell, or a toothbrush. This type of spiritual ignorance is the root cause of all human suffering; assuming to know things without truly Seeing their intrinsic nature. If we constantly think we need a new mantra, a new Teacher, a new Teaching...you know what happens? Our most important, basic Tools that we first learned from our Teacher(s) - perhaps something as simple as "Conscious Breath and Posture" throughout the day - becomes dull, cold, and useless. In WF Online Training, i have a 25-year old Path of Progressive Proven Tools that are only given when the Online Student is READY and has shown mastery in his or her current Level of Attainment. This type of one-on-one training beneath a Teacher for each Student ensures that the Student does not become a "Spiritual Materialist" or an Addict to thinking that More Is Better. Remember one of my first Teachings to you so long ago:
"Less is more."

enjoy the following Teaching and i will see you in the WF SanghaLounge!

photo: snow is falling at the WF Temple H(om)e yet my Ax of Awareness is never allowed to become dull by searching outside my current Practice or Teachers. Deep, not Wide. That is how we strike the true Go(l)d; the Awakening of Kundalini through strong and capable gross, subtle, and refined anatomy. photo by coach



DEPTH NOT WIDTH; Look Within, Not Wider
by coach ilg for the WF Sangha

Below is an example of how I chose to keep Online Student JJ of Chicago (Go Bears!) working on depth of practice instead of grasping for more “tools”. Remember my quote, Noble Yogins, whenever you think your Practice is stalling out. Just repeat to yourself:

“In this moment,
Am I concentrating or
Am I grasping?”
- coach ilg

***


Dear WF SanghaLoungers,
Many thanks for all of your comments. They are wonderful and have given me a great deal to think about over the past several days.

I am a husband and a father of four daughters and have often thought about this question of the steep and direct path to enlightment. I think I am on it, or at least on the path that is appropriate for me, and it feels awfully steep and direct. It occurs to me that I have many more teachers than just Coach Haku. WF is important, but for me it is like a thread that winds through and binds together teachings I receive from my wife, my children, my pastor, my colleagues and others. I need all of these teachings right now and it would not be appropriate for me for now to follow the path of a solo warrior...



READ THE ENTIRE QUESTION FROM STUDENT JJ
and COACH's REMARKABLE COUNSEL TO HIM; ENCOURAGING HIM TO EXPLORE BY DIRECT EXPERIENCE HIS
OWN "Jesus Granthi's"!

MONOTONY vs. REPETITION

"Mr. East/West" himself; coach in a "Rocky" t-shirt juxtaposed with Blessed Mala Beads leans against a hogan in New Mexico. A native child of the American Southwest and educated in Eastern Contemplative Studies, coach still dances the East-Meets-West philosophy matched by a peerless athletic resume like no other. photo by Ananda, yesterday.




MONOTONY vs. REPETITION

A “Practice” inSight by Coach Ilg

An excerpt from my next upcoming book…
do not republish


"If we lose the spirit of repetition, our Practice becomes difficult."
- D.T. Suzuki


Every workout is an interesting one to a WF trained athlete.
Since our workout is everywhere in this Path,
Our life becomes a very interesting, colorful, crazy, and precious Bardo.

Workouts transform boring into interesting when we balance meditation with activation.
Meditation earns us patience, acceptance, and most importantly; perseverance.
Activation carves for us a Wholistically Fit Body capable of meditation in all physiologic zendos.

Monotony?
She has been conquered by us through decades of blisters upon our skin.
We have worn her once stiff and imposing suit into a pair of faded jeans easily washed.

We now smile compassionately at Monotony for we are kin to her higher aspect; Repetition.
The Spirit of Repetition, we now know intimately.
The Sacred Spirit of Repetition is a most potent DharmaArrow in our warrior quiver.

Like our Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon, arcing endlessly, we too now know the graceful Spirit of Repetition.

Like the Mountain and Desert Winds upon cold sacred peaks and melting pine mesas, we too now know the graceful Spirit of Repetition.

No longer does Monotony burden our Journey.
We have come to recognize her once formidable hulk as but a seductive...


READ THE ENTIRE TEACHING IN THE WF SANGHALOUNGE...it can be found in the "Practice" cave...

Coach's Trip Diary Continues in the Pueblo of Tamaya

now appearing on DL Subscription...

plus,
Student TC speaks beautifully and powerfully about his new Awareness of Interrelationships gained through his Online Studies

as SUNRIDER HERBAL WARRIORESS and HP YOGINI Karen offers us a fantastic photo of Shiva like proportions and input!

Post ThanksGiving WF Student Practice Check

Take Coach's Practice Test
on today's DL

see how your Practice is measuring up to the Standards of a WF Student, WF Warrior Student, and a WF Master Student!


from Coach:
having a GREAT and powerful time along the banks of the Rio Grande with Ananda...life is so deep, dimensional, and i think to myself...
"...what a wonderful world...
Into the Holy-Day Season we WF Warriors go with Conscious Breath and Posture to keep our Practice and our Workout Everywhere.




photo; the so-hard to describe Pranic Power of my beloved southwest. taken by Ananda.

Of InJury and Asana; Actual Training Exchange

Conquerer of countless in-Juries both personally and professionally, Coach teaches that only a strong, steadfast asana Practice will impart the Divine Download that allows each of us to Self Heal. Look WITHIN and DIG! - photo by Ananda.
***

Dearest Coach,
A moment please?
Accept my apologies for sending multiple emails to you over the last two days. I realize that you must get many, many emails daily.

Most Noble Shishya,

you need not worry about that.
if i answer, i answer.
if a flower blooms, it blooms.
if not? that's okay too.


whatcha got?


STUDENT:
The left pectoral muscle has been really acting up again (strained it in the weight room last summer). It feels knotted and inflamed.


READ COACH's PEERLESS COUNSEL IN TODAY'S DL SUBSCRIPTION!!!

Coach's GivingThanks by Way of Yogi Praneet and YOUR Devotion!

As a Thanksgiving Gift for you iDL'ers,
i give you today's DL Subscription entry without edit.
this is the type of genuine CHI that hallmarks each day of DL Subscription and gives you access to the incredible wealth and love of our new WF SanghaLounge.
May each of you realize the value of a few pennies per day and Subscribe to DL;
i promise; it will deepen and inspire your Practice in ways unimaginable to you right now...

enjoy:


"I am attaching a picture of myself taken earlier this year in one of the forests in southern India where I was helping with some field research on wildlife - I look pretty much the same (a few pounds lighter now)." Non-Formal Student Praneet, a WF Yogi in southern India high on the MultiDisciplined Pran after completing the Frugal Realm WF Program in TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION. Hey, there is a lot of 'pran' in Praneet! ;-)

How's this for a Thanks-Giving Message...and i ain't talkin' Hallmark bs...this is the WARRIOR type of genuine appreciation streaming from an Awakened Yogi halfway across the (outer) world:

***

Dear Coach llg,

My name is Praneet, I am based in Bangalore, India and want to say - thank you for the beautiful message of Wholisitic Fitness that you are sharing with the world through your books, articles and life.

I had been stuggling to regain the fitness levels I had in my teens and early twenties (am currently 31). I had been training and had been drawn to meditation but had not practiced with enough focus to see significant changes and had realized over the past several years that to be happy I needed to meditate and train physically but did not have the right guidance.

I was browsing through books in the fitness/wellness section of a bookstore when I chanced upon your book - in retrospect I think I was destined and ready to find your book (Total Body Transformation) and open myself up to your teachings.

Since I started walking the WF path I have shed a lot of my fears , learnt to be more responsible and am starting to realize that the beauty inside has always been there - I just had to become aware of it. All aspects have helped - meditation, yoga, strength training, cardio (especially the cardio commute) and nutrition and I now bow to breath as well :-) I have a long way to go, but am taking one day at a time.

I have just completed the Frugal Realm (whew) and am on my week long break, waiting to get in to the Jeweled Lotus. I am planning on participating in a Marathon next year - something I have always wanted to do but never had the courage or discipline to pursue.

Thank you coach Ilg - I am truly and forever grateful - you have helped me transform my life. Thanks for your words of guidance and encouragement and for your embrace - I return it with great love and respect. Yes, I will continue focus on the stillness beyond my sweat and will join the temple one day :-)

Peace and love,
Praneet

***

One Heaven Of A Path, you and i have been Blessed with, eh?

Noble Warrior Praneet, YOUR Devotion IS my Thanks-Giving. No matter how stuffed or hollow our stomach may be tomorrow evening, it is my Prayer that all beings everywhere remain HUNGRY FOR THE TRUTH.

i know that you, ALL of you which make up our WF Sangha, make one feeble mountain yogi deeply, deeply joyful and through your sweat and stillness, i remain inspired to continue along our Steep and Direct Path.

off to New Mexico with Ananda for some family time in multidimensional Ways; biologic family, sky family, earth family, river family, road cycling family, sagebrush family, red dust wind family, etheric family...
and some UnAwake people say that i am not much of a "family man"...i beg to differ!

As we continue to find HaTha Yoga, we inevitably find the Prana and the Apana within each Conscious Moment. As those two vital inner winds become more controllable with our one pointed mind, then not only are we are introduced to our Inner Teacher, we are also introduced to the countless generations of our unique and true Inner Family.

Such is the ThanksGiving of HaTha Yoga; the merging (union) of Prana-vayu and Apana-vayu!

May MultiLayered Dharma Blessings shower upon you and your infinite Family, and may you remain Awake Enough to feel them, share them, and GiveThanks for them.

om so ti,

your loving coach

photos:
2) adobe church wall, southwest sky. Santa Fe, New Mexico, my former h(om)etown. photo by coach.
3) adoble wall, tree shadow, southwest sky.Sedona,Arizona. photo by coach
4) i am perhaps Happiest when i launch myself along the open roads of my Beloved Southwest. it's even better with my beautiful Ananda by my side, sharing the sensuality of red rock, pranic gusts, and shimmering high mountains. photo by Ananda.

A World Class definition of Karma to Live By

Wupatki Pueblo, photo by Ananda taken yesterday.


very potent definition of Karma
with a very touching poetic commentary by Coach

today on DL SUBSCRIPTION FORMAT: the Tribal Newspaper of Wholistic Fitness.
come, join our powwow, every day we Dance the Disciplines like no other.
we are waiting for you.

WF SanghaLounge Hint

Noble Ones,
not that i am an expert 'Lounger, however,
to enjoy the Latest Input from your fellow WF Brothers and Sisters,
when you do enter the WF SanghaLounge, a quick way to enjoy the ride is to find this link located in the upper right hand area of the Lounge;

View posts since last visit

just click on that, and you can read the Newest First option beside each of the "caves". head bowed and i am LOVIN' chillin' with you all!

ec

50 WF Warriors Helping Share The Path of WF in the SanghaLounge Each Day

Talk about a Grand Kiva!
There is soooo much great Dharma flowing in the WF SanghaLounge already...
below is an edited exchange between two our Noble Warriors; Brad and Michael in regard to yesterday's DL:

***
Noble Coach Ilg,
Never before has a DL struck me quite as hard as today's concerning the nasty habit of intellect. Having struggled with this "habit" my whole life, I shudder to think how many "points" I've missed as a result.

Often I have sacrificed feeling to prove myself "right" in a situation. Gotta be right. So very important. Like many habits or addictions, this one is tough to kick. Ah, to be a child again. Ignorant of "facts" but so rich with feeling and utterly absorbed in experience. To begin again, endlessly again...

I'm pouring like hell but my cup is still full.

Namaste,

humble student bg


***
How beautiful is that?
To me, nothing is more attractive about a human being - male or female or whatever - when they are Working Inwardly on themselves.
A touching response to California Student BG's input followed quickly from Student MT of Maine. coast to coast, the WF SanghaLounge is spreading the Love, baby!

 
***
"Namaste, Noble Student Brad,

As you wait to hear from Coach Ilg, I will offer my view on the topic, having walked the same Trail. Indeed, I often find myself back on it.

You might think of attachments that you have to certain outcomes. You see a certain outcome in your mind, so you "have to be right" and see this outcome to fruition. Zen Masters teach us to be wary of such attachments to outcomes. When you give up such attachments to the duality of one outcome being "right" and the other "wrong" life begins to flow again. I am a kayaker and I often ponder this lesson while paddling...I put it into the phrase, "Don't fight the river." You might try going through a day mindfully preparing yourself to face all situations knowing that whatever happens is "right", even if you can't see why at the time. You may find, as I have, that it is tremendously liberating to not have to be "right" all the time.

Please also recognize that your ability to see future outcomes so readily is a Gift that not all possess. Rather than using this gift to be "right" consider applying it to visioning your future path on the WF Trail.

Coach will be able to put it into a better light, I'm sure, but be comforted by the fact that you're not alone on this one.
I bow to your Pursuit.

- Student Michael"

***

each day dozens and dozens of other such touching and helpful insights on the Steep and Direct Path of WF are being shared in the SanghaLounge...talk about a fantastic way to keep your Practice strong and sincere!?!? Get into the Lounge and ENJOY!
i have designed it to be YOUR Kiva!!!!!!!!!

come, take the Talking Stick...feel how much Tribal Love is available to you!

see you in the Lounge!

om so ti,
coach ilg

Student Artwork Graces WF H(om)epage Today!

go here and hit your Refresh button:

Wholistic Fitness Homepage

i bow as deep as my Padmasana allows to Noble WF Student Brad Gantt
for your Devotion to WF and Engaged Volunteer Effort and Art!

knee deep in the Abundance of the best Warriors on the planet,

el coache

The Nasty Habit of the Intellect

WF Temple Cat Jasper often keeps a Four Legged Eye of Wisdom on Teacher Ananda's work with her Online Students to make sure our WF Online Teaching is not too Intellectual! photo by coach.



TODAY ON DL Subscription Format...

as a young spiritual athlete, i remained bewildered in my contemplations at why the Masters and even my own Tibetan Teachers kept pounding into me the fact that Intellect is a 'klesha' (affliction). the Intellect, i was taught, must be watchdogg'ed and kept in its place, "...just like one of your competitors that you have passed, you still must try very hard to stay in front of him," advised one of the Lama's working with me who knew i was a distance runner at that time.

of all the human qualities that can dwindle and sabotage spiritual wisdom, it is - ironically enough - our cherished Intellect or what we recognize in yoga as the energy structure of "buddhi" (along with buddhi's cohort in spiritual ignorance "ahamkara" or the...

Read Coach's entire Teaching today at DL Subscription Format!
Drive Toward Awakened Fitness; Drive toward DL!

Kali Yuga Destroys Another WF BirthPlace of Dharma

as a child, my nordic ski coaches would haul us Durango skier punks over to Wolf Creek Ski Area in the early season just so we could get a jump on our ski training. no small feat for a small mountain town ski team at the kid level; Wolf Creek was a good 150 mile round trip.

our coaches, Olympians, were not afraid to do what it takes to get quality training for us.

later in life, i moved to and lived in Pagosa Springs, a tiny hamlet at the foot of the tremendous Wolf Creek Pass and Weminuche Wilderness. there, i developed some of my strongest mountain yogi capacities and wrote a book of poetry called "Pagosa Speaks." (available on our Tribal Catalog)

this morning, while planning to hop over to my old DharmaGrounds to enjoy their 100" of snow already, i tapped into their website:

www.wolfcreekski.com

and read:

"Regrettably, after 30 years of continuous public use, Wolf Creek Ski Area has been ordered to cease and desist from grooming the Cross Country Nordic Track System by demand of the Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture (The Developers of The Proposed Village at Wolf Creek)"

Oh, trust me; the battledance between go(o)d and evil is still alive and profoundly touching in my Beloved Southwest mountains...the mountains of the WF Gods.

May All Ski Area Developers Develop Some Degree Of Higher Consciousness
and i bow to the young kids of Durango and Pagosa Springs, who no longer
have a place to infuse their young spirits with the CHI of what moved me to
Practice that which is go(o)d for All Beings, including and starting with myself.

om so ti,
coach ilg

* photo by Ananda; i still hunger for the sweetest sound to my ears in the Outer World; nordic skis scraping, sliding, gliding, and dancing across a white canvas of snow.

Student Feather Finds The Podium; A Month Before Nationals

Hey, Cycle Crossers?!

check out today's DL and learn how WF Student Featherman keeps getting stronger, faster, and younger through WF Online Coaching while his competitors?

well, they are just being conventionally trained; you know; Bike Stuff. blah, blah, BORING!

Read about this WF Warrior and LEARN!

Another HIDDEN WF TEMPLE TEACHING!

Clues In The Forest;

1) The Online Desha Whereupon the DL and WF Warriors Gather...

2) Seek the Cave where Sitting Still is the Top Priority...

3) Veteran Master Online Student Ludgate will meet you there and take you to my most recent Teaching for you...


om so ti,

coach ilg

Karmic Consequences Of Our Speech, Thought, and Action

now appearing on...



(click to enlarge)

***

photo by Ananda; coach finishing off a boulder problem, 20' off the deck, in the Santa Monica Mountains, CA
"You don't get a Second Chance at Enlightenment in this lifetime; Jump Into Your Path of Soul!"
- coach ilg

Tracking The Master; "What is the meaning of your sign off, Om So Ti?"

STUDENT:
What is the meaning of Om So Ti? I had it translated but my translator said it was an incomplete sentence.



COACH ILG:
well it's hard to find a go(o)d translator these Kali Yuga Daze!

only a recognized Protector of the Dharma is supposed to be able to publicly use that phrase.
it was permitted to me by a Lama from a well known Rinpoche
after years of study within the Chenreezig Meditation Sutras.
it is Tibetan.
it means...

for the answer TRACK THE MASTER: here are some footprints...
SanghaLounge...
a WF Lifestyle Principle with which Gandhi enlightened millions...

HAPPY HUNTING!

(track prints courtesy of WF Teacher Haku!)

Meet Pete...and Brad..and dozens of other WF Warriors in the SanghaLounge!

nearly hypothermic after a November training ride,
ironically, the warmest place to be these days?

CHILLIN' out in front of the computer,
surfing the new WF SanghaLounge and rappin' with my Tribal Brothers and Sisters!
(forgive the half-a-thumb in your face!)


my Teachers trained me from elementary school;

"Blessed is he who has no expectations for he shall never be disappointed."

well,
be that Teaching as it is,
still, the premier opening of my WF SanghaLounge, a place for my worldwide students to crash, and chill on the internet and hang out and learn and enjoy the company of our multi-disciplined yogic lifestyle has blown the roof off of ANY subtle expectations i might have harbored!

figgering,"oh gosh, the SanghaLounge will probably just be a cool place for a handful of our most devoted students and fans..."

uhhhh, guess again Coach!

dozens of you have jumped over to the SanghaLounge and let me tell you, my heart is sooooo deeply pleased at the integrity of you all!

here is an Introduction from "Pete" from Yonkers, NY who just registered yesterday:

"Hello all warriors,

I am fairly new to WF, and for the past six months have been reading DL and moving away from sport specific exercise to the light of WF. For more than half my life I have been pounding my legs away on the track and had finally hit a brick wall of knee and lower leg pain. Only WF practice has pulled me toward a sound body and mind. But I have only taken my first step on the path.

I bow to you all and thank coach et al for the effort it takes to sustain the WF SanghaLounge.

pete"


how beautiful of a Warrior does Pete sound? come in and meet him! drop him a line and in-courage him in his WF Practice!

and now that i am burying Hidden WF Teachings deep within the private side caves of the SanghaLounge, the real stalwart WF Warriors are going to have a Divine Blast as they hunt down my Teachings.

after his victorious hunt after the Teaching, Brad from Sherman Oaks, CA posted this in the respective Lounge:

"Noble Coach Ilg,

Profound as all-ways. Your lesson also brings to mind that one should practice being un-happy as well. Get comfortable with dis-comfort. What wild-haired mountain Yogi floated that idea into the ether again?

humble student bg"

***

HOW BAAAAAAAAD DO YOU WANT IT BABY!?!??!

coast to coast warriors of WF appearing daily in the Grand Opening Week of the WF SanghaLounge!
Don't Miss IT!


Contribute to our Electronic Newspaper Rock from the world's original Source of Multi-Disciplined Fitness Warriors!

Tracking The Master...HIDDEN WF TEACHING; "Being Happy'

ON "BEING HAPPY"
The Warrior Truth

by coach ilg
11*16*06




hate to tell you this about
all this striving over trying to Be Happy
yet, gotta be dead serious
about Happiness for a second.

important Teaching.

most people?
aint got what it takes to
actually be Happy.

see, to be happy implies the endless verb of being
as in...

{Track The Master...Read the rest of this important Teaching...
i see footprints...
"SanghaLounge"
when there,
remember the 4th WF Lifestyle Principle...

"The Wise Teacher Always Hides The Best Gems From The Insincere Seeker."

WF Productions® Presents...

webtease.mov

new WF SanghaLounge Is Going OFF!

wow!

what a cool vibe we are already creating!

in less than eight hours our latest "VIP Cave" of WF Warriors Worldwide have posted
a total of 46 articles
and
we have 23 registered users!!!!!

where are YOU?

if you ain't chillin' in the WF SanghaLounge, you are already missing a lot of BEAUTIFUL Tribal Love and Learning!

c'mon, join the VIP Cave!

and CONTRIBUTE!

WF SANGHALOUNGE OPENS FOR CHILLIN' OUT!!!!

It's another HISTORIC DAY here at the humble, powerful Temple Beneath The Sacred Peak...for today, Oh Mighty Hearted Warriors of WF, i get to kick off our very own, exclusive "VIP CAVE" which i have called, "The WF SanghaLounge"!

The yogic word, "Sangha" means a community of like-spirited people. Without a strong support group, the spiritual journey is very, very difficult. With a Sangha, the Warrior can rely upon Teachings, Sharings, Offerings, and just be able to "chill out" and talk and hang out with his fellow Tribal Brothers and Sisters without feeling guilty, or threatened by the opinions of "non-Practitioners."

So it is, that i give you a beautiful new Cave for all of us to 'decorate' with our own Dharma Sharings in the years ahead! i will be taking notice of who is actively trying to support this Lounge and the more active YOU contribute, the more stoked i will be to keep releasing more and more Hidden Teachings. Also, i want to use the SanghaLounge for material in my upcoming books...in other words, contribute your stories and insights and hec, maybe your words will make it into one of my upcoming books. "Ripples Mave Waves."

Okay, Registration guidance from Temple Manger Ananda and WF WebMaster Hakado Ru is below.

I look forward to seeing you in the SanghaLounge!

- coach ilg

***

In-joy the forum and SPECIAL THANKS to our beautiful, hard working
WF Web-master & Warrior, John "Hakado-ru"!

***
JOIN DL SUBSCRIPTION TODAY AND GET ACCESS TO THE HIDDEN TEACHINGS AND SHARINGS AND INTERACTION WITH WF WARRIORS and VETERAN STUDENTS ACROSS THE WORLD!!!

Sacred Peak Pee-Pee Snow? My Stance on Snowmaking

Typical of small mountain towns, Flagstaff's local ski area has been going through years of legal battles in order to be the first ski area to use 100% reclaimed-water for snowmaking. The local "Native Americans" and "Environmentalists" are up in arms over using what they call, "poop water" upon the Sacred Peak for such trivial activity as skiing.

I do have a stance on this situation, though i remain UnAttached to the eventual outcome. Personally? I would put in Snowmaking and take out the chairlifts!

Below, is a copy of what i sent into the local newspaper. as a Protector of the Dharma, i had to take up my bow, ready my arrow, and take aim at what i felt was the spiritual missing link in all the drama.

Fearless to Speak for that which cannot,
your mountain yogi

photo: i crank a few sacred turns at the Arizona SnowBowl. truly, i cannot imagine my life without skiing in it. i bow to Telemark County, Norway...the birthplace of skiing. great photo by Ananda!
***


There are psychologic, physiologic, and practical advantages to skiing on "pee-pee snow."

READ COACH'S ENTIRE EDITORIAL ON TODAY'S DIRECT LINES!

ooooooh boy...this is gonna ruffle a few head-dress feathers...

PREPARATION BEFORE MEDITATION; Part I

***



WHAT HAPPENED TO PREPARATION BEFORE MEDITATION?


"In the state of pure awareness, the mind is not disturbed with any kind of movement. The purpose of all meditation practice is to train the mind to perceive this pure awareness."
- Lama Karma Rinchen


these Kali Yuga* days are inDeed dangerous for the sincere aspirant wishing to learn "how to meditate."

there are many meditation "experts" out there these days whose books, lectures, and scintillating other forms of presentations actually just confuse the nuts-and-bolts coaching from the Ancient Masters. it now requires Wise Discrimination from the spiritual seeker to sort through all the fluff and clutter from the many "experts"...some of whom have yet to wear thin their own sitting cushions or develop an Elegant and Durable Sitting Posture. to 'teach' meditation is actually an oxymoronic phrase. without a doubt, the Highest and Most Treasured Instructions that any Teacher can impart are the guidances toward executing genuine, considerate care and coaching of their students most important tool; the mind.


3 PREPARATORY VARIABLES FOR MEDITATION

for most beginners, Meditation doesn't lead anywhere. newbies to the sitting cushion get quickly disgruntled, uncomfortable, and write off Meditation as, "just too weird."

they "don't have the time," comes the quick and easy rationalization.

i must differ.

all we have is time, when you Stop
and
contemplate it.

the factors that sends most people's Meditation efforts into conniption fits can be found within their lifestyle in the months and years preceding their noble attempt to quiet the fluctuations of their thought patterns. what i am pointing out, is that most of us were not been well coached in the preparatory arts, skills, and disciplines which must be followed before trying to Meditate.

i will say this again because it is such an ignored and abused and under-appreciated field; not enough PREPARATION is being practiced by most people before beginning to meditate. we just want to jump right from where we are, with all our weaknesses, addictions, and negative tendencies - straight into a blissful, powerful, productive meditative state.


ONLY DL SUBSCRIBERS HAVE ACCESS TO COACH's TEACHING TODAY WHICH INCLUDES
3 PREPARATORY VARIABLES FOR MEDITATION

••••
Notes:
picture of Coach Ilg in meditation in the WF Zendo. do NOT republish this unique Dharmashot.

* = the present epoch of spiritual decline that began with the death of Lord Krishna in 3002 B.C.E.

TriAngle Posture; A WF Perspective

Temple Manager Ananda here...

dearest iDL'rs...
i just have to say that
this is one of those Special DL Entry's from Coach...

utterly unique,
completely profound,
immutably, positively influential upon your own Practice...

it's a graph...
don't miss it...

Uddiyana Banda Q&A with Teacher Ananda

photo; coach demonstrates the 'sucking upward' action inherent to a strong uddiyana bandha performance.

{Coach's Note: the following was lifted from the WF SanghaLounge, premiering November 15th}


STUDENT:
my awareness of uddiyana bandha first shifted when you showed me how to do it at WF intensive. what i was aware of is that i simply never felt like i had a firm hold on it. then i read in "Light on Pranayama" that the abdominal wall is contracted at the end of an exhale, and from there Uddiyana Bandha may be engaged with Jalandhara Bandha.

TEACHER ANANDA:
Okay, here is the main difference in the way Coach and i teach Uddiyana Bandha with all respect to Mr. Iyengar.

READ TEACHER ANANDA's critical answer to this all-powerful internal lock on today's DL!

coming Nov. 15th: the world premier of the WF SanghaLounge; a Gathering Kiva

Okay, enough getting the crumbs;
BECOME A DL Subscriber!!!

you know dang well there ain't nothing like WF on the planet, and you betta just git your well trained butt over to the Subscribe Now link...
cuz,
coming soon is the world premier of the WF SanghaLounge; a Gathering Kiva for WF Students and DL Subscribers

which features interactive forums covering all aspects of the wonderful world of WF...here are some glimpses...you and i will build this Electronic Newspaper Rock each day and we get to meet each other and learn from each other in our Tribal Ways.

I am very moved to be able to provide this unique feature to you and i am not charging anything extra above the already nominal fee for a DL Subscription...



tell your friends, your training partners, your family...
tell them to Subscribe to DL before our Launch Date; November 15th and be a Pivotal Part of our Coming Together like never, ever before!

om so ti,
coach ilg

Headache or...Headstand; you choose!

Millions of acetaminophen pills recalled

or:



Although some human's such as WF Students, see the obvious advantage of choosing yoga over pills to combat the queer stressors inherent to modern life in America, millions of others do not. When asked why they do not do yoga instead of becoming addicts to prescription and over the counter drugs, most replied,
"Yoga? Exercise? No thanks. That takes time and effort and well, I am far too busy for that."

READ COACH's HILARIOUSLY POIGNANT TEACHING IN TODAY's DL Subscription!

*photo by Ananda of Coach enjoying the standard HP Yoga version of Sirsasana on Red Fox Deck, WF Temple H(om)e.

Today's DL was some HOT SHIT!

oh, i must say, your DL posting today (Nov 9) was some HOT SHIT. i like. i continue to be surprised by the connections between my daily life and your DL postings...and you can be an athlete upon the throne of the porcelain gods.

-b

{"b" whose Tribal Nickname is "yogi ben" has been seen in DL recently and is one of my bicycle racing training bros here in Flag as well as a very strong HP Yogi. Because of his CHI FORCE, i asked Yogi Ben to write the Forward for my new updated version of my "AI IMAWA book and DVD" coming soon!}

Another DL Hit The Mark!

Noble Coach Ilg,

Really enjoyed today's DL. I must admit, when I first saw pictures of toilet yoga my reaction was, "What the f$^%!?" Today, I really grasped for the first time the fullness of the concept, "The way we do anything is the way we do everything." Suddenly toilet yoga seems simple, almost obvious. Why, in the pursuit of Mindfulness, would you do anything mindlessly?

Another Ilgian dharma arrow found its mark!

Om So Ti,

humble student bg

coach's note; the artwork above is a contribution to the WF Temple by "humble student bg" (aka; Brad Gantt of Sherman Oaks, CA). i bow to your Devotion to our Path and i LOVE your artwork! watch for this to grace the landing page of WF.com soon!

Don't Overcomlicate WF!

If we just Practice the first Lifestyle Principle of WF; Breath and Posture, we would all become Awakened very quickly. Even going to the bathroom becomes an exquisite meditation in Elegant Consciousness. Do not overcomplicate my LifeWork; WF is a very simple and powerful Path. It is often invisible, yet tremendously transformative. All you have to do is Practice the very first WF Lifestyle Principle today, and you will See.
- Coach Ilg, during a section of his trademarked, "Early Morning Ritual" which has been in use for WF Online Students for many years. Note the activation of the Internal Yogic Locks as taught to you in previous DL's. Photo by Ananda. Do not republish this photo.

So often people try to complicate Wholistic Fitness. Just re-read the WF Sutra section in my TBT book, you will be reMinded how uncomplicated is a WF Lifestyle. Or better, just read my book, BE GOOD TO YOUR BODY THERAPY. Can't get much more simple than that!

WF is a Path of Higher Consciousness. Using everyday lifestyle and the necessity of regular fitness endeavor, WF injects the notion of developing Conscious Elegance to awaken our spiritual self.

My first Lifestyle Principle of WF is the most important. If you only work on that first Lifestyle Principle which is "Breath and Posture" you will become Awake very quickly. Such is the Transmission Power of this Path.
When you walk, practice walking with Elegant Consciousness. If you practice walking with Elegant Consciousness, do you know what happens?

A trickle-down training effect comes naturally. That is to say, you will soon begin to sit with Elegant Consciousness...then...

READ COACH's TRULY INSPIRING AND TOUCHING TEACHING IN TODAY'S DIRECT LINES, Subscription format; No other Teacher works so hard for so long at molding an Eastern Path of Spiritual Fitness to fit into the hurried lives of the Western modern man; do not get dropped!

SWEAT MAGAZINE INTERVIEW: Coach Ilg & Gaspin'

Once called, "America's Outdoor Athlete," by OUTSIDE MAGAZINE,
coach steve ilg, now at age 44, is still setting Course Records such as
shown above at this years mountain duathlon; The Gaspin' In The Aspen
in Flagstaff, Arizona. Below, SWEAT MAGAZINE asked him about his
recent win at that event:





SWEAT: What was the most challenging part?

COACH ILG: The art of pacing is nearly always the most challenging part of any multi-sport outdoor race. When to be "yang" and explosive must be balanced with the "yin" of steady, sustainable effort that maximizes your highest average speed without 'blowing up' is, to me, the most challenging part. The outdoor athlete must develop an intuitive wisdom, based upon direct experience, that dictates when to take risks on the mountain bike and when to back off. By developing a continual flow of mindfulness, the outdoor athlete then becomes a yogi.

READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW AT DIRECT LINES Subscription!

Steve Ilg is a mountain yogi, an online yoga and fitness teacher, and the author of five books, including TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION (Hyperion, 2005). He is the creator of www.WholisticFitness.com and High Performance Yoga®. He has competed in 5 World Championships in 4 physiologically diverse sports.

photos by www.myracepics.com

Note To Flagstaff HP Yogins

stretching into a wonderful feeling; Ananda modifies Utthita Parsvakonasana during our hike up Fryman Canyon in LA

Most Noble HP Yogins Beneath The Sacred Peak,

you betta believe that Ananda and i will be cranking back across the Mojave tomorrow and planning to Teach at 7:00 pm...

see you in the Cave!

let's do our best to keep our Practice strong,
together!

love,
coach and ananda

Hangin' in Hollywood 'hood; Day Three

Coach imparts the debut of his "Watch Your Practice" internal yogic lock teaching at Brentwood on Saturday to resounding positive input from Students!


plus much more; don't miss it on Today's DIRECT LINES Subscription Format!

Coach's Practice Stat's For Oct; Making No BONES About Consistency and Effectiveness of Wholistic Training!

Read Coach's astoundingly consistent Practice Stats and how they transferred into 3 Podiums in three different sports in October plus...see beautiful photos and Coach's essay on Temple Life in the Season of the Falling Leaves

Uh, do your Fitness The Highest Favor You Can...
subscribe to DIRECT LINES...

let's listen up to Coach; he just blew his whistle!:

"Well, Ananda and i
off to LA to teach on Saturday in Brentwood!
kinda hard...
okay REALLY hard to leave the Sacred Peak these special days,
yet,
both Ananda and i look forward to Serving our Big City Sangha...

you can see our flyer on the WF website under Upcoming Events.

my intent is to keep DL fluid during my trip, however, just know that i love you most
when your Practice is strongest, sincerest, and most of all; Surrendered into Grateful Appreciation for this amazing, Blessed earthwalk that you and i share...

Dance in your bones,
until you shatter yourself, said Rumi...

head bowed,
Mr. Bones"

SUN of a...a...an Amazing Higher Source; Solar Images

Courtesy of Teacher Ananda and her Online Teaching with a Noble Student...


The following images are the most recent, full-resolution solar images in ultraviolet ranges from the Goodard Space Flight.

Any of you who under-appreciated Grandfather Sun today probably:

a) were in overcast conditions,

b) have not spent enough time backpacking or winter mountaineering (whereupon one re-learns IMMEDIATELY ones Connection to being a Sun Worshipping Species) or

c) have not been meditating enough.


Namah Grandfather SUN!!!!


Below, i have shown the image of our beautiful Grandfather wearing one of His many suits,
and have also included the relevant "mini sun" or "energy center" or "chakra" within our own bodies
as well as the Healing Gemstone that i use in my private Bodywork/Energywork sessions to help
coordinate the energetics of our own internal cosmos...

READ COACHES AMAZING TEACHING ON TODAY'S DL Subscription!
Don't Get Gapped...
Don't Be Fooled By The "False Prophets" of the New Age...
Stick With The Original...

Travel the Humble, the Powerful, the Proven Path of WF!