My "Infamous" New Years Eve Workout Ritual...join me!

click on pics to enlarge



Tonight,
like most New Years Eve nights,
i will celebrate via sweat and stillness
the outgoing year and welcome the new one.

Historically, some of my most intense workouts have occurred on my
New Years Eve Workout Rituals...including ascents of some of the most
difficult peaks, ice climbs, and ski traverses available on Turtle Island.
Often, i would combine doing Repetitions of Snowshoe Intervals or Nordic Ski Intervals; one for each year passing and another for each year upcoming...
each interval celebrated with a sip of champagne or beer...until the libation
froze solid in the night-time cold!

that was then,
this is now...

I have planned for tonight a milder version of my now infamous New Years Eve Workout
Ritual...even this relatively 'tame version' of my Ritual is not a Workout to pass off lightly!


DON'T MISS THIS TRADITIONAL WF WORKOUT TO BRING IN YOUR NEW YEAR!
ONLY FOR DL SUBSCRIBERS!

otherwise,
allow me to in-Courage you to do something Special tonight;
just make sure no Resolutions are made independent from the

Two Things Which Matter Most:
1) Sweat
and
2) Stillness.

See you next year, and thank you for your travels along this humble,
powerful Path.

your loving coach

photos:
1) Ananda and Dewa, snowshoe training for tonight's New Years Eve Ritual Workout on our private Snowshoe Loop. photo by ilg

2) 2008 Tour de Ski, above Durango, CO. photo by Mary Brown.

3) Reflection is always enhanced, upside down! photo by www.JamesQMartin.com

(other photos not pictured on this edited version of today's DL)

Teachings of Warriorship; Appreciating the Journey

"Warriorship is a continual journey. To be a warrior is to learn to be genuine in every moment of your life."
- Rinpoche Trungpa

in my book, TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION, i define the WF notion of "Warriorism" on the top of page 15. please review it.

to make a 'direct line' toward the summit of Warriorship, we must crean our heads way, way, way back in order to look straight up toward the Highest Summit.

then, we smile, acknowledging the fact that, "Phew boy...that summit is WAAAAY up there!"

do not despair that you may not reach the summit in this lifetime.

if you are reading this Teaching, you are doing precisely what is needed to lay the energetic groundwork, the spiritual foundational fitness for one day reaching that summit. in most cases, according to the samskaric and karmic vibratory rate of where WF is stationed, we are about 6 lifetimes away from Enlightenment...that is very, very CLOSE! however, we must work VERY, VERY hard and sincerely to stay focused and not lose the Awakening that we have gained thus far when we die to this body...

back to that glimmering, windswept metaphysical summit:
what's on the summit, if we reach it?

DO NOT MISS THIS IMPORTANT FIRST TEACHING IN MY UPCOMING NEW YEAR DL's:

through the New Year DL's we will share together learning the Discipline of training in a Wholistic Fitness manner,
we will learn to appreciate, if not celebrate, the Path of being a Disciple of re-learning Go(o)dness, Appreciation/Awe, and Cheerfulness.

one of the first Teachings we will re-visit is the word; "Discipline" which, sadly, carries many negative connotations, these days.

feeble ilg will clarify that in the next DL Teaching of Warriorship.

please subscribe today...


Om So Ti,

your loving warrior coach along the Path

photo: "Padma Sit Ups" photo by: James Q Martin

ilg's TOP FIVE ENDURANCE BOOKS

click on both pics to enlarge

from today's interview with Coach Ilg on
"The Outdoor Journey" blog

***

For the first time in my life,
i find myself fighting to find the (inner) Fire to compete in
endurance sports.

fatigue from New Daddyhood at age 46 is a prime reason.

okay.

the only reason.

to train for hallmark events such as the Tour de Ski high altitude nordic ultra marathon, or the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon requires the one thing that a Conscious Parent does not have a ton of; selfish time.

especially if the parents, like Joy and i, choose to raise our children without babysitters and/or do not have elders to help.

so, when it comes to getting in Cardio Workouts; the default Discipline is Running.



that is go(o)d.
because, running is, within the WF Path, considered the "Most Noble" of all Cardio Disciplines. This is due to her purity. Her nakedness. There is nothing like the spiritual high combined with the amplitude of grounding upon our tissues
which comes from our feet consistently and intensely "fucking" Mother Earth...which is using the famous "F-Word" in its original and classic sense.

in fact, due to intense compaction upon the body which running transfers into our connective tissue, most teachers of 'yoga' tend to shy far, far away from intense and consistent running. many even go so far as to counsel their yoga students NOT to run because, "it will ruin your yoga." such ignorance of what "asana" truly means stems from our current spiritual dark age (kali yuga). one must choose one's teachers of yoga very wholistically, in my opinion.

so, when WF Devotee John "Hakado Ru" Kuhlman, founder of
"The Outdoor Journey" blog
asked me for my Top Five Endurance Books,
you'll see that most of them revolve around running.

There is nothing that rips your body up
while strengthening the mental and stamina fibers as running.
every other Cardio Discipline has some form of extracurricular 'entertainment' for the ego;
swimmers have the water element and buoyancy,
skiers have glide,
cyclists get to have their bodyweight supported plus mechanical momentum and speed,
even the Second Most Noble Cardio Sport; Snowshoeing
is not as pure as running due to the imposition of the webs and a far less concussive factor.

So, as New Daddy ilg fights fatigue like i did this morning
while strapping on a pair of YakTrax to my running shoes
before steaming up the zero-degree temperature for my hour long run along
frozen forest roads,
may you find inspiration and the will to carry on the go(o)d fight
as you
maintain your steadfast consistency in the endurance arts...
one of the Five Noble Disciplines of Wholistic Fitness (aka; NavanYoga in Sanscrit).

click here for the list:
ilg's TOP FIVE ENDURANCE BOOK picks on Hak's blog

head bowed,
wholistic heart open,

your loving mountain yogi

*
second photo of coach in Vasisthasana by James Q Martin;
(photo by www.JamesQMartin.com)

NOTE: this is the final "Full Story" that iDLr's will receive until next holiday season...
don't be an unwhole athlete or an imbalanced spiritual seeker;
subscribe to DL today...and for about $12/month you'll get the full, juicy DharmaTeaching each and every release...quit settling for chickenscraps;
you deserve better.

subscribe to DL,
support the WF Path,
and
receive a complimentary pair of keys to the Worldwide Wholistic Fitness SanghaLounge
only for DL Subscribers, plus discounts and much more!

c'mon...WARRIOR UP!!!!

Shanta through DL; WF Student Hak Gets A Holiday Hit

"He who upon hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling pleasant or unpleasant {things} neither delights in nor regrets them, is said to be tranquil (Shanta)."
-Lagha-Yoga-Vasishtha 2.1.64 (see Coach's interpretation below)

photo of steve, Joy, and 15 month-old Dewachen taken yesterday by world class photographer James "Q" Martin photographing steve for a Patagonia catalog. please visit his website:
JamesQMartin.com

***

Steve,
Just finished an outstanding Christmas dinner with the family and while the girls get the "Indiana Jones Game of Life" game set up, I'm catching up on a wee bit of my holiday DL reading.

I came across the great DL photos from 12/24 and it finally dawned on me who Dewa looks like:

Joy!

I have always seen parts of each of you reflected in her. Now, this one image shows the light of from which her outward appearance is "built."

From the two little munchkins who have graced my life, I never cease to be amazed at how they look like mom one week, dad the next and the mailman the following. ;)

love,

hak



Most Precious Hak,
like a shadow which follows a man,
our intentness upon the Inner Self
follows us throughout our countless lifetimes
until Enlightenment - consciously or unconsciously -
in one degree or another...

SEE TODAY'S DIRECT LINES
for Coach's commentary!

Christ's Light Shines Through Children

FROM THE "CAN-DO CLAN" of steve, joy, and dewachen
beneath the Sacred Peak of Doko Oosliid,
we thank you for reading,
i thank you for Practicing,
and
May All Workouts Be Sacred in the coming year.


to my beautiful iDL'rs,
i offer my Christmas Essay in it's completeness.

if you've feel gratitude for the presence of WF in your life,
our humble Temple would benefit greatly from a
Tithing Practice
to help keep the Light of WF radiant and growing to help others...

please click here
Offer your WF Tithe Here! THANK YOU!!!
if you are so moved and enjoy your (W)holiday!

head bowed,
coach steve ilg
founder/

***






There are so many paradoxes during this time of the year.
Balance is difficult to find.
Some, who've not had the Blessing of Dharma Teachers,
don't even try.

We sometimes plunge ahead into the turbulence of the Outer World,
sacrificing the Inner Whispers of Christ's Calling to us
through our Intuitive Wisdom.

Yogi's and parents have an advantage during this time of
the year to deepen our Practice. the advantages are these;

Trained in the Art of Listening,
Accepting,
and
Letting go over and over again of Attachment,
we can - at times -
find within our attempts of developing skillful suppleness;
great strength.

we discover great power in adaptation and thus
release into an acceptance of the Tao - whether we know it as such or not.

perhaps most rewarding to ourselves and thus to our children and
anyone in front of us at any given time,
we
find that
Mistakes create Mastery,
Failure gives birth to Success,
Confusion is the fertile terrain of Clarity,
and
in the endless task of Letting Go
we
rejoice in what a great Yogi known as Jesus Christ
gifted all of us:
Unconditional Love, Forgiveness, and Compassion.

Yogi Jesus, who dissolved into the Path Luminosity
so His Light
remains forever within us,
taught us very simple things which we often, sadly, must grapple away from
the gnarled limbs of "religion":

to look with Loving Compassion into the eyes
of those who drive spikes into our bodies,
stab us with poisoned arrows in front of our own mother,
intensely ridicule our Being with a crown of thorns
and
never, ever
let the opinions of Others or the Outer World
interfere with your Love of that which is Go(o)d;
which is everything and everybeing.

Yogi Jesus taught us the WF Maxim:
"Elegance in difficulty."

Out beyond the fields of insanity of His now commercialized
Birthday,
Yogi Jesus dances His amazingly resplendent Light
within our Highest Self...
within our Highest Connection with Go(o)d...

Buried within the most painful experiences,
Lurking within the most difficult of times,
lies
so many
precious Gems,
precious, immutable Rays of His Light.

May you, Oh Noble Seeker of Wholeness,
use His Light Within,
and find Practice within each m(om)ent,
to stay Balanced
and
Radiant
like
He...

click here to meditate to a living Light of Christ,
then enjoy the following pictures:


Hallelujah









May your Practice please your Lord...
May you not let the false demands of an overly
active world claim the peace of your child (your inner or outer one).

Continual input and stimulation of our senses
without the balance of solo silence
creates a chaotic interbeing.

so, my coaching counsel to you, Oh Noble Yogi,
during these next few days
does not deviate too much from what i've
been teaching you all along;

watch your Breath and Posture,
attend to your spoken and inner Word Choices,
observe your Mindstream,
Make your Actions Appropriate to self cultivation
and most of all,
do what Yogi Jesus did;
Serve the Being in front of you
be it a chicken,
or tormentor,
or disciple,
or enemy
or friend
or lover
or the flow of circumstance.

Serve the Being in front of you
to make each day
a (W)holy Day.

and...
May you become the beauty of the moonlight upon freshly fallen snows...



in Christ Appreciation and Awe of Yogi Jesus's beautiful Sadhana...
may the Lights of Bethlehem shine
within and without...


your feeble teacher

SnowTrack Answer; The Track That No One Tracked!

this is the SnowTrack in both of my blogs this past week which no one was able to determine. never before has a WF Test Challenge stumped BOTH of my DL Sangha AND the iDL'rs!


i certainly enjoyed your guesses, however:
Martins, Fishers, Black Bear, Coyote, Puma, Mexican Wolf, Snowshoe Hare...Oh MY!
Two readers that that it was a YETI! Technically, around here, we have no Yeti's. we do however, have the North American version; the Sasquatch (aka; Big Foot).


the best humor guess was this one from a Marine:
"It's a large frog with a woody."


in fact, the Marine's had an entire Discussion Board set up for deciphering my photo (thanks to ever-devoted iDL'r Erl)...including a VERY, VERY CLOSE CALL!

last winter, i did a WF Teaching on the value of going barefoot in winter, particularly spending time barefoot in the snow. (is the Light going on, yet, oh Noble Yogi?)

then, in DL i published this darling photo:


2/28/08; Dewa First SnowTracks

which should have been quite the clue for the Alert DL Reader.

Finally,
you should know your Coach by now...
thinking "outside the box" should be mandatory for you after 3 decades of following my Teachings!

it amazed me that everyone defaulted to what Buddha called, "Afflicted Thinking" as you tried to figure out the SnowTrack. you made the fatal error of 'assuming' the Track was an Animal Track instead of looking at the Track with what the Zen people would call, "Beginners Mind."

did you even pay heed to my Word Choice? i called it, a "SnowTrack" didn't i?

i didn't call it an "Animal Track"...you guys did!

surprisingly, it was Tamara, my dear friend who makes Monsters for movies, in Studio City, CA who came sooooo close with her offering,

Dear Steve,
I'm going to take a stab and say what first cam to my mind... I'm no tracking expert but it looks to me like you have captured the very rare signs of a mama lowering her baby into her first snow! Looks like the tracks of a little creature known around your parts as Dewachen feeling her first snow! Makes sense to me because she is very cat like... and her retractible claws won't come in for another 10 years or so :)

XOXOX
T

so, by now, i Trust you've figured out my SnowTrack Test Challenge which will now go down in WF History as the only Test Challenge to stump all the Sangha...
indeed,
it was my own barefoot track.

since it's evident you guys aren't Practicing barefoot walking in snow
(otherwise, you would have NAILED the track right off the bat), i'll explain the track indicators:

i told you it was about 4" across.
near a woodpile.
high compression across the forefoot.
known to exhibit cat-like behavior at times (hey, doesn't a professional yoga teacher and former pro rock climber display "cat-like behavior"?)

any yogi who Practices barefoot as much as possible (which is a MANDATORY WF Lifestyle Principle which i have Taught you constantly) knows that when it's time to get more firewood from the outside woodpile during snow,
we perch up on the balls of our feet, thus keeping the more temperature-sensitive arch area off the snow, at least for short periods of time.

guess i need to put a lid on any more advanced Training for y'all.

time to Begin Again.
perhaps review the WF Scriptures...
maybe Begin Again with the "Namaste" or the "Green Tara" WF Training Programs.
uncover and rediscover those glowing WF Basic Teachings
such as Barefoot Litter Patrol, Early Morning Cleaning Ritual, and Brushing Teeth while in Yogi Squat with Non-Dominant Hand.


such are the Basic WF Techniques which make this Precious Path so rare, so powerful, and so immediately Transformative.

such are the simple Teachings so characteristic of this Path that are so easily passed off by those with busy, fancy minds...thinking to themselves, "Oh how quaint! That's really cute stuff...but i am far too busy and powerful of a person to be bothered with such simplicity...i want to go to India and study with a real Guru."

fine.

go ahead.

however, if you couldn't figure out feeble teacher ilg's
Track,

go(o)d luck tracking an Enlightened Guru who is already and endlessly waiting for your Awareness to elevate high enough, consistently enough to receive the Teachings for which WF is ideal groundwork.

happy tracking!


i'm going skiing...17"of fresh snow up on the Sacred Peak...

remember, don't email me about my DL's or iDL's!
that is what the DL Cave is for in the WF SanghaLounge!
thank you for respecting my "InBox'.
i cherish your DL input; it helps me pace my Teachings for you all.

that is all,

your mountain yeti...
er...
your mountain yogi




PS: last night i clued in my WF Online Students as to the origin of the SnowTrack.
Student Singer was quick with his reply:
"See, I was correct... Coyote. 'Trickster'!!"

"SKI 3-CHI" opens for the season!

SEE TODAY's DL FOR THE COMPLETE PICTURE BROCHURE!!!

click on pics to enlarge

SKI 3-CHI
'The most beautiful ski area you'll probably never visit!'

PRESS RELEASE:
"SKI 3-CHI"...the WF Temple H(om)e's Ski Area Officially Opens!
Storm Systems Brings 22" of Snow with another 12" expected tonight!!!

Three storm systems carried by high winds which knocked out electricity to the WF Temple H(om)e (aka; 3-Chi Manor), delivered 22 inches of snow on the both the Alpine Hill and the Nordic Loop. Operations Manager, Steve Ilg, has been on the slopes grooming and packing the snow as it fell with his Kahtoola Flight System Snowshoes allowing SKI 3-CHI to open for it's very first ski season on Thursday, December 18, 2008. Much to Dewa's personal happiness, Management was also able to open the Kids Play Area and Toboggan** Hill!

** Trail Map of "SKI 3-CHI"...your WF Temple H(om)e Winter Resort! COME AND VISIT!!

SKI 3-CHI

“I've have been visualizing these series of storms since i first laid my eyes on this terrain back in September, when i moved my "Can-Do Clan" to this beautiful home," states a tired yet smiling ilg. "In my ongoing attempt to create a lighter 'carbon footprint' within my Love and Practice of Skiing as Sadhana, my creation of SKI 3-CHI offers wonderful backyard skiing, snowboarding, classic-style nordic skiing, nordic ski jumping and snowshoeing in an environment which keeps me close to my new family and zero fossil fuel use; not even a snowmobile is used to create any ski run or nordic loop. SKI 3-CHI is a 100% Sweat-Propelled Resort!"

SKI 3-CHI visitors can also enjoy figure skating or playing "Pond Hockey" on our Hockey Pond; skating underneath the bijillions of stars at night is absolutely exquisite for the Soul!!

SKI 3-CHI is open to All Beings at no charge. The 'lift line' at SKI 3-CHI never has a waiting line and requires a 2 minute bootpack to get to the top of 'Upper Chute.' "Of course, that's with a heart-rate of 150!" chuckles ilg, "Here at SKI 3-CHI, we are an expression of Wholistic Fitness®, so it's our mission to have you drop bodyfat, increase your Cardio and agility fitness while creating beautiful glutes and legs. All at the nourishment of your Soul!...its our Service!"

This family-run 'resort' also offers night skiing; "With my floodlights, we can throw a great amount of light on the Alpine Hill at night to offers night skiing as well! This latter fact offers Management the opportunity to stick "Fat Tire" beers in the snowdrifts! Also, the Nordic Loops are quite available for night workouts, since the reflective glare from the stars and Grandmother Moon is quite vivid up here at 7,600'!" offered ilg, who is the current Arizona Nordic State Champion.

He continues, “We are still working on the Nordic Jump, however, we are 100% open for snowshoe, alpine, and classic style cross country skiing."

SKI 3-CHI offers a beautiful on-slope condo rental for $100/nightly (see above photo) and private ski and snowshoe lessons and workouts are available with ilg. SKI 3-CHI is only 7 miles from the Arizona SnowBowl and only 8 miles from the Flagstaff Nordic Center. Wonderful hot food and beverages as well as additional lodging is located less than a mile at The Ski Lift Lodge. SKI 3-CHI is surrounded by extremely beautiful, Norway-like snow covered terrain perfect for backcountry adventures. Guided ski and snowshoe tours are available for visitors from Coach ilg.

uphill section of the Nordic Ski Loop which gains 125' per loop

So, if you are looking for a cost-effective get-away this ski season? Why not bring the kids up to Coach's private ski area?

As ilg concluded before stomping up the alpine hill for another run, "One man's 'bad weather' is this WF Yogi's best dream come true! Come on up, and see and ski with us here at SKI 3-CHI; 'The most beautiful ski area you'll probably never visit!'

DL Challenge Test Stumping All Sangha; 12 hours left...Contest now open to iDL'rs!..

i took this shot of the WF Temple H(om)e (aka; 3-Chi Manor) yesterday while nordic skiing on my private ski loop. the snowtrack from the Creature which has apparently stumped my Noble DL Sangha was found near a woodpile on 'reader left' of 3-Chi Manor.


***

So, my DL Challenge Test yesterday has seemingly stumped my Noble DL Sangha.

Tracking is very important; in our Bardo Entry,
our spiritual evolution becomes dependent upon how well "we" maintain the filaments of our SupraConsciousness throughout the 5 dozen wrathful and pleasurable Realms of Extreme Intensity. Precisely why i have you training in so many different fitness and lifestyle Realms; i am developing your Awareness throughout various intensities to make your Atman 'more spiritually fit' upon your Bardo Entry. our "Bardo Consciousness" has to 'track' the Highest Lights and Nada during our Bardo Journey...and there is VERY LITTLE ROOM for 100% Navigation toward Dewachen (the "Highest Step on the Podium of the Human Race for our Tribe" of which i have Taught you before in DL. if you attain Dewachen, your personal coach will be at the feet of Amitabha Buddha, Himself!).

now, back to the WF Challenge Test:

So, i'm posting the photo again below and the Challenge Test is now open to the iDL'rs!
one of them MIGHT just win 3 FREE MONTHS of DL!!!

you gotta earn it by using your Creative Tracking Skills, however.


here is the pic:




Tracking Hint:
try clicking to enlarge the picture. this might not work on some Browsers.


2007 HP Yogini of the Year, Leslie is hot on the trail however. She asks;

"So...your track...hard to see it clearly, where it was, the time of day, spacing, tail drag etc ...SOOOOOO, I am going to quess mountain lion. Cat-like track, retractable claws, A-1 Mountain area, birds, deer, little domesticated cats around .... Large print."

the track was RIGHT OUTSIDE the WF Temple H(om)e!! near the woodpile. time of day; morning Brahma Muhurta. no tail drag evident. not Mountain Lion, however, you could be on the 'right track' since this creature certainly displays 'cat like' behavior. claws are NOT-RETRACTABLE! for my outside Flagstaff area readers, 3-Chi Manor sits on the edge of a dry, alpine lakebed right on the north side of A-1 Mountain; a mixed aspen/conifer forest at an elevation of 7,577'.



interestingly, my best two nature trackers in the WF Formal Sangha are both women;
Leslie of Flag and Online Student Anne "SassoSan" of NJ. can you beat these two Warrioress to win the 3 FREE MONTHS OF DL!?
CONTEST NOW OPEN TO iDL'rs!


May your Stillness be sanctified by the sincerity of your Sweat today...

Scenes From A Storm + A DL QUIZ!

22" of wet snow matched by 50+ mph winds whip the WF Temple H(om)e...see the dramatic photos plus; A DL QUIZ that could gift you 3 free months of DL!


Below:
i am engaging at least 3 WF Lifestyle Teachings that are invaluable for long-term health and well being as well as spiritual progress as i wrap this "Whole-iday" Gift...can you name them?

Find out today's DL and REMEMBER the WF MAXIM;
YOUR WORKOUT IS EVERYWHERE!!!
(especially during the Whole-idays!...keep your Practice STRONG!!!!!)

No Electricity at Tribal HQ!

Good morning!

This is Hakado Ru impersonating Coach Ilg. He sent me a text message before the crack of dawn (probably more as a reminder that I should be awake and doing my practice instead of sleeping!) to have me let you know that Tribal HQ is working without electricity this morning...most likely due to the great winter storm that came through yesterday.

He will be back online shortly!

Deity Yoga

Although it looks like i am practicing Zazen, which all WF Online Students are taught normally within their first year of studies,
here i am actually practicing Deity Yoga...also known as an essential practice of Anuttara-yoga-tantra.

To oversimplify the practice:
essentially, after one has attained a certain degree of EkaGraha (mental one-pointedness) through precursory disciplines such as Zazen, yoga asana, pranayama, ultra endurance competitive cardio, strength training, mastery of food intake, energywork, etc., then the yogi engages his or her powers of imagination to form a

READ THE ENTIRE TEACHING/INSTRUCTION ON TODAY's DIRECT LINES!!!!

remember,
WF is all about laying the energetic groundwork for our Enlightenment;
go,
sit still,
and let
noThing
get in the Way of your Inner Ascent...

Om So Ti,
coach ilg

photo by Ananda

PLACE YOUR WF HOLIDAY ORDERS and Special Requests Before WEDNESDAY!

click pic to enlarge...the "Can Do Clan" of steve, joy, and dewachen at the WF Temple H(om)e this morning...endlessly devoted to your spiritual-based fitness!

Namaste Coach Ilg,
i just placed an order via Wholisticfitness.com website for a copy ofTOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION.
this book is a gift...you would consider signing it for her?

her name is "x" -- she's a martial artist (boxing) and yogi -- experienced in the martial arts, and just beginning her journey as a yoga instructor. i began rattling off something about WF one day as i often do, and her eyes lit-up at the thought of it.

many thanks for considering,

student wc.

SUPPORT THY TEMPLE THIS WHOLE-iday SEASON!

start your WF WHOLE-iday SHOPPING RIGHT HERE:
WF TRIBAL CATALOG

see the left-hand margin for the Product Category Tree!
send me an email at steve(at)WholisticFitness.com
for any books you need signed for your family and friends!
if surprising a Loved One with a WF Retreat or a DL Subscription
email me for a WF Gift Certificate!

as you know, i accept NO ADVERTISING MONEY!
WF has ALL-WAYS REMAINED 100% Student/Subscriber Driven and
let me tell you, although i've always had WF there for your chi hits and education and inspiration,
our humble, precious little Path is always in need of "Temple Tithing" especially at this time of the year!

besides earning fantastic karmic merit by helping WF survive in these tough economic times, you can rest assured that your Tithe will be Blessed and spent in supporting the uniquely powerful Teachings of WF and be used to advance my 're-tooling' of WholisticFitness.com to make it a "Destination Website For Transpersonal Fitness Warriors".... WF Master Student Mike Singer is volunteering his time, devotion, and intelligence in 2009 to help me make WholisticFitness.com upgraded with an entire library of streaming videos, monthly dharma talks, and email versions of specific WF Training Programs delivered day-by-day right to your email inbox at a low price point, plus MUCH more! HELP THY TEMPLE!

please consider a Temple Tithe at this time:

Here's my WF Temple Tithe!

(For periodic Temple Tithing, this link appears as the last item on the "Special Product" page on the WF Tribal Catalog)

Note:
as allWays,
since my fundamental contemplative spiritual training and Lineage Roots come from the Tibetan Mountain Yogi Tradition,
a portion of ALL Temple Tithe goes to support:
Save Tibet

Transforming Doubt

"...until we reach enlightenment there will inevitably be doubts, because doubt is a fundamental activity of the unenlightened mind, and the only way to deal with doubts is neither to suppress nor indulge them."
- Soygal Rinpoche

Doubt shares her gnarled roots within Fear. In fact, Doubt and Fear are symbiotic sisters; indulge in one, and the other is nourished.

Doubt leads to her very seductive cousin; Hesitation. We all know about the value of Hesitation along any sport performance or spiritual Path..."He who hesitates is," what?

Lost. That's right.

If you, like myself, were spiritually weaned in the extreme outdoor sports, then you know by Direct (and harsh) Experience, just how dangerous Hesitation and Doubt can be.

i recall very vividly, still to this day, perching myself upon absolutely humongous Nordic Jumping Skis (the brand name of the Scandanavian skis was - and i am not making this up - 'Kongsberg'). i would sit in the Start Bench, waiting for the Jump to be cleared from the last ski jumper before pushing off the bench, down in a tuck (the mountain yogi's version of 'chair pose' or utkatasana), soar toward the lip of the jump, and

DO NOT MISS THIS POWERFUL TEACHING FROM COACH, a former member of the United States Nordic Combined National Team!

photo info:
1) Avery Ardovino jumped 113.5 meters on her first jump to lead the women's field at the 2007 U.S. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Championships.
Photo by John F. Russell

photos online at:
http://www.steamboatpilot.com

Teachings from the Get Here Now Snow Guru

as a yogi,
feeble ilg realizes "i'm" to remain as much as possible in the Eternal Now.
however,
because ilg is such an astonishingly feeble yogi,
"i've" been very much taken out of the Present M(om)ent
because of a Deep Love for winter weather.
i nearly pack'd up my Clan to drive over to Telluride (5 hour drive) to immerse my Soul in Snow.
thankfully, it looks like a nifty-sized winter storm is going to party hardy here,
so i'll stay here, chop wood, and enjoy the snow show!

how i can still let something as simple as a possible snow storm pull me out of the
Present M(om)ment, rip away my Mantra, and send my ferocity fought for "Calm Center" into a quiggly mass of energetic jiggliness?
the reason
begins a long time ago in a magic kingdom of outdoor athletes known as Durango, Colorado...

READ THE WHOLE STORY AND DHARMA TEACHING ON TODAY's DIRECT LINES!



click here if you want more Chi Hits and education about the
BirthPlace of Wholistic Fitness?

Student Input; "ilg's rare intellect" ? and other Metta from around our little world of WF devotees...

First Priority: Health

I've been a fan of Steve Ilg's work for a long time. Not only was he one of Mark Twight's first coaches (Mark trained the actors in 300), but rarely have I read an intellect as clear as Ilg's when it comes to the big picture of training and life.
- coach/journalist Dan John

thanks to WF Watchdog in SoCal; Kevin Burnett who wrote me this morning:
Steve,
you've probably already seen Dan John give you kudos in his article in Testosterone Nation,
however this link takes you directly to the article:

T-Nation

Good to see your name pop up yet again and to see you get credit for your deep pool of knowledge.

With head bowed, spine straight, breath deep, I’m off for a lunch time walking meditation to Coit Tower.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Namaste Kevin!
thanks for the input! i'll drop Coach John a line of thanks for his Metta. oh, and i want you to do Calf Bouncies up the Filbert Stairs supersetted with 1:00 Jump Squats on every landing!

here is Coach Dan John's website
- coach ilg

***

Dear Steve,

Last Saturday, I completed my first trail marathon and visited places I had not visited since Tuna Canyon; so many years ago. Just wanted to say "thank you".

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Peace,
Chris Roche
former WF Teacher
Ohio

***

Steve/Coach,
Your thoughts on DL 12/9/08 were really appreciated!!!! My current focus is working on bringing more love into my life, so very appropriate entry!!! And I am working to improve my financial situation so i can start on a MAP regime.......Your thoughts and words really hit me today!! Thanks...
- Jeannie Boutelle

***

Steve! I mean...Coach! I mean.....Steve!

I am not only the newest member of DL but also the proudest!

I am beyond excited to delve into your chi once again. I have missed you, my brother!

I will be in contact with you; in this format, anyway, shortly.

Ai Imawa, yes?

RZ
Orange County, CA

***

"Get your butt down to NAYC and take Coach Ilg's "High Performance Yoga Classes" this winter,
and turn your "off season" into your "SuperSeason!"
- Ben Sullivan
Pro Cyclist
NAYC Student



***

Sooner than later expect me to come aboard your DL. "My body already feels as if it is reconfiguring on a cellular level." Yay Elizabeth, i know the feeling---all those little globules of junk high tailing it out of your sacred spaces !! Most recently, little i (again)experienced that too. Since mid August, my weight is down 20-23 pounds. It is within a couple of pounds of my target weight of 185 ..then maybe down to 180.

Geesh, automatic summer weight loss doesn't happen any more. At 60, my metabolism is way slower than even 5 years ago when i still counted it as "normal" for an active 18 year old.

Shi(f)t happens.

Gratefully yours, Steve, of your wonderful mindedness. Thank you.
--erl

***

Coach,

may I take a few moments to thank you for your speedy service, i recieved the Early Morning Ritual today and conducted several dress rehersals tomorrow is the real deal!! I can see how this willl be a ritual for life......thanks again!

Merton

***

Your picture on DL the other day (DL; 11/18/08) was inspiring. The most important
part to me was the fact that you fell off more than 100 times.
- joongho


***

***

coach ilg

I'm a former online student from the 80's (only back then it wasn't online - it was snail mail). I also went to some of your HP yoga classes in the Valley. I have a lot of your books and pdfs. Love it all!

peace,eric brown

***

Thanks!!

Your kindness is appreciated. I did want to say I contacted you in 1988 about preparing a course for me as I was about to enter a very demanding military dive program. I still have that original program you sent me, It was so simple yet so very challenging. Thanks again for all you do.

Bill
NC

***

An Apres HP Yoga Class Love Song To You...

i bow to your Path.
i bow to your Teachers...all of Them who led you Here Now.
depending upon your Level of Awareness; everyone, everything is a Guru.
anyone,
anything that has brought you to tears,
brought you to your knees,
kissed you on the lips,
made you shiver in Fear,
quake with Love...
those are Teachers in your exquisite life...

your Awareness is your built-in Guru.

twenty students came to my yoga class tonight; we shared laughter, light, sweat, and stillness. i told them they were the stars upon the sky, the snow upon the Peak, i told them i know nothing, i told them they already arrived at everything.


Yoga = Wholeness.
in Sanscrit, Wholistic Fitness is known as; NavanYoga...the Nine-limbed Path of Union.

WF is a very high form of yoga for it honors that most excruciatingly humbling realization and pivots all of Her work from it:

development of one physiologic capacity for the sake of spiritual growth
leads to imbalance, not wholenesss.

train the entire physiology; that is Union.
that is Yoga.
strength, cardio, yoga, meditation, and mastery of (physical) food.


a balanced physiology leads to a balanced inner anatomy.

only a balanced and well-cultivated inner and outer anatomy and physiology
sets up the genuine and safe Kundalini progress...
the safe Union of Shakti with Shiva
Prakriti with Purusha
you with me.
one.

the Bardo is overcrowded with Souls undeveloped,
paltry strings of undernourished Atmas
wandering,
confused,
happenstance taking new incarnations.

not you.

for your Practice is grounded.
you know that running away from a Dragons fiery breath
only reduces your own...
and you'll need that fiery breath to breathe life
into your cold corpse and Begin Again
the Ascent,
the swimming upstream,
the snowshoeing up through hip deep powder under the cold blanket of stars...

feeble ilg bows to you
thirty years i created this Path to meet you,
to learn from you,
to listen
to listen
to listen
to
It All...

for eleven years everyday i climbed;
ice,
rock,
mountains,
winter,
summer,
fall and spring...

one motto;
"climb what you want,
want what you climb.

from age eleven to twenty i skied nearly everyday there was snow;
from October to April;
nordic ski jumping,
cross country racing,
alpine racing; slalom, giant slalom, and downhill.
in between i'd tele ski high peaks,
sometimes into
summer.

one motto;
"ski what you want,
want what you ski.


now, having survived those extreme years,
adrenal glands now long diluted;
and finding yoga within the domestication of new DaddyHood
i find myself still climbing
toward...

READ THE MOST IMPORTANT PIVOTAL FINISH TO THIS LOVE SONG FOR YOU
STRAIGHT FROM COACH's HEART ON TODAY's DIRECT LINES!!!

photos:
1) a Beach hit from my LA days.
2) thin conditions; tele skiing. photo by Ananda.

IRON

i was hanging out in the WF SanghaLounge last night reading all the fantastic new contributions, and this was posted in our "Strength Cave" by WF Devotee and Sunrider Warrior, CT. don't miss all the inspiring, informative, and fun stuff in the WF SanghaLounge; the Tribal Chill Out and support for our worldwide community of WF friends, family, and warriors...it really is touching how beautiful and wise is our Sangha! i bow to ALL of you and am humbled by your wisdom...this piece by HR is absolutely exquisite...enjoy and may your workouts be inspired this week!
- coach ilg



READ THE ARTICLE ON TODAY's DIRECT LINES!!!

CHOP WOOD, CARRY MAP!...

"Before spiritual Awakening,
i would chop wood, carry water...

upon my spiritual Awakening,
i chopped wood, and carried water...

during my spiritual Awakening,
i now,
chop wood, and carry MAP Amino Acids!"
- coach steve ilg


For complete TRUST that you are recovering and regenerating
from your spiritual and physical practices?

I use only one "Cell Insurance Policy": MAP Amino Acids!
you should too!
- coach ilg

coach shown above during a traditional Nordic training; chopping by hand a whole lot of 3' Ponderosa logs in preparation to defend his State Nordic Title at age 46. photo by Ananda



use and re-use this link to get on, and stay on MAP Amino Acids to receive my complimentary guidance:
ilg's MAP Amino Acid Link




questions?
email me at:
steve(at)wholisticfitness.com

The Confusion of Awakening

this letter comes from one of the many Seekers
who came to me all fired up with incredible spiritual zeal and zest
for all that WF Awakened within her...she studied exceptionally...for
the first few years...and then, little by little, lost Faith in the Path,
the Practices dwindled, and she left to study with other teachers. this happens not infrequently, and since i have been around for
a few decades, it's so CLEAR that all we have to do is STAY ROOTED with
a Teacher and/or a Path. otherwise, confusion and inner spiritual calamity
arises. worse, if the subtle anatomy DOES start to fire up and the kundalini
energy starts setting off unbalanced chakral and nadic fields...there can be a
whole heap of energetic trouble resulting in illness, dis-ease, and energetic retardation of granthis and other energetic/karmic/samskaric blocks.

DO NOT THE ASPIRANTS LETTER AND COACH's FACILITATION OF THIS IMPORTANT THRESHOLD ALONG A SPIRITUAL FITNESS JOURNEY!

join DIRECT LINES today!

Earning The Bird, Burning The Bird in LA with Coach Mackel!

"Coach,


Happy Thanksgiving! We “Earned the Bird” once again here in LA.

Thanks for showing me how.

A video is going up on SoCalRunning.com.

Namaste,

NWSM
Pasadena, CA"

coach adds:
i encourage you to visit Coach Mackel's website...watch at least his:
Burn the Bird - Post Thanksgiving Day Training video...which is currently the second one as you scroll down; LOVE my beautiful Mackel's engaged principle of the WF Teaching of "Litter Patrol"...while on his bicycle!! keep scrolling down and you can see how Coach Mackel is one of the few that still honor his spiritual roots; WF, baby! the "Spiritual Lightswitch" for many warriors since 1982! Allez, Coach Mackel!

Adding Things To The Proven Practice...

"asana or pranayama really require an empty stomach in order to be pranically receptive. 2, preferrably 3 hours or longer after eating is a mandatory time frame before practicing asana and/or pranayama. you'll want as clean, clear system as possible. - coach ilg"

photo: HP Yogini Susan (see DL Archives, October 2008) during a River Trip in the Grand Canyon greeting her day by an outdoor version of my Rock Vinyasa DVD routine




***


Steve,

thank you so much for yourTotal Body Transformation book . i have two questions though. first, can i add some extra exercises in the gym after your exercises? second if i have a glass of wine with dinner is it still effective to do a yoga routine?

thanks again,

jeremy p.





coach responds:

Namaste Jeremy P!
thank you for writing and for your Metta!

answer to #1: no. it is NOT wise to superimpose or add exercises to the programs in TBT. if each set is carried to Momentary Muscular Failure (MMF) as coached, then adding exercises upon pre-fatigued system is not suggested. remember, you are attempting to link together 3 consecutive months of training...if you start tweaking around the recipe, you risk ruining the proven Path.

having said that, if you do get all the way to the Frugal Realm, and still feel like the OVERALL WHOLISTIC TRAINING EFFECT from the previous three months did not invite strength into your weaker disciplines, then, it's time to...


READ THE ENTIRE TEACHING ON TODAY'S DIRECT LINES!


ps; anyone who consumes alcohol should DEFINITELY be on my Phase One of SUNRIDER Herbs to cleanse and support liver function as well as many other side effects from alcohol consumption and on the MAP Amino Acids. email me at steve(at)wholisticfitness.com for info on joining these two pivotal nutritional Practices of WF.

To Breathe or not to Breathe...that is YOUR endless question!

click on photo to enlarge

"Without conscious breathing,
it's drama.
With conscious breathing,
it becomes Dharma."
- coach ilg

in a casual "virasana" while engaging one of my most successful WF Teachings; a "Pranayama Appetizer" during a book photo shoot by Roy Wallack. Studio City, CA.

To Breathe or not to Breathe...that is YOUR endless question!

"Without conscious breathing,
it's drama.
With conscious breathing,
it becomes Dharma."
- coach ilg

coach engages one of his most successful WF Teachings; a "Pranayama Appetizer" during a book photo shoot by Roy Wallack. Studio City, CA.

ThanksGiving is a verb

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

"Thanksgiving is, after all, a verb."
- Cameron

Most Treasured Sangha, Friends, and Family,

Blessings to you all on this ThanksGiving Day.
Holding you in our hearts with Gratitude & a smile.

So much to be thankful for... memories shared...fitness to gain,
well being to live... and for all those who are going hungry today.
Especially the children.

Love all,
Serve all.

In the Spirit of Innocence,
Happy and Whole-ly ThanksGiving!

steve, Joy, and Dewa - the "Can Do Clan" of 3-Chi Manor beneath the Sacred Peak


Photo by steve:
May all children everywhere reflect our beautiful Dewa
above enjoying the adventure of a yummy mealtime moment.

VIBING HIGHER THAN ILLNESS OR INJURY: NOW IS THE TIME FOR HERBS!!!

Yesterday, i sent out a SUNRIDER Missive for the Coach Ilg Downline. These Missives include important information about how to lose bodyfat, maintain cell purity, and offer inspiring reports from people all across the world that use SUNRIDER Herbs. Don't miss the VERY FIRST STEP of regenerative, whole-food Nutrition; join SUNRIDER today and receive my complimentary Guidance for budgeting and using your own cellular purity journey! Vibrate HIGH! Vibrate with the "Secret Herbs of WF since 1983"...superb holiday gift giving that puts money right back into your pocket while enhancing and empowering the health of those you love!

***

The snow is falling again upon the Sacred Peak outside my window, and my soul is soaring. To me, snow is purity and for my inner self, purity (or sauca in yoga) requires steadfast attention to our cells.

Like snowflakes, our purity and power are only as clean, clear, and vibrantly regenerative as our cells. That is why eating and using SUNRIDER products keeps me feeling (and living) so youthful...even with the pressures of new parenthood!

Enjoy the snow...and begin your own self-paced journey toward purity at your cell level; with SUNRIDER Herbs; the official regenerative nutritional path of Wholistic Fitness since 1893!

If you EVER have any questions regarding SUNRIDER or the MAP Amino Acids that are used in this proven Path of Transformation, you just let me know; that's why Great Spirit created coaches in the first place!

Congratulations to:
Scott Sorensen who joined the Coach Ilg SUNRIDER Downline yesterday!
buckle up Scott, and get ready to put the "soar" into Sorensen!
Scott is a long-time fan of WF and lives in Taylorsville, Utah

coming up soon in DL:


“You Mean I might not be getting enough protein?”

Sincerely enscounced in herbs and care of your self-cultivation,

steve ilg
founder/Wholistic Fitness

Spiritual Sauca...plus; an Embedded DL and iDL Special Offer!

Pain is
weakness leaving our bodies, sure.

Pain is
also intensity strengthening our weaknesses.

Pain is
karma spin balancing our granthis.

Seek pain for spiritual sauca, however,
do not Attach to it. the ignorant are
often more comfortable in conscious suffering
than in doing the work of spiritual evolution.

Remember continuously that our nature is fluid,
not solid.
We are more ether than matter.
Develop and use the Pranic locks so our Inner Being
can Dance in the Way of an Eagles flight...far above
the drama of the Outer World.

Steadfastly, oh Precious Warrior, devote thyself to difficulty
and only that way shall you be freed from it.


- coach ilg

An Embedded DL and iDL SPECIAL OFFER:
order Coach's latest book:
PRANIC JUNKIE
and get $5 off before December 1st.

photo;
barbed wire coated in ice from a nearby stream.
we are made of fluid,
yet our samskara's make rigid our body, mind, and spirit.
photo by ilg

On Any Given (November) Weekend; CYCLE CROSS!!!

USA's Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) on the run-up.
Photo ©: Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net
Superprestige #4 - Hamme Zogge, C1, Belgium, November 23, 2008
Elite Men


in today's DL:


see my action pics of WF Devotees like Ben "Patki Dass" Sullivan tearing it up at Flag's second of four Cyclecross races...learn about the sport...AND why i'm not seen doing many 'cross races!...plus,



...my daughter seems to have inherited my coaching and cheering skills already...

come on in! we've been waiting to inspire your Multi-Disciplined Fitness for decades!!!


- coach ilg
founder/www.WholisticFitness.com

Oh, do you recall (or can you imagine) that excitement of being a new WF Online Student?

{Note; photo may be available only for DL Subscribers}


Dear Coach,

I am so glad to hear from you. I have been thinking and wondering this week; “Am I doing this right?” "I must not know some of the etiquette and requirements for this journey.”

And indeed, your note confirms that I am missing some things! Thank you!

I so want to do this well with my body, mind and spirit. I feel very lucky to have this privilege to work with you.

I am here and happy to be on the adventure and to comply with my coaches wishes. I intend to send you updates every Wednesday and Sunday. What else is expected of me and should I find this list in a place I have not yet sought it? (That is a HUGE question, isn’t it?!)

My Sauca has expanded this week to make space for my puja (had to move furniture). I have been reading DL, and exploring the WF Sangha Lounge. The use of my Sadhana Journal is becoming more full as I include feelings and mantra practices I do during my workouts. My SunRider Herb order arrived on Monday. I am on MAP Aminos and re-reading TBT.

I love your practices outlines in TBT (page 270) and have been doing the neti, yoga toes and tongue cleaner daily.

I also did some more reading, in Yoga Sutra II.40. to make sure I understand it – and this really hit me.

“When considering the cleanliness and purity of the body, it is always emphasized that the system of yoga views the body as a vehicle meant to nurture and aid the development of our spiritual beings. The body is affectionately maintained as the keeper of the spirit, a means to an end, but not an end itself.”

I needed to be reminded of the LOVE and appreciation, the affection for the body, for the rituals to cleanse the body because it is the keeper of the spirit. Thank you. Thank you. I am so grateful for all my body does each moment, every day, all my activities, holding my brain, giving me senses to be in the world and holding my spirit.

Purifying the mind is another intention of Sauca. I look forward to your guidance with this, Coach. I understand that cleansing the body and the mind relates to purity of spirit; peaceful, present, calm and sincere. I am enjoying this learning journey and eager to do more sauca in my life.


I have been having VERY colorful and detailed dreams. One important one, for our work together perhaps, came after I did a nighttime sitting focused on the Teacher/Student Prayer. I dreamt that you administered a bodywork session much like Thai massage – but especially focused on lateral flexion and extension. I have been thinking about this. Perhaps my movement is too linear. Perhaps I am not flexible enough in my mind and thinking. Hmmmm. I am open to guidance.

I’m off to the Sangha Lounge for Puja set-up guidance.
Hey, I also have the WF Yoga Prop Workout DVD! So glad I found that.

My body already feels as if it is reconfiguring on a cellular level.

I feel stronger, and have dropped 3 pounds.

And I also have had times of fatigue – that feel connected to regeneration in a way I have not felt in a long time – a good, thorough tired!

I have a long list of intentions, that I will strive to put into the accomplished list for my Update on Sunday.

Now and through our work together, I am open – heart, head, body and spirit, to your guidance,

Namaste,

Elizabeth


***

Coach's note:
a "puja" is an altar/worship table used for formal meditation. all of my WF Online Students are expected to create such a Sacred Space.

Pay strict attention to how well New Student Elizabeth has followed through on the CELLULAR LEVEL of the WF Path; SUNRIDER Herbs, MAP Aminos, DL/WF SanghaLounge/TBT/Yoga Sutras as her Svadhyaya or "self study through Scripture".

Note that without lifting ONE BARBELL or doing ONE CARDIO workout, New Student Elizabeth has received the WF Transmission as demonstrated through her loss of Bodyfat (spiritual surrender to the Teacher), Dream visitation, and Mantra empowerment.

note also that we've begun our Work two-gether on the basis of Sauca...purity. this is Traditional Yoga as i outlined in TBT. without clearing and cleaning ones abode (home, occupation, mind, behaviors, and body) then, an aspirants entire Journey will be dirty and retarded.

do you have ANY idea of how FUN and HONORABLE it is to begin the formal WF Online Student Path with a Being as beautiful as Elizabeth?

well, i love to tell you,
however,
ALL my Online Students contain these same measures of spiritual radiance...so...have YOU filled out your Online Training Application yet? you can study for as short as 6 months, if you want. the point is,
there is NOTHING like being a WF Online Student on this Plane(t) and pretty much everybody that matters, knows it! so fill out a WF Online Training Application...i'm only going to be providing this intimate type of one-on-one, traditional yoga Transmission for another few years. and, there is a waiting list for Applicants. make sure you are in Line outside the Online Training Temple!

because:

"The Path works,
when YOU
work the Path!"

- coach ilg