down to wearing my final pair of contacts. make an eye exam cuz they won't let me re-order without one. so i go. doctor forms. as a yogi, i must answer their little forms with Satya;
Occupation: Wholeness Professional
Years At Current Job: Lifetimes
Physican: Self
Date of Last Exam: this morning, in Meditation
Insurer: God
about an hour later,
"Well Steve, unlike most men your age, your eyes are actually regenerating. most men your age i see, are losing both their hair, like me, AND their eyesight!...what are you doing?" asks the 'doctor' of feeble ilg...
so i say the same dang thing i've been telling everybody from doctors to athletes to yogis for over 25 years; "SUNRIDER HERBS, plus MAP Amino Acids, plus living a WHOLISTIC FITNESS lifestyle."
he looked at me blankly. instead of being interested, i could sense the overwhelming of his intellect on this subject. which all-Ways fascinates me. i'd think "experts in healing" would be fascinated by how i keep regenerating instead of aging and deteriorating.
"Hmmmph," was the doctors only response.
Our Eyes reflect the physiologic and energetic clarity and harmony of our internal organs. Our Eyes, as the saying goes, reflect our Soul. so, if the WF Path obviously regenerates our organs and our Soul Nature,
why
aren't more people interested?
that's what makes our Precious Path so Precious;
it's rare.
it's High.
it's so Sweet to live...
we are Blessed, Noble WF Yogis!
now,
off to just a fraction of your STUDENT INPUT...THANK YOU for writing and those of you who are not making your weekly visits into the WF SanghaLounge are missing utterly and equally PRECIOUS exchanges and teachings and sharings among our WorldWide Tribe! visit today and take a turn at tending the WF Campfire!
head bowed to your Practice,
your loving coach
photo; last week in Oak Creek Canyon. Walking Practice with Dewa. by Ananda.
***
Please share this with the coach and let him know that without our collective work this would not have been possible for me:
George @200ft checking out the wreck of the Typo, a 140yr old three masted schooner in Lake Huron. The water temperature was 39F!
WF Student George Watson
Boulder, CO
***
Hi
Wow... are you really Steve Ilg, author of The Outdoor Athlete? That book was my bible back in my whitewater kayaking days in Washington State -- actually, it was a frequent topic of conversation among my buddies.
Thx
Nancy
Flagstaff
***
Coach Ilg,
Thanks for the email and the encouragement. Took awhile to get back to you, grueling week at the fire station, about 12 hrs sleep over the course of 5 days. But enough whining about that, Joy's HP Yoga class was amazing, challenging yet nuturing, what a gift. I left class with a greater understanding of HP Yoga, and a light hearted blissful feeling throughout the day! Decided to try another first that same day and took the family to the rock climbing gym for the better part of 4 hrs and had a blast. My 3 yr old son thought he was spiderman. Anyhow, we will be back in Flag. June 11-14 hope to try and catch your thurday class,(from what I've heard it sounds painful). possibly more rock climbing as well. Also, before i forget, the question i have relates to being at a very busy and physically demanding station where time and energy/recovery can be issues as far as training goes. Would the ROCK VINYASA DVD be a good fit at home in the morning pre and post shift, and possibly the QUICK FIX YOGA DVDwhen at the station? Coach, any input would be greatly appreciated.
With humble gratitude, Sincerely, Marty Salomon
Tucson, AZ
COACH RESPONDS:
Most Noble Warrior of the Fire,
the Rock Vinyasa would be absolutely, utterly PERFECT!
you just gotta find a Sacred Stone (tis a mandatory and traditional pilgrimage of sincerity)
although some have found success with using just a couple of yoga blocks, a railing, ...whatever Brahman provides!
Joy's QUICKFIX is perhaps the simplest, most artful, most time-effective asana session ever created...
3 ten-minute segments to fit your available time or link all 3 together for a BEAUTIFUL 30-minute Practice!
jump on BOTH now!
oh, and don't think of my Prop Workouts each Thursday as painful; think PURIFYING!!!!
in the DEEP FIBER PURIFICATION Way of the Ancient Warrior Yogis!!!
you'll love it!
see you in the Practice Cave soon...
be sure to introduce yourself!
head bowed in mountain sweat,
coach ilg
***
Steve,
Hi, I am reading your book Total Body Transformation and I am up to the green tara (the first phase)
and I am looking forward to starting it.
I was just wondering if you could help me out with some ideas/recipes/meal plans for food. You mentioned
in the book that you ate a lot of tofu and raw foods. Anything you could offer would be very helpful.
Thanks,
Kelly
COACH RESPONDS:
Most Noble Yogi Kelly!
great to hear you are crankin' along on Green Tara...She will
provide much inSight, protection, and chi.
just keep Practicing awareness during your Journey.
there are recipes and much nutritional Guidance in TBT as you continue your journey.
to be fair to my online students however, private counsel - which i am happy to provide for you -
is available via online or phone consultations available on my website catalog.
let me know if i can Serve you further,
and be sure to subscribe to my Daily Blog; DIRECT LINES...
i promise,
it's the best Training Partner you can have for $12/month!
head bowed along the Upward, Inward Way...
coach ilg
***
Dear Coach
Yes, i've just placed my order for my EARLY MORNING RITUAL DVD and MULA BANDHA CD !! THANK YOU for all the work you put in. The very least i could do is trek the path as steadfastly as i could muster from my highest self.
Blessings to the CAN DO CLAN!
Namaste,
suet
London
***
Coach:
Thanks for the reply. I was not expecting personal attention, but since I have you on line, let me tell you that your book TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION has been a gold mine for me and formed the basis of a couple of successful fitness courses I taught in Toronto for three years. I just wish I lived closer so I could tap in to "the source" more.
thanks again,
shanti
Mike Fox
TEMPLE MANAGER NOTE:
i just have to...well, smile when i read such letters. where others in Coach's position capitalize on clever "Teacher Trainings" or outright sue beautiful people like Mike for copyright infringement and intellectual property rights for using Coach's published works in courses without permission, Coach just smiles and continues to offer his Lifework publicly as he has for decades. "All Karma is God, and well, Ripples make Waves..." is his steady reply when i approach him on such common, unacknowledged use of his Work. "The Ancient Dharma Protecters never sued anybody, did They?" is his back up response if i push the issue. because i live with our Beloved Coach, i see and marvel at how deeply Open is his Heart, regardless of his Work being often abused. he carries his hurt nobly. i reMind people however, that if you are going to use Coach's Teachings or writings, please at least ask permission. thank you!
WF Temple Manager Ananda
***
Dear Coach,
Got to watch my mind pitch a fit tonite in your HP Yoga Slow Flow Class...”let’s just pack up and get out of here”....well...”we/me” stuck it out but I was really interested in how “mad” I was about ???? That said, thanks for addressing my question and thanks for the opportunity to watch a temper tantrum in slow motion....
love ya Student LH
COACH RESPONDS:
Most Precious Yogini LH,
our Anger arises from tight hips (Brahma Granthi) and rounded spines (clogged Sushumna).
yoga very Self-Confrontational.
it's that way by design...weeds out the Finders from the Seekers.
you know all this, i know.
i did my best to pepper my Dialogue with Suzukisms just for you...
i could feel Thy's anger
and
feeble ilg
bows to the Invincible Practitioner known as Leslie H.
got you in for next Wednesday...
Dharma Blessings oh Maha Yogini...
ec
***
Namaste Noble Sangha,
Once more that hat is off to our No-Bull Coach Who Don't Ever Poach (i.e. lift ideas from other people or writings) How many times have I heard neti recommended during sinus infections? Well enough times to really screw up my recovery from various colds by trying to do it. I eventually learned not to attempt to fight my body's own defense mechanism of massive snot production and just go with the blow. So it's refreshing to read Herr Ilg's likely experience-based suggestion to can the neti until you're basically clear.
What's more the whole concept of IDEOs (Immunological Defence Enhancement Opportunities) really gave me a fresh perspective on a recent cold. Instead of getting really depressed and franticly taking a bazillion different types of remedies (that probably made me sicker) I just chilled out, put my feet up, ate some chicken soup, and took time to let my body, mind, spirit clean itself of some excess. It actually felt GO(O)D!
During this down time I read a book called the Paradox of Choice that discusses how our afluenza ridden society has really gotten so mixed up. It summarizes a lot of good research on how expectations and "coulda, woulda, shoulda" thinking really confuses us. One such study really made me think of our WF tribe: a study of Olympic medallists showed that bronze medal winners were consistently happier with their results than silver. How's this? While the silver medalists are all thinking "damn, two less seconds and i could have been #1!" the bronzers are all thinking "pfew, two more seconds and i wouldn't even be standing here!" Smile
cheers,
ct
China
***
Namaste
Wonderful sage advice coming from a moment of learning, this Direct Lines. I admire a teacher or coach who teaches from direct experience. Your tempered tenacity is inspiring even when it takes the form of an admission that something did not turn out as hoped. I have had a little of that going on lately myself and Ananda's words are just what I needed to hear. Thank you!
Bowing,
Rick
Pasadena
***
Thank you, Steve, for posting your morning Teisho ( dharma talk). This week, I listened to myself rattling on about this and that and listened to others rattling on about this and that. My early morning practice of tending to the garden, tending to the birds, hanging with my dogs, in silence has become my morning vinyasa. I hand wrote your final meditation to carry with me - to be memorized perhaps as a kind of mantra, to bring myself back when the rattling on begins !!! as it always does!!! and come back to the WE lifestyle principles that point the way through the thicket and reminds us that our basic sanity and good heartedness does indeed matter and is always there.
Leslie and Kai and Yoda
**
