Off To The (Mountain) Races!

i took this shot of the summit area of Sandia Peak, 10,678', a few years ago while snowshoe training. come with me this Sunday as i footrace up this giant of the southwest!

in my continuing buildup toward attempting to survive the Imogene Pass Race this
September,
it stokes my agni and sparks my kundalini to announce that i am taking my
"Can Do Clan" back to my old h(om)eland of the Rio Grande; Albuquerque, New Mexico to
race in what Trail Runner Magazine named as,
"One of the Top 12 Most Grueling Trail Races"...
the
infamous:


La Luz Trail Run




to give you an idea of how steep this race straight up the face of Sandia Peak is,
take a looky see here;



and the winner in my Age Group last year ran the 9 mile race to the summit crossing 6 climate zones in average pace of only: 11:30 minute per mile, crossing the 10,678' Finish Line in 1:43!

oh yeah, this is gonna work.

this is TWICE the race distance i've run this summer plus it's ALL UPHILL!

upside: i have won the Sandia HillClimb in my Age Group on a road bike.
downside: that doesn't mean shit for a running race.


stay tuned to DL ... i'll bring my computer with me and do my best to update DL Subscribers as soon as i can!

send some CHI my way on Sunday morning, okay?

most of all, i really, really pray that this New Daddy just getting to the Start Line of such incredible races upon whose soil has sweated a Who's Who of endurance athletes, is enough for YOU to keep your Practice strong and sincere...that is what matters most to this coach who still does the do...broken back and all; Sandia Peak...here ilg comes!!

enjoy the DL Archives and the WF SanghaLounge until i see you again right here!

GO WF WARRIORS!!!!!!
YOGA IS EVERYWHERE!!!

hasta la taco,

ec

HP Yogi Jut Makes World Famous Discovery!

World famous cave explorer HP Yogi Jut and i, chillin' after the 2006 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon in Grants, NM





read about this world-breaking news on today's DL!

How I Respond To People Who Want To Make Me Rich

on today's DL Subscription Format...
a recipe for keeping Dharmic Integrity to WF
since 1982

Student Input: WF Warriors Cranking the CHI WorldWide!!!

Work hard, but take it easy. Think deep thoughts, but keep high hopes. Believe with passion, but think with reason. Contradictions surround us all. That's not really so surprising. All living creatures are, according to the saints and sages, places where the mortal meets the immortal. Our spirits are eternal. They are surely the most important part of us. Yet we hardly give them a second thought. If something seems crazy now, it's because you are trying too hard to make sense of it! Don't think. Feel your way forward.
- Jonathan Cainer

***
MISSING COACH'S CHI...

Steve, it's Jerry here from Powerhouse Gym. I moved to Oakland in 2000 and I miss the hell out of your class. I tried {a popular yoga teacher}, didn't like him as well. I've gotten out of practice a little (a lot) I've been playing baseball but need to get back to your phylosophy. I wish you were closer to me. I miss those intense workouts. Anyway looks like your doing well, and what ever happened with you and Kathy I loved that girl you guys seemed perfect. If you still see or talk to her tell her I said hello. Peace.
Namaste,
Jerry

(coach's note: i too, miss Jerry's warrior chi! he was so great to have in those intense HP Yoga classes which cracked and broke down some of the world's most strongest bodybuilders in Southern California during the late nineties. Jerry would be in posture, sweating, and grunting and just hurting like hell, and every now and then chastise himself by cursing at himself; 'C'mon gawdamnit Jerry! Bend your friggin' knee!' or something like that...hey, if you laid your yoga mat down next to Warrior Jerry? you'd be amped to a level of effort that is the true mark of a Yogi seeking radical self-transformation! i'd charge out onto the Bhagavad-Gita Battlefield ANY DAY with a Warrior like Jerry!) Oh, and what did happen to Kathy and i? i write about that in my INTRODUCTION to my upcoming book, PRANIC JUNKIE.

***
RAGIN RJ OVERCOMES YESTERDAY's EARTHQUACK and KEEPS HIS ABHYASA!

No shit Bro! I was perched like the Zen cat waiting to bound off my second story apartment building into a tree!

Did a presentation for noble WF Student Crespo and the Pasadena Triathlon Club…a sparse handful of brave souls showed to learn the “mental” side of training! The group was somewhat embarrassed by the low attendance; nonetheless, I thought fuck it! The people that need the chi hit are here to get it…then they can kick the others asses that did not make it! Roberto told me your last yoga session in LA was sparse as well…interesting is it not Bro?

Obesity up another 2% the last two years along with diabetes 15%. Economy going to shit. So much for addicted to comfort as you prophesied! Yet the path is seldom traveled!

On this note, as I drifted off to sleep Sunday night, my phone went off at 11:10 PM waking me. I then realized that after driving all the way to Valencia from Paso Robles (3.5+ hours) then loading up and going to Pasadena and back for Roberto’s noble warriors (another 4+ hours), I had only exercised 15 minutes that day of my minimum 30! My own DWU plus ten minutes of Joy's Yoga DVD before heading to Pasadena! Without hesitation, I promptly put on my shorts and shoes and walked around the block for another 15 minutes at 11:30 PM to get my daily 30 minute “prescription” of “PREVENTATIVE” medicine. While some might think that is stupid or outrageous, I ponder the logic of thousands literally choking to death at night from sleep apnea caused by their own fucking lack of discipline and out of control obesity! DISCIPLINE. I do it—period! Fuck the skeptics Bro! They’d have a hard time throwing a kettlebell with me with an oxygen tube and gastric reflux baby!

Keepin’ in real Bro…which is hard to do in SoCal as you well know! Laughing it off though man…got to…
rj

***
BLOWN AWAY IN TULSA

Hello. I recently purchaes a copy ofThe Outdoor Athlete
in a used book store, and was blown away.

I have been working out now for almost 18 years, and no other book except yours seems to mirror my own experiences inside the gym and outside the gym more, especially now that I have grown older.

I wish I had read your book 15 years ago.

-Sincerely
-Jim Rouse
Tulsa, OK

***
MASTER STUDENT ABU APPLYING HIS WF EDUCATION

Photo; long time WF Devotee and Master Student Sean "Abu" Madine who is a regular in the WF SanghaLounge helping newer students, is shown here leading JAWS FALLS, a old favorite of mine in Colorado.

Dear El Coache,
Thank you for the automatic DL subscription renewal...

I led C'est le Mort on Redguarden last Friday in a style that would have made you proud. Let's just say that when a nut popped while I moved through the crux, I kept it together and moved upward fluidly. I LITERALLY felt the texture of Zazen at that moment, even "seeing" a Siddhasana posture in my mind during the chaos. Yes, C'est le Mort, is definitely slippery and steep through the crux! I've started the BELIEVE in myself on the rock, after some pressure-cooker sessions that shattered my constraining self-image. I'm a slow learner, but, after walking The Path for awhile, this WF stuff might just be working!!! ;-)


Attached is a picture of me on Jaws Falls this past January. My first time on ice since my Little One was born, I displayed Brahma Granthi clearly in the over-protection of the route!!! But, it was a fun, beautiful day in RMNP! The issue of using gear to control uncontrollable chaos (great metaphor for the Bardo, eh?) has been the focus of my recent rock workshops in Eldo/Boulder Canyon -- climbing with an open Heart, not over-protecting with a closed Heart.

Namaste,

--a

***
FAMOUS SCIENTIST YOGI JUT WRITES IN FROM THE ATACAMA DESERT...

Hey y'all!

All is going incredibly well here in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
Our team has had a few setbacks, but we've developed some new technqiues for
mapping caves, and we now have several caves and non-cave features evaluated.
We resume our work tomorrow, and will continue with sensor deployment. All is
well and all is on schedule!

I just updated my blog. So, you may view lots of images as well as keep up
with our work as it progresses.

HP Yogi Jut's Blog


Nos vemos amigos!
jut

Cave Exploration
http://www.caveexplorer.org/


"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot -- Nothing is going to get better. It's not."

--From The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

***
WF: MAKING THE PLANET BETTER

Joy & Steve,
i'm deeply grateful for the work you both do...makes the planet and my little world a whole lot better...can't wait!
much love,
trish


***
HOPI DL INPUT:

Steve,

I love the stories on the DL of the Hopi foot races.

I am feeling better and better, hard to explain but just better energy.

Not sure if it is the MAP aminos,the Sunrider or both.


Ellen
Placitas, NM


coach's note:

Most Precious One,

it's WF, baby!!!!!
we leave no stone unturned in the Skillful Art of TRANSFORMATION!

head bowed in the pursuit of Wholeness,
ec

*** WARRIOR VINNIE LOSES 15lbs!

Steve,
I appreciate all of your emails in keeping me in touch with the SUNRIDER promotions. I do plan on getting more involved on the business side of things in the not so distant future...however, at this point in time I am still working on me.

I have to say, that since I read your email about taking 4 action caps during the day, and 2 slim caps at night(or was it 3, well I have been doing 2)...I've easily lost 15 lbs. ...my plan is to go for another 5...which would put me at 165...down from 270 at my highest...7 years ago....the last time I went from slim down mode to muscle building mode...I quickly gained 15 lbs. and it took some time to get that back.

although it seems that I have a better ability to add muscle at this time, while doing a low calorie, high carb, high cardio, lifestyle...I'm curious as to what advice you could give me in regard to switching over to lifting from 2 days a week...upper body circuit, 10 reps, 1 set (and then nothing but, swimming, yard work, tennis, treadmill with a sauna suit)...to lifting 4 days a week...more like 3 sets going 6-8-10...with no more then 20 min. of cardio in a day

my diet at this point in time is basicly 1000-1500 calories a day or whole grain bread in the morning, protein shake, brown rice with a protein in the evening

I think I remember reading something about a amino acid that you use?...not a SR product I think...but with SR...what would you recommend?

the last 15 lbs. has been amazing..I'm seeing parts of myself that I've never seen...and seeing part of myself that I've always had...vanish in front of my eyes...the confidence is incredible...and the feeling of health is even better...at 34 I'm in the best shape of my life...now honestly that has a lot to do with how, out of shape I was when I was younger...but still...its a nice reality...I've been into this for some time now..and feel as though I have set up my later years for the healthiest they can be.

thank you for all of your help...its much appreciated

Vince


coach responds;

Most Noble Warrior Vinnie!

great hearing from you!

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

congrats on the weight loss!

absolutely get on the "MAP" Amino Acids.

here is the info page:
coach's MAP Amino Acid hook up portal

to join and get my complimentary dosage and guidance intake guidance,
just click on GO TO THE MAIN SITE
and order 2 bottles.
once you have the bottles in hand,
send me an email and i'll forward to you your intake guidance.

buckle up, cuz if you are on the Herbs and MAP? you will be FLYING!!!!!!!!

i'm stoked for you!

great job on the follow through!

head bowed,

coach ilg

*** HOPI LOVING

Dearest ec,

Reading your HOPI running account this morning brought back some precious memories of time spent ( hum that is not quite the word...) up at the Mesas. One, in particular, came into my mind’s eye....one snowy foggy February day , during the closing of Powamu (Bean ceremony) - I had spent the night before sitting on a milk crate in a kiva listening to stories – the juniper smoke thick and sweet – the sound of the storytellers voice etched into my heart – then back into the house for some newly sprouted bean stew- and then up onto the rooftops for the incredible entrance of all kinds of Katchinas. The village was in a timeless state – and so was I.

My Hopi friend, reminded me that this ceremony was for the benefit of all beings everywhere and that if everyone there held that thought, vibration (more the Hopi definition) the ceremony would be completed. It was not until some years later, when I began my practice of Buddhism that I learned of the Buddhist practices of of bodichitta and metta. That humans are capable of embracing that ideal has probably kept me from turning in my human card.

I look forward.

Thanks for the tea and plums at Two Tree yesterday afternoon. It was sweet medicine. The last few weeks have been on the stressful list and it had kind of caught up with me by yesterday. Your offering of tea and plums and watching Dewa frolic in the puddle brought me back. I bow in humble gratitude.

Next Monday is fine with me if it works for you. Also, when you have time would you pass on the information concerning the MAP.

Blessings - LH
Flagstaff

*** HP YOGA METTA

I can't thank you enough for all i have expeinced and learned in your classes.
peace dc

*** MORE HOPI CHI LOVE

Hi Steve,
That's cool you were so moved by your HOPI experience. I did the Louis Tewanima footrace there a couple of summers ago, and it was a very special experience (have also been to a dance or two there...). Also, I lived on the Navajo Rez for seven and 1/2 years before moving here and just went back Fourth of July weekend to participate in a ceremony that my Navajo family was having...so I can relate at ot what you're saying about the spiritual depths of these cultures! I found your e-mail to be reflective of the humbling impact your sojourn had on you...I also returned from my brief trip all inspired and grounded.

Sara
Flagstaff

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are."

-Ancient Chinese proverb



*** MY 4th of JULY DL HITS H(om)E

Dear Coach Ilg,
Thanks SO MUCH for posting the text of the original Declaration of Independence today on Direct Lines.
As I read through it once again, it occurred to me: Throughout the Clinton years, the GW Bush years, and
anticipating what is to transpire based upon their stated policies and past actions in the McCain/Obama
years (doesn't matter which one wins in this case), we will have endured as a nation many of the same
transgressions and travesties that forced our country's forefathers to such bold action.
Just for fun (sort of), I asked a friend of mine who is a brilliant observer of sociology, anthropology, and the general
human condition (and who also loves a good wager), what the line is on some subset of our United States
declaring themselves independent over the course of the next 4-8 years.

Wishing you and your family well,
John
back east



*** AUSSIE HP YOGA LOVE

Hi Steve,
Hope this email finds you well and where you want to be.
I am really thankfull I found you and your inspiration.
Looking at buying Hallway Yoga and a HP Yoga...
Thanks for the wisdom to look within.
Thanks Steve for the quick reply,
I am surprised again and again at my learning from your knowledge and wisdom.
E.G "Metta" it humbles me that you truely live your beliefs.
You do truely inspire us to be better people .
I struggle to put into words what I really feel about your inspiration.


Namaste
Rodney Darke
Lismore
Australia

***
A GREAT SOURCE OF MY INSPIRATION

Hi Steve & Joy!
How are you both? I still miss taking classes with you even though it's been almost 4 years! I still never found another Yoga class that I have wanted to commit to since your studio! I wish you still had a location here! You both were always such a great source of inspiration!
Glad to have found you on the net (thanks to Google)!
Miss you guys,
Eric West
Woodland Hills, CA


***WOMEN'S RIGHTS OR WRONGS?

http://aeltc.wimbledon.org/en_GB/about/guide/prizemoney.html

Dear EC,

wondered as You did if there was a difference between the mens' and womens' payoffs at Wimbledon. i'm frankly shocked to find out that the prize amounts are the same...? Seems quite odd considering the difference between 3 sets for gals and 5 sets for guys with the potential accompanying lengths of time, entertainment value, display of skills, etc. i wonder if there are bonuses not laid out on the site above...

playing usta league tennis myself right now for the second summer after many years of childbearing/rearing hiatus. what a space to practice in! including played another yoga teacher in singles a few weeks ago and prevailed, but it was a wonderful *joust*.

hugs to all kilpatrick/ilgs :)

yogini j9

*** WHAT YOU KNOW 'BOUT LOVE?!?!

Coach Ilg,

Who ever said leading by example is not effective.
Thank you again for introducing me to HP Yoga and WF. Not just the practice of the asanas, but fully integrating yoga into every fiber of my existence.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT LOVE?!!!

Mucho love to you and your beautiful Angels!

I bow to essence of who you continually choose to be.

namaste,



"When we feel responsible, concerned and committed, we begin to feel deep emotion and great courage"
-The 14th Dalai Lama

Dorman Baltazar, C.P.T

www.dormanbaltazar.com

*** POWERSITS PIVOTAL!

I loved today’s DL re PowerSits. These have long been my secret practice, as they can be done anywhere: at a desk, in the bathroom, in the car after parking, you name it. Even more importantly, I’ve come to see these as a crucial step in narrowing the gap between long focused meditation sessions and turning ALL of living into one perpetual opportunity for practice. In this sense, PowerSits are like intervals for the soul. While longer meditation sessions allow you to perhaps go deeper, one crucial benefit of PowerSits is that they are as much about improving your ability to enter/recover as they are about the “session” itself. This is one of the things I love about WF, the connections I’m constantly finding between different disciplines.
WF Student Singer

Wholistic Fitness Receives 2008 Best of Flagstaff Award

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wholistic Fitness Receives 2008 Best of Flagstaff Award

U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., July 27, 2008 -- Wholistic Fitness has been selected for the 2008 Best of Flagstaff Award in the Personal Trainers category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Local Business Association
Email: PublicRelations@USLBA.net
URL: http://www.USLBA.net

COMING SOON!!!!

my 2008 Le Tour Picks now UP!

Noble Coach Ilg,

This pic so expresses the warrior spirit that I had to share it with you. I'm sure you've probably seen it but it's worth a second look. I hope that your family is well and I have enjoyed the IDL lately (a poor sub for the real deal but beggars can't be choosers). Take care.

In Sweat and Stillness,

hsbg


***

see my ANNUAL TOUR DE FRANCE PICKS IN THE WF SANGHALOUNGE in the CURRENT EVENTS Cave!

Hey, you know my incredible Track Record for picking the Yellow Jersey in Paris! Let's see if i nailed it this year! i want to hear your picks!! see you in the Tribal Hangout of WF Devotees; the WF SanghaLounge!

Hopi Footracing; My Second Race approaches in this elevated land...

two excerpts from my current Series on Hopi Footracing from today's DL...
this Series includes never before photography and stories from America's most
ancient tribal homeland and ceremonial dances which include,
oh forget it...

you should really just quit pretending and join your Tribe of WF and
GET THE CHI fresh every day; support the Temple of Transpersonal Fitness Training!
subscribe to DL today!

here's a couple of excerpts...

precisely why most yoga teachers prefer to distance themselves from the notion that distance running is yoga! "Running ruins yoga," i've been told by yoga 'teachers' since the eighties. not in this Tribe, baby. in this Tribe? we uphold running as did the Ancient Masters; we consider running for what it truly is...an unequaled pilgrimage of sweat, self, and the long, silent distance. by the time i got back to Flagstaff at the end of my two consecutive days of racing against the Hopi's on their ancestral, sacred lands my battered feet looked the worse for their wear. within five days, i would take these feet and run them up the Sacred Peak, producing three layers of blisters. Yoga is intended to be self-confrontational. For until you confront your various 'selves', transformation - let alone transcendance - is impossible. that is why, in WF, everything that the human body is capable of is considered yoga practice. in WF, nothing is ever pushed away from yoga. it's all yoga. especially triple-layered blisters begotten from confronting ones limits during endurance footracing.

***




i felt Sacred.
i felt secure with death and impermanence as my menu for the night.

so, i fed my steak to Vishnu
and smiled, sealed up in my Bala Cave
awaiting the Dawn to prepare me for my final race against the Hopis
on their own ancient lands
never before raced by a white man's feet.

ilg was as happy as a king in his throne
in this desolate, elevated land
in which the Great Spirit seems to be
unhidden;
each tree a temple,
each bird a rinpoche,
each sideways look at a cloud turns ceremonial
in the simplest yet most profound of ways.

tomorrow;
i will race
upon blistered feet,
a broken back body,
yet
with a spirit renewed.

Coach,

The Hopi footrace DL's are amazing. I laughed out loud when you stopped to find your way. I don't know if I have ever thought of that - but its a lot better than wandering around like I normally would. Thank you for sharing, as always. I checked out Nabakov's Indian Running from the library, looking forward to reading it. Oh, and I recently found a unused copy of The Outdoor Athlete's Training Journal - I'm almost reluctant to use it since I'm sure there aren't many copies that even exist. DL, TBT, and the journal are inspiring me everyday.


Humbled,

Pete

Hopi Footracing; Series Continues

The root of all phenomena is your mind.
If unexamined, it rushes after experiences, ingenious in the games of deception.
If you look right into it, it is free of any ground or origin,
In essence free of any coming, staying or going.
JAMYANG KHYENTSE CHÖKYI LODRÖ

photo by Bill Benzel. coach chasing down Hopi Runner Micah nearing the Finish Line of the Homolovi Suvoyuki Traditional Hopi 10k Footrace...

my story continues...


"Listen, Mother Earth," i hear in my head, "I am dancing upon you!"
"Listen, Father Sky," again comes the Voice, "I am dancing beneath you!"

it was then, suffering up that sandy arroyo, that Ishvara-Pradnidhana - the yogic tenet of Surrendering To The Divine - rippled across my consciousness and i relaxed.

i relaxed into the sand,
into the rising sun,
into my burning, broken back pain...

when the Hopis first settled here around 1260 AD, their oral tradition says that they refer to this period as "the gathering of clans." as i ran across their sparse mesa terrain this morning, the notion settled upon my spirit like a swallow-tail butterly sitting softly on my shoulder,
"...that's what WF is...a gathering of clans..."


{the above is an excerpt from today's chapter on my HOPI FOOTRACING last weekend...DON'T MISS THIS BEAUTIFUL, POWERFUL SERIES...SUBSCRIBE TO DL TODAY AND GET TAPPED INTO THE TRIBAL CHI!}


May your Practice be strong, and..
as the Hopi Runners say,

"If you are lucky enough to be a runner,
you're lucky enough."

have you seen this update yet?;



new WF Pro Shop page

Support Thy Temple

Hopi Footracing; Day One - Ancient Dharma Stinger

click on photos to receive more intense Chi Hit:

Homol'ovi wall, morning of my first of of two Traditional Hopi Footraces that i did last Saturday and Sunday. photo by ilg. makes a great Screensaver...then again, many of the DL photos throughout the years make for great Screensavers (see yesterday's DL). In WF, a ScreenSaver can be used as an electronic upa guru to reMind you of your WF Practice and privilege.

yes, in answer to Student Warrior Kim's question about how much time i must spend on these blogs;
i do try really, really hard to produce High Integrity Dharma stings on your Soul...
may my Itch in your Soul mature and give speedy grace toward your (eventual) Enlightenment.







This Hopi Footracing series is dedicated to the 7,000+ Hopis living in the 12 villages along First, Second, and Third Mesas...while millions scramble after 'guru's' in India and the Himalaya, a few of us realize the spiritual shambala that lie hidden in the high mesas beneath the Sacred Peak.




Suggested Artist to listen to during these blogs:

OLIVER SHANTI & FRIENDS
"Circle of Life."

go fetch.
you won't need much more than this CD for your next Southwest road trip.

cumulus on fire, photo by ilg. the cloudbase on this behemoth must be close to 15,000'...only in arid, mountainous regions do culumus soar into Father Sky like this. this beauty blessed my campsite on the eve before my race.

Event: Suvoyuki Festival
Location: Homolol'vi - Day One. Hopi Reservation - Arizona




A warrior yogi is ever bold, active, tactically skillful, and his or her devotion solid.

Does this 'Sand Sage' conceal anything from God?

do you?

you can't.

take Pilgrimage to the Ancient Ones.
learn immediately that the necessary qualities for you to Rise Higher are like those of the Sagebrush:
straightforwardness,
sincerity,
and
self-effacement.

you are reading too fast.
stay Here Now.
you are in Hopi time, now...

relax,
slow your roll,
and
be Hopi.

Sunrise is the traditional start of a Hopi Footrace...in training, the Hopi runners often rise before Grandfather Sun makes his appearance on the horizon and then 'race the sunrise' to start the day. According to one of my Hopi Teachers, this pre-dawn running was done because the Earth Energy was greatest at this time and because it is so difficult to get out of bed and be active at this time, doing so develops a human's capacity to handle the stresses of life more effectively. When stressful situations come at us, they often come cold and hard. Getting our lazy butts up and out of the warm bed in the pre-dawn hours (see my DL's on Brahmamuhurti - the hour of God which lies between 4 and 6 am to compare with this Hopi teaching) develops our ability to confront stress and deal with it. above photo by ilg.







Registration table.
humble, isn't it?
everything about a Traditional Hopi Footrace is humble.
it is their Way.
racers were not timed.
everyone was already considered a winner by showing up to the Start Line (sound familiar to WF Dharma?).
we were Blessed by Hopi Micah Lomaomvaya whom would soon become my main focus of meditation during the race.
his Pre-Race instructions started with;
"Well, there is a big rock out there for the turn-around..." and chuckled.

fortunately, i had some pre-race beta from Neil Weintraub, leader of Northern Arizona Trail Runners who told me to expect highly difficult route finding through about 90% ankle-deep soft, red, snake-and-scorpian filled sand and a climb out of the Little Colorado River Valley after descending into it. cowpaths in the soft, energy sapping sand would be the deal of the day.

i was one of several palefaces, the rest of the 20-odd racers were Hopi.
blue cornmeal monumented the Start Line.

at the Start Line;
be it in snow,
asphalt,
a cinder track,
piney singletrack,
or
a red earth cowpath snaking through snakeweed across ancient native ruins
there stands inner questions more marked than the line upon which you stand;
do you have fear?
do you have doubt?
have you desires?
what is in you, now?

at the Start Line,
the yogi feels his or her samskaras,
often in overwhelming ways.

this broken back yogi
has many doubts,
many fears,
yet my desire to Rise Higher
is the strongest and most versatile arrow in my spiritual quiver...

so, out there, on that mesa
surrounded by sagebrush, ancient ruins, and dark-skinned Hopi runners,
i reached down to my running watch
and waited...

"HEYA!!!" yelled Micah and i felt my index finger press the Start button on
my chrono watch...

...to be contiNEWued for the next several days only on DIRECT LINES; Subscribe today and DO NOT MISS this series! There is a reason why my subscription blog was selected as one of the top blogs in the nation by THE SKI CHANNEL TV...mind the Dharma; subscribe to DL today!

i, and my family, thank you for reading and for choosing to be a DL Subscriber. you are the Jewels of my Path...and even if you are still just an "IDL'r"...ilg loves you

An Unspeakable Pilgrimage to Hopi Land

click on photos for a more intense Chi Hit,
courtesy of God's Country; The American Southwest

sunset, Homolovi Ruins State Park, Arizona. the celestial shaft of light illumines the outline of the Sacred Peak of Doko Oosliid beneath which the WF Temple lies.
photo by steve ilg, July 11, 2008

Most Cherished Sangha,
on this night of nights,
humble ilg feels so...serene.
i've taken pilgrimage to Hopi Land
and
raced two 10k Traditional Hopi Footraces along thousand year old trails cut straight up into mesas where no white man has ever traveled.

i have a story to share,
yet words,
on this night elude me...
i am weary,
my feet blistered,
body,
mind,
and
spirit has been tested, torn, and Healed by a Love from a Hopi Village
and a family that accepted me as their own.
what, exactly, happened to me for the past two days?
how could i be the Receiver of such a cascade of deep miracles
and infused Ancient Spirit which seems thought-proof
to recollection save for a penetrating bliss and serenity and power
beyond words
yet is so deeply interwoven with the natural world
that my fingertips feel like tears upon the keyboard.

6:00 am, Saturday, July 12, 2008. Moments before a Hopi Warrior made prayers and blessed us before the start of a 10k Traditional Hopi Footrace across the mesa land near the Little Colorado River...

allow your feeble teacher
a m(om)ent...
i've yet to re-center myself in the
Western World after this immersion into
the Real...

i must synthesize what has transpired,
what has Blessed my cells
through excruciating sweat
and
hawks, sandstone rimrock, infinite vistas
all saturated with spirit
of the Ancient Ones...

only for DL Subscribers...

you'll not want to miss this week of DL...

"WHEN BROKEN HEARTS SPILL OPEN"


i counsel a 'stranger' in dharma ways of handling a broken heart...
on today's DL Subscription format

Spiritual Warriorism

click on photo for a larger chi chit

To be a spiritual warrior means to develop a special kind of courage, one that is innately intelligent, gentle, and fearless. Spiritual warriors can still be frightened, but even so they are courageous enough to taste suffering, to relate clearly to their fundamental fear, and to draw out without evasion the lessons from difficulties.
- Sogyal Rinpoche

Photo; Spiritual Warrioress, Professional River Guide, Renown Southwest Artist, and WF Student Susan relies upon my "Rock Vinyasa" while on expeditions to keep her physical, mental, and spiritual gateways open, clear, and powerfully balanced. Coming up only for DL Subscribers, my interview with this beautiful, strong "River Goddess." Stick to the World of WF to reConnect with your Lost Tribe of Crazy Wisdom Warriors who are devoted to MultiDisciplined Yoga. Photo; Grand Canyon, Susan Deterling courtesy

World Class Climber and HP Yoga Student ABF; "My battle with my ego..."

In today’s highly interdependent world, individuals and nations can no longer resolve many of their problems by themselves. We need one another. We must therefore develop a sense of universal responsibility . . . It is our collective and individual responsibility to protect and nurture the global family, to support its weaker members, and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live.

THE DALAI LAMA

click on photo for a chi hit the size of, well, the Grand Canyon...





Dear Coach,
Friends and I climbed two of the routes on Mt. Hayden before I ran back across that Grand Ditch last evening, and, pushing it up to the South Rim - legs cramping - "hum-sa" (the breath-induced mantra learned from HP Yoga PROP WORKOUT Classes!) bore me aloft, from within. Thanks you for the lessons. I'm using them to learn even more.

The photo above shows our approach into Mt. Hayden, from the Point Imperial lookout on the North Rim, which is one of the shortest for a "summit" in the Grand Canyon, requiring a descent of only 1 - 1 1/2 hrs. and 1200 vert. ft. of dense cat claw acacia. The way out, of course, is a bit longer.

I led the 3 pitches of Pegasus, a classic 10+(++) put up by Flagstaff hardmen Paul Davidson and Jim Haisely in June of '82.... And then my friend Zach led the three pitches of the N. Face route which comes in at 9+/10-....

Zach and my friend Eric (the other fellow in attendance) stayed on at the North Rim to ride part of the Rainbow Rim trail today while I descended back into El Grande Ditch to meet the Dragon there and to get back to my family more quickly. C. gave me a ride home, thank god. I was in no shape to drive...


My battle with my ego is continuous and trying; what matters, I think, is the light which escapes me when I am in the depths of my pain. And the light which fills me again, which I carry back to those I love.

The other day, while running the Peaks, I came across a man at the Humphreys/Aggasiz saddle. As I ran by, he asked, "What are you training for?"

A few years ago, it would have been some triathlon or another. But now, ...



DO NOT MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY FROM WORLD CLASS CLIMBER and HP YOGA STUDENT ABF
only on today's DL SUBSCRIPTION



WHOLISTIC FITNESS; The H(om)e Training Ground of World Class Mountain Yogis Since 1982

Merely the Immaculate

today on DIRECT LINES Subscription format:

"Merely The Immaculate"

a DharmaTeaching...don't keep missing on that which Elevates Your Highest Self higher!

MY NEW DVD RELEASE! HALLWAY YOGA®

dat's right...

i sucked it up this weekend and NEARLY missed the AMAZING Mens Final of Wimbledon* and laid down on DVD for you my most used Early Morning Asana Sequence:


steve ilg's HALLWAY YOGA® DVD

please, please, PUH-LEASE order this fantastic Teaching and Practice for only $15
and get a

HP Yoga T-Shirt!

for only $10 until supplies last! ORDER FAST!

T-shirt offer only good with purchase of the HallWay Yoga DVD...

if you have one minute +, check this cut out for a HallWay Yoga chi hit:






HallWay Yoga is my sure-cure for the noble "hurried Warriors of Kali Yuga"...it's only 3-postures that can be done in 10-minutes, yet, according to Ancients and DEFINITELY validated by my own experience of the past 5 years, these 3 Postures, when done to begin your day or before a workout unquestionably fire up the CHI, align the subtle energetics, and provide a beautiful mental attitude matched by a wholistic long-term health benefit to the physical body that MUST BE EXPERIENCED to understand!

oh come on...$15 dang bucks...are you kidding me!?!??!

ORDER TODAY! SUPPORT THY TEMPLE!!! THIS IS AN INVALUABLE PRACTICE FOR YOU!!!

* somebody PLEASE tell me that the Williams Sisters did NOT get paid the SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY as did the 5-hour marathon warriors of Nadal & Fed!!!! PLEASE!!!!!

When Independence Expresses Yoga (Union)

click on pics to enlarge








I pray on this day that all of us who have come to know Turtle Island as our h(om)e realize the absolute CHI FORCE of the authors and signers of the Declaration of Independence.

As your Svadhyaya on this day of days,
read aloud with chi, the noble warrior words of the
most important document that monuments our ability to
live freely, practice our yoga without question, and gather
and speak our own Truths which we find to be self-evident.

Read it aloud to your family.
i did this morning, then took my Can Do Clan to
Dewa's and Joy's first ever small mountain town Fourth of July Parade.

As Joy held Dewa in her arms, watching the float of veterans and hearing the
National Anthem, this daughter of a Marine cried tears of happiness and gratitude...
because Joy knows by way of her own father,
the noble warriors who willingly gave and give their life, sweat, and blood
so you and i can speak, act, and worship freely.

Freedom, like fitness, must be fought for.
It cannot be taken for granted.

If my 9-month old daughter can wave an American Flag as she feels the CHI of the day, and if my beloved partner of 40 years old, can cry tears of gratitude
for this amazing, amazing, amazing country today...

i'm thinking at least you can do as i ask,
and read the following Sacred Scripture to your family...
and
maybe even
feel some long-lost LOVE for being
free.


i'm taking "off" from DL this weekend to attempt to finish my
HALLWAY YOGA DVD; which i know you will appreciate and trust you will buy...
it is my fastest, most effective solution to creating consistency in
a sadhana; it's a routine of only three vital postures to be done in the morning
before you rush out to do what free people in a free land do;
pursue Happiness.


***

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

in Congress, July 4th, 1776

by unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders

which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

You Inhabit Two Worlds...only one of which is f&%*ed up

i talk with people.

fact is, i am involved with thousands of peoples lives each day.

i am not in some high Himalayan cave.

yet.

i get a trickle-down assimilation of all the 'horrible' "news" of the world...

i ain't stupid.


i talk with people.
some of whom do not Practice.

such people are easy to spot...besides their lack of breath and posture awareness
they say things like,
"Oh well, you know, with the world in the shape that it is in..."

at which point, the Dharma Protector in me
interrupts them...

"Which one?"

Confused like a sheep, they baaaaa back at me,
"What do you mean, 'which one'?"

"World," i repeat as if i stuttered which i did not.

"I'm not following..."

"Each of us," i have to speak S-L-O-W-L-Y to them, "inhabits two worlds,an inner world and an outer world. Which one, according to you, is so out of balance?"

"Uhhhh, I guess the outer world," they sputter. i can see them S-L-O-W-L-Y trying to connect the dots that there might be another world besides the one they have obviously bought hook,line,and sinker into; you know the one...the one that the newspapers, tv, and stock markets all pivot upon.

"Something tells me," i say, taking the Dharma dagger deeper into their infant like spiritual flesh, "you should probably be meditating more, no?"

"Yes," comes the shy confession, "I probably should."


thus rolls on the life of a Dharma Protector and Server.

the current era is the PERFECT ERA for meditation.

how's yours going?

photo; in siddhasana, WF Temple H(om)e Zendo; the nucleus of Wholistic Fitness™ for over a quarter century.

if you have read this far,
you have missed FOUR extremely important mind/body/spirit Teachings since the entry that follows these words...not to mention access to over 2,000+ WF Teachings and inspirations and 24/7 access to our Worldwide SanghaLounge where you can interact with hundreds of WF Warriors...

why don't you consider shifting $10/month to what has been proved for 20+ years as the best Training Partner for those of us who realize the necessity of lifestyle exercise?

Part Two; NOT ALL SARCOMERES ARE CREATED EQUAL; Why HP Yoga Is Vital For Tendon Health

Due to popular response to Part I; the complete Teaching is now available as a Pay-Per PDF in the WF Tribal Pro Shop:

Pay Per PDF's

Rachel Blievernicht, who just finished 4th at the World Bouldering Championships, knows a thing or two about the necessity of keeping her connective tissues strong. That's why she prioritizes HP Yoga® PROP WORKOUTS each week!

In Part One (DL; 6*27*08) i used my professional and direct experience of the exceptional torques, tweaks, and tensions associated with rock climbing to illustrate just how vital is taking wholistic care of our Connective Tissue (CT). The same Teaching lands true for all of however. Runners, cyclists, triathletes, strength athletes, skill athletes; we ALL need to understand how a wholistic training effect can take care of our CT over the course of our lives. Why would anyone NOT want to take wisdom care of their CT? Few really do, however. I know sport-specific cyclists and runners that are literally 'scared stiff' to come to my yoga classes in even the face of herniated disks, chronically inflamed hamstrings/lower back, pinched nerves and other associated dis-eases that are born from an addict's obsession with a single sport. "For Buddha's Sake," i try telling them, "just get into my yoga class - at LEAST during your off season - and let's start bringing some much needed elongation, suppleness, and physiologic/pranic fluid into your suffocated and tight tissues!"

Should be a no-brainer, right?

Let's erase the suffering by easing into an appreciation of our CT and how to care lovingly and wisely for it.

IF YOU WERE A DL SUBSCRIBER, you'd get this entire, important Teaching for your long-term health and performance for nothing!...SUBSCRIBE TODAY and hang out where the world class yogis gather!