"The modern yogi must be very careful not to exploit just the 'flexibility' or the 'posture' (asana) aspect of yoga.
The most important asana is Wholeness.
The mature yogin learns to attack the weak links in his or her fitness with the might and perseverance
of Arjuna and keeps their Inner Eye on the Highest Summit."
- Coach Steve Ilg
atop a 200' basalt pinnacle near White Rock, New Mexico.
closed eyes-Natrajasana variation.
photo by Marc Romanelli
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HP YOGA: An Interdisciplinary Warriors Approach since 1982
"The primary genius of yoga lies precisely in its recognition of the critical role of the BODY in the development and transformation of character. Most spiritual paths begin with the 'mental bodies' - thoughts and feelings - moving us directly into meditation, contemplation, scriptural study, or prayer. Yogis took a radical step in moving the entry point of spiritual practice right to the body. The yogic traditions therefore bring our attention directly to the annamayakosha (the physical body) - understanding it to be the doorway to the more subtle interior worlds."
- Steven Cope
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FROM THE WF SANGHALOUNGE:
While Coach was away and DL quiet, here's a passage I came across that reminded me of the Ilgman:
"Katagiri Roshi said in his book Returning to Silence that it is not important whether a spiritual teacher has reached the peak or not; what is important is how he has digested the truth he has experienced and how much this truth is manifested in the teacher's life moment by moment."
(from Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg)
Anne Sasso
VT
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Dear Coach,
I rode the 80 mile route in the Mingus Mountain Madness (+ 10 miles because I went off course) in 6:40! It was a great ride, with a notoriously hard climb from Jerome to the pass in Mingus Mountain, and I felt great! No cramps, not even a twinge; I felt fine throughout the ride and was able to keep a very good pace (I tried to do between 85 and 95 RPMs) throughout the ride. Thank you for HP Yoga, it's given me focus and strength and the ability to laugh when things go wrong (riding 10 extra miles on a very hot day!).
- Student Citlali
Flagstaff
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Dearest Coach:
See you tomorrow. 6pm. I am looking forward to it after completing my first sprint distance triathlon yesterday. 1:45:05. 15 minutes faster than I expected! Wholistic Fitness and HP Yoga training helped immensely with my focus....this is my first race since back in the US. I was certainly the only athlete who spent the 10 minutes waiting to get in the water in prayer squat.
- Love,
Julie "Petticoat Yogini" Mueller
coaches note; i just did a final BodyWork Tune-Up for Yogini Julie who leaves today for the India on a spiritual quest...Julie will be radiant with the WF chi...having lost several pounds, restructuring her entire body, and completing her first triathlon last weekend. Yes, she will be packing the MAP Amino Acids to the h(om)eland and a whole lot of HP PROP Workouts under her belt for a trek in the Himalaya. i'll interview our Tribal Warrioress upon her return.
May your Practice be determined and delightful today,
your loving coach
