One Of The Greatest Gifts Of All...

In WF, we continue to meditate on compassion so that when we see someone suffer,

- and by Daily Training in Suffering through the Five Noble Fitness Disciplines Of WF -

our default response becomes not mere pity but deep compassion. We feel for that person respect and even gratitude, because we now know that...

READ THE ENTIRE DHARMATEACHING ON TODAY's DL....

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Serving (y)our Highest Self

since 1982

from Fitness's Highest View

coach ilg

If We Overcome Our Anger...

Like Teacher,


Like Student...we each have plenty of Inner Work to do when it comes to sitting still and disciplining our minds. first photo: coach ilg in Japa Mala, second photo; WF Student Daniel Sauve of Canada during a WF Intensive.

IF we overcome our Anger as it arises...
then,
we'll always be happy, right?

or at least remain in relatively stable, enjoyable state of equanimity which is a pre-requisite of the Enlightenment process.

the thing is; EVERY BODY wants to be happy.
and EVERYBODY wants to reduce suffering.
so, at that Level of the Game,
we are ALL THE SAME
and when we Awaken enough to really FEEL that...
not just Think it...but TAF it...
Think And Feel the Truth behind that notion,
then we immediately Take Leave of the Blame Game.
we can't BLAME ANYBODY for wanting Happiness...
and yet, that is precisely what Hilter wanted, what Peter The Skewer wanted, it's what the Chinese want and it's what the Dalai Lama understands about the Chinese regardless of their steadfast genocide of the Tibetan's and their land...it's what Osama wanted as he planned 9/11...it's what Herod wanted when he authorized the bloody death of Yogi Jesus...

Listen;
Happiness and freedom of Suffering is what makes all of us ONE!

{ IF YOU ARE STILL READING,
YOU'VE REALLY GOT TO ASK YOUR HIGHER SELF,
WHY YOU ARE NOT A DL SUBSCRIBER? }

there is no difference between you and others,
because you and i ALL want the same thing; HAPPINESS and freedom from Suffering.
why do we love to cheer for Olympic Gold Medalists?
even if they are not from our own 'country' we can still feel go(o)d about them
because we know they tried really, really, really hard for that Medal, for that podium...
is ilg right?
we feel go(o)d when we see and feel Happy-ness, right?

getting behind this simple concept is really vital for where you and i are traveling, okay?

the reason WHY we want happiness is because...

{ IF YOU ARE STILL READING,
YOU'VE REALLY, REALLY GOT TO ASK YOUR HIGHER SELF,
WHY YOU ARE NOT A DL SUBSCRIBER? }

the reason WHY we dislike suffering in all Her forms...aging, injury, dis-ease, dying without conscious transcendence...is because all those things are painful.

so, since in WF our Highest Workout is Everywhere, let's at least start beginning to FEEL our Anger. and we must also know Anger by her many cousins such as impatience, self-pity, obsessive action, perpetuation of rationalization for gossiping, media addiction, giving into orgasms too frequently instead of saving that Life Energy and using it for meditation/higher Pranayama fitness, etc.

essentially, Anger is anything that arises from our Fear based attitudes
and our Fear based attitudes are everything that is NOT coming from our

• Love or • Trust

if, over the next few weeks, we can really intercept all the cousins of Anger as they arise,
you know what?
we've gained a really, really, REALLY big foothold
for our next Step of our Ascen-Dance.

and THAT is truly; personal fitness.

wholeness.

Wholistic Fitness.

{ IF YOU ARE STILL READING,
YOU'VE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOT TO ASK YOUR HIGHER SELF,
WHY YOU ARE NOT A DL SUBSCRIBER? }

the best Protection from Anger Arising is a Blessed Mantra.
if you do not have a Blessed Mantra and are still reading this?

Click Here

to deepen your Mantra work and to begin allowing a Blessed Mantra to penetrate your Avidya and Anger Arising, Japa Mala is the best way i know.

Click Here for your WF Blessed Mala

in a future DL i'll speak on Transcending Anger Arising For Sport Performance...


head bowed,
a sacredly happy rev. ilg always on the lookout for Anger Arising

The Only Thing We Have...

The cells of our body are dying, the neurons in our brain are decaying, even the expressions on our face are always changing, depending on our mood. What we call our basic character is only a “mindstream,” nothing more. Today we feel good because things are going well; tomorrow we feel the opposite. Where did that good feeling go?

What could be more unpredictable than our thoughts and emotions: Do you have any idea what you are going to think or feel next? The mind, in fact, is as empty, as impermanent, and as transient as a dream. Look at a thought: It comes, it stays, and it goes. The past is past, the future not yet risen, and even the present thought, as we experience it, becomes the past.

The only thing we really have is nowness, is now.

- Sogyal Rinpoche

***



Settle the turbulence of your own MindStream
with Coach's latest Meditation MP3:

The Blue Light Healing Meditation

Every Single Negative Thing

WF Devotee Brad Gantt designed the DVD Cover of my upcoming; AI IMAWA - The Postures and Practice of Inner Harmony.
getting this DVD into production has tested ALL the Teachings in the Ai Imawa philosophy!


***

"Every single negative thing we have ever thought or done has ultimately arisen from our grasping at a false self, and our cherishing of that false self, making it the dearest and most important element in our lives. All those negative thoughts, emotions, desires, and actions that are the cause of our negative karma are engendered by self-grasping and self-cherishing. They are the dark, powerful magnet that attracts to us, life after life, every obstacle, every misfortune, every anguish, every disaster, and so they are the root cause of all the sufferings of samsara.
- Soygal Rinpoche


***

When ilg was young, ilg was obsessive. A quick glance at my athletic resume
verifies this. my current incarnation comes front loaded with addictive tendencies,
lazy habits,
and deep samsaric grooves created by countless eons of surviving, being lazy, evolving.

as ilg matures as a WF Student,
the Light of Wholeness imparted from our precious Path
is slowly producing an ilg that does not run toward - or away - from anything.
this Path of ours
is producing an ilg that has neither friend nor foe; ilg is seeing more and more directly
into our cosmic brother and sister hood than ever before.

about time, right?

hey, ilg is a slow learner.
obviously.

yet, like you...even though you yourself might be lifetimes Higher than feeble ilg,
like you,
ilg is baby-stepping up the Steep Mountain toward Enlightenment.

this much ilg does know from direct experience;
the Higher we climb?
the more narrow, the more difficult the Path becomes.
baby steps are vital.
so is Beginning Again
and Again
and Endlessly Again.



this morning, ilg brushed his teeth in yogi squat using Non Dominant Hand exercise.
reciting and rejoicing with the Mantra.
ilg felt pleasure within my arthritic, injured hip pain.
this morning, in ilg's Inbox came letters from angry students
and absolutely enraptured ones.
ilg felt content; santoshic with each.
OUTSIDE Magazine called, interested in ilg again.
ilg didn't care that much, which is odd.
free from egoism or pride; praise nor censure affected ilg this morning.

this was before the DVD duplicator broke right when i was about
to release my beautiful new AI IMAWA DVD for you.

ilg's composure lost at gnarled feet of the Technical Snafu Guru.
then found.
then lost again.

Renouncing ego very difficult.
Back to the protection of the Mantra.

Back to the Beginning WF Principle; Conscious Breath and Posture.
Again,
and
endlessly
Again.


Practice Well,
faithful ones!
Wholeness is not for wimps who quit.

ec

7 Dharma TAFs

this picture gets my "Living and Dying In Kali Yuga" award for the week...the photo shows the tens of thousands of 'satellite debris' now in orbit around our Mother. over the next decade a large percentage of this debris will be rocketing toward our homes down here on our Earth Mother. Yogic scriptures predicted that our imbalance of creating Outer Technology while ignoring Inner Spiritual/Consciousness Development will result in Shiva's Big Dance upon Humans. WF Assignment today; pick up a piece of litter with your Non Dominant Hand as a gesture of compassion for our Species avidhya (spiritual ignorance).

***

here is what the mother of your child wants to hear from you:

"You know what sweetie? let's say we knock off the television tonight,
climb onto the couch and just talk and snuggle a bit in front of the fire i made?
i've already done the dishes, yes, even the baby bottles, and i still have some
energy to rub your shoulders...what do you say?"


how Steep and Direct of a Path is that for must of us guys?

four words;

SUPER Steep,
SUPER Direct.

the Yang (male) Partner has countless genetic pulses - strong ones - that enforce
the Single Tasking of one thing at any given time for 'his' partner/family:
Hunting.

that's it.

attaining lower chakral manifestations of shelter and food (today's version is more easily recognized as "money and more money") for 'his' Clan is tantamount.

for the Yang Partner to flip instantly between Warrior mode of Hunting
and Incredibly Sensitive 'Guy' (which is precisely what New Daddies must constantly do)
requires demanding skills within the inner development realm.

ilg bows to Conscious Daddies the world over.


***

what do you call a really, really good looking pickle?

READ THE ANSWER PLUS MY OTHER FOUR DHARMA TAF's on today's DL Subscription Format;

PLUS...join now for an ongoing special 20% Discount on a great hydration product!

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!

President OM; sounding off a lot of WF Dharma; attacking our Addiction to Comfort

Obama's New Sky Dawns Over Sacred Peak; this morning...
photo by ilg. click to enlarge.

Well,
well,
well.

A new Leader for the Turtle Island Tribe.


God Bless him...
May Dharma light his way...
and
there indeed be, as i put forth months ago;

a lot of OM in ObaMa...

regardless for whom you may have voted...i bow to your noble effort in so doing
and
reMind you that WF is a Warrior/Warrioress Caste...
we are soldiers of spirit, strength, endurance, suppleness, and insight;
as such it is time to take up our own Dharma Swords
with a new Leader
in whose voice and posture and breath awareness
i sense sincerity.

sincerity.

something that has been so sadly lacking in Turtle Island Chiefs for nearly my entire life.

OM (my nickname for ObaMa) is already asking us
- are you listening to the intended SPACE between his words? -
to...



READ THE WHOLE TEACHING FROM THIS IMPORTANT CUSP IN KALI YUGA
on today's DIRECT LINES; Subscription Format from your devoted Turtle Island Dharma Teacher since 1982


ps; speaking of Change;
we're still working on it,
however, go ahead and hit the Refresh Button on the homepage of
www.WholisticFitness.com
tell me if you like the new Chi Hit!

Dharma Teaching through the Multi-Disciplined Yoga of WF

"The signs of progress on the path of Yoga are health,
a sense of physical lightness,
steadiness,
clearness of countenance
and a beautiful voice,
sweetness of odour of the body
and freedom from craving.
He has a balanced, serene, and a tranquil mind.
He is the very symbol of humility."

- Iyengar




My Prayer

My Prayer is that:
Through my countenance you see the countenance of my Teachers.
Through my physique, you see the physiques of my Teachers.
Through my life message you behold the recipe from my Teachers.
What you do not see?
The lifetime(s) of Pain.
That Teacher?
He has yet to be transcended.

My Prayer is to sustain Faith for that.

- steve ilg
from a current book manuscript



"The times when you are suffering can be those when you are open, and where you are extremely vulnerable can be where your greatest strength really lies.

Say to yourself: “I am not going to run away from this suffering. I want to use it in the best and richest way I can, so that I can become more compassionate and more helpful to others.” Suffering, after all, can teach us about compassion. If you suffer, you will know how it is when others suffer. And if you are in a position to help others, it is through your suffering that you will find the understanding and compassion to do so."

- Sogyal Rinpoche

photos:
1) Bharadvajasana variation, Snow Canyon, Utah
2) ilg-style concentration curls from a yogi squat (do NOT attempt unless you are well versed in both asana and strength training; very intense on elbow CT!)
3) closing in an another podium some 20 years after spinal paralysis and still running through the pain; Soulstice Mountain Trail Run, Kachina Peaks Wilderness

InSight # 16

InSight #16

We're obviously not trying too hard because we still are attached to our richness mindset - we still say to ourself,
"Well, I can't Practice too long today because I need to work."

The World Class Yogi's who have transcended Death have been precisely where we stand.
The only thing - the ONLY difference - between They and us?

They chose to...

- Read this InSight from my upcoming book project on today's DIRECT LINES!

GO SELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN; MT. TAYLOR SOLOIST CHRONICLES - PART THREE, The De and Re-Evolution of High Performance

now appearing in today's Direct Lines;
my attempt to relate a mystical empowerment from Saturday's ultra-race

"Unbroken Wholeness In Flowing Movement,"...sounds like outdoor sports to me!

photo by WF Master Student, Shawna Schaub

DO NOT MISS THIS IMPORTANT DHARMA TEACHING ON TODAY's
DIRECT LINES, subscription blog!

Tearing Off My Mask; Expand or Remain a Zombie Floating In Between Realms...

i don't know why They give these 'fitness guru' jobs to us chumps.

i really don't.

for 25 years i've somehow masqueraded around this Outer World as some form or another as a type of fitness, or worse, a spiritual expert. of course, to some degree, i've perpetuated this guise; you know, the unmatched sport performance resume, the physique which houses a physiology and form that i can change on a dime, and my spiritual training and expression of Dharma protection and service. so yeah, i know full well what antics ilg is up to. fortunately, through it all i've never taught anything that i do not know by Direct Experience.

however, here is the Truth beyond the form and function and expression of ilg;
i know nothing.

so cavalierly,
so frequently
born are 'blogs' of so many 'personal trainers' and 'yoga teachers' and 'life coaches'.

by comparison?

their "Flash" software illusions on their websites,
their seeming Know-It-All 'knowledge' seems so,
so,
so impressive to my comparative lack of...
well,
Flash.

how many of these blogs would survive if "Subscription Only" was mandatory?
no ads.
no affiliates.
no nothing
save for the author's own Chi?

ilg wonders at the bravado of nearly everyone
and
why are so many
so more confident in the Outer World than i?

by Tibetan vow
ilg is only allowed to Teach...
...to Share
by these pre-requisites fashioned from my young exuberance so long ago;

1) Teach only what you know by Direct Experience
and
2) Teach only that which is kind,true, and helpful.

feeble ilg wonders;
what if every blog author did that?

here is what feeble ilg knows;

my cat at night,svelte as starlight seeping into my cells.
the chronic sting of multiDisciplined pain, constant yet immune to my rationale.
fan letters trickling into my humble Temple...a high mountain stream of chi throughout the decades
seeping like limestone moisture
into the crevices of my Soul
how am i to refuse Serving?
Flash or not?


PLEASE READ SLOWLY,
CLOSELY
LISTENING TO THE SILENCE BETWEEN YOUR LOGICAL COMPREHENSION BETWEEN THE WORDS;


Read the entire Teaching on today's DL Subscription format

photo; coach in siddhasana, temple zendo.

You Will HAVE To Practice This Teaching If...

DL SUBSCRIBERS GET TO SEE:

photo; this treasured image was sent to me by MahaNidraRishi
i have called the Sunflower (very potent to cleanse, purify, and strengthen the third chakra), "The Westerner's Lotus"

*

One of the greatest masters in Tibet was Geshe Chekhawa, who lived in the eleventh century. He was extremely learned and accomplished in many forms of meditation. One day when he happened to be in his teacher’s room, he came across a book lying open at the following lines:

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"The goal of WF is to experience and behold the self..."

Dear Mr. Triscooter,

The goal of WF is to experience and behold the self. Every workout is an opportunity for me to experience the moment and through that to live nobly. I've observed that becoming fit and gaining control of my body is a basic need and a step towards the final goal of enlightenment. Attaining enlightenment takes time, reflection and practice - I perceive Coach Ilg's website, blog and the list of his acheivements at major competitions as a reminder for me to practice with patience and to continue to challenge myself to evolve. My acheivement as a result of WF is the daily practice of WF and the reward is an opportunity to live a life filled with awareness and love.
- Author: WF Student Praneet

***
WF Warrior Praneet stepping up in my defense after a certain Mr. TriScooter publicly lambasted me in Hakado Ru's blog on MultiSport Coaches. Mr. TriScooter, who has never studied WF, accused me of only bragging about my accomplishments and never speaking about the accomplishments of my students. Hey, like i said, Mr. TriScooter did not take the time to familiarize himself with the 25 years of torrential love i pour upon my cherished Sangha.


In yoga, the ignorance displayed by Mr. TriScooter - which is very predictable among non-Practitioners of a DharmaPath - is known as 'avidya' which the Buddha pointed to as the cause of all obstacles encountered on the spiritual Path.


To me, avidya reminds me of this wild mushroom (Boletus edulis) i photographed this morning in the dewy dampness of 'aspen corner' of the WF Temple H(om)e's backyard. like a mushroom, our spiritual ignorance tends to grow and feast upon...

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE POTENT DL's FULL OF COSMIC DHARMA FIRE AND HUGE POTENCY: DO NOT MISS THIS TEACHING ON TODAY's DIRECT LINES; Subscription Format...
Always new and powerful Arrows for your Spiritual Quiver for targeting your Highest Sweat, Stillness, and Self!

photo; an ilg barefoot print across Arizona Flagstone during an Early Morning Ritual


To see all the comment's on WF Student's Hakado Ru's blog regarding his piece on:
"A (Too Long) Essay on Multisport Coaches"...click here:

Hak' Blog On Coach

How To Plug In and Thus Turn Off The Light Of Your Soul...

give me Naked Training...




not Plugged-In Ignorance:

"Clinging to sense pleasures, to sensual ties,
Seeing in fetters nothing to be blamed,
Never will those tied down by fetters
Cross the flood so wide and great."
- Udana

feeble ilg asks;
how has our Species come to be sooooo terribly afraid of being with our own mind?

why has it become like pulling wisdom teeth to get people to meditate? to unplug? to just be STILL?

where are the fields to which the cowboys of the Higher Self have retired?

not one of today's "extreme athletes" or "indomitable cage fighting warriors,", it seems, is willing to ride the wild bronco of the sensual, outer-directed world and throw with cultivated skill a lasso around the multipronged horns of ego-centricity!

"Victory produces hatred; he that is defeated is afflicted with suffering;
He that has renounced both victory and defeat lives in tranquility and happiness."
- DhammaPada

where are my Spirit Warriors?

playing video games, i suppose, or otherwise grasping for money or sex in some way or another with predictably poor postures and frayed, fatigued mental nerves so weak, so incapable of carrying the genuine load of a true Warrior of Self.

has our hunger for the go(o)dness of what we are
been so satiated by so many addictions to comfort?..

DO NOT miss this EXTREMELY POIGNANT, POETIC ENTRY FROM COACH on today's DL!
POTENT DHARMA TEACHING STRIKES AT YOUR HEART!
plus, a photo of coach painting a wall mural in his unborn baby daughters room...

"There are so many Layers to this one DL, it's amazing!"
- LK