Delayment of Instant Gratification: WF Student Adam 'gets it'

A personal 5-hour Media Fast and Silent Retreat paid off handsomely during teaching a HP Yoga® Restorative Yoga class to 12 Warriors in the Cave of Champions. As a new daddy, it required a tremendous effort to carve out this mini-retreat; yet, ilg realizes just how important it is to my capacities as a teacher, parent, partner and athlete.
May virtue arise in the minds of all living Beings.

Photo: this fantastic pic was caught by Most Noble WF Student Daniel Wolfe. Overcome the tendency to find fault. Finding fault diminishes fundamental inspiration by the most 'mundane' of Beings and Circumstances. click to enlarge.


***

The following email came to me after i processed an Online Order from WF Informal Student Adam C:

Student:
What a lesson this has already been Steve!

I clicked "buy" and sat at my computer waiting to get an auto generated email with my purchases attached!

I went through your web page a few times trying to figure out what i did wrong....

Then it hit me...

this is steve ilg! he is going to send it himself...
And i need more patience and get away from the instant gratification mind set...

Thanks for the lesson before I even open the lesson.

adam

***

Coach Responds:

People come often toward me with questions seeking spiritual advice. On the podium of things-i-could-say-to-them is this:
"Delay your desire for instant self-gratification."


Delayment of Self Gratification has been part and parcel of the great WF Teachings since 1982.

Since then, i've have to retro-fit the Teaching to meet the ever-accelerating times:
Delayment Of Instant Self Gratification
has now risen to the surface of my Teachings on this subject since the advent of the internet (yes, WF existed long before the internet was even created...sOMetimes we forget the lineage of WF along the Path of Awakening).

not many things surprises ilg these Kali Yuga days.

what does surprise ilg is the head-shaking realization of just how fast the mind states of people can switch within the quick context of one's own lifetime.

Ananda holds up one of our Swiss Chard Plant Beings from our garden. Well, it's not really "OUR" garden at all is it? It's Brahmans...It's God's Garden, not 'ours.' The spiritual teachings of gardening (and they are many) pivot upon Delayment of Instant Self Gratification.

As Student Campbell discovered, ilg still does keep the "OM" in CustOMer Service.

Most don't.

Most internet services are all about Instant Self-Gratification.

The faster the delivery, the better.

This Way of Thinking is, what the Buddha would call, 'afflicted.'

The shortcomings of faster-is-better are many.

Common to the condition to an ever-accelerating life is the effect of "expectation."

When i graduated from St. Columba School, here in Durango, all my schoolmates that graduated from the 6th grade that year, got these plaques adorned by bible quotes.

In one of the most Moving, Profound, Awakenings of my young life at the time was opening up my Plaque box and seeing a quote that was not from the bible.

It was, instead, from the Collective Wisdom of All Ancient Enlightened Masters...

And what it said hit me with no less velocity than a thunderclap right into my Ajna Chakra:

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NO EXPECTATIONS
FOR THEY SHALL NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED."

Can you, right now, even imagine how your life would change if you could Realize this quote into the Things-That-You-Do each day?

How would it affect your Asana Practice?

Your Cardio or Strength Training?

Your Nutrition?

Your waiting at the Stop Light or Grocery Store?

So, this quote from my chi-ldhood is sOMething that all of us could actualize.

Interesting with the training of the mind is that whatever comes into our mind is not owned by any Source higher than thou. Any thought can come into our minds,
through TV or iPods or this Blog...
so consequently it is Go(o)d to not give any special meaning to it
just because you became Aware of it.
what's important is to run pervading thoughts pass your Dharma Teacher; he or she is well trained to facilitate thoughts and things actually important to your spiritual Awakening.

If we don't expect things, we don't live in the future; instead we live Here, Now.

Student Campbell 'got' my teaching in Delayment of Instant Self Gratification due to his acceptance of ilg as his Teacher.

It is beyond the ability to put into words just how important it is to have confidence in, and be inspired by our chosen Teachers. Otherwise, without such deeply rooted conviction, we will inevitably miss the subtle - if not the gross - Teachings from our Teacher.

And the go(o)d Teachers all-Ways teach in multi-layered ways for long, long years.

May mental quiescence permeate your workouts and your work-withins...

feeble ilg

THE "CORRECT WAY" TO SAY THE SACRED TRIBAL MANTRA, AND...ONE OF MY LAST BLOGS

My Precious Mala Girl...Dewachen...my incarnated Rinpoche within my own h(om)e...strutting Her Mala groove in front of the WF Tribal Puja

***

as you may know by now, the receiving of a Blessed Mantra by one's accepted Teacher is essentially a blessing of an incarnation.

many of you that have not formally approached me for a Blessed Mantra - and even those that have! - continue to approach me on the "correct way" to pronounce, express, and repeat the Mantra.

well, here you go...after nearly 3,000 blogs and nearing the end of our current style of Teacher/Student Relationship through DL, iDL, and my mailing list,
feeble ilg offers you perhaps
the most important Teaching of all...how to express the Mantra "correctly"...





i REALLY am trusting EVERYTHING that you ALL will continue along the Path of WF through the new Membership Only site, coming very soon...

head bowed,
spine straight,
breath low,

your feeble ilg

Visceralization vs. Visualization; a WF Performance Enhancing Secret

"...most conventionally trained athletes and corporate warriors have heard and learned about visualization; the art of 'seeing yourself' perform a given action on what is essentially a pre-schoolers version of the Astral Realm, before animating the action on the Physical Realm...however, only WF Athletes know about a far Higher Technique, a Technique i call, Visceralization." - coach ilg

Above; coach ilg - A Wholistic Athlete - reveals a unique Body/Mind/Spirit performance key in today's Teaching. shown; ilg approaches the 11,500' Finish Line on the Agassiz Uphill near Flagstaff.

***

Most textbook-trained Sport Psychology 'experts' are long-winded on benefits and techniques of Visualization. in my own books, i have used the term and the technique extensively.

in the WF Tradition, however, i've kept a much Higher, nobler, and effective technique hidden from the masses; served only through my Teacher/Student Relationship...it's a technique which i now reveal to you, Oh Noble Faithful Devotees of Wholeness through MultiDisciplined Fitness...

conventionally trained athletes and corporate warriors have heard and learned bout visualization; the art of 'seeing yourself' perform a given action on what is essentially a pre-schoolers version of the Astral Realm, before animating the action on the Physical Realm.

ilg doubts, however, if you have ever even heard of a far more profound, effective, and sacred technique of enhanced performance which relies upon nourishing the astral body before a big race or event. it's a Technique which i call, "Visceralization," and its impact upon the body/mind/spirit of a warrior preparing to perform is intensely beautiful, powerful, and effective.

i used this wholistic technique yesterday, as i pre-skied the State Championship Classic Ski Course up at Flagstaff Nordic Center in preparation for the Sunday morning meet...

MISS THIS ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE TEACHING FROM COACH ILG - America's Most Versatile Athlete - AND YOUR HIGHER SELF WILL BE "MISSING IN ACTION"...

Subscribe Today or forever hold your mediocrity...

Soaring Higher Than Jet Lag

Dear Coach Ilg,
Sorry to bother you yet i have not figured out how to cross reference your DL teachings.
For example i would like to learn about ("see my Teaching on how to preserve Prana during airplane and car travel") .

The only way i can figure, to look this up is to scan back thru all your archives and then picturing myself scanning over and missing it.
This is not the first time this question came up for me yet it is the first time i gathered the nerve to bother you with this question.
Thanks for all that you do.
WF student rp

PS congratulations on your King Of The Mountain, victory.



COACH RESPONDS:

Most Treasured and Devoted WF Shishya RP!

ask and thy shall receive:

Soaring Higher Than Jet Lag PDF

travel well, Pilgrim!

el coache

Real Devotion Is Not Mindless Adoration

click on pics to enlarge.
all photos courtesy of the WF Temple unless otherwise noted. do not republish. thank you.







QUESTION:
Can you identify the difference in Mindset among the following pictures taken from my own version of a WF Lifestyle?

test photo #1: Inner workouts far outweigh any physical workouts throughout my life, working my Training Mala during Mantra Practice

test photo #2: the morning of Sunday's State Nordic Championships, doing Neti (Nasal Washing) as per part of my Early Morning Ritual DVD.

Test Photo #3: Engaging WF Yogi Squat and Non-Dominant Hand Practice during laundry folding

Test Photo #4: finishing just off the lead pack at the end of the Bike Up during the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon the Saturday before last. photo by Bruce Nagaan.

ANSWER:
ONLY ON TODAY's DL SUBSCRIPTION FORMAT
along with a POWERFUL DHARMA TEACHING ON DEVOTION
from Sogyal Rinpoche and Coach Ilg.

Power Yoga?

click on pic to enlarge





"A true sign of progress along a genuine path of wholeness is when our conditioned, inculcated Human Interpretation is slowly being replaced more and more frequently by Divine Perspective."
- coach ilg

photo: Ananda looks out over the birthplace of Wholistic Fitness, my Beloved San Juan Mountains near Telluride, Colorado.

***

What most people, even Yoga Teachers, call 'Power Yoga," is actually, more accurately, called, 'Power Asana.' And any form of asana is but a tiny little cog within the science of Radical Self Transformation which is the definition of Yoga.

As far as my professional observations, as well as my ongoing self gut-checks, most of us only consider Yoga like a hobby...not too far apart from eating chocolate, drinking wine, or watching sports.

It will help all of us to begin our day using the following WF Technique of...


Please do your Higher Self a Noble Service of Soul-Fullness and do not miss this and over 1,200 other Teachings from coach ilg
creator of Wholistic Fitness®, America's Native Form of Lifestyle Yoga


for a more complete view of Coach's notion of Yoga, make it a point to read TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION into his latest book; PRANIC JUNKIE.

Get Real; Understanding Indirect Violence

Today on Direct Lines; Subscription Format...
a Dharmateaching on the hypocrisy of indirect violence in our
daily actions and choices...don't miss it!




photo by Ananda. think fishing is 'violent'? i dare you to do an impact study
on virtually ANYTHING you step into, onto or put on your skin, into your body...
in a society where most kids and adults have zero appreciation for where their
McDonalds "Fillet of Fish" (do they still make those?) or their Big Mac comes from,
it's poignant yoga to actually use your own skills to hunt and gather before you eat.
doing so is a superb yoga of nutrition and inter-connectedness. this is a big Northern Pike i tied into while trout fishing at local Ashurst Lake.

Fierce Severing of Entertainment = InnerAttainment

IF YOU ARE NOT A DL SUBSCRIBER, YOU ALREADY MISSED OUT ON 13 ADDITIONAL TEACHINGS THIS YEAR SO FAR! THAT ARE NOT EVEN HINTED AT IN THIS COMPLIMENTARY VERSION OF MY AWARD WINNING BLOG: DIRECT LINES! DON'T GO YET ANOTHER YEAR SIPPING AT THE FRINGE!!!! SUBSCRIBE TODAY WARRIOR!!! WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU!!!








"on mornings when i need to be Mr. Mom,
that is,
on days when my Sadhana (spiritual practice)
is the Conscious CareTaking of my daughter, Dewa

- a very difficult and high practice which i
refer to as, Dewa Sadhana in order to reMind me that Conscious Parenting IS the Highest of Spiritual Work -

my Early Morning Ritual must be done
super early and with fierce severing of entertainments such
as lingering around, making excuses to shove in a few minutes of work, having coffee, reading, etc.

all of that must be swiped away just like it was a Race Day Morning, for the Time/Space Continuum is warped in HouseHolder Yoga.

the priority for training on such days is to:
1) infuse the interior self with Prana,
2) fire up the cellular respiration
3) enhance the selective permeability
capacities of my billions of cells...and most importantly,
4) re-fine and re-establish my Sacred Connection with the Divine
so that my upcoming 'mundane' day becomes a self-empowered
dance with moment by moment miracles thanks to how i chose
to 'kick start' my day."
- coach ilg


***

suggested WF PathWay tools for developing your own Pranic Kick Start
to your days:

* Coach's 3-Phase Approach to using the:
SUNRIDER HERBS (imperative)

* Coach's approach to using:
MAP Amino Acids (vital)

* The WF Early Morning Ritual DVD (fundamental training)

* Hallway Yoga; A Pivotal Practice For Busy Warriors (superb choice)


if you have questions on any of the above PathWay Tools, let me know.
the links will take you directly into your Journey.


May your Practice be punctuated with Divine Insight throughout this Day of Days...

live the 4 WF Lifestyle Principles!


Om Santi,
coach

photo of coach moving into MahaBandhasana by www.JamesQMartin.com

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

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!!!!!)

Coach's 10-Step Prescription For Fundamental CHI DEVELOPMENT and BODYFAT LOSS (excellent for use during steep economic headwalls)
appearing in today's
DIRECT LINES Subscription Format

(the only genuine warrior's hangout and you know it!)

look deeeep Noble Mighty Limb'd Yogi,
and KNOW...you belong to our humble, powerful Tribe whereupon
we devote ourselves to our Weakness, our Stiffness, our Imbalance, and
conquer them through progressive, proven Path of Wholeness Which Destroys WEAKNESS, STIFFNESS, and IMBALANCE since 1982.
why settle for ANYTHING that does not live and exude Wholeness of body/mind/spirit?
a DL Subscription only costs $12/month.
dude...c'MON!!?!??!

AUDIO DOWNLOADS now available!

regardless of what your Invoice might read, THERE ARE NO SHIPPING CHARGES are ever added to ANY AUDIO or PDF Purchase!



Most Noble WF Website Manager, Hakado Ru, had his perseverance tested while attempting to install the latest Audio Download technology to our humble Online Pro Shop...

it is with great and deep respect and honor that i announce an upcoming slew of new Teachings available to you through this vehicle.

available right now, by popular request, is my SUNRIDER TeleConference Call as well as the pivotal Practice for all yogis; my Mula Bandha Meditation.

check it out right now:

New WF Products

and drop by the AUDIO DOWNLOAD section of the Pro Shop often, because i will be beefing up with section fast. in fact, my next offering will be an audio story of the Mt. Taylor Soloist Chronicles; perfect for getting your chi up for whatever great event YOU have planned!

Sweeping Air...and...i release my Mula Bandha Audio Meditation!

so there i was the other week, fully immersed in my mantra while doing one of my Morning Rituals; Zen Sweeping along the Buddha Garden Path. Suddenly, this lady comes walking hard upon Mother Earth, turning toward me right around the corner in my own backyard. Startled like a deer from my inner reverie, i regained my lost mantra composure and peaceful countenance nearly within the same instant. Recovery is everything in life. You know, in sports performance, usually it is he or she who recovers fastest - heart rate wise, neurally wise, physiologically wise - who wins. Well, in the Spiritual Journey, the same notion is even more vital to winning the Human Race (attainment of Enlightenment/end of Cyclic Existence). In the same way recovering from hard efforts while bike racing or running can get you onto the podium, recovering your mantra during daily life is really, really everything.

i mean everything!

why?

ilg will tell you why.

it's all about our Bardo Entry; that is, that ultra critical mOMent while, anticipated or unexpectedly we take our Last Gasp; our final breath, our exit wind. the Mind Quality at that mOMent is our 'hole shot' into the Bardo; the nearly 50 Consciousness Realms of high intensity that we all must navigate before taking another body in any one of the Six Realms.

so the other day i was

PLEASE DO NOT MISS THIS ULTRA IMPORTANT TEACHING WHICH IS ALSO VERY FUNNY!...Only on Today's DL Subscription Format!

ps; yesterday, i released my MULA BANDHA AUDIO MEDITATION. i attempted to email many of you. i am watching closely who is hungry for this Precious Teaching. little response dictates what type of DVD and AUDIO products i release in the future. you are pacing me to Coach you as High as you wish...you show me your Hunger for the Real Inner Workouts, and i will Serve you at that level. if you want to keep my work with you in the lower chakra realms like just focusing on bodyfat loss, sport performance, and physical fitness stuff; fine. we'll play that game. just remember, i only got about five more years of public Teaching in this manner...you better be sure you 'train' me to Serve you in the Highest Way you want! you can order the Mula Bandha Audio Meditation on the WholisticFitness.com Pro Shop under Pay Per MPEG category. and no, i ain't gonna provide a hyperlink to take you directly to my Mula Bandha Meditation you lazy mofo! ilg is not here to train lazyness into you, regardless of what may be 'more effective business techniques' on my end. if you ain't got the gumption to take a few more seconds to work your way over to my Online Pro Shop and order the Mula Bandha Audio Meditation? i promise you this much, you ain't ready to climb up the Steep and Direct Path of where i would really, really like to climb with you!

THE WF EPITAPH SERIES #1; A Meditation Exercise

"That goodness is what survives death, a fundamental goodness that is in each and every one of us. The whole of our life is a teaching of how to uncover that strong goodness, and a training toward realizing it." - Sogyal Rinpoche,

My earliest formative spiritual training was the Tibetan Mountain Lineage. That Path has remained firm throughout my incarnation. In this Steep and Direct Practice, the ongoing practices of various "Tibetan Death Meditations" is required. I cannot tell you more about this practice in this forum though, through the years and thousands of words in these Teachings, you have been privy to a cloud misting of them. Such Teachings have been permeating within your cells as long as you have taken faithful pilgrimage to this forum.

One Practice that i now release is what i call, EPITAPH AWARENESS. What is an Epitaph? It is an inscription over a tomb - your tomb - which attempts to reflect the Song You Came Here To Sing. This exercise works simply and directly upon our mortality consciousness. Be prepared to experience some rather volatile emotional fallout from this exercise. As those of you who are practicing Meditation already know by Direct Experience, the ego absolutely abhors any effort given toward killing it...

ONLY DL SUBSCRIBERS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT
INITIATION INTO THIS POWERFUL MEDITATION FOR FINDERS ONLY; NOT SEEKERS

...JOIN TODAY, PRACTICE ENDLESSLY...

Shishya Tina B on the WF Notion of 'Clinical Elevation'

the priceless value of "Sangha"; the community of like-minded warriors - is perhaps one of the most important shining jewels of a Fitness Lifestyle. it's impossible to stay depressed when you create an environment of friends who understand the necessity of a sweat-based approach to personal growth. clowning around before high-end suffering in a bicycle criterium with my Red Rock Racing teammates. photo by Ananda.

As an Assignment for her WF Online Studies,
Shishya Tina B was to provide an Essay on my recent DL Teaching titled:

Clinical depression VS Clinical elevation

So strong sang the Dharma through her response,
i felt all of us could benefit our Practice today from her words.

It has all-ways confused feeble ilg why the Outer World consistently defaults to
the "Victim Mentality" instead of reaching down,
grabbing themselves by their Mula Bandha,
and use their Holy Water of Sacred Sweat to Rise Above the temporary and natural depressions of
the mind. Vibrational Fitness is what Heals and Empowers. And to Vibrate our Cells and give upward
rise to the dormant Cosmic Power Within (Kundalini), guess what? We gotta get INTENSE:
INTENSE with Breath Control (Pranayama and Cardio and ST and Asana)
and
INTENSE with using our Dharma Sword of Wisdom to Slay Predictable Patterns of habit and tendency.

There ain't nothin' on this plane(t) like the natural, tribal, crazy wisdom of WF
and there SURE as hell ain't nothin' on this plane(t) like a WF Warrior!

My work is often imitated, i know...you can stop sending me examples of all the "Ilgitators" as Student Wells
calls them. That does not matter. What matters is you and i and the genuine Nature of our Beloved Path.
Remember what i first Taught you about the notion of WF Lifestyle Principle #3; Appropriate Action =

"Ripples Makes Waves."

each thought, each action we perform affects all the Guna's and all the Beings In All The Six Realms.


i'd be honored to die (once again) on the BattleDance Field with any one of you...why?
Because of your Sincere Motivation and respect of our humble, powerful Path since
long, long, loooooong before 1982

Om So Ti,
el coache


***

Essay #1

Clinical depression VS Clinical elevation

The excuse of being too busy is the excuse of the undisciplined mind. The undisciplined mind is the one which cannot take a m(om)ent and feel it, own it, be it. The busyness of life surrounds us all in it’s own form. It’s how we choose to be in this busy life that makes us each a unique individual. It’s the choice of an individual to fall into the fast paced society and struggle to keep up, or be the individual who sets and sticks to a the appropriate pace. There may be times it’s appropriate to accelerate, to speed up and take it on! There are also times it is appropriate to decelerate and enjoy the scenery and the depth of life.

The mind without discipline will continue full speed ahead with more noise and more chatter until properly trained. This is the state of mind that is continuously wrestling to keep up but always feels left behind. This mind is the mind that looks for the quick and easy solution because there are too many other things to deal with at this time. Oh, the hectic life of a human being. If only there were more time in a day. The constant feeling of being tired, restless, irritable, overweight! If only there was a magic pill that could make things easier… that would be the answer. “Please Doc! Help me! I can’t take it anymore!” Of course the doctor has to get rid of the large quantity of Zoloft the attractive pharmaceutical representative was able to make that large commission off this morning. “Take this pill 3 times a day and let me know how you are feeling in a couple of weeks,” the Doc says. “Be sure to see the receptionist on your way out.” Meanwhile, 2 weeks later the patient walks around the world like a zombie with no feelings positive or negative but life seems to be a bit easier to deal with. Until, hmmm...


READ THE ENTIRE ESSAY FROM THIS NOBLE WF STUDENT!
THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONAL TRAINERS: THE DEPTH OF AWARENESS!!!

SUBSCRIBE TO DL TODAY!

***
photo #2; the clowing around has stopped and utter Zen Mind on the wheel in front of me during a Criterium Race.

photo #3: Warriors UP! HP Yoga Students from my Flagstaff Sangha. I love them.

The WF "Side Effect" of Never Being Bored

The following response is to Chris Tucker, currently studying life in Shanghai, from veteran Online Student Anne in NJ.
This thread is just one of several hundred that are ongoing, poetic, poignant, and potent in the Chill Out Sacred Space of the WF SanghaLounge; complimentary to ALL DL SUBSCRIBERS and WF Students! Come on in, learn, contribute, and GROW YOUR PRACTICE WITH the WORLD's NICEST, MOST BALANCED FITNESS WARRIORS!

Hi Chris,

One of the most powerful "side effects" of my work with the Ilgman has been the disappearance of boredom from my life. I don't recall any overt teaching on the subject. The transformation took place organically. And, actually, fairly quickly.

I'm just never bored.

And it's interesting to me that you bring up your trips up Grouse because just yesterday I ran on the trail near my house. It's a very modest trail compared to Grouse Mountain. About two and a half miles long. It's flat. Pretty much a straight shot through deciduous forest, along some open feral farmer's fields and then skirts a large corn field. There's no real view, except of the Hampton Inn that overlooks the corn field. There's a lumber yard at one end just after the trail goes under the interstate. As I ran, I thought about how much I love that trail. How fortunate I am to have it nearby. And how I never get bored with it. Some weeks, I'm on that same trail every day.

There are deer everywhere. The trail plays tag with a small river. I often see a great blue heron meditating on the river banks. Last week, I snuck up on a red fox hunting near the corn field. We often hear woodpeckers calling back and forth through the trees. In spring, there are depressions along the side of the trail -- signs that a new batch of turtles hatched and successfully dug their way to the surface. And last winter, my husband and I found a racoon skull in some grasses near the corn field. There are so many stories along this trail, I'm amazed that all this is in New Jersey.

As I was running, I wandered mentally off into speculation, wondering what it would look like if we could see the energy trails that we leave behind and I imagined my trail would show up especially bright because I've walked and run it so many times in the past 4 years. And then I wondered if the fact that I'm constantly chanting the Sacred Mantra while I walk and run along that trail has imbued it with any kind of sacred vibe. And then my mind wandered off onto some other topic.

So, long rambling post to say: Hang in there. Keep practicing. WF will disappear the boredom.

Namaste,
Anne

Dewa Dharma; Day 50 And Time For Her First High Altitude Prana Hike!

"There are many ways of amplifying and redirecting the Pran in our bodies from the lowest centers (chakras) toward the highest. WF achieves this in the most practical way for Westerners who think they have "so little time" for "exercise" or "self cultivation" yet still, like All Beings in All Realms, just really want to be happy, peaceful, and Fearless of Death. The practicality of WF Online Training is paced at the Student's willingness and never, ever ventures outside the Sacred Scriptures to develop what i call, "The Nuts and Bolts of Enlightenment" through Personal Lifestyle Fitness."
- coach ilg
excerpt from today's DL Subscription Format!




"The Awakened Yogi, knowing of the inevitability of pain mingled with pleasure which makes up a human incarnation, attempts through steadfast Practice to slay plurality, watching all duality become diluted in the Holy Water of one's Sweat until all separateness fades into the growing, luminosity of Oneness.


Being Gifted a child brings up ones own mortality as well as the utter preciousness of life with a resounding depth recollected from countless lifetimes across the Six Realms. Though the Pain of an Awakened Life be great to the Yogi, it should be worshipped daily through Sweat and Spirit for not only in Pain does the Yogi trust as a portal Higher, he or she knows and trusts in an even greater albeit formless Go(o)d known as Prana. To trust in Prana over Pain may require for some of us 10,000 lives. Maybe more."
- coach ilg

photos by Ananda:
1) Sedona vibrates Father Sky in the background as a Western Bluebird is silhouetted by a classic, silky southwestern sky from 10,000'.

photo 2) looking north west, Mt. Sitgreaves on the left, Mt. Kendrick to the right (see DL 9/1/07 for my running ascent of Kendrick).




photo; Dewa's first high altitude hike to celebrate Her 50th Day of taking Form. do i look tentative? hell YEAH! taking one's own month and a half old baby up to 10,000' for a two mile hike triggered similar endocrine responses from my cells as once did my elite mountaineering escapades!

DO NOT MISS THIS DL SURE TO HAVE YOU SMILE AND A HUGE TEACHING ABOUT PARENTAL SVADHARMA! GREAT PHOTOS, GREAT TEACHINGS TO EMPOWER YOUR AWARENESS AND BRING SPACIOUSNESS TO YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT!

sign up for a few months of DL and just see why so many other Body/Mind/Spirit Warriors consider DL their BEST TRAINING PARTNER and TEACHING VEHICLE!

DL Makes It So Clear...

Hello Coach,

Your DL of 11/4 was awesome. Direct (as usual) and clear. Thank you. When I
read you it becomes so clear why I chose WF and asked you to teach me.

I did get a short training session in. I am in poor shape. It's all good.
Felt good to be on the bike and push some iron. More to come.

EMR*, left hand knowledge and use, breath and posture always.

Namaste
Daniel


coach's note:
EMR* = Temple Traditional acronym meaning: Early Morning Ritual which consists of varying intensities and levels of some form of early day Practices to 'set the stage' for a go(o)d day of WF Practice!

Understanding The Dharma Path of WF and Metaphysical Trataka

"Do not go by revelation; do not go by tradition; do not go by hearsay; do not go on the authority of sacred texts; do not go on the grounds of pure logics; do not go by a view that seems rational; do not go along with a considered view because you agree with it; do not go along on the ground that the person is competent; do not go along (thinking) because the recluse is our teacher.

'When you know yourself: These things are unwholesome,these things are blameworthy; these things are censured by the wise; and when undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill? abandon them...

When you know for yourselves: 'These are wholesome; these things are not blameworthy; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness', having undertaken them, abide in them."

- The Buddha Sakyamuni


***

For beginning practitioners and individuals with a more general interest in Wholistic Fitness, I've created several ways - most of which are extremely affordable when compared to the cliquish tendencies inherent to my field - which impart the powerful, transformative philosophy, meditation and specific WF practices. The most captivating aspect of WF lies in its user-friendly approach; you do not need to live anywhere near me to receive what i feel is the most effective, joyful Path of Spiritual Awakening while using Personal Fitness as the Vehicle.

For those individuals ready to delve deeper into WF practice and are ready to have a more 'full-time' experience, i offer the world's original Online Personal Fitness Training System. The intimacy of Online Training reflects my allegiance to teach Yoga in the Ancient Traditional Manner; Teacher/Student. One on One. Along with the availability of both Phone and Online Consultations, facilities for both short-term and long-term Study exist at a world-class level.

For the future dharma teachers who wish to become 'certified' i periodically offer support and training in a cyber-monastic environment. To Teach WF is a very Steep Path and reCertification through the trials of life itself even Steeper. The first steps require several years of WF Study and the sincere aspirant needs to hold a Personal Training Certificate and a Level One Certificate to teach my own High Performance Yoga. Such Steep travel is appropriate for those who aspire to be future dharma teachers through WF.

COMING SOON:
WHAT - PRECISELY - IS DHARMA?

photo; "Trataka" one of the many WF Meditations assigned to Online Students. Trataka was and remains a fundamental sport performance technique i use to develop ekagraha; or one-pointed meditation. in fact, my Trataka history came into priceless value yesterday as i ran to the 12,633' summit of Doko Oosliid in 1 hour and 34 minutes with a round-trip of 2 hours and 42 minutes. I had to use Ekagraha to keep mind focused while spending, get this; 1 hour, 31 minutes at a Heart Rate OVER Zone 3! i burned 2,624 calories and ended with a 166 average HR. WF is no joke because WF is a reflection of authentic Mountain Yoga; developing to our highest capacities ALL of our physiologic systems, not just one or two. Trataka in WF thus takes on metaphysical implication as we learn to keep our minds One Pointed in daily life.

My Most Revealing Entry EVER!?

DEWA METTA now appearing in the Couples Cave

in the WF SanghaLounge

for the FIRST TIME EVER
read about:
• The Spiritual Lineage of WF
• The Om So Ti of Dewachen, my baby daughter.
• The syncronicity filled nomenclature of Dewachen
• YOUR Well Wishes (Metta Missives) to Dewa from our Worldwide Sangha!

i've never ever felt so stationed in my life to release and Share this information, this Treasure, with my Sangha.

may your Practice be empowered by this Temple Sharing exclusively for DL Subscribers and WF Online Students...just enter the WF SanghaLounge and jog over to the WF COUPLESHIP CAVE and enjoy...



Om So Ti,

your loving coach

photos:
1) Dewa's hand, Ananda's WF Blessed Mala. by coach.
2) Who woulda thunk it? America's Outdoor Athlete, turned Daddy Warrior. Dewa's first stroller walk taken just the other day. by Ananda.