Wholistic Fitness

Namaste Noble Warriors!

“It is when your practice is rather greedy that you become discouraged

with it. So you should be grateful that you have a sign or warning

signal to show you the weak point in your practice.”

-D.T. Suzuki

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Hi Steve,

You probably don’t remember me, but you changed my life. I came to train

with you for a week in Sante Fe about 10 years ago. At the time, I was

pretty weak mentally, and physically. The week we spent together was one of

the toughest times of my life. BUT, after leaving Sante Fe I never stopped

training and reaching to get better and stronger. I now can say that I have

changed my body mentally and physically, and taking care of myself is

priority number one!

I have been to Sante Fe many times over the years and tried very hard to

locate you. Some people I spoke with said you moved to California, but

didn’t know where. So today, I was thinking of you during my Yoga class, and

thought I would run a search engine on the web, and just like that, here we

are again! There are so many things I want to talk to you about. Maybe you

could call me some time this week, and we can get caught up. By the way, my

name is {PM}, and am a photographer (fashion). Who knows, maybe you

do remember me. Anyway, I am thrilled I found you, and look forward to

talking to you soon.

I have enclosed a before and after photo. I thought you might enjoy.

Take Care,

PM

ps.-I still have the original training manual we used during our week

together. I still review it now and then..amazing stuff!!

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Warrior of the Week Award

goes to Michelle Ringler who attended my Zen Workshop class and did KinHin zen walking meditation with her leg in a cast for a broken foot! i KNOW the Zen Master i have studied under would have approved of your tenacity for rising Higher! contact me, Michelle, for a complimentary training gift from HP Yoga and Wholistic Fitness!

i bow to your devoted study!

love,

coach ilg

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Warrior of the World Award

Obviously goes to TOUR DE FRANCE rider, Tyler Hamilton who not only finished Stage 8 (over 150 miles up Alpe du Huez), but did so a) in the top group with Lance Armstrong and b) with a double fracture of his clavicle from Stage 1. so, you think YOUR tough? guess again, bucko! we ALL bow as deep as possible to Tyler! i’ve ridden in the same peleton as Tyler and have met him. he seemed perfectly sweet and beautiful as a Buddha On A Bike could be! i bow in wow of Tyler H., baby!

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Dear Teacher Haku (Sheader),

I survived the weekend! From last Thursday to Monday afternoon, I worked at

Rawstock, a fantastic raw food event. Talk about good training! I let

lifting tables, chairs, haybales, and watermelons be my upper body workout

for yesterday. I practiced tapasaya as not getting caught up in the

slackness of over volunteers. It’s easy to criticize others, but I did my

work and, if needs were, the work of 5 others.

� Yes, non-judgement. Observation alone to reflect on yourself…as if

everyone else is enlightened and their actions or lack there of are somehow

for your own benefit and path of awakening.

RE: Today I cried. There’s a PBS documentary on later today about a

Guatemalan lady whose family was brutally murdered in the military genocide

of the 80s. Apparently a World Bank funded dam was more important than

human life. Dominga (her name) ran away before the killings and was adopted

by an American family. The TV show is the story of her returning to her

home country.

� Much suffering in the world. To engage with compassion and practice

non-attachment is the teaching, and a difficult one it is.

RE: I am deeply saddened when I read-hear-see these realities. My heart

sinks. But this weekend I reaffirmed a thought I’ve had for awhile: I must

hold my heart high. I cannot retreat from these atrocities. I cannot

change the world, but I can change how love flows through me. With

discipline of the yamas, divine can flow through my being and out to the

world.

� Yes, the love of one mystic does more good than the busybody work of a 1000

activists.

RE: I’m in a stage of my spiritual development where emotions are vivid.

The sight of the plums dripping from trees or sunflowers dreaming of the

Source can bring me to tears. This keystroke makes me smile.

With love,

-yogi

� Indeed a sign of deepening spiritual maturity.

Go ahead and continue.

Godspeed,

Teacher Haku

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Many are no longer seeking the path; but are dealing with daily resistances

to walking it.

-Marianne Williamson

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dear steve,

loved the scoop on the poop e-mail!

1st SUNRIDER HERB order placed..calli reg/night…fortune delight

new address…first house….

nice big back yard for outdoor practice..

.meditation…

and just sitting…

with a small japanese maple

and stone pine….

lemon tree.

around the patio….

so a surf bud’s uncle has

a web site(surfvids.com)..and last week

got some new shots/vids of our crew

at “suicides”….if i see any good ones

i’ll send your way…

yoga and circuit st has definitely

made a difference…in my surfing

the former the most….

along with zazen….

i can’t tell you how

many times i gone for waves that

have gone bad

( closing out on both sides on take off)..

yet i’ve stayed calm as i “ellavator-dropped”

in a “pig-dog” crouch(that’s one knee crouch

with opposite hand rail grab)…made the drop

and then cranked a botttom turn..either

front or backside..out of the white water,

and back into the unbroken part of the wave…

i know with a regular intake of herbs…

and evening hunger awareness….those

last extra pounds will melt away…

the i can only imagine…what my surfing

will rise up to…

dan & lani

san jose, ca

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Teacher Sheader –

Let me share this with

you as I doubt if you have ever had a student do this before. Yesterday I

was at Topsail Beach, NC. After my early morning bike ride and breakfast I

noticed that the tide was at dead low and a sandbar was showing in Topsail

Sound. I decided to swim over to take a look and that’s what I did. The

little mud island I was on served as a perfect place to do some zazen. The

only company I had was the sponges as they spit their salt water from time

to time. This lasted for about 20 minutes then I had to start swimming back

to the mainland as the tide had changed and my island was fast submerging.

I finished the swim feeling refreshed and invigorated knowing that what had

just happened was really kind of special. See you soon.

Namaste’

Student Don

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Dearest Teacher Steve,

What a journey since we last met in your beautiful home four weeks ago! I feel as if I am on a roller coaster. The remainder of my vacation went exceedingly well. I was able to reconnect with wonderful friends and family and really recharge my batteries. I also began to practice yoga and do the breathing we talked about everyday. It was wonderful because I also spent two days walking with my mom and her personal trainer. It was great to meet the woman who is so encouraging of my mom as she travels her journey of moving higher on this Earth. Mom has also been drinking the Ilg Supremes EVERY DAY and I KNOW that this is helping her deal with some really tough emotional and physical challenges right now. For some reason, she doesn’t like the taste of the Calli or Fortune Delight. I don’t push it, I’m just happy she is choosing to take the other herbs. Any thoughts about why the one would be more appealing than the others?

Once back in Michigan, I started to work full time as a teacher in a daycare/preschool center. The work has been going very well overall the transition has been positive. It feels great to be earning a stead income again! The first week back I was pretty consistent about working out (5x), breathing (3x) and doing yoga (4x). It felt really good. The last two weeks have really been more of a challenge I only worked out twice, did yoga once, and breathing twice. I also found myself (ugg) gorging on unhealthy food and feeling depressed. Just as I was feeling really desolate, I read your beautiful email about eating simply and feeding the body the nutrients it needs rather than the nutrients the ego suggests. It really struck a cord in me and I made a commitment to do the best job that I could to make healthy eating choices. Happily, I can report that for the last three days I have done an amazing job with this goal! I already feel clearer and more at peace. So thank-you so much for sharing your story. It came at precisely the right time.

I also find it very interesting that both of my spiritual teachers; you-the teacher who is helping me develop my male, active energy, and Lynn Andrews- whose teachings help me develop my more female, going within energy, both have strong connections to wolves, and wolf energy. Coincedence? I think not!

Finally, I’d like to ask you if you know of any simple tools or techniques that may help me get through my food cravings and emotional binges. I know that part of what I was feeling over that last week and a half was hormonal (I got my period yesterday, and now feel like a totally different person emotionally). I also think that part of what I was reacting to emotionally was the unconscious knowledge or knowledge that my higher self knew about, but that I just intellectually/consciously found out about today. Namely, the information that my cat Roger has another lump on his bone, which is most likely cancerous Hard news to digest (Again, today I feel okay with this and feel that this is an opportunity for me to work with him energetically towards his healing).

Anyway, I think I have enough will power to get through the cravings experienced during the first two weeks of my cycle. The last weeks however- oiye! When I feel depressed and an unable to recognize why- again, oiye! Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated. I can also tell you that yesterday I worked on my yoga and breathing. Today I went for a really cleansing two+ hour hike by the Huron River (carrying 23lbs in my backpack. So much beauty there! I wish I had your skill for words and poetry so that I could eloquently describe the experience. After a hard two weeks, I finally feel like I am getting back on track. hanks to The Great Spirit for that!

My thanks to you as well for your generosity, knowledge, and time. Much love, joy, light to you and Kathy! Congrats on the birth of your niece.& Namaste, H

Beautiful H –

all is fine.

you are right on pace.

Enlightenment is within your reach in this lifetime if you just keep your Practice strong and sincere.

she doesn’t like the taste of Calli and FD because the Calli and the FD are pulling up heavy toxins from her cells. it’s not Calli or FD that she doesn’t like, it is the intensity required of her Highest Self that she is afraid of. you must love and in-courage her through this transition time.

print out and put this picture of me near your pug table/meditation/Practice area. i will use it (the pic) as an astral Vehicle to help you. you will feel my Love for you and everything will be just as It always has been, ever will be…perfect! there are no hindrances, only opportunities to Rise Higher!

i love you,

your endless ilg

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Dear Coach:

Sorry to bombard you with emails lately, but your DLs are inspiring me.

Great teaching on food today. In fact, I was about to go scarf some Mex.

food, and instead decided to have a tofu/rice lunch.

Can you put me on your SUNRIDER email list? I was completely doubtful about SR before,

but my experience of NOT having it around and being hungry/depleted etc.

proves its value in a more empirical sense.

One body image issue for me is exactly the opposite of many. I grew up very

skinny and small, and did not hit puberty until about 17. For my first

driver’s license at 16 I was 5’4″, and 99 pounds — and I know I was

stretching the truth. So for me, I always feel skinny and wimpy, even

thought i am now 5’11” and about 154 lbs. So when I start losing weight,

and my ribs start showing, these other, older body image issues come up for

me.

SInce starting WF, for the first time I am more weight conscious. I never

weighed myself before, and did not spend much time checking myself out in

the mirror. When does the attention to weight/body turn to an unhealthy

obsession with weight loss etc.? Also, I still can’t seem to lose the

middle flab, even though I am losing weight. Any suggestions?

Peace,

Student M

Student M =

First, you did not spell “stretching” correctly. Focus on spelling equates to focus in daily life. 1b; good spiritual victory on the tofu instead of the Mexican hashfest! i only dream of nice big fat burritos these days, but the dream feels much better than the reality.

Second, you have been placed on my SUNRIDER email list. A WF Warriors go like this the first of every month: #1; Rent. #2; Monthly SR Herb order! Don’t know which herbs are best for your budget? Just let me know!

Third, do not worry about becoming obsessed with your body. This is arisal of Tapas (burning desire) within your spiritual self that recognizes what all true WF Warriors must come to grips with: there is NO SHORTCUT around the body! you must develop a balanced, muscular, proportionate, and functional physique as the FIRST STEP toward genuine Self Realization. otherwise, all spiritual work remains ungrounded with paltry mental focus and a lack of tenacity and elegance.

Just follow your WF Training Programs under Teacher Sheader and all will be coming.

Nama Shanga Ya,

steve ilg, R.Y.T

author/Total Body Transformation

www.wholisticfitness.com

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Coach Ilg,

Great stuff on direct lines today.

You are a great teacher.

I bow deep today..

Tim

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Coach Ilg,

I was really touched by your direct line today. I could feel it in my toes.

It’s easy to get caught in thinking that are mentors come from such a

different stock or background than we do. It was good to read about where you come

from…….we all deal with the same trials at one time or another.

thanks Ilg,

Student G

P.S. Got funky with your bro RJ today doing some functional training

stuff that he likes to do………nice to see that you “old guys” can hang

with the under 30 crowd……….just teasing man, R’s a warrior.

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WF Teacher Q hits the Big Apple!

From July 10th till the 20th,Teacher Q will be training students from the TriState area (and farther) in NYC. He will clinic all the 5 Disciplines and Level One HP Yoga. For those of you who have never had a one on one session with a WF Trainer, don’t miss this opportunity! Come and walk your edge with Teacher Q.

Call ASAP as the schedule is filling up fast!

818) 576-1416 or Sugiyukako@aol.com for reservations.

Feel the CHI!

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T

he Green Dragon Brew(or the REAL Turbo Tea)

contributed by Teacher Q:

12oz iced Calli

1/2 packet Quinary

2 oz lemon juice(0r whatever juice is your favorite)

1/2 cap of Wu Chia Pi(or a whole one IF one can hang)

sweeten with Sunydew to taste(3 squirts for me…or was that 9;-)

i was Zoning!!

this is such a noble work we are living. i HAVE to share it!

Teacher Q

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Dear Teacher,

In yoga class the other night my yoga teacher explained that we had a

relatively easy end of the session class because of the poor air quality.

The yogic feeling is since there’s so much pollution in the air the prana

never gets to us the way it’s supposed to. We breathe in shit, not life.

He went on to say that there’s nothing wrong with a vigorous practice in a

heat wave (it was 90-something that day). However, there is something wrong

when we’ve got a “code red” day. This begs the question, am I practicing

non-violence (to the self) if I go out and ride or run on such a day? I’m

probably better off taking a swimming in the pool or doing cardio indoors.

Do you concur?

Student D.

Beautiful Student D –

Pollution resides in air.

Pran resides in ether.

Two categorically different Levels of Lila.

Which do you choose to cultivate?

WF slowly shifts the devoted Student to the recognition of etheral forms of Nutrition. then, the assimilation of It. and finally, the control of It.

ilg