Wholistic Fitness

Namaste Noble Warriors!

another update from our HP Yoga Summer Retreat at www.redmountainspa.com

“True renunciation of worldly desires is a mental state; it does not necessarily need to be a physical act of renunciation. But success is possible only with constant and intense practice, always keeping in mind that the ultimate aim is perfection and bliss. Without nonattachment, no spiritual progress is possible.”

– Swami Rama

i do my best to mine yogic principles out of as many circumstances in my life as possible. you might well imagine my delightful dilemma when i visit places like this five star resort in the strikingly poignant beauty of the southwest.

i’ve lived most of my adult life as an barely sponsored outdoor athlete. and, as a mountain yogi, i have little need for money unless it can be used to help others. i am still quite content to subsist on rice, herbs, and a few PowerBars here and there.

so here i am, the featured entertainment for the week, at a posh adventure spa resort. this place kicks truly kicks ass in its category. you must come sometime. Red Mountain Spa ranks consistently in the top ten in the world for hiking, fitness, yoga, scenery, and service. i have no idea what it costs to stay here for one night, let alone seven. quite frankly, i am afraid to find out. i think it would pressure my teaching. The Spa has sported not just a week for me but also for Kathy. my guilt severs admittance of our spa treatment perks.

in return for all of this poshness, all Kathy and i need to do is to give love through the Light of HP Yoga to the people who gather here. we are the recipients of unspeakable Abundance. our classes and my lectures have been packed. i gave a WF Road Warrior award to Clay Clymore who road tripped here in his pickup from LA, and a very honorable mention goes to WF online Student Patrick Bannister, who flew in from Montana with his beautiful wife Bernadette. i bow to these WF Warriors who are filled with the burning desire to Rise Higher.

being immersed in Wealth makes the spiritual journey even more clever and tricky. i say this because the first stage of the spiritual Path is to make a sincere and ongoing attempt not to allow the mind to dwell on sensual objects. i reflected on this today as i lie naked and supine, bathed in water being sprayed over me in a private, red lit room by a very fetching young woman before she massaged (rather skillfully i must say) my scalp with a variety of special oils, followed by a facial cleansing, full body exfoliation and massage.

did the ancient Masters really have to deal with this? as my therapists hands rolled and rubbed over my body with hands like lather, i did my yogi best to repeat mantra like: “the first stage of the spiritual Path is to make a sincere and ongoing attempt not to allow the mind to dwell on sensual objects.”

tough stuff.

the highest state of meditation is not too far from the first state; making the mind one pointed, free from attachments and worldly desires. but the enchantments of the world are quite very sensual sometimes. very alluring. seductive. the spiritual warrior must engage sharp inner vision to cut through the thick layer of their illusion.

our daily habits are very strong. our attraction to entertainment instead of inner-attainment must be steadfastly whittled down through a lifelong process of introspection using what one Teacher of mine called, “the mirror of mindfulness.”

tough stuff.

so let’s keep gathering together here on DIRECT LINES…feed me your dharma and i’ll keep being honest with you as i travel my journey through the ups and downs of life.

our human life is a precious opportunity for spiritual development. let us not waste this life on selfishness…no matter how posh, no matter how seductive, no matter how entertaining the forces may be.

sweat is better.

silence is more pure.

strength is the Way Higher

and

sincerity gets us there…

i gotta go…i think i’m late for my pedicure treatment…

i bow to you from the land of dusk soaked bats and snake etched dunes,

coach ilg