Wholistic Fitness

Namaste Noble Fitness Warriors!

every now and then, my Formal WF Online Students give us permission to share their Cycle Summations with our global Tribe. Cycle Summations occur every 4 weeks when you are an Online Student of Wholistic Fitness. These Summations give a WF Online Teacher insight into your progress so that your next Training Cycle can be accurately designed just for you. Let us respectfully “listen in” to Student S’s Cycle Summation to WF Teacher Grant Couture:

Dear Teacher Grant –

hello hello hello………………cycle summary now upon me ! Much

has happened in the last bunch of weeks which will weave it’s way into

the summation.

***as is your Way�what a wonderful Way you weave�.

Yoga—-observations during this cycle.

In regards to steve’s tape i have IN

proved greatly. I say IN proved for two reasons. One is that it is very

INternal for me. I sense the postures cleansing me. It is an inside out

meditation. The “proved” part of that statement is also awesome for me.

**yes this is the way all yoga is; after we filmed that we were all very internal�it is a weaving or knitting together that WF brings to all things, the relationship to wholeness�

In the beginning of using the tape , which is now about a year or so ago,

I didn’t think i’d ever be able to use it with any sense of confidence or

strength. I have proven to myself that as steve says we are all so much

stronger then we know. This morning for instance i had to lift a bunch

of boxes, hoist them up a ladder while walking up the ladder and put them

in the attic. I could feel how much functional fitness my upper body

had. The functional fitness is what it’s all about. I attribute that to

yoga.

**and under that Steve is not only talking about physical strength, in fact I would suggest that is only the tip of the iceberg�to use this tape consistently for a year is an expression of your dedication to move Higher and Inward�this tape is so not easy on the Ego and yet I feel so needed to cleanse the Soul – well done shelli. When we can stay with something long enough to get through our baggage we start to see Other aspects of what we call Life and it is Grand to have such Views�

Since your absence in august i have gotten full swing into my

teaching and picked up a bunch more classes so i am now teaching 5 yoga

classes a week. Next semester they will be giving me another class at

the college. I like teaching between 8-10 a week so i’m sure in the next

few months i’ll add a few more classes.

**nice we learn most when we Teach it seems to me, it comes from our Cells�people open yoga studios because they need to learn a lot about letting go�

One class is at a physical

therapy clinic and i have 3 very large women in that class. These women

would never go to a yoga studio or a gym. No matter what size the body

it is so important to move it and breathe and i am so grateful that they

find the environment i create an environment that supports them being

vulnerable and experiencing yoga.

Yoga always does a spirit good !

**when we accept ourselves in the best way we can no matter what, we give others permission to do the same, we create an circle of acceptance that will envelope all of our tendencies towards separation�again and yet again let it Be so�

Strength Training—power pump routine observations. Hard and

challenging—patience required. I do not feel fluid in it though i do

enjoy the yin and yang of it.

**yes the ebb and flow we go�

I prefer this kind of strength training to

using machines at a gym kind of training.

**WF rarely use machines�only for medicinal-style strength work�this is only to maintain but not really to gain.

For me it’s very much about

tuning in and challenge and nurture at the same time.

**like all things that challenge us, surrender is the quality that will see us to the end, with surrender we allow all things to move through us without the chatter and usually negative workhorse of an Ego telling us how it is going to be�just keep going noticing the talk and continuing on.

Where does steve

come up with these things !?

**practice�

Cardio——-much has happened in this realm as well in this cycle.

During the summer i kept putting pressure on myself to make it to the

team training runs on saturday mornings. One of the sites requires a

long car trip. I made it to the 9 mile run with the group. Each week

i’d want to train on my own rather than with the group.

**and the inner whispers are getting louder it seems�

The tendency

with a group is to talk the whole time while running so as not to notice

all the miles being logged.

**yes distraction of the Now

While this can be OK sometimes i found that

especially for the long runs i wanted to BE WITH the run……….no

matter what comes up learn how to be there with myself, mind / body.

**to me it is a distraction to run and talk, physiologically it is not good for the body to do such things � during cardio activity, tongue goes to roof of mouth where it stimulates brain and digestive tract to �support� from anus to mouth internally as the body moves�this much more important then talking. When you talk the tongue is flapping and the digestive tract is loose..cultivating distractions is something in WF we would rather bring attention to instead. We have this life to awaken and being distracted in it does not help, it gets in the Way. So with all things you can bring this focused attention to it can awaken you to a grander vision�just as you noticed in this simple observation�

I

won’t ever know but i would guess that if i had not been studying

wholistic fitness during these training times i would have gone to many

more if not all of the training runs.

**and you ARE Here Now and we are Blessed�

Many people who have run marathons

have told me they never could have done the marathon if they did the

training on their own the way i am doing it.

**alone, together we breath�

One day i just decided not

to make myself crazy over not attending the group runs. That was not what

my instincts were telling me to do. So since we last chatted i have done

a solid 16 mile run in new shoes that i decided to buy one half size

larger then usual. This makes a big difference. My 18 mile run was in

very intense heat. I am still learning about fueling myself and

hydration. I was totally withered at the end but recovered nicely. My

20 mile run last saturday was quite an event. It was quite a bit cooler

and i ran around this lake 7 times before heading home for another 6

miles. There were lots of people around which is different then the

usual creek side path i run but similar to what it would be like running

in honolulu.

**miles going up and up Higher and Higher you climb�

After the 20 mile run i had a few hours around the house and then a

friend came over with her niece and nephew. After dinner we all went to

this large sports event place which is hard to describe because i have

never seen anything like it. We played table tennis, badminton, virtual

bowling, pool, bocce ball, for hours.

**tennis anyone?

I know most of the wholistic

warriors out there are not bat and ball/racquet and ball type athletes

but i challenge anyone to a few games of badminton……….what a

workout.

**actually Steve told me one time he phoned up Mike Richter (NY Rangers Goalie at the time) who was in the process of playing ping pong�so it looks like you are not alone�.and it is pretty good company at that.

I am still wondering where all that energy came from.

**energetic lines of opening in the body�better movement�

I have recovered well from all the long runs——i follow the runs

with good food, yoga, enough rest. I will do 23 miles in a week or so. I

have been doing some speed work on the shorter runs. I would say my

hours of cv ( which means running 3-4 times a week and some biking and

walking ) would be about 8 on a low week and the highest week of the

cycle would have been 24.

**are you following the program as it is outlined? Are you following the daily practice sheet on volumes and times?

Funny you should ask what i was thinking about as i brushed my teeth this

morning. My dental relationship with myself has loomed large this past

month and has been one of my biggest learnings about feel everything and

attaching to no thing.

I have always prided myself on how good my teeth and dental health has

been. Very few cavities, brush ALOT, teeth cleaned on a regular basis,

still have all my wisdom teeth. I have had my teeth cleaned regularly

but haven’t had a thorough dental check up in ages. Now that we are in a

new place and have had a good dentist referred to us i thought i’d have a

cleaning AND check up. Much to my surprise i have a cavity and on my two

fillings ( years ago i had the silver taken out because of mercury issues

and replaced with an amalgam) the amalgam has broken down and i have some

decay and will most likely put crowns on those teeth. At first i felt

very let down by my teeth—betrayed even. I wanted to use this as a

teaching so i let go and just accepted the facts as they were, felt the

blessing of having needed no dental work for so many years, the blessing

of a dentist i feel comfortable with, the blessing of having great dental

insurance and just let go.

When i brush my teeth i stay present, look in the mirror, enjoy the

sensation of the brush on my teeth and the taste of the toothpaste. I

spit with vigor !

As in the last cycle i am enjoying the meditations. It is good

practice to be in the middle of a hectic day and just take the cushion

and be with the breath. All the running feels like a meditation in

movement too so it is good for me to have the different

meditations……….the sensual, the visual, the kinesthetic.

**yes it seems that everything can help us see ourselves more clearly, to reflect how we are in the world. The body is so amazing how it can do what it does all at the same time everything is working together, this is amazing. What we think about the body has a direct effect on how it functions and reacts to the world around it. There is no separation possible between the mind and body. What we think we will experience in one way or another. So working with gratitude as you discovered goes along way towards healing anything that ails you, it is the start of a true understanding of Life�

My spiritual readings this cycle have centered around the Jewish

holidays which occupy me and fill me with joy. I enjoyed the holidays

with family and was greatly inspired by two different rabbis during this

time. One of the rabbis if i closed my eyes sounded just like steve.

Not in voice but in message. All about letting go—-it was eery almost

as if he was talking just to me.

**spiritual Teachings can come out of any mouth, they only Matter when they touch us in the Heart. I was in Montreal a few months back were I was going to Rhonda�s Bubbis unveiling. As we sat in the cemetery around the stone, the rabbi spoke so wonderfully about her grandparents ( I only met bubbi once for an hour or so), then the Chanter started to sing. It was so amazing, such power it brought tears rolling down my face. The song was in Hebrew and Yiddish, I never understood a word he was saying, it touched somewhere deeper in my Knowing however, it touched my Heart. For me that is all that matters, can you be moved by your Heart? will you allow yourself to be stirred to the very Seat of your Soul? WF is a Path of Heart and you are following her beat which is the Beat of your own Awakening�.

NUTRITION: Sometimes i am

so easily satisfied with so little food and sometimes not . On the days

i teach i would say i have a comfortable way/schedule of eating that

allows me to maintain energy and focus. Still have sugar cravings

sometimes, found myself craving meat alot this last week. I noticed

yesterday after lunch how much energy was being pulled to digestion and i

noticed the moment when that process was over and my energy was available

for other things—very interesting observation on my part. I am not

beating myself up or judging around food consumption–just observing and

feel this is an important step.

**we will be adding in the slim caps and action caps this next cycle�so hang on to�..hmmm not sure yet

My energy levels are good—-i seem to wake up groggy sometimes and this

is probably related to what i’ve eaten the night before. I’ve never been

an early to rise girl but once my feet hit the floor i’m good to go. My

recovery from training i would say is excellent.

**nutrition is key to long term injury prevention�period. As training volumes go up margin for injury also increases p(l)ay close attention this next cycle as the volumes increase even more.

Yesterday……..what i ate. Ilg supreme in the AM. A few pieces of

pineapple. Lunch was leftover chinese food which consisted of a soup with

tofu and lots of greens and some lamb and a few bites of a leftover

noodle dish. Some popcorn while watching a movie and for dinner i had

some tomato and basil salad and a slice of yummy whole grain bread with a

spread of farmers cheese and salmon and olives.

I usually do have two ilg supremes but yesterday i did not. My manner

is relaxed while i eat. Appreciative and joyful. I note the texture and

taste of food. I would say i am eating smaller portions.

**FD?

Any changes/thoughts relative to this cycle——-since we started

playing together i have lost 7 lbs ( i think–i did not weigh in when we

started but that would be my best guess ) I have definitely firmed up

though again i don’t know how much. In the middle of sept i took my

measurements so i could track this.

Somewhere during this cycle i started to realize–perhaps because i

am now much more comfortable with wholistic fitness principles—that i

am much more interested in the inner journey then the “how far how fast

journey”.

**what we focus on will be what we experience�

This shift has caused me to ponder some points. One that came

up for me during this cycle is about steve’s writing. I know he’s an

elite athlete and champion at many sports. So many times he makes the

point that he can keep up with the younger guys—his body fat is at 5

%—-his fiercely competitive nature. I know that i will finish my

marathon standing up and with a smile. I’ll not be the slowest one nor

the fastest one.

I don’t want to get caught up measuring myself against

anyone else .

**did you know that the subconscious mind has no idea what �don�t� means�all it hears is �I want to get caught up measuring myself against

anyone else.� This journey is so not about Steve Ilg, he is the messenger, you are the one walking your journey just walk it the Way you want to; we are here to support you in any way we can, that�s it�

I do want to live a vibrant and fully alive life. I don’t

feel like i can adequately express myself around these thoughts. It’s

not that i would want steve or anyone else for that matter to be any less

then they could be—to hold back on expressing their gifts and talents

of which we all have many. I guess it’s that i want to protect myself

from becoming results oriented rather than journey oriented. The numbers

mean so much less to me then the endeavor. I look forward to exploring

all this more as time goes on.

**inward you go deeper and deeper until you See yourself in the Flesh, it may scare you to See, that you were Perfect all along�

A question for you teacher G…………i will be up in seattle for

american thanksgiving. On the friday after thanksgiving ( november 28 )i

would like to drive up to vancouver and visit with you—–take a yoga

class, have a cup of calli tea , discuss SR and whatever else comes up.

Will you be around and is this something you’d be interested in ? thanks

**yes, I think I will be around�I am not sure I will teaching a class, wait I will be Teaching an HP Class!! Oh great God of Thunder that will be Fun! I only allow you into Studio if you bring �gifts� of SR from your neck of the woods. We are not so lucky up here in Canada as some of the SR products do not make it through up to us. More later.

As for my next cycle I’d like it to run until the end of november and

then do a cycle summation the first week in dec. I will be gone most of

december and then i’d like to start again mid january when my semester

starts again. Can we make this work ? thanks

**yes it is all working�

Objectives for next cycle——–none in particular. I am loving the

road, running like the wind, breathing low and deep, singing my song

and opening opening opening……………

please remember to verify your payment for training with Steve at HQ in LA. Thank you.

As always i appreciate all that you and steve and the other WF warriors

offer up in this poker game of life—-i am IN joying learning when to

fold em and learning when to hold em

in gratitude student s

**and we are in servitude to your practice and flowering, there is no WF without your practice�it would just fall away like a leaves last breath but alas you are Here and so we can be to�

All Good Medicine

Teacher G

The Wandering Yogi

1707 Grant Street @ Commercial Drive

Vancouver, BC