Namaste Noble Warriors!
�The great sea has set me in motion.
Set me adrift,
And I move as a weed in the river.
The arch of sky
And mightiness of storms
Encompasses me,
And I am left
Trembling with joy.�
– Eskimo Song
On Thanksgiving Day my Earn-The-Bird �HP Yoga Triathlon� was a stunning success. Ten warriors in the Studio by 6:30 am to sit an hour of zen and pranayama. Then, 15 show up for our 2 hour multi-instructor asana class. First up was Teacher Q delivering a sweet warm up worthy of a Bach sonata. The chi he built was then handed off to HP Yoga star teacher, Joy Kilpatrick whose artful moves procure contemplation of the deepest sort. Beautiful Michele Ringler was up next…zig zagging the sweat soaked students through a choreography of moves that left most of us dazed with delight. i took the Teacher�s podium next. Already high from the early morning pranayama, i chose a juxtaposition of malasana variants into backbends to stimulate the chakras for my closing meditation. Then, finally these warriors remained for the final event of the day; the Hectic Hill Hike/Run:
Melissa, Wissam, Jim Bad, Dana, Joy, Michelle with triathlete husband Steve, Teacher Q, Clay, and Barry. Oh we were high on the Pran all right. So high that Joy forgot to bring my running shoes and JimBad nearly decapitated himself on a sycamore tree.
At the start of the 1.25 mile brutally steep uphill hike, we broke into a fast and slow group. Steve Mackel showed great tactical savvy by surging past me within 800 meters of the start and remained 20- 30 seconds in front of me the whole way up, summitting within 16 minutes! Oooof! i am going to have to actually start run training again if these students keep this quality of High Performance effort up! For his noble anaerobic effort, Steve nabbed 5 free classes by reaching the summit ridge before this ol� mountain goat!
After the sun soaked, wind swept summit regroup, I led us toward a little meadow overlooking both ocean and valley whereupon we flowed with rhythmic breath through the Taoist yoga postures known as Ai Imawa or �Harmony Now!�
Then the descent down Helluva Hill.
I made my explosive move at halfway point…plummeting down the steep narrow trail at breakneck (or at least break ankle) speed. None but JimBad answered my move…and JimBad, a former semi pro motocross racer – knew the keys to ultra fast mountain trail descending; fearless mind and fast as hell eye to foot reaction. He was RIGHT on my heels! After our event, i had to go for an hour mountain bike ride just to spin the concussion out of my legs and to calm the heightened amount of chi coursing through me!
Certainly, the Warrior of the Earn The Bird Day had to go to Student Melissa whose only prior experience of ascending or descending ANYTHING on foot was the escalator at Northridge Shopping Mall. Melissa is on FIRE…she�s lost about 15 pounds,takes classes each day, has started the SUNRIDER herbs, and has counter attacked a very difficult time in her life with yogis call, Tapas…burninng Desire to Rise Above by driving straight through the difficulty! i bow to you, Student Melissa…and ALL the HP Yogic Warriors who showed up for Earn the Bird! Thank you for your devotion and your donations!
I wish to extend particular thanks to my volunteer Staff of HP Yoga Teachers and Personnel: Jessica, JimBad, Michelle, Teacher Q, and Joy. What A Day we shared Noble Warriors! We friggin� earned our (faux) bird! That is the HP Way, baby! Earn it to learn it.
Well, i gotta go. I just heard Teacher In Training Chris Roche arrive downstairs from Indianapolis. I am not quite sure where exactly is Indianapolis, but i hear there is parking there. Chris is here for the next few days to complete his training to become a certified Online Teacher of Wholistic Fitness…a position which, i am sure, is going to be quite in demand in the very near future.
But first he has to survive the next 72 hours with the crazy wisdom antics of the ilgster himself…poor kid. i hope that whatever the WF Gods send through me to impart to him is not too terribly tough….he seems like such a nice young man…
in aspiration, trust, mindfulness, stabilization, and surrender to the Higher Source,
the Feeble One bows to you…
ilg
These teachings are the "Rasas" or "sap" of Wholistic Fitness. You’ll find insights to ponder, student chi to keep your own chi topped off, and plenty of proven training techniques to test on your own body, mind, and spirit! Also, you’ll find my very popular Race Reports, and news of our Sangha’s (community’s) latest transpersonal fitness adventures!