Wholistic Fitness

Struggling Toward Equanimity

Getting To Know the, “Family of your Mind.”



“Emotions are like clouds against the sky…like these recent ones above LA, some clouds pack a ton of energy. Others, not much at all. I created the Four Lifestyle Principles of WF to enable the Fitness Warrior to witness the clouds, while appreciating the preciousness of what lies Higher than those clouds; Father Sky.” – Coach Ilg.

Dear Coach,

i know you teach your students to be ‘evenminded through all circumstances’. i was just wondering, is there anything that gets you ‘overly excited’? do you ever lose your ‘evenmindedness’?

a struggling warrior along the Path

*

Dear Struggling Warrior,

“He who limps is still walking.’

– Nietschze

Practice patience. the attainment of a mind that remains unruffled by the ups and downs of life is very High Stuff. one cannot climb the Highest Peaks by shortcuts. why do you think Anti-Depressant Drugs outsell meditation cushions by about a billion to one? because out of a billion people, only one Warrior will arise to meet their inner and outer challenges Wholistically. i promise you that much. instead of worrying about what ruffles my mind or being concerned with attaining a Buddha Mind, i want you to simplify your Practice. focus on your Practice each day by integrating the 4 Lifestyle Principles of WF. By tracking your mind with your Breath and Postural Awareness (Wholistic Fitness Lifestyle Principle #1), you will eventually open new Insight Doors for you. By working with WF Lifestyle Principle #2; Mindfulness, you will chip away at releasing your addiction to your non-dominant hand, and you will begin to play witness to your neurotic (unconscious fidgeting, self talk, etc) be-have-iors…this Awareness will usher Transformation. the Divine will then grant you new Tools to further your Ascent. you will quite quickly gain larger Steps up the Ascent of Equanimity. Listen to these words from one of my Teachers;

“… thoughts and emotions are the radiance and expression of the very nature of the mind. They rise from the mind, but where do they dissolve? Back into the mind. Whatever rises, do not see it as a particular problem. If you do not impulsively react, if you are only patient, it will once again settle into its essential nature.

When you have this understanding, then rising thoughts only enhance your practice. But when you do not understand what they intrinsically are…the radiance of the nature of your mind…then your thoughts become the seed of confusion. So have a spacious, open, and compassionate attitude toward your thoughts and emotions, because in fact your thoughts are your family, the family of your mind. Before them, as Dudjom Rinpoche used to say: �Be like an old wise man, watching a child play.�

and yes, there is something that gets me untracked from my Practice of Equanimity. it’s called a Snow Report…like this morning’s right here in Los Friggin’ Angeles! check out this shit!!?!?!? Yippeeeeeeeeeeeee! Screw Equanimityyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!! It’s SNOWING!

Mt. High Ski Reort

Snow Conditions For 1.4.05

New Natural Snow: 8-12 Inches

New Snow Last 7 Days: 42-64 Inches

Total Season Snowfall: 89-126 Inches

Surface Conditons: Powder and packed powder

Snow Depth: 36-60 Inches

Snowmaking: Off.



A car reveals another dumping of snow over LA’s local mountains. I have never seen LA so beautiful! From the beach, it looks like one can reach out and make a snowball from the nearby San Gabriel Mountains!