Wholistic Fitness

The Balanced Point between Supple Strength and Endurance is where i have built the philosophies and teachings of Wholistic Fitness� including her unique intradisciplines of HP Yoga� and Sunrider� herbs. Since 1982 i have taught a Balanced Approach while competing in the extremes of ultra endurance and ultra strength as navigation points for my students. A Yogini above shows a beautiful expression of Urdhva Dhanurasana or Upward Facing Bow Posture (aka – mistakenly – Wheel Pose)…a posture that requires many of the elements of WF; strength, endurance, and balanced openness of the Heart Center (Anahata Chakra). It can take some of us WF Warriors decades to be able to express this pose while maintaining fitness within the other physiologic disciplines and inner, meditation work. I have seen this pose kick the ass of even famous ultra athletes (see my story below). To be able to do this pose can make even world class ultra endurance athletes literally GIVE UP before they accomplish it! In this Path, our Students realize that genuine Wholeness takes time. According to yogis, often lifetimes are required to pierce through our various kleshas (afflictions, negative tendencies, preconscious habits) and reach Enlightenment.

below, i address a letter from WF Online Student, SS:

***
blessings coach –
—-you gonna love this one………..I’m talking story as the hawaiians would say.
I was just looking at Runners World� -actually the subscription belongs to my dog so i won’t have to admit to looking at it.

On page 63 feb issue there is a picture of Pam Reed (an ultra marathoner ). I was shocked given what my eyes observed , that she is 45. I thought i got to test this out—is it just me—–so i interrupted E who was practicing her french horn ( man those yogi lungs can toot that horn ) and didn’t show her anything but the picture of Pam Reed. All i asked was, ‘how old do you think this woman is?’ After looking closely she said 70. I said she’s 45. E asked, “is she sick? ” I said….no she’s a famous ultrarunner”

get pam reed on SUNRIDER�………!! And WF!!

love ranting again
student s
***
COACH RESPONDS:
since a picture is worth at least a thousand incarnations when it comes to seeing Balance or the lack thereof:
Possible Addiction to Yang. Too much strength. Perhaps not the exactly the type of gal you would want to bring home to mom…unless mom was a competitive Bodybuilder. Now, although i have gained the podiums of competitive Bodybuilding myself, i knew when it was time to back off and start retooling my deep fiber fitness into a wider physiologic dance. i never did steroids. my reason was strictly spiritual. the very moment a human being takes Steroids, my Teachers taught me, he or she cuts and irreversibly damages the spiritual self. the natural human being becomes a sophomoric chemistry experiment. any accomplishments gained under the influence of steroids will be of no help in the Bardo because the Bardo Realms tests only our GENUINELY DEVELOPED CONSCIOUSNESS, not chemically altered consciousness.
Possible Addiction to Yin; too much endurance. this is a photo of Pam Reed, ultramarathoner, taken by my friend “Chris Kostman and Staff.” Granted, i too, have collapsed at the end, and sometimes during, my various ultramarathon and winter mountaineering epics. It ain’t a pretty sight. And, though i gained the podiums of ultraendurance sports including running, i also know how to choreograph my training year so i don’t look like concentration camp fodder. Many ultraendurance athletes would be wise to take a year or two away from the high concussion and muscle atrophying effects of ultra training and get into the Iron Temple and on the Yoga Mat to impart some deep fiber reservoirs and to bring biomechanic structure, flexibility, and mental poise. Yet, i swear to Lord Patanjali, trying to talk some simple Wholistic Fitness� common sense into sport specific athletes is like working with Addicts. they are in Denial of their Fear of Wholeness. Pam states that her goal is to, “motivate people of all speeds and ages to set a fitness goal that will encourage a healthier lifestyle.” Hmmmmm.
In this shot of me training in Flag with Student S during a Private Intensive, you can easily see the functional approach of Wholistic Fitness� Warriorism by way of physique comparison to the above two athletes. All three of us have reached podiums. However, i was able to reach the podium in both of their sports while also maintaining a Balanced Suppleness between their worlds of Strength and Ultra Endurance. Why should this notion of Wholeness be so scary to so many so-called, “athletes”? Is not the very definition of athletics pivot upon versatility of fitness?

Who started this movement away from Artful, All Encompassing Fitness to this weird Obsessive/Compulsive Sport Specificity?

Ain’t it Way More Fun to be a Dancer of ALL the Physiologic and Mental Realms?

Yogin,
you choose:
Sport Specific Addiction (this includes Studio Asana Addiction or SAA Syndrome!)
or
Wholistic Fitness� Balance.

seems kinda like natural, God-pleasing, common sense to me! Penetrate ALL the miracles of the human body’s capacities! DANCE THE DIVINE DANCE!!!

***
Sport Specific Athletes are not Warriors.

For Warriors are Balanced Beings; not too much Intellect, not too much Brute Power. Warriors are adepts at Skillfulness; Strength + Endurance + Suppleness.

Pro Tennis Players should have to switch Dominant Hands every Set.

Pro Football should have mandatory Hurry Up Offense for the first and third quarters.

Pro Golfers should have to switch Dominant Hands on odd numbered tees.

Pro Endurance athletes should have to be seeded according to a Powerlifting Competition the day before their race.

Pro Strength athletes should have a Omnium 10k Race the day before their strength event; points transferred over.

Pro Bowlers should have to switch Dominant Hands to pick up Spares.

Pro Basketball Players? Will someone PLEASE get some skates on those guys? Jeeezo!

Pro Baseball Players should have to…oh hell, just forget Baseball Players. let ’em chew their tobacco and take their damned drugs, they are all comin’ back as synthetic astro turf fibers anyway.

Oh, and get those cigarette smoking Poker Players the hell off of my ESPN!

…however, i digress.

Sport Specific Athletes despise true Wholeness for it takes them out of their cherished Comfort Zones.

To Cultivate Wholeness requires working on your weaknesses, not your strengths.

So,regardless of how painful a Sport might be for a Sport Specific athlete, in that pain lies a great big wide Comfort Zone for their egos.

A True, Common Story:
A famous UltraEndurance Athlete came to my HP Yoga� Studio in LA awash in his pride as an ‘athlete’. Well, i kicked his stiff bodied ass in a fairly easy HP Yoga� sweatfest and even through the emotional baggage of his pride, he saw the Light of HP Yoga�.

Later, he approached me with Tapas in his eyes and said, “Ilg, I am going to do Wheel Pose {he meant Urdhva Dhanurasana, the intense backbend pictured in opening photo) within two years!”

“Really?” I asked, “Wow..that’s great! Just so you know, it took me over 15 years to do Wheel Pose because of the Endurance Sports i do. Don’t hurt yourself. Backbends are tough for endurance athletes, pace yourself with your breath. You are a sport-specific endurance athlete, maybe you should give yourself a bit longer than two years.”

“Nope, two years,” he thundered, ” I know that when i set my mind to something, I DO IT!”

I smiled to myself and said nothing more. I am well acquainted with such up front Bravado from the Newly Converted when the Yoga Light is flipped on. I was the same way. Once.

It is now four years later from that conversation.

The famed “athlete” that can set his mind to do anything?

Still years away from doing Wheel Pose.

However, he is still running ultramarathons and remains well applauded by the conventional mainstream for being such a “great athlete.”

Go figure.

The UnAwakened always rewards Specificity.

Only the Masters enjoy Balanced Versatility.

Noble Yogin On The Path of Balance:
it is both a Blessing and a Curse
to be Awake
Wholistically Awake
during
Kali Yuga.

do what you can to help others find Balance
instead of the predictable addiction to Obsession and Possession.

May all beings be happy and know the causations of happiness.
May all beings be free from suffering and know the causations of suffering.

om mani padme hung,

coach ilg