come join coach for another one of his unique rides…today, he coaches us about Molecular Physics and how it can relate to an Eastern Knowledge that has been around for eons. clip in and let’s go! photo of coach training along Mulholland Highway in the Santa Monica Mountains, one of his saving Graces when he lived in LA and had his own High Performance Yoga ™ Studio on Ventura Boulevard. great photo by www.waynewilliamsstudio.com
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“To take for permanent that which is only transitory is the delusion of a madman.”
– Kalu Rinpoche
Imprudent About Impermanence
by coach ilg
When i first began trying to understand my Tibetan Teachers when They launched into several hour long DharmaTeachings about Impermanence (a topic very dear to nearly all great Teachers who attempt to Teach from Metta or Lovingkindness), i fell off the back faster than i did when i made my upgrade from a Cat 3 road cyclist and found myself in pro peletons…gone baby…off the back in sixty seconds after a pro level surge or attack.
I see now, however, why my Beloved Teachers, such as Kalu Rinpoche quoted above, had to focus our studies on Impermanence. Most of us are scared stiff about dying. Those who even are so arrogant to place those “NO FEAR” bumper stickers on their pick up trucks, are probably, really…deep down scared about their ability to enter the Bardo (dying) Realms.
We are scared of death because, essentially, we mistake the impermanent (body, ahamkara (ego) manas (lower mind)for the permanent (Brahman or absolute reality). Now, those of you that are flat out Kshatriya (Warrior Class) are gonna have a rough ride over the next few paragraphs. I want you to stick close to my wheel, however. Certain things will hit your cells in the reading of the next few paragraphs which will take Seed in your Practice. For those of you who are my Brahmanic/Kshatriya’s…well, you guys (and gals) will be all over this shit.
Ready? Okay, buckle up…yesterday i embraced you to buy my new Sport Snowshoeing DVD (it’s BEAUTIFUL!), today, your ol’ mountain yogi is taking you for a joyride into the cosmic blender of East meets West in the science of Energetics Toward Enlightenment! Don’t you just gotta LOVE Wholistic Fitness? Nobody Dances Like Us, eh?
off we go! careful here! coach is stepping on the throttle, baby…you gonna be able to hang!??!
East or West? Whatever; USE the Force!
STUDENT:
Most Noble Coach of All Coaches,
I bow to your amazing LifeWork and unfathomable devotion to teaching the chi in both Eastern and Western dimensions. I have never come across such powerful Truths in any other author, let alone athlete or yoga teacher.
If you could answer a question; I am still confused about how the chi or the pranic forces of which you speak relate to the Western notion of physiology.
Your humble student,
LK
Most Noble Friend Along The Path,
Oh geez. we could just take a peek at any of the biochemical reactions occurring within any given instant of our being to draw out much rasas from your question. For example, we all know about molecules, right? Well, what the hell holds together a molecule? Ha! Well, there are several forces – that is right; FORCES) at work to create the much desired molecular structure that the Western Mind attempt to use to stop the Dance of Shiva and do what the Western Mind LOVES to do: organize, label, and analyze! Oooooh What Fun! The Eastern Mind is much more engaged in accepting the notion of forces and USING them within the ever changing forces of the universe, affectionately known as Lila!
Let me give you an example. Hmmmm. How about a Western description of one of the intermolecular Forces. How about if i isolate one of the better known Western isolations, say, the not so catchy named;
Van der Waals’ forces.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
In chemistry, the term van der Waals’ forces (sometimes called London dispersion forces) refers to a particular class of intermolecular forces. The term originally referred to all such forces, and this usage is still sometimes observed, but it is now more commonly used to refer to those forces which arise from the polarization of molecules into dipoles. This includes forces that arise from fixed or angle-averaged dipoles (Keesom forces) and free or rotation dipoles (Debye forces) as well as shifts in electron cloud distribution (London forces). The name refers to the Dutch physicist and chemist Johannes Diderik van der Waals, who first documented these types of forces. The Lennard-Jones potential is often used as an approximate model for the Van der Waals force as a function of distance.
Got that?
Okay good. What?
Oh, and you wonder WHY i gave up Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology to focus on being a sponsored rock and ice climber for ten years?
I tell ya,
the Western approach to Lila will make YOU want to “climb the walls” as well!
Awlrighty, lemme try to coach this to you in an Eastern way. I will choose the Yogic perspective, since Yoga is better known in our Tribe than the Asiatic spiritual sciences:
The molecule…doing what it does; Dance!
In yoga, the term vayu refers to a particular class of internal forces or etheric currents. The term refers to ten such forces, yet only five are considered major and in practical usage by most yogic adepts. More commonly, the adept focuses upon two vayu forces – prana-vayu and apana-vayu -which arise from the polarization of Shakti into Shiva energetics. This includes forces that arise from fixed, angle-averaged , or circular etheric currents as well as shifts in nadic distribution. The names refer to the symbolic representation of macrocosmic currents of undifferentiated universal particulate matter known as the gunas Though this sacred knowledge is pre-historic, it is generally accepted as being what i call, Divinely downloaded by Lord Shiva to his consort, Parvarti then his disciple Matsyendranath and his disciple Gorakshanath. It was eventually Swatmarama who expounded this ancient science and then codified into a handbook of enlightenment known as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika that documents these types of forces. A very small portion of this science known as asana or physical postures, is often used as an approximate model for attempting to discover these forces as a function of long term health and a foundation toward personal enlightenment
Better?
i figgered so.
In Chapter 4 of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika:
“Salutations to Siva the guru, who is of the form of nada, bindu, and kala.”
that’s it, right there.
let me break it down for you Foxy;
Siva is the static force of the UniVerse.
Nada is the sound or wave energy as in quantum physics.
Bindu is the center or the nucleus.
Kala is the wavicle that endlessly forms and reforms in a spaceless, timeless, and non-dual state.
Nada and Bindu are the dance of Shiva and Shakti, with Bindu being the nucleus in an atom while the whirling about of electrons around Bindu is Nada. The energy of this molecular dance is Kala.
As the Western sciences continue to grock and grope and grumble their Way toward an obviously interconnected Wholistic Fitness of the manifested and unmanifested universe(s), i choose to play with you, My Friend Along The Path of Awakening within our cherished humble, powerful Temple Beneath The Sacred Peak.
Nice riding with you today…
May your Practice and Particles remain manifested in the Brightest of inSights gained through your Daily Sweat and Stillness…
your coach
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!