This shot of myself was extracted from some of Bill Galen’s film footage from my recently released DVD; FLIGHT WITHOUT WINGS; Sport Snowshoeing Basics with Coach Ilg. order yours today at the Tribal Catalog; you will LOVE IT!
below, Bill writes in with an inSight arising from his Practice and my mention of “Sacred Stones” as it related to my “Rock Vinyasa” Teaching…
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Greetings Coach,
Your inbox is probably full of students’ spewing insights at you, but I can’t resist recounting my experience last night. Driving, I listened to a 2-hour interview with the late Aldous Huxley covering one of my favorite topics – opening the doorway to mystical experience of the divine through various means. He opened the lecture with a profound question – why do cultures around the world and throughout history value ‘precious stones?’ They have absolutely no intrinsic value.
One possiblilty he offered might be that these stones, cut, polished and mounted, achieve a state of permanent beauty unattainable by the human body. What could last longer that a precious stone?
The only thing I could think of that lasts longer than a stone is . . . a mountain. Immediately I envisioned coach climbing that mountain – a temporal act interaction with the eternal.
The next possiblilty offered is that precious stones, gems, stained glass, etc. all mirror the visuals associated with the experience of at-one-ment with the divine. Again, across cultures and time, mystical experiences share the vision of light, color, and precious jewels. And again, I envisioned the divine awakening aroused by yoga, exercise, WF . . .
Then, I put in another cd . . . Stream Entry . . . and listened to coach saying the same thing, and more. I really, really was moved by the way he frames exercise, fitness, discipline and the other lifestyle prinicipals as a metaphor for the spiritual path. Really great stuff.
Thanks so much to both of you for reminding me where the doorway is and that all I have to do is open it. WF might just be the key for me.
Blessings from the High Desert,
bg
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!