Wholistic Fitness

From the massive Dharma flow that cascades across the giant DreamCatcher of WF in my day to day running of the world’s original and still so humble, Path of Transpersonal Fitness…

May these exchanges of spiritual fitness purify, empower, and keep you Here Now…

om so ti,

from your lifestyle coach who was here long, long before there were certifications for such things as “Wellness Coaching” and “Lifestyle Coaching”

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QUESTION NUMBER ONE: ENLIGHTENMENT OR BUST?

STUDENT:
I have been involved in your work now for several months. It is super hard. Not just your workouts, but more importantly, the constant in-your-face confrontations when it comes to your Lifestyle Principles of Breath and Posture, Mindfulness, and the big one for me; Appropriate Action; acting out of conscious, cultivated space before just doing something. i mean, i can’t even walk past a piece of litter or enjoy lingering my shower any more without hearing your voice; “Your Highest Workout Is Everywhere.” AAARGH! i think i need help in realizing the spiritual progression of WF because everything is so bloody confrontational right now for me.

COACH:
Ain’t it great to be AWAKE in Kali Yuga (the current epoch of spiritual decline)?

and hey, we are ALL feeble students until Enlightenment!

let me see if i can help you; first and foremost WF is a genuine Path of Yoga. Sure, i stylized it for the Western culture by putting the Fitness Stuff up front. However, as ANY student of WF knows by Direct Experience, the REAL MEAT of WF is in the fires of self-confrontation which are continuously, progressively brought forefront to the Student’s awareness through the slow, steady science of self transformation through the WF Practices.

Enlightenment has never ever been conveyed through a religious context in Yoga. at least in traditional Yoga. any religion – you name it – attempts to put “God” into some sort of a box. that is why religions are called, “spiritual organizations.”

however, it is pretty much kindergarten common sense to realize, “Dude, God ain’t gonna fit into a human-created box or concept.”

WF attempts not to organize spirit; rather to recognize it, develop it, and become intimately acquainted with it. Thus; the Practice of WF relies upon 3 Factors; Sweat,Concentration, and Study of Self. in yoga, this ‘kriya of WF’ would be known as; TapasDharanaSvadhyaya Kriya Yoga.

do you now see why i chose the words Wholistic Fitness in my attempt to teach and protect the Dharma in the West? especially when i introduced this work in the early eighties. among the fitness community, yoga was still sheepishly avoided. in fact, i could not even USE the term back then relying instead on the term, Kinesthetic Training to identify and open the Doorway toward yoga.

instead of attempting to shortcut our Way toward Enlightenment by relying on intellectual, non-sweating Paths or just specific asana-only Paths, in this Majestically Diverse Form of Yoga which we know and love as WF, we learn to concentrate our minds by focusing on purification and strengthening of the nerves (through the wide spectrum fitness training disciplines). i do this because where the Nerve Energy is developed, then the Nadic and Pranic Energetics follow. This slow mastery of the athletic, versatile body is what properly trains the deep and wide mind. if this Way is not followed (which has been taking most of us many lifetimes) then our body and mind remains front loaded with toxins, samskara’s, and elemental debris (afflicted tattwa). Basically, without WF Practice, the pranas (inner energy currents) which govern our physiological functions remain severed and imbalanced compromising the balance of our autonomic nervous system. The elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) will be polluted without WF as certainly will be the even more refined energetic systems of the chakras.

Enlightenment must happen THROUGH the body.

and our Bodies are AMAZINGLY versatile. i mean, if an average joe like me can use Yoga to self heal a broken spine and go on to post an athletic resume with the versatility that you can read about in the Visitors Cave of WholisticFitness.com, then, just THINK of how much work it will take us to develop the more refined components BEYOND the Capacities of the PHYSICAL BODY!

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QUESTION NUMBER TWO: TUMERIC TO COMBAT BRONCHITIS?

STUDENT:
Coach, amazing display of your “yoga” up at Telluride; congratulations on yet another inspiring victory against the ‘specifically-trained’ athletes! i understand that after competing at that altitude and then extreme skiing for two days afterward you contacted edema. how are you now and as a long-time sufferer of chronic respiratory challenges, i would love to know what you used to help you.

COACH:
i was stupid after winning that race. i was so HIGH (literally and figuratively) that my CHI up at Altitude ran over my Intuitive Wisdom like a boatload of bricks. i stayed up high for two days, skiing my heart (and lungs) out, did not drink enough and pretty much was an idiot. As a penalty for my lack of Wise Discrimination, Shiva rightly and enthusiastically reMinded me of my history with Altitude-induced edema which then morphed into bronchitis and an inflamed respiratory track.

i did not miss one workout; although i am extending my Recovery Phase before finally beginning to pedal my bike for cycling season.

my two-decade devotion to the SUNRIDER HERBS and along with BioBuilde, has made the following supplementation drastically effective:
1) Tumeric 4x Daily
2) Bromelain, 2x Daily
3) Humidifier at Night
4) Natural Hydrotherapy (alternating hot and cold towels upon the lung center)

your Naturopathic M.D. can dial in your specifics on the above prescription. or, Online Consultations are available on the WF Tribal Catalog.

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QUESTION NUMBER THREE: OPRAH DRAWN TO COACH’S H(om)ELAND!

STUDENT:
okay, there i was watching OPRAH’s special on her “road trip” across the country and low and behold right off the bat she visited five places where you lived! So Cal was her start, then to Flagstaff/Sedona, then to the Navajo Nation, then to Durango, Colorado, then to Pagosa Springs, Colorado!

so, what do you think Coach? is Oprah coming to you?!

COACH:
i watched the episode. i saw with dismay the utter idiocy of how the World’s Most Powerful Woman did not know how to walk, let alone drive elegantly or safely, pump gas, find directions, and the other multiple dismal failures that she bravely put up on the screen for the world to see. i feel only Compassion; yes the Pranic Ocean of the Southwest cracked open her ChildHeart and stirred her chakral energetics. evident.

professionally, i see Oprah as reflection of her “teachers.” her inability to Make The Connection between her talk and her walk lies more in her teacher’s responsibility than in hers.

sure, i would love to train Oprah! she probably, like many who only THINK they want to study WF, probably would not last long in this Path. i do not know. she evidently is trying to do go(o)d in the world. she is still struggling so greatly with her body. to my eyes, from what i have seen, she lacks the DharmaConnection to her Way of Being.

i bow to Oprah. however, her not letting other personal trainers near her is not very noble. it might be written into her trainer’s contract or something, i do not know. all i know is that i know in my heart of Service in SvaDharma that i could do a better job of cultivating her mind/body/spiritual fitness.

maybe next lifetime we will see what happens. Powerful Woman that Oprah. she definitely needs more Road Trips in the southwest. i would love to Guide her. she got some chi, that is without doubt. her heart is go(o)d.

she just lacks a skilful DharmaTeacher in her Path. then again, most do.