this DL came to me while riding home late last rainy night after teaching Yoga. i was pedaling fast to get through a sketched out construction area. nearly got through it when, for the umpteenth time in my life, along came a car addict who felt obliged to scorch through the narrowed 25 mph construction area at like 60 mph. my feeble little blinking red light tethered to my bouncing backpack like a bothersome gnat to the car addict.why bother slowing down just for a stupid bicyclist in the dark?
the car addicts remind me of “Intellectual Buddhists” and others that are so quick to quote the Most Highly Skilled Masters of Sweat and Stillness while they themselves remain addicted to their cars, showers, phones, tv, media, shoes, and Fears of losing the house, kids, or well, quite frankly their life. “Oh, i can’t do the Cardio Commute portion of WF because…” blah, blah, blah come their perpetuation of rationalizations* like so much puke emitting from their mouth. What, like you REALLY think any of the Great Yogis like Jesus Christ, Shakymuni, Padmasambhava, Gandhi, or today’s living Masters like Ammachi or Tenzin Gyatso would allow their Love of Go(o)d to weaken Their Self Discipline?**
When fans of TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION write me, they express a passive degree of anger at me for wiring the WF Test that comes at the front of the book so that i really nail Fitness Warriors who do not integrate Cardio Commuting and other forms of Walking Lightly On The Earth As Part Of Their Fitness. tough, deal with it. WF is a direct descendant of the most powerful, fierce Spiritual Lineage that the planet has even known. those who Know this Path by Direct Experience realize immediately the Steepness and Nobility of what it attempts to bring to the masses; Consciousness in every moment.
Appreciation in every tooth that is brushed with our Non Dominant hand.
Honor in every chair that is bypassed for sitting cross legged upon Ma Earth.
A growing smile reflected from each cup of tea mindfully drank.
Sacredness in every bead of sweat.
Preciousness in every ounce of water flushed and showered upon our skin.
And unimaginable Divinity in every drop of Dinosaur Blood (gas) saved…
so, when feeble ilg gets slaughtered by a mindless car addict while pedaling my bike in the rainy night, please carry the torch for me through this Work, okay? know in your Hearts that ilg, lying mangled and bleeding to death in the unknown gutter, will not have Anger arising at the car addict; just Compassion. Sadness for his avidya.
keep working from Compassion, not rage.
don’t read the words of the Great Masters; practice them. Actively engaged spiritual teachings are what matter most. do the Do with a capital “D”. speak less; sweat more. emulate your Teacher(s) and the Inner Guru will arise like Vajrapani and you will soon be wielding the Diamond Scepter of Warrior Wisdom in every cell of your body. Fierce grace comes from getting the hell outta the car, transforming your weaknesses, and realizing that spiritual work cannot truly be practiced within the comfort zones of your ego.
a really, really go(o)d place to start is Cardio Commuting.
my longest Cardio Commute was when i lived near the Native American hamlet of San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico. With the formidable vortex of Black Mesa powering my spirit, i pedaled to my bookstore clerk position at a new age bookstore in Santa Fe; 21 miles away along a high speed Death Highway. another big one was when i lived in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles and Cardio Commuted to teach Yoga in Westwood; 13 miles one way along…gulp…Sepulveda Pass. sometimes, for such mighty legged Cardio Commutes, i would drive halfway (see above photo) then bike. to me, every drop of Dinosaur Blood i save is vitally important to my Karmic Fitness…the Saving of my own Soul and possible Enlightenment to help All Beings In All Realms.
okay, okay, granted, my little commutes around the Shambala like little town of Flagstaff these days pale in comparison to some of my other cardio commutes. i still have developed an idea that may turn some of you on.
get a simple cycle computer and dedicate it to your Cardio Commute bike. and, it is wise to have a bike that you use solely for bike commuting. certainly not a requirement this, however having a Commute Bike is definitely a Noble Arrow in one’s spiritual quiver. much more valuable than a store of fancy ‘spiritual books’ penned from some pencil necked Warrior Wannabe! anyway, on your Commute Bike computer, record at the end of each week your accumulated time and miles that you have commuted into the Carbon Counter on the WF Tribal Website or send the figures to WF Yogi Patki Dass as per the website.
a peculiarly unique form of Sacred Warrior Joy arises when the weeks roll by and you realize how much more Light Upon Our Mother and Father are us WF Warriors.
what if EveryOne studied and practiced our humble, powerful Path?
do what you can,
be what you can be…
proud of you like hollow bamboo…
light, strong, and full of Sacred Inner Space…
om so ti,
the mountain yogi
* (see the DL Archives for my teaching on Perpetuation of Rationalization)
** (see this past week’s DLs for learning what the definition of Self Discipline really means)
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!