Wholistic Fitness

ilg, watching his (Dharma) wheels going ’round and ’round. “The outer world don’t give my blogs or books or resume awards; in fact, many people disdain ilg…not that they can outperform ilg, even these days, however, that doesn’t seem to matter. it’s go(o)d, a perfect Teaching of Aparigraha. as my Teachers taught me; “All Karma is God,” and, as the Gita taught me long ago; “Be not attached to the fruits of thy labor.” photo by Ananda; cranking red rock, cross style. kids; wear your helmet; i took mine off for the photo.

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There is a great book, written by my friend Bo Lozoff called, WE’RE ALL DOING TIME. My bro Bo is a fellow Karma Yogi and his “Prison-Ashram Project” is his version of my Wholistic Fitness Project. We were both instructed by our Teachers when we were young to spend our lives, “Serving beyond Self.“ While Bo attempts to bring Dharma to prisoners behind bars, feeble ilg – through speech, body, and mind – attempts to bring Dharma to those who realize that the necessity of personal fitness is actually necessity for our Soul. While Bo helps to Serve those with official prison sentences, ilg attempts to Serve those whose Attachments and Afflictions are less pronounced, cleverly hidden behind a masquerade of legalized, socially acceptable (if not sensationalized) masks. Yet, if we can grab our crotches hard enough and strong enough to really look at ourSelves, rigorously through years of Meditation i mean, we may See with fright that our various addictions to our Habits of thought and selfish, grasping actions are more lethal to our eventual Freedom than a jail cell.

“Two men stare out from behind iron bars.
One sees the mud.
The other, the stars.”
– unknown yogi

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As a sweat and sport based Dharma Teacher (masquerading as a personal fitness teacher), I watch all of us making our various wheels go ‘round and ‘round. Cyclists make our wheels go round and round, runners, too. Yogis and our Sun Salutes, bodybuilders and our barbells. Round and round we go. Meanwhile, if we are not careful – extremely so – our truest wheels of self; our Dharma Wheels can remain stuck in the ruts of our egoic grooves. Hec, let’s be true here; the more addicted we become to our workouts or our sport, the less liberating our sweat becomes. Exercise as vice instead of Enlightenment Vehicle.

Knowing we are all Just Doing Time coincides with the very m(om)ent of our unique Spiritual Wake Up Call.

Ilg has never won an award for having the ‘best blog of…”

Fact is, OUTSIDE MAGAZINE readers voted my 1992 Cover Shot as the “Worst Ever” and next month OUTSIDE is going to republish the photo so that the newer Readers of OUTSIDE can poke their own fun at ilg in his mullet topped lycra yoga pose. Meanwhile, the beautiful story behind the cover shot; wherein i train their writer, Don Katz, for a winter triathlon embracing WF Principles and transform his entire being along the way – slides by unrequited.

The reason ilg and the Dharma Vehicle of WF remains so austere is that the clever, snappy smarts of the modern Outer World cannot pigeon hole ilg or WF into a clever little compartment…and,ilg doesn’t work for monetary gain; ilg works for your Soul…that part of you that doesn’t die when does your cherished body.

There is no convenient catch phrase to easily categorize ilg or WF. Worse (best), is that the WF Dharma is grounded and bombproof enough by Direct Experience to draw the Wisdom Sword and start severing the proud limbs off of triathletes, bodybuilders, climbers, runners, yogis, cyclists, you name it. WF will quickly point out that anything we do can become an addiction devoid of spiritual merit if we do not wisely and steadily cultivate the Dharma which animates our every breath. Our every effort.

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And so arrive the questions to the Spiritual Seeker – or the wayward, conventionally trained athlete – who stumbles across this stark, Steep and Direct Line up the Mountain toward the Highest of All Podiums; Enlightenment. He is filled with the incessant what is this Wholistic Fitness stuff? Why am I to question my strengths and attack that what I resist? Why can‘t I just be good at my sport and have that be enough? Why do I feel annoyed whenever I start reading about this ilg character and his Holy grail of WF? Why should I be concerned about using my Non-Dominant Hand or watch my Posture? (And the most painful of all:) Why does it feel like I must explore this Path?

Why? Because you’ve Awakened and rare are the experienced Dharma Teachers whom have post-holed such a fun yet Anciently Authentic path through snow so deep and wide as WF. Sure, ilg remains an easy target for those unAwakened athletes who just spin countless circles without a clue as to how to connect their sweat with their capacity to Love and Rise Above their negative tendencies and habituated patterns of thought, speech, and action. There is no blame, no finger pointing is being done here for what blame can be slung to those decrepit souls who have so few spiritual tools in their shed?

Thus, the miniscule ilg and the Precious Jewel Path continues to etch itself indelibly up the Great Mountain of Spiritual Cultivation, as has been the artful science of this transformational path since 1982. If you can find another Path that has remained so committed, loving, and fiercely devoted to your Sacred Sweat and Astounding Spirit, let ilg know.

Better yet, let your Higher Self know. Then, make a break for it…get outta jail, baby. Be not bound by what you love doing; be freed through it.

“People asking questions, Lost in confusion;
I tell them there’s no problems, only solutions.

They shake their heads and look at me as if I’ve lost my mind;
I tell them there’s no hurry, I’m just sittin’ here doing time.”
– John Lennon, lyrics; Watching The Wheels

May this entry have given Sacred Pause to your Practice,
and may All Beings Everywhere be empowered by your Freedom Through What You Love Doing…

Om so ti,

The mountain yogi