Wholistic Fitness

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this morning in the paper i read the obituary of a local 3 month-old, a beautiful little girl, who died in her sleep on September 11, the same day Dewachen was born one year ago. as a yogi trained in Death and Dying Meditations, those black-and-white words and image still made my heartspace shudder. seemed like only yesterday when Ananda and i would sleep right next to our own baby girl of 3 months; alert to any quiver in her sounds of sleep. what is a yogi to do with such potent Teachings from the Bardo which is all-Ways one undone breath away? well, first and foremost is compassion for all Beings and secondly; gratefulness for our own Blessings.

raising, consciously, a child is truly for the birds.
specifically, Penguins.
the wise yogi parent would do well to use their Meditation sessions to reMember (with) their Penguin incarnation,
which was one of our final evolutionary tests for unconditional child caring between both parents.
if, for some reason a new parent cannot seem to create the time for Meditation (which is why it is so vital to begin
a granite-sound Meditation Practice looooong before having a child), then a distant second would be to rent – no, buy –
the movie; March Of The Penguin. watch it…no, STUDY it with your Partner…and know that YOU have already DONE that
tremendous effort of unconditional parenting with your Partner in your Penguin incarnation (a mandatory incarnation before taking a Human one). that type of parenting skill and tenacity and love is vibrant within your cellular body and spirit (atman).
knowing this, go and refuse to let ANYTHING stand in the way of being the most PRESENT, LOVING, and CARING parent possible. for truly, if do you blow off Conscious Parenting or schmuck your child off to some form of babysitting** this time around? yup, you’re going back to relearn that super steep and direct Path of selflessness and unconditional love.

my counsel to new Daddy Warriors after one year?
“Honor Every Cry”
for each cry from your baby is truly your live-in Rinpoche ringing the Temple Gong;
so go running after each cry, repeating the Mantra, and be as present and loving as you were during your Penguin parent incarnation.

it is said that “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,” and it might also be said that “A child’s first steps are their re-entry into a form-full UniVerse from their form-less UniVerse.” with each staggering step they take, they compact their kundalini, nadic, and vayu system into form…a form which later must be broken through with stalwart Meditation, Pranayam, and Higher Guidance from the exact Higher Guides with which they easily converse with gurgles and ga-ga’s. Remember, there is a lot of “God” in your baby’s Ga-Ga’s. one of my former Practices which i’ve had to really dust off and refine to help Dewa find Her walking is known in the softer martial arts as, “Two Hands,” a discipline that teaches skillful awareness of balance. helping your child to walk requires nearly 24/7 presence and the ability to withstand a ferocious and chronic low-back pain from constantly being bent-over as GENTLE assistance is offered to your pre-toddler.

***

photos;
#1 – the ‘Can Do Clan’ a few days after moving into our new h(om)e beneath the Sacred Peak; “Three Chi Manor.” The placement of the Dharma Banners was my second priority in moving. the first one being, of course, the establishment of the Zendo. a WF h(om)e prioritizes spiritual feng-shui first and foremost. all the other ‘stuff’ of moving can then be performed with the Mantra amplified via spiritual foundation. photo by Jerry Kilpatrick.

#2 – Ms. Dewachen Catherine Ilg gives herself a round of applause during her First Birthday Celebration on September 11, 2008 among family and friends. photo by Connie Ilg.

#3 – Fingerprint evidence from Dewa’s first encounter with processed sugar! oooh boy…here we go! photo by Connie Ilg.

#4 – “Sit, and slide…sit, and slide…” New Daddy Warrior Ilg during one of a seemingly endless number of trips that Dewa loves to make up and down our new staircase at Three Chi Manor. notice that for biomechanical integrity of my child’s shoulder joint, i only occasionally lift Her upper arms past horizontal. Photo by Connie Ilg.

** = and there are MANY forms of schmucking off your child to all types of baby sitters, including playpens, tv, and ‘child-care’