Wholistic Fitness

Although it looks like i am practicing Zazen, which all WF Online Students are taught normally within their first year of studies,
here i am actually practicing Deity Yoga…also known as an essential practice of Anuttara-yoga-tantra.

To oversimplify the practice:
essentially, after one has attained a certain degree of EkaGraha (mental one-pointedness) through precursory disciplines such as Zazen, yoga asana, pranayama, ultra endurance competitive cardio, strength training, mastery of food intake, energywork, etc., then the yogi engages his or her powers of imagination to form a specific image of chosen or given Deity in the absence of sensory data.

Far from ‘daydreaming,’ this practice requires a consciously structured visualization. Sitting still, indifferent to aching joints or muscles, temperatures, and other distractions (note that i am sitting in the snow and cold weather to further refine my paltry EkaGraha fitness), the yogin focuses solely upon a three-dimensional image of the Deity until the generation of the image (first stage) is complete (second stage known as; nishpanna-krama). The goal in this process is to merge or become the visualized Deity…in the Tradition of Wholistic Fitness or “NavanYoga” our Deity is Amitabha Buddha.

Each time we focus our mind power, be it upon a gym workout, asana session, pranayam, or any other activity done with intent and sustained concentration (yes, knitting counts!), then we move closer toward the Higher Practices which demand absolute control of the ego until the ego dissolves in the process of Deity generation and completeness. Such are the Highest Practices of the Masters…
you and i?

we are doing well enough to sit still in the cold, wet, wind
inner locks engaged,
ego shut off,
and sustained powers of mental concentration enhanced.

remember,
WF is all about laying the energetic groundwork for our Enlightenment;
go,
sit still,
and let
noThing
get in the Way of your Inner Ascent…

Om So Ti,
coach ilg

photo by Ananda