Deeply and highly talented ashtangi yogi Josh Schrei at timberline, in the Sangré de Christos. Josh is one of the rare yogis that realized there is more to Wholeness than mastering yoga-asana flows. Many yogis, i’ve found, can’t see the notion of Wholeness through their infatuation with the thicket of asanas. I’ve found ‘studio yogis’ to be just as resistant to the gym and cardio as are gym and cardio athletes resistant to yoga! Josh is only a few months into his WF Online Studies and has finished 1st place (AG) in his first snowshoe race, has returned into the Iron Temple, and will race a 50k Mountain Trail Race in May. Below are some of his beautiful inSights about his return to Strength and Cardio Training…i PROMISE, you will not hear such deep insights from the conventionally-trained! Enjoy and May Yogi Josh’s practice insights illumine (y)our own training toward Wholeness!
Yogi Josh On…
His Return to The Iron Temple
coache,
first iron temple workout yesterday… it felt go(o)d to be strength training again! i have to say that the gym environment — after being on the yoga mat and in the glorious wilderness — is a little hard to adjust to! plus, as you probably have over the years, I’ve developed something of a sensitivity to other people’s practice, and it makes me wince to see so many people train in a way that is injurious, stiffening, collapsing, contracting… the fundamental lesson i receive is that if it doesn’t open while it strengthens, then its not true, usable strength. with this in mind and heart, i really tried to focus on the integrity of the entire range of motion through the full rep and linking the rep with the breath. i’m interested to hear your TAFs on this.
bench presses were a great practice in form and technique. i feel i could probably do slightly more than the bar weight because even after 60 reps I hadn’t really reached exhaustion.
dips. ah, dips. i had forgotten how humbling it is to remove ones legs from the bodyweight support equation 
… i did 10,7,5 with 5 breaths in between sets. needs work.
core work — the dumbell swings were awesome and i see what a valuable exercise they are for racing. great stuff!!! can we add a couple more core exercises possibly? or more sets of these? i have a pretty strong core from all the ashtanga — any recommendations on exercises to take it to the next level? i do a pretty intuitive medicine ball core routine that i could work in.
ai imawa foundation –> jump squats –> gunther hops — how simple and elegant it looks on paper!!! this kicked my yogic behind. need to do more of this for sure. by set three i was totally fried. amazing how the fibers we need for stability in yoga are totally different than the ones we need for springing and leaping. those felt lacking for sure.
eventually i would like to work L-shaped handstand practice and wheel pushups into the yin phase if you think that’s appropriate… in order to keep emphasis on opening the upper back and trunk while strengthening.
enjoying the afterglow. MAP Aminos arrived today! snowshoe 10k tomorrow!
***
On Cardio Training…
coache,
my Mt. Baldy snowshoe workout took a little over 4 hours.
i got to practice some racing technique as there was a pair of other snowshoers in puerto nambe. so i let them get a five minute headstart up to the ridge and then focused on setting a pace that i could stick too and that i knew would overtake them. was able to do so and got to the ridge about five minutes ahead of them.
the ridge was all first tracks, as was the awesome descent back into puerto nambe. wonderful.
i was given a great teaching on technique by the mountain that i thought i would share with you. since the uphill action in snowshoeing, especially in powder, is so oblique/hip flexor focused, i paused to empty the very last bit of air out of the exhale before starting an uphill so that the abdomen lengthens and hollows — kind of pre-udiyana prep by engaging the navel down, back, and slightly up (many people mistake udiyana bandha for an exaggerated uplift, it really kicks in when we fully empty, draw down and back, and just ever so slightly raise). from this place of hollowness and lengthening, i was able to breathe normally while keeping that length in the abdomen.
this allowed my spine to stay straight, my psoas long, and my abdomen hollow which allows for greater mobility, integrity, and leverage with each step. its a killer lower ab workout and of course it greatly pleases the ruby red goddess bobbing in the sea of nectar at the manipura
josh
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!
coach,
not worthy of such praise but thank you. if in any small way my actions can aid and inspire others on the path, then its all due to the universe in its greatness and your teachings.
head bowed,
josh
Yogi Josh,
by the way, you earned yourself a FREE BOTTLE OF MAP! i’ll email you…
head bowed,
el coache
Namaste, Yogi Josh~
What an in-sight full, beauty- full sharing of your snowshoe experience. i have learned from your personal journey. You are a gifted teacher. Thank you!
Om Shanti,
joy “ananda”