Wholistic Fitness

PRANAYAM…PART THREE: OUTER MOVEMENT A BEACON FOR INNER MOVEMENT

{NOTE: THIS THE CONCLUDING PART OF A THREE PART DL EXCLUSIVE FEATURE ON PRANIC EMPOWERMENT; see DL 8/9, 8/11)

“Today, ‘pranayama’ is usually described in yogic media as a form of breath management. Such a description does dis-Serve-us to the majesty of this most powerful internal art. As Swami Vivekananda asserted, the work of pranayam is directly linked to our Soul Work. In my experience, work done through daily Pranayama – which, by the way, i would define as ‘control of the Life Currents’ – might briefly be stated as the ultimate oxygenation of the blood currents and heightend fitness of the respiratory diaphragms which, in turn, amps the vibratory state of the Practitioner to a Level equal to that of his or her etheric body (or sheath; pranayamakosha), the latter of which is karmically determined. Repeated joyous and passionate insight then arises upon this individuated mergence of ones physical and etheral bodies. One of the raddest things about Pranayam? You can do it ANYWHERE! Though best to do it as per WF’s unique “At-Sink Pranayam” prescriptions, Ananda and i also do pranayam in public restaurants (Immersion Students will now recall my, “Pranayamic Appetizers”!), or while traveling in cars or planes. i use Pranayam as the key inner tool to establish and heighten my link with the Supreme…uh, not to mention unmatched sport performance!” Above, Coach Ilg, glows with Pranic infusion, after a Pranayam Practice within what he calls, “My ambulatory yogic cave; the sealed pod of ‘Bala’ my Honda Element.” Photo by Ananda near Veyo, Utah.

there are three primary Levels of personal fitness attainment;

1) personally;
when you realized that, like riding a bike for the first time, your embrace of your personal fitness granted you great and unique freedom to chase your own star. regardless of motivational integrity, you Know and are devoted to lifetime and lifestyle exercise. you simply will never stop working out. the key here, is to make it to #2:

2) emotionally;
when you realized that your fitness training was an ignition switch that turned on your self esteem and sense of heightened well being. at this Level, you begin to See Clearly that personal fitness is a spiritual Wake Up Call. you find a Teacher (or Teaching) that embodies your standard of intellect, physical fitness, and overall Presence. you dig into your will power and determination each day to Rise Above your predictable inner obstacles toward Self Cultivation such as Doubt, Poor Health, Laziness, Mental Fatigue, Carelessness, Sensual Attraction, Delusion, and Frustration caused by failure to hold the ground. Such obstacles only conquer the Common Man. You have Risen Above such typicity.

3) spiritually;
when you finally “get It.” You understand that the real reason behind doing a Barbell Curl or doing Ironman Triathlons was not to grow stronger muscles or win medals as much as it was to purify your weaknesses, strengthen your mind, and prepare for transcendence of your physical body (conquering the fear of death). Only a few Fitness Warriors will ever reach the Knowledge of Navigation of this 3rd Level of Fitness Attainment. This is due to a lack of genuine body/mind Dharma Teachers in Kali Yuga (current era of spiritual dark age). Once such an aspirant does reach this 3rd Fitness Attainment, however, both Past and Future withdraw into Maha-pralaya (the Great Dissolution). Physical, etheral, and spiritual bodies merge into one blissful Unit. Such a state is called, a True Human Being.

***

This three part series on Pranayam is based in physical common sense: All Dis-ease begins from stagnation. The yogi simply keeps things moving by why of exercise, breathwork, and ‘secret herbs’. In keeping everything moving, encrusted and decaying food debris no longer cake the digestive organs. Compression of bodily tissues through multidisciplined exercise brings strength and suppleness to bones, muscles, and organs. Pranayams prevent a lack of bodily ventilation to provide oxgen and prana therapy throughout the cells.

you see, Noble Warrior of Wholistic Fitness,
as long as we keep things MOVING we are fine!
Life is change! Adapt!
There are only two creatures on earth that learn to Love instead of push away Change:
A baby who needs a new diaper,
and
a WF WARRIOR!

those of you that already have become Masters of External Movement
must now become more Mature in a Spiritual/Energetic Sense…you must now learn
how to take that Love Of Movement…
WITHIN!

Trust me,
me, “America’s Outdoor Athlete” (Outside Magazine)
me, “The World’s Fittest Human,” (Ultra Cycling Magazine)
me, “Mr. 75 First Ascents in climbing”…
me.. “Mr. Adrenalin junkie of all time,”
i
am telling you now:
what you think you love about external movement
is only a Beacon for the AMAZING
Delight of Inner Movement;
Pranayama!

sorry about the poor lighting here (i really need to get a ‘real’ digital camera), yet you can see an angle of Nauli (stomach cleansing; see Parts 1&2 of this Series) and the “Stomach Bar” being worked. Nauli purifies the naturally entropic energy (apana) and the natural upward energy (Prana) and can cure all dis-eases.

This stuff is a lot more spiritually mature than relying on external doctors, pills and, even for Fitness Warriors, it is a lot more subtle and demanding than say, doing biceps curls. Yet doing biceps curls is what led me within and gave me the focusing abilities and capacity to break limits that led me within.

Here is a candid shot of me, early in the morning while most people are still asleep, working the Pran. Note the essentials of HP Yoga teachings; eyes closed to draw Senses Within (pratyhara), spine straight (to keep etheric channels and centers open), i am working three Basics of HP Yoga; Ujjayi breathing, Mula Bandha, and Uddiyana. i am not allowed to Teach, that which i do not Practice. This keeps my Students safe and secure in their Training Effects. Note also, my wearing of YogaToes. I have chosen a most important section of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika below to describe these important internal fitness training movements.

In the shot above, I am doing a particular movement (a variation of Garudasana) in one of my WF Toilet Yoga (registered copyright) programs. Offered only to WF Online Students for safety and strict Guidance, there are Four Levels of WF Toilet Yoga that immediately change an aspirants life for the more powerful. I created this utterly WF Exclusive art of WF Toilet Yoga (registered copyright) because i have grown sick of people saying that they “don’t have the time,” to go take a yoga class or sit in meditation, or blah, blah, blah. You got a Toilet? Good, then you got all you need for Yoga. In this shot, note how i am using Uddiyana Pranayam (Upward Flying Breath) to produce an upliftment to my upper torso, thereby lightening the load and compaction on the lower back. Uddiyana was and remains absolutely essential to the ongoing self healing of my smashed pelvis. It is soooo hard to stay focused on Uddiyana; yet the fanning of the Pran is priceless to health, fitness, and spiritual progress. Indeed, when we do fitness training from this sense of Engaged Upliftment; we are light, supple, and focused…regardless of what sport or activity we are doing. The WF Warrior, trained in daily Pranayam, can Dance the Dance of all sports, of all activities, of all of life..for we do not train specifically; we train Wholistically! We are Athletes of the Breath! The Pran! The Life Force!

Yoga is not about Peaceful Feelings or Relaxation; it is a RADICAL Path of Self Transformation that has captivated this adrenalin extreme sport junkie…and if this Ancient Art of Self Transformation can capture and cure my addiction to adrenalin and external movement; i KNOW you will take such amazing joy at integrating Pranayam into your Daily Fitness as well.

HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA: AN ANCIENT GUIDE TO SELF TRANSFORMATION

My Teachers demanded that i study the Ancient Scriptures, such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the primary ‘bible’ for anyone who dares call themselves a Hatha Yogi (One Who Practices Forceful Yoga). Hatha Yoga is by far, the toughest ‘sport’ i have ever done. My Teachers instructed me to attend to Their Words, The Ancient Teachings, not the current pandemonium of glossy magazines and make-a-quick-buck-on-yoga books. Study the Scriptures; the BluePrints of Soul Fitness!

In turn, i too, will demand from you your best effort
…if you so choose to use your Precious Life
– and already attained Fitness Merit –
to race toward Enlightenment.

i am a lifelong competitor…and you and i are in the same race; the Human Race! It is a RACE to learn, to Master our Highest Self in one lifetime! You will need a Wise, Experienced Teacher to help you. I, and my Certified WF Teaching Staff, can guide you capably at least for a while of our Shared Journey…yet,
you must follow the Practices as given by the Ancients.
i have carefully molded WF Online to be the ideal East/West Practice and i truly wish to hear your footsteps in my
humble, yet powerful and experienced
WF Online Training Temple.

i shall now close with the Best of the Best when it comes to the ancient Practice of cultivating our Inner Power and Soul; the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
May your Practice be inspired from these Masters of Life, whose brave innertakings resulted in a string of Enlightened Beings whose Words of Inner Workouts
are more priceless,
more appropriate,
and more
NEEDED
than
ever before
on Mother Earth.

Namaste,
coach ilg

19. When the nadis become free from impurities, and there appear the outward signs of success, such as lean body and glowing color, then one should feel certain of success.

20. By removing the impurities, the air can be restrained, according to one’s wish and the appetite is increased, the divine sound is awakened, and the body becomes healthy.

21. If there be excess of fat or phlegm in the body, the six kinds of kriyas (duties) should be performed first. But others, not suffering from the excess of these, should not perform them.

22. The six kinds of duties are: Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Trataka, Nauti and Kapala Bhati. These are called the six actions.

The Uddiyana Bandha
54. Uddiyana is so called by the Yogis, because by its practice the Prana (vayu), flies (flows) in the Susumna.

55. Uddiyana is so called, because the great bird, Prana, tied to it, flies without being fatigued. It is explained below.

56. The belly above the navel is pressed backwards towards the spine. This Uddiyana Bandha is like a lion for the elephant of death.

57. Uddiyana is always very easy, when learnt from a guru. The practiser of this, if old, becomes young again.

58. The portions above and below the navel, should be drawn backwards towards the spine. By practicing this for six months one can undoubtedly conquer death.

59. Of all the Bandhas, Uddiyana is the best; for by binding it firmly liberation comes spontaneously.

The Mula Bandha
60. Pressing Yoni (perineum) with the heel, contract up the anus. By drawing the Apana thus, Mula Bandha is made.

61. The Apana, naturally inclining downward, is made to go up by force. This Mula Bandha is spoken of by Yogis as done by contracting the anus.

62. Pressing the heel well against the anus, draw up the air by force, again and again till it (air) goes up.

63. Prana, Apana, Nada and Bindu uniting into one in this way, give success in Yoga, undoubtedly.

64. By the purification of Prana, and Apana, urine and excrements decrease. Even an old man becomes young by constantly practicing Mula Bandha.

65. Going up the Apana enters the zone of fire, i.e., the stomach. The flame of fire struck by the air is thereby lengthened.
(Note In the center of the body is the seat of fire, like heated gold. In men it is triangular, in quadrupeds square, in birds circular. There is a long thin flame in this fire. It is gastric fire.)

66. These, fire and Apana, go to the naturally hot Prana, which, becoming inflamed thereby, causes burning sensation in the body.