Wholistic Fitness

On location for a segment of a new upcoming WF DVD “Tribal Tapes” = “Sacred Sweat Series;-Pumping Rock; Coach Ilg’s Introduction for Bouldering.”

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After racking up some initial Base Miles on my road and cross bike, too much of any one sport makes a WF Warrior too…well, specific. We can’t have that, no sireee bob…least, not in THIS Tribe of MultiDisciplined Yogis! In this Tribe…we live to learn to DANCE, baby! So it was time to switch out some leg endurance and pump some granite!!!errrrr…well, this rock outcropping – just a few minutes outside of downtown Flagstaff – is actually basalt. I love climbing on basalt…its of volcanic origin and often features positive incuts, great face climbing, wicked stemming, and crazy curvy cracks…LOVE IT! This outcropping features nearly 45 world-class Bouldering routes alone…and it is just the tip of the ‘rockberg’ for climbing in the region immediately surrounding Flag.

Here, Ananda captured me flashing an ascent of a difficult Boulder route, “The Hole Problem.” A “flash” means that essentially, i walked up to the route without ever seeing it before and climbed it on the first try with no prior knowledge (beta) from other climbers or the guidebook. It is the purest and highest attainment in the Art of Bouldering. The route begins with a ‘sit down start’ (ass is on the ground), doing a hard couple of moves and fast footwork to this point…now, see how i am ‘resting’ on my skeleton at arms length to conserve muscle strength? watch closely as i dance my feet up higher without moving my arms…sooooo much of climbing success lies in intricate, strong footwork…

my right hand has been sustaining a bi-doit..a French term meaning that only two of my fingers can be stuffed into a hole. If you read and practice any of my rock climbing programs in my books throughout the years, you will understand how i made my fingers so strong…like aircraft cable, baby! that is why when i give Bodywork to a student, the experience of my fingers being able to locate and facilitate hard nodules of adhered tissues on your body is, well, world class compared to other massage therapists that have NOT trained their finger strength as much as i have. It always boils down to one thing; the strength of the individual’s personal Practice, doesn’t it? Now, watch as i still need to crank off the bi-doit and move to my left… the pain on my two fingers as i change the physics of the pull on them is excruciating…however, no summit worth reaching has ever been attained without pain and endurance of mind…

click on photos to see the importance of finger strength in this particular form of yoga…great photos, Ananda!

“The only absolute rule is: never lose control of the show.”
– Johnny Carson

That quote is particularly true to the Boulderer as he or she moves higher off the earth…if i peel off here? i would smash my ankles and possibly crack my skull open upon impact, that is how hard i am cranking here…Yoga Teachers – if they be genuine – don’t just talk about control and union of mind and body; they are out there, baby; testing it by Sacred Sweat and Stillness of Mind over Fear and Resistance. That is HP Yoga�, a rarity in today’s Kali Yuga…

…high off the deck..compressing for my final lunge for the top exit moves…

dat’s a Flash, baby! Ain’t no thang for TFO!! Well, back to the bike today…God, thank you for Gifting me with Two Legs, Two Arms, Lungs, and a HeartSpace strong enough to develop ALL of Your Gifts…May i honor Your Gift of life today by never refusing to move toward my resistances and into my Fears of Being Whole…

In WF, America’s native yoga, we ask,
“Is spirit having fun as me?”

Keep it cranking, baby…and keep it tuned right here to your Tiny Temple Beneath The Sacred Peak…

OM SO TI,

coach ilg