Wholistic Fitness

-your humble mountain yogi, at His Service, a while ago. –

true; my first exposure to organized spirituality came by way of Roman Catholicism. “organized” is putting it lightly. each day, every day came an intoxicating mix of resounding organ pipe music, mystical reverberations of Latin wordage, drinking and eating each early morning of the ‘blood’ and ‘body’ of the symbolic Christ, countless repetitions of prayers and scores of weekly penances all designed by the Corporate Church Leaders to save my little altar-boy arse from something called, ‘eternal damnation.’ and all those images of a worked-over Jesus, nailed to that cursed wooden cross?…ooooof.

all heavy stuff for a kid.

so, i figured the best way out of eternal damnation? become a priest. hell, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, right? i guess i kinda have become a type of priest in a lunatic fringe sort of way. the Buddhist and yogic influences inherent to all things ‘ilg’? they arrived shortly into my 8th year of life by way of Father Ashley Samarashingle, a giant tricycle pedaling re-incarnation of Christ Himself, i swear. Father Ashley was a South Indian Catholic Priest, if you can imagine. i loved Him immediately and endlessly. i have spoken of this primary Teacher of mine in this forum previously, so i will not bother you with any more my love gushing for this remarkable karma yogi who, i think, infiltrated the Catholic Church from within in order to really show us how one is to live like Christ in the modern age.

i Trust that there are still many such Father Samarashingle’s within the convoluted, often contorted messages of present era Catholicism. personally, i still have Faith in the Roman Catholic tradition; i just think there is not enough Sweating going on in Catholicism these days. it’s overly intellectual. whenever ANYTHING gets imbalanced with too much thinking and not enough sweating? ‘bad’ stuff starts to happen. if Catholic leaders would organize and encourage Catholic Cardio Commutes to Sunday Mass? then, i figure, more natural Sacredness and Humility would be reStored in this Vehicle of Christ. wouldn’t that be just dandy? you’re out doing your thing on Sunday Morning, and there running and biking in the snow and rain are all these Catholics trying to keep up with one fast-flying, robed Leader?

i digress.

what i really wanted to share with you on this day of days before i head out to my current form of church-going (Nordic skiing), regards…kids Christmas lists.

for the life of me, i cannot understand a word on these kid’s lists. these Christmas lists look like a scientific equation to combat global warming for Christ’s Sake…
why, with only
6 days, 15 hours, and uh, 36 minutes left before Santa scorches His sleigh upon Two Tree Manor’s snow covered roof, i find myself nearly embarrassed at STILL having no idea what the hell a
Nintendo Wii is or what it does
and i also plead utter ignorance on what a Spotz is or does,
or Swypeout
or why an otherwise perfectly sane little girl needs a Barbie MP3 Player…then again,
i guess i will know sooner or later.

so here is what i fall back upon during this often conflicted, confusing time of mixed messages year; the Dharma of a Maha Yogi known as Jesus Christ, who was, without a doubt, the world’s most extreme athlete and most beautiful example of a Peaceful Warrior. i mean, with all due respect, i don’t TAF that even the current crop of our best Extreme Athletes these days; pro bull riders, those ‘wrestlers’ and ‘cage fighters’, and snowboarders would ever dare do what Jesus did for us to try to Wake Us Up. well, maybe they would if their Agent could arrange royalty-delivery into the Bardo. however, that’s just it; today’s studio-addicted yogis and adrenalin-addicted extreme athletes have not done enough Inner Work to even have clue as to maintaining Consciousness through the initial suffering and death process and re-surrect their purusha (inner Soul) back into prakriti; the manifest universe on this Plane(t) –

it’s beyond, beyond, WAY beyond us. how many of us DO have the Gumption to study internal development artistry like did Yogi Jesus in His ‘lost years’ in the desert before being Brave enough to live our Love of God out loud in such a Way that His LifeMessage still captures the imagination of our ADD society?

let this feeble mountain yogi go on record once again to profess my utter Love and Respect and Awe for that beautiful, powerful, humble Master of Life; Yogi Jesus Christ…a few of His Words may help us through the Next Week to stay centered;

“Never eat a meal until you Bless it with the Meaning of God.”

“Whoever welcomes a child, welcomes me.”

“Sell your riches and give to the poor, for your Heart will always be with them.”

“Your body is more than your clothes.”

“Which of you by being anxious adds to the length of your life?”

“A true Messenger of God must suffer at the hands of and then be rejoiced by the people of his day.”

“Pray that you do not enter into Temptation.”

thus,
from this body full of pain and love
i wish only to shower upon you, Oh Noble Fitness Warriors,
the strength and spirit of Yogi Jesus and
be not Tempted too much by the insidious play of the Outer World,
a World addicted to EnterTainment instead of the One that Yogi Jesus
encouraged us to cultivate; InnerAttainment.

that is all.

Om So Ti,
your loving coach