Wholistic Fitness

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�Nothing but the accomplishment of the present gives form to the future.�

– coach ilg

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Happy New Year Noble Warriors!

i take every January 1st to tally my training volumes. i began journaling as a spiritual practice when i was 17. i remember being so dedicated to my daily diary that i�d secretly journal while in the bathroom in motels during ski trips with the National Team so my teammates would not make fun of me or steal my diary. so enamored with the insights that arose from daily journal keeping, i wrote THE OUTDOOR ATHLETE�S TRAINING JOURNAL (Cordillera Press). Now out of print, it was published in 1992 along with a fantastic CD-ROM that represented the pioneering edge of software technology. i still use this CD ROM to this day for my journaling.

the value of journaling to me is the fact that our life is our best Teacher. if we fail to examine and record our life, we miss the subtle patterns and play of It All. journaling brings Perspective to the flow of life.

i began my diary to improve sport performance variables…for example, keeping track of athletic records, heart rate, distance, intensity, etc. now retired from sponsored athletics, i still journal in order to…well, keep order. order to the flow of spiritual insight with physical change. a most fantastic Dance emerges from my recordings. i sense an arising motif built from consistencies which match up with childhood dreams and long ago visualizations.

when i was a young athlete, i understood intuitively that i must attain mastery in sports when young because i knew a youthful body could sustain the various bone jarring intensities from training. so, i made it my yoga to reach high levels of competitive fitness in such tendon ripping diverse sports as ultra distance mountain running, rock climbing, boxing, nordic jumping, and Olympic weightlifting. better to push my body to the extreme when young and later rely upon yoga to iron out the injuries and restrictions.

it�s playing out just as i saw it, long ago.

for example, here are my YEAR END TOTALS from 1995 and 2002:

1995:

total gym hours: 84

total cardio hours: 494

total yoga hours: 96.5

total meditation hours: 140.25

year end bodyweight: 151 pounds

2002:

total gym hours: 83

total cardio hours: 331.25

total yoga hours: 435.25

total meditation hours: 135.50

year end bodyweight: 149 pounds

to me, three things jump out as i review these statistics:

1) even at age 40+, i still �walk my talk� of Wholistic Fitness! my diary reveals a high degree of versatility in my fitness instead of specificity. specificity is as close to a curse word as one can get if you are a Master Student of WF! the near zero deviation in my bodyweight testimony to the effectiveness of Wholistic Fitness for weight management.

2) strength training and meditation are like my bread and butter during this period of my life. these two disciplines remain moderate in volume, but high in intensity, and extremely consistent.

3) cardio and yoga is what has changed my personal Dance over the last 7 years. in 1995, competitive cycling fitness was my focus and my cardio hours reflected that. today, i focus on yoga to heal years of trauma to my body through sport, so i�ve decreased cardio volume to make time for yoga.

Though few could ever hope to match my fitness �numbers� over the decades (although i encourage everybody to go for it!), it is important to remember that training volumes only point toward a singular principle: Divine Spirit. though my body continues to perform well in many sports and fitness activities, it is the steadfast cultivation of the Divine through the form which keeps my training motivation so High.

it still – quite simply – just feels good to me to workout. this is merely another way of saying, �When i workout, it makes me feel Go(o)d.�

May 2003 see you harvest unmatched consistency in your fitness practices.

i know you think you have many �important things to do� in a given day, but i will tell you this: the MOST �important thing to do�,

is to keep yourself Whole.

so meditate

strength train

do cardio

do yoga

and eat wisely.

this year, do your Practices and let NOTHING stand in your Way.

this year, cherish your Wholistic Fitness, High Performance Yoga, and SUNRIDER herbs like never before.

this year, strive to achieve what my Master Students strive for:

�Excellence in every workout performed.�

there is NOTHING like Wholistic Fitness, baby!

thanks for being Here Now.

keep it fun,

keep it focused.

and keep reading DIRECT LINES!

i bow to you,

coach ilg

Steve Ilg is a licensed USCF Coach, personal trainer, yoga teacher, and top selling book author who used yoga to overcome serious injury and compete in an unprecedented 5 World Championships in 4 different sports. He is the founder of Wholistic Fitness� and High Performance Yoga �. Contact him through

www.wholisticfitness.com