after a morning of chopping wood, cranking Mantra, i had to lower the testosterone inherent to operating such things as chain saws, 8lb Colton Splitting Axes, sledges and a half-cord of wild wood to soften into being a bodyworker…so, into the Zendo i went and the subsequent transformation from Yang to Yin
what ilg loves most about being a WF yogi?
the mind-bending versatility…
as we play in the peletons of cyclists, runners, asana-addicted yogis, skiers, gym rats, you-name-it,
the WF Yogi remains lofted above all…fearless of none, capable of standing side-by-side any sport and/or physiologic specific athlete/warrior..yet,
few are able to tread the versatile terrain which is the very yoga mat of the WF Warrior Yogi! c’mon, you won’t believe my day today….or the pics…
High Mountain Hurl…end of the first set of 2 x 5 sets of 40″ MTB Hill Repeats into 30″ Jump Squats…at 12,300’…
oh there’s Pilates, there’s Kettleballs, there is “power yoga” taught by low-landers…however, when it comes to Wholistic Yoga? there is still only one ilg – at nearly 50 years old – willing to puke black blood since 1981 just to Rise Higher Within…Toward Wholeness…Toward genuine Union with the Divine; aka; Yoga. come on…let’s share my workout today…
El Coache, I am writing because I could use a little help or even just a short pep-talk. I have been struggling for what seems like years to get back on the right track. I am 206 and 22% BF if my scale is to be believed. A couple of years ago (when I did my first snowshoe race) I was 185 and 12-14%. Not great but better than where I am now. I don’t care so much about the raw numbers but they are discouraging. I am a bit overwhelmed by work, stress and anxiety as I have mentioned previously and if I listen to my body I am tired and feel out of it most of the time. I know I need the exercise as a stress release and to lose the excess weight so missing it only adds stress. When I do exercise, I am discouraged by how far I have slipped back. My cardio fitness is a distant memory it seems and I even have anxiety about that as I seem to read every day about very fit athletes dropping dead during a ride or run. Meditation is proving elusive as well. Not sure what to do with the limited time I have. I know my problems are minor in the grand scheme of things but I can’t seem to get out of this rut and it’s depressing. Any perspective, advice, anything would be appreciated. Thanks for all the help you’ve given me over the years…
Noble Sangha!
it would not be too far a stretch to compare the Energetics of Enlightenment with the Enlightenment of Fireworks…each July 4th – which is a big one for me – i reflect upon this analogy. it might just help keep us tracked on our simple Practices in this Path of Wholeness because, like a wick which leads to a bottle rocket…it’s the small things which matter most for the Big Bangs in our spiritual life…c’mon…enjoy the pics from our clan’s 4th and my attempt at yet another Bridging of Eastern Enlightenment Sciences with Western fitness modalities…
computer sitting
no physio-balls in the WF Temple H(om)e office…instead, a simple wooden chair with legs folded into some conducive energetic form. i also use the WF Breath and Posture Beeper Guru Teaching to move my mouse into my non-dominant hand (left) for at least five minutes which REALLY, REALLY BUGS ME!!! WF is all-WAYS in our face when it comes to our habituated patterns which is what genuine Yoga is all about!
“Uh…i’m supposed be bike racing in this next weekend?”
Thank go(o)dness us Wholistic Fitness™ athletes are versatile…to hell with sitting on a trainer or pedaling today…i’m going skiing! When God gifts us snow? Dance in it! Dance in it until you shatter yourself, as Rumi might advise! And today was perfect for an uphill ski effort among my Sacred San Juan snows…new daddyhood, teaching, and coaching was wearing on me…i needed to feel again the rush of soft while velvet caress my skis again. As yogi’s we are trained to accept things as does Mother Earth; without condition. We should welcome difficulty with a soft and open mind, like snow itself. When our thinking is soft, we abide in a state of awesome receptivity instead of chronic reactivity. Such imperturbable thinking is as stable as Shiva yet as seductively fun as Shakti. Come ski with me today…you won’t believe the beautiful pics i took for you!
coach steve ilg, founder of WF and author of PRANIC JUNKIE; 50 Meditation Insights of a Mountain Yogi, will be offering his monthly….
Member Only Kiva Call!
THIS Saturday Evening at 6 pm MST!
we’ll explore the 4th Noble Fitness Discipline of Wholistic Fitness™; MEDITATION!
Most teachings are for Wholistic Fitness Members only. Some are complimentary.
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!
You have access to thousands of posts going all the way back to 2002. The Archives makes for ideal Svadhyaya, and if you don’t know what that important term means ... all the more reason to dive into these amazing WF Scriptural Recordings!
Checking out one or two archived teachings every day or so is an AMAZINGLY EFFECTIVE way to stay connected with your Tribe AND maintain consistency and motivation in what matters most: your own practice.
Note: We'll be fixing broken image links, and cleaning up the categorization of archived posts, over time.
Photo of Coach and daughter Dewachen, living the Path (upside down!) by www.jamesqmartin.com
