My Dad (May God have accelerated his Atman) with feeble ilg (to his right) and my older sister, Connie when he was young…unlike like me with a young chi-ld…yet, i know he was wondering how he would provide for and care for his own chi-ldren….all Fathers do…

Why do we live in such terror of death? Perhaps the deepest reason why we are afraid of death is that we do not know who we are. We believe in a personal, unique, and separate identity; but if we dare to examine it, we find that this identity depends entirely on an endless collection of things to prop it up: our name, our “biography,” our partners, family, home, job, friends, credit cards. . . . It is on their fragile and transient support that we rely for our security. So when they are all taken away, will we have any idea of who we really are?

My Dad, entering the Bardo untrained yet surrounded by his family…that’s your feeble Teacher on the far photo left,  my mOM and my Dad’s wife of 50+ years, then my Dad dwindling, on photo right, unseen is my older sister, Connie…also unseen is my younger brother, Craig, who took the photo.  physically, i made it to my Dying Dad’s bedside,  spiritually?  ilg was immersed in the Dying Mantras to ensure my Father’s most Highest Chances of a positive rebirth in the manner of my Bardo Training…Blessed be His Soul, and yours…

We live under an assumed identity, in a neurotic fairy-tale world with no more reality than the Mock Turtle in Alice in Wonderland. Hypnotized by the thrill of building, we

the pic of me that was made into a poster, without my knowing, let alone, residuals!  ilg pinnacle jumping in the North Cascades a long time ago by David Terrance Turner

Yup,  I've just JUMPED again!

based on my sangha's input from a survey i recently sent (thank you all who contributed!): in DURANGO ONLY: you can now study HP Yoga™ with Steve Ilg on a great: Monday-Wednesday-Friday basis for OPTIMAL training effect! By Popular Request! my Tuesday

another karmic paycheck...this Preciously Awesome Warrior was just a tyke really, back in Boulder, when i was his Dad's personal trainer...he used to look at me with awe when i did my kata's, ai imawa, yoga, and went out running,cycling, and did meditation with his dad...now; he is an elite warrior daddy himself and feeble ilg bows at the immensity of my saying way back when, "Ripples make waves..."   Niko and i just reConnected on my Facebook page:

Hi Steve,

Just had a look at your site. Great work man! As we say out here in the streets, real recognize real...and I can surely see you too are a warrior of light and love. I'm totally loving all the nature and meditation you've incorporated and integrated. Congratulations on your progress and thank you dearly on behalf of humanity for your contribution. I'm happy to have connected. Namaste.

Niko Spartan Leo

Thought you might enjoy a little longer race report and some pictures!

spiritually priceless;  HP Yogi bRad on the 11,301" summit and turn-around point at the winter WF Sacred Sweat Pilgrimage Site known as the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon...maybe next year?  you'll do what it takes to stand here and receive the Merit of the Sacred Mountain Goddesses

The race was amazingly awesome!  Not knowing what to expect, I was telling everyone I just hoped to finish while secretly thinking I could do it in 5.50 - 6 hours.  Finished in 6:08.  Lost 10-15 minutes after ski-up due to cramping (I have to figure that out!).  A generous sole let me chug some of his pickle juice which helped tremendously.  I fell 7-8 times on ski down losing a little more time and got passed by several people.  Felt strong on run and bike down (crushed the flat section in to town) managing to pass several people.

nearing "Heartbreak Hill" on the ski up...

...bRad summit-baggin' Heartbreak Hill and approaching Transition #3; the Snowshoe to the top!

The preparation for this race was as times tough, but also rewarding.  The race itself was simply exhilarating! Because it was my first time and I didn’t know what to expect, I had doubts leading up to the race about whether I would finish.  However once we started, I never had any doubts.  I knew I was ready mentally and physically.  The cramping sucked and was worrisome and falling down was frustrating.  Other than those two things, I never felt tired or had any doubts!  I paced myself perfectly and had a smile on my face for most of the race!

...the Snowshoe Up the summit headwall...meanwhile, the entire American Southwest starts spilling herself beneath your heaving lungs and burning quads..

Overall, I’m very ecstatic with result.   Finished 64th  out of 117 guys and 13th out of 23 in age group.  Not bad for what a fist time pilgrimage!  Now that I know what to expect, I think 5:30ish is doable for this working stiff!

The volunteers are amazing and the organization and coordination

i dunno... at this Blessed Point in my current incarnation? finishing Silver Medalist to Travis Brown, Olympic Mountain Biking and Nordic Champion is just a little waaaaay too much for feeble broken back, former paralytic ilg to even connect the Dots...let alone the fact that my new Daddy Duties and lingering 80% head congestion has completely destroyed

must say...pensiveness runs rampant like the Tsangpo through my cells tonight...after 8 consecutive years and at least as many as double that over my lifetime,  ilg is leaving my Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon Pilgrimage to the capable spirits of Julie "Padma" Mueller (2nd consecutive Mt. Taylor) and Tsidool rookie yet willing Warrior;  Brad "bRad" Tafoya.  the photo of me above was taken in 2008 at the top of HeartBreak Hill during another Championship effort.  ilg will miss those heaving, Kachina-drenched breaths tomorrow, even though i'll be racing in a brutal 10k skate race tomorrow into a 20k Classic race on Sunday...once you've done what it takes to accomplish the 75-kilometer Sacred Pilgrimage of Mt. Taylor?  She itches at your Atman, relentlessly...

Padma (from Flagstaff)  and feeble ilg not too long ago here in Durango...doing some alpine ski training in order to help Padma's Mt. Taylor ski-descent abilities.   ilg trusts that our time together on the slopes will transfer deeply into her Sacred Effort tomorrow coming off the high-wind summit of the Sacred Peak of Tsidool...

...and here is my other WF Pilgrim, bRad, at my snowshoe race; The Winter Warrior 10k, last Saturday during his final hard effort before taking Pilgrimage to the Sacred Peak.  May it serve him well...tomorrow will be bRad's first ever attempt at Mt. Taylor...

and ilg cannot be more (yogically) proud of  these two amazing warriors...

c'mon!

let's send these two WF Warriors some Light tomorrow...they'll both be out there,

getting it done,

for about 6 hours...

may their Noble Pilgrimage inspire your OWN Practice this weekend...

now...i gotta go wax my planks...

Blessed Be All Who Choose To Sweat and Sit Still,

ec

]]> http://wholisticfitness.com/2012/02/after-8-years-8-podiums-ilg-leaves-the-mt-taylor-pilgrimage-to-padma-and-brad/feed/ 0 http://wholisticfitness.com/2012/02/all-access-winter-warrior-snowshoe-race-thanks-sponsors/ http://wholisticfitness.com/2012/02/all-access-winter-warrior-snowshoe-race-thanks-sponsors/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:19:28 +0000 coach http://wholisticfitness.com/?p=8653 WINTER WARRIOR SNOWSHOE RACE THANKS SPONSORS The Winter Warrior 10k Snowshoe Race would like to thank; •)  Father Sky for bringing us the snows! •)  Our presenting sponsors;  Pine Needle Mountaineering, Tafoya Barrett Associates PC, and High Performance Yoga •)  Helen Low and the amazing course groomers at Durango

Dog Beings, VitaShake-infused Kix, and a mullet-headed ilg back in the day...dropping into the zen of a breakfast when i lived in Pagosa Springs...date unknown...

this morning, a rare mOMent of quietude for New Daddy Ilg to reConnect with what once was an everyday Sacred Ritual;  a zen-style preparation and consumption of a simple breakfast from the WF Mealtime Guidebook.  Grandfather Sun glinted through my riverside window as a dazzling gemfire of snow crystals amplified Grandfather's awakening...diving into the nuances of smell, taste, and mastication...oh!  How Blessed Am I?  came the thought as i delivered via chopsticks another tasty morsel begotten from the 10,000 Beings which delivered this parcel of nutrition to my lips!   it's hard when compulsive athletes and fitness warriors approach and seek a "Diet Plan" to have them become leaner or whatever.   each fiber within me just wishes to grab them by their throat, shake them back and forth, forth and back and scream;  "JUST APPRECIATE THE AMAZING MIRACLE OF JUST BEING BLESSED ]]> http://wholisticfitness.com/2012/02/my-10-wf-nutrition-guidelines-the-10-virtues-of-wf-nutrition%e2%80%a6/feed/ 0 http://wholisticfitness.com/2012/02/all-access-pics-from-my-snowshoe-race/ http://wholisticfitness.com/2012/02/all-access-pics-from-my-snowshoe-race/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:21:22 +0000 coach http://wholisticfitness.com/?p=8627

Warrior Leaf from Kinlani, AZ...demonstrating a beautiful Yogi Squat before crankin' into the Divine Realms at my 2nd Annual Winter Warrior Snowshoe Race here in Durango...as captured by Winter Warrioress Tracy Janes

these pics from Saturday's Winter Warrior 10k Snowshoe Race are courtesy of racer and Winter Warrior; Tracy!   i'll have a race report soon...my video on the race is available for viewing at the Winter Warrior 10k website on Facebook right now! https://picasaweb.google.com/114533108390070410234/SNOWSHOERACE?authkey=Gv1sRgCJHG_46QuKGgUg&feat=email

sOMetimes, ilg doesn't mind being predictable...with my lifelong Valentines: Mother Nature!

Styxx, looking down toward the Nordic Center..

..Ambassadors Glade; deep, pretty tight trees...

...mandatory cliffs on Ambassadors Glade..

.from our Clan to yours...Happy Valentines!