Tag: yoga blogs

spreading the love

by L. Valdez Karl


I was overwhelmed when Vanessa of Vanessa:Unplugged! graced me with the “Spread the Love Award.” She said that I (among other bloggers) are “shining examples of bloggers who uplift and inform.” You are too kind, girlfriend!

Vanessa also received the award from another blogger and she writes about herself, “as one who started blogging without a plan or a niche or following any of the recommended steps and practices in the blogging process, I am honored when another blogger takes the time to recognize and appreciate what I post.”

I feel the same way. I started this blog in 2005 to write about my first trip to India and it’s morphed into something larger than that. I love that some of my posts have created lots of discussion about yoga, meditation, Buddhism, or social action, with no shortage of pithy comments from around the world. I just started a new blog where I will rant and muse about things other than yoga and India and time will tell how prolific I’ll be with that one. however, I guarantee that the posts will be just as pithy and passionate as they are here. now if only I can figure out how to get paid for my rants and musings I’d be set!

In keeping with the spirit of spreading the love, I am awarding the Spread the Love Award to Fran, Gartenfische, and Mike (who I wish would get back to writing, damn it!) I read many blogs but these bloggers were the first three who popped into my mind when I thought about bloggers who “uplift and inform.”

Once again, thanks to Vanessa, and thanks to all my readers. even though I have been miserable for the last 5 days with a vicious upper respiratory infection — two hospitals in two different countries in one month is too much for me, I’ve had my fill of doctors! — I think I will get up and dance to the Love Train…and check out Vanesa’s blog, y’all!

blog it forward

by L. Valdez Karl

In the comments of my last post, my cyber-yogabud, YogaDawg, listed this blog as one of his ten faves as did Brenda of Grounding Thru the Sit Bones. to that I say, muchos gracias, y’all! it does my heart good to know who reads my rants and musings.

but naming my ten fave blogs is as hard as trying to name my ten fave songs or ten fave movies, it’s almost impossible. just look at Lindia’s Hall of Fame in the sidebar and those are my favorite blogs to visit. but out of that list, I can narrow it down to blogs that I try to hit every day, so here goes:

YogaDawg, of course, for the laughs!

my gal pal in India, sirensongs, for her Feringhee: The India Diaries

The Existentialist Cowboy — I think Len’s posts on politics are brilliant and why is he not on TV instead of fascist knuckleheads like Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly?

Vanessa: Unplugged — thoughts out loud, straight, no chaser (love that line!)

Just Breathe — Nadine also studies at KYM so that’s why!

Everything Yoga — because I agree with a lot of what Diane says about yoga

The Divine Democrat — ‘cuz I love the avatar of the nun smoking a doobie and Mary Ellen is a Chicago gal just like me

FranIAm — just ‘cuz and because she writes the sweetest comments on my posts

A Bowl of Stupid — Matt is on an “India sucks” rant right now, but, hey, even I think India sucks sometimes and I love India!

and last but not least, The Absent Mind — I don’t think Mike will be posting anymore unforuntately, but I found his writing to be the most profound and powerful that I have ever come across. I will miss his writing and his comments to my posts tremendously.

now y’all have to name your ten favorite blogs!

on a more contemplative note, this blog has been de-listed from two yoga blogs that I regularly read and I can’t help but wonder why.

shanti, y’all…

arf-arf! recommended by da’ Dawg…

by L. Valdez Karl

YogaDawg that is!

woo-hoo, gettin’ down with the Dawg! I received an email from the Dawg himself telling me that he picked this blog as a “YogaDawg recommended blog”…

I first wrote about YogaDawg back in January and again in October when he posted his video bio. Dawg’s video would make Bikram fall off his yoga throne with laughter.

I check in every so often to see what snide and sarcastic bits of yoga humor he has come up with. My favorite parts are still the sections on Yoga Teachers and Yoga Students — read through the descriptions and you’ll see someone you know or maybe yourself. Uh…and no, I’m not any of them. really.

Dawg and I are probably going to end up in a Buddhist Hell Realm for wise-ass yogis.

and yes…I’m still sick of seeing Shiva Rea’s hair blowing in the wind.

Long live YogaDawg!

elvis does yoga!

by L. Valdez Karl

Check out this video: Elvis-Yoga Is As Yoga Does

http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf

found at my newly discovered yoga blog, Souljerky.

nothing more needs to be said.

who is YogaDawg?

by L. Valdez Karl

One of my favorite yoga sites is YogaDawg’s and the Dawg honors me occasionally by popping in to read this blog. He commented on my $49.99 yoga certification post so I thought I’d give him a shout-out.

“Yoga Teacher Sub-classes:

The Clueless

These are new teachers who have graduated from one of the many teacher training courses that Yoga studios offer. The course will be for 4 weekends for a month. They will have taken this course and might have been practicing Yoga for a couple of years.

The Very Clueless

Same as above, but they have taken the Express version of the course that is held for two weekends in the month. You pray they have some Yoga under their belts.

The Extremely Clueless

Same as above but have taken the weekend teacher training course and probably exaggerate about how much Yoga they have done. Your only line of defense is to completely ignore them, do nothing they say to do. If you make the mistake of following their instruction be prepared to get injured.

TIP: It is always a good idea to make sure your health insurance is current before taking a Yoga class with the Extremely Clueless.”

“Yoga Students

The $1,000 Classer

The $1,000 Classer is easily identified by their Yoga accoutrements. They usually fall within the Yuppie and BoBo (Bourgeois Bohemian) class. Their mat will be all natural and organic with a surface embedded with grasses from the plains of India, hairs from the Indian Rhino, peacock feathers and dropping from Monkey Temple in Jaipur, India (sanitized and de-odorized of course). This mat will be in a designer mat bag patterned with images of Yoga poses, seated Buddhas and symbols of Shakti and Shiva. They will be wearing designer name yoga clothes made from a mixture of organic hemp and flex. They will sport nifty yoga wristbands and even Yoga shoes.

The $1,000 Classer will be carrying a bottle of water whose bottle is a designer masterpiece. It will contain water melted from the polar ice cap drilled from a mile and a half deep. They will have had so much fun buying this stuff that they will also purchase a yearly, unlimited pass the first day of class. The $1,000 Classer will be secure in the knowledge that the pass will allow them to strut around for a year in their new yoga getup. They will be salivating at all the cool Yoga stuff they see in the Yoga shop within the studio. The $1,000 Classer, however, will end up only attending one class….

No one is spared from Dawg’s scathing wit!

You rock, Dawg! There’s a special place in a Buddhist Hell Realm for both of us! See ya there!