this and that

I've been writing this blog since 2005. Blogging is the new journaling and I started this blog as a way of recording my thoughts, first, about my initial trip to India in 2005 -- and at that time I never expected to be planning my fourth trip to India at the end of this year -- and second, as a means of chronicling my own personal yoga journey. As the Grateful Dead sang, what a long, strange trip it's been.

The blogosphere, and indeed the internet itself, is still a strange place to me -- you make "friends" whom you never expect to meet, but if you really meet them, it's a beautiful thing.

I used to be a moderator of an India travel website, through which the Universe has granted me two dear friends who I love to death -- one is a woman in Chennai who calls me her older sister, akka in Tamil, and another woman in California with whom I will travel to the Kumbh Mela next year. A faithful reader who I have never met but consider a yoga friend has paid for my deposit at the ashram where I will study yoga therapy next year. Another reader has thrown it out into the Universe that maybe I should come teach at his holistic center in Taiwan that he is planning for some time in the future. If it happens, it happens, I am not attached. It's all good, that's the wonder of this thing we call the blogosphere.

And it always amazes how many people read this yoga blog. I post something and I can see on my sitemeter who logs on almost immediately to read my words, always the same cities. Y'all must not be too busy at work, so stop lurking and leave some comments! I also want to thank all the readers who have left comments of support regarding the trials and tribulations I've had with the yoga studios where I've taught in the past two years. I received more support from people in the global yoga community who don't know me and will probably never meet me than from yoga peeps in my yoga world. Astounding.

I've received my share of blog awards from people who I consider my blog buddies. I've just received another one from Fernanda Lima who writes her blog All of Om or Tudo de Om from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Call me a simpleton, but I'm impressed that someone from Brazil loves my blog. A 17 year old girl from Uganda loves my other blog. It just amazes me.

Fernanda writes about India, yoga, ayurveda, and all things in between. Who knows? Maybe we'll meet one day, either in Brazil or India. It's obvious from her blog that Fernanda loves India as much as I do. How about it, Fernanda, mi hermana? Sorry, I know Spanish, not Portugues! Muchas gracias, Fernanda!

And then there are the phrases that people google and end up on this blog. According to my site meter, the most searched for phrases are:

Mark Whitwell

St. Theresa's Prayer

and anything having to do with "hot yoga chicks", "naked yoga", "hot yoga babes", "skinny yoga chicks", etc. etc. etc.

Eeeeuuuuu.

But it's all good. And I'm glad you like what you read.

I'm giving the Fabulous Blog award to non-yoga blogs:

my sister from a different mother, Utah Savage

another sister from a different mother, Liberality

new found sisters, Evil Slutopia

the woman formerly known as DCup

and one yoga/mind/body/spirit blog:

Svasti, for her courage.