the B.I.T.C.H. is back

B = Brave
I = Intelligent
T = Tenacious
C = Creative
H = Honest

"Embracing your inner bitch...means that you're being strong and honest with yourself and those around you, and I think that's a good thing."

Thanks to Tabatha for that!

Yeah, you heard me. I'm back. But on a very limited basis.

Since I stopped writing in February I can't tell you how many readers left comments on Facebook or wrote to me asking me to start writing again -- or to write for their online yoga mags. It seriously overwhelmed me. Goddess bless you all!

I've decided to reopen this blog to post about SPECIAL TOPICS such as my upcoming trainings in teaching yoga to trauma survivors, a weekend with Gary Kraftsow, a week with Mark Whitwell, and a weekend with Erich Schiffman.

We'll see how it goes, but I'm no longer into the blah blah blah of the modern yoga scene. It bores me.

The ayurveda teacher in my last training at the Mandiram said that a yogi is one whose prana is contained and doesn't let it leak out with unnecessary blah blah blah (among other things.) Hence, "shut up and do your practice." So no more snaps of my tats. Hey, I SAID TATS!

Others can write about the usual yoga suspects. Like Lululemon pants, how yoga makes you sexy, or a celebrity doing yoga on the beach. Whatever.

I remember what Kausthub Desikachar told us: if we do not teach others what we have learned we are nothing more than thieves.

I'm no thief. I'm a B.I.T.C.H.

Stay tuned.

kudos!

I want to acknowledge the two yogini bloggers who awarded me the MeMe Award. I am in good company with all of these blog award winners!

Thanks to girlwarrior of it's all yoga, baby who said that I am "sassy, opinionated and sincere in her practice", and thanks to Brooks at Yoga, the Mind and Culture who said "she's really doing her yoga, and shares inspiration and road bumps along the way." Thank you, thank you, thank you! I especially want to thank the yoga bloggers who supported me during the Troll Event -- you know who you are!

I'm not really into rules but the rules to this award are that I should (1) share 7 tidbits about myself and (2) share this MeMe Blog Award with 7 blogger friends. As for those tidbits about me, I think if you read LYJ from the beginning you will certainly glean more than 7 tidbits about me (!!), but here goes:

1. My first OM was with Beat Poet and Buddhist Allen Ginsberg in 1973 when he came to my junior college for a poetry reading.


2. I've been green since the first Earth Day in 1970, many years before being green became the thing to do. I helped organize my high school's Earth Day celebration and I ordered the Earth Day flag decals (they were cool!). I've never seen decals like that again.


3. I am also a garden designer. My business is Loba Landscapes...Gardens With a Touch of the Wild. My niche is native plants in the home landscape and eco-gardening.






Yes, that's my backyard.


4. I was in a riot in 1970. Sly and the Family Stone were supposed to play a concert in Grant Park in Chicago and in those days Sly was known to show up late or not at all for concerts. People got upset and a riot broke out. I ran from the police just as they started to tear gas us. Ah....those were the days...the smell of tear gas and major doobage in the air, flowers in our hair....





I still loves me some Sly!





I am sure 1970 must sound like the olden days to many of you but throw the peace sign up, it will do you no harm!


5. I was named one of Illinois' best high school poets when I was a junior.


6. Besides being an activist for the environment, I've always been an activist for women's issues. I know some of you don't remember the days before Roe v. Wade, but at that time when I was in junior college abortions were legal in New York City. As a member of a women's liberation group at that time, I helped a few women get to New York City.


7. I am clairsentient and clairaudient.


I give this award to:

Shelley, for caring so much about India's children;

Svasti, for being so real and open and honest and brave (we are both survivors);

Nadine, for being a fellow KYM-er, for being sweet enough to consider me her "yoga mother", and for becoming a friend;

Amanda for supporting me and also becoming a friend;

Flowergirl, because I love her stories about India as much as I love India and because she has become my thankachi;

Fernanda, because she is as passionate about our Mother India as I am, and for becoming mi amiga (and who is trying to get me to teach in Brazil, YAY!);

YogaDawg, for obvious reasons!


Blog on!

I get it....it was REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY!

Brenda left a comment on my Facebook page that maybe the Commenter Who Shall Remain Nameless is using reverse psychology to keep me on the air, to get me mad enough to keep me around.

Since my last post, the contributor in question to the Sadhana Bliss Chicago blog has made their Blogger profile unavailable and has changed their name to "fooled you" as if that in some way absolves him or her. You can form your own opinion about that.

I am shocked (in a good way) but heartened that two bloggers took up my cause, so to speak. Brooks wrote in her blog Yoga, the Mind and Culture:

"What provoked me to write about this is a comment she received about her announcement. It starts out like this: “would that you could go quietly into the night, but that would be too much for you to manage, wouldn't it? at least you're GOING.”

I am so saddened and shocked by this comment. Using a metaphor for dying quietly is just so hurtful and wrong to receive..."

...and AnthroYogini in Australia who went on to comment that it's "cyberbullying by adults who should know better. I'm sick of people hiding behind their ISPs and typing nasty shit they'd never have the balls to say to your face."

A blog troll is a troll is a troll so let's not feed the trolls. They always come back to see what kind of a rise they got out of of the blogger. They lurk around, always reading the same post or comments to that post. And you know they keep coming around because you can tell by your site meter (and you also know where they live.) In actuality I probably should not have published the comment or written about it because doing that is exactly what the troll wants, but I felt that enough was enough, it was time to bring that type of activity out into daylight especially because it was in the yoga blogosphere.

Both I and this blog are acquired tastes so if you don't like my style or my voice, don't read. Simple. But for those of you who do like the spice, I will continue my "cathartic musings and occasional rants about my trips to India to study my heart's passion, and my sweet adventures along the yoga path" albeit not as frequently. Only when the muse calls. I am concentrating on my upcoming trip to India and Africa.

Since I don't want the last post for a long time to end on a sour note, I leave you with some good notes from one of my favorite musicians (and true yogi) Alice Coltrane. Enjoy.

my life on the yoga D-list

I returned yesterday from my Level 2 Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy training in Vermont to find out that there was a glaring omission in Yoga Journal's story about yoga blogs -- me. And how did I find out that Yoga Journal neglected me? From my brother from a different mother, YogaDawg. So just like a good brother he came to my rescue by mentioning me in his blog post about being anointed by Yoga Journal. He said that he "couldn't let it go without giving you a plug at the end of my blog post", reminding people that I continue to "kick yoga's ass." Thanks, bro!

Let's see who else thinks that Yoga Journal should have put me on their A list of yoga blogs...Dr. Jay over at Yoga for Cynics who said "I think you should've been in the YJ blog list, too" and Yoga Dork who thinks that Yoga Journal should have also included "Linda’s Yoga Journey, Everything Yoga, Yoga Nation, Svasti and It’s All Yoga, Baby."

I feel like Kathy Griffin. Kathy is a loud-mouthed, snarky broad from Chicago (what is it about Chicago women?) whose show My Life on the D List is hilarious (at least I think so.) The show follows her struggle as a self-proclaimed "D-list" celebrity to climb the Hollywood ladder.

Hey, wait a minute. This blog is about the same thing, only in a different world. This blog is about my journey up (and down) the yoga ladder and like Kathy, I'm also unplugged, uncensored, and unafraid to dish the dirt about what really happens on the yoga road. So how can Yoga Journal ignore me?

Yogini writers (real writers who actually get paid to write!) like Anne Cushman and Lucy Edge could not have been wrong when they wrote their kudos about LYJ. Over 30,000 global readers can't be wrong. What's a yogini blogger to do? I'm just so vaklempt that YJ writer Lauren Ladoceour did not think LYJ worthy enough to be listed on her yoga blog A List, especially not worthy enough to be called snarky and satirical! After four years and 300+ cathartic and snarky posts? Moi?!?

So just like Kathy Griffin who enlisted her mother, her assistants, and her Mexican housekeeper to call musicians to ask them to vote for her Grammy nominated comedy album (I know I am dating myself by calling it an "album"), I am asking all my lovely and faithful readers from all over the world to email Yoga Journal at letters@yogajournal.com to tell them how you feel about their glaring omission. In no uncertain terms. Let your throat chakra open up and speak your truth. Pretend that you're calling Simon Cowell and voting for the next American Yoga Idol. Over 30,000 readers have passed through here so let's see if Yoga Journal's computers can handle all the emails! Yeah! Knock 'em on their asana!

Listen, Yoga Journal, who needs your stupid list anyway? I will hold my head high and proudly channel Groucho Marx who said:

"I would not join any club that would have someone like me for a member."

So there. Besides....



CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE YOGA BLOGS WHO MADE THE LIST....SERIOUSLY. MY A-LIST OF BLOGS, YOGA AND OTHERWISE, ARE IN MY BLOGROLL, SO VISIT THEM.

YOU CAN FIND THE BOXER SHORTS AT KATHY GRIFFIN'S WEBSITE.

I am blessed....

....to have such readers.

Kevin is a long-time reader and has always been very supportive of my cathartic rants and musings about yoga. As what sometimes happens in the online world, we struck up an email correspondence about all things yoga. In fact, Kevin and his wife Erin had also planned to visit the ashram in South India where I was originally scheduled to spend two months but life gets in the way and they had to change their plans -- so Kevin generously donated their deposit for my stay. I was overwhelmed by his gesture considering that we have never met. I will say again that I am always amazed at the support I've received in the global yoga community through this blog compared to my local "yoga community." And those of you who have read about my misadventures with local studio owners know what I'm talking about.

Kevin and Erin have relocated to Mexico and have started blogging -- Kevin and Erin in Mexico. So I was again overwhelmed to read Kevin's latest post:


"How could I mention India without mentioning.....?

That "yoga and meditation" (if one has the hard-to-come-by understanding of what yoga actually is, pre-spandex and pre-group class zombie world) is a redundant phrase - and that if you want to learn why that is so, and so much else about yoga, meditation, life, music, great writing, wicked humor and what it means to really love India you must check out this blog:

Linda's Yoga Journey

I find Linda's depth and breadth of experience, writing chops and fearlessness very inspiring, and have learned (and continue to learn) so much about all of the above topics from her. Her blog is beautiful in so many ways, and a portal to a vast array of positive things going on in the world. Check it out."


Wow, wow, wow. I am not only blessed but also humbled. Out of everything that he said, I am most touched that Kevin thinks I'm fearless, more so than being considered a good writer.

I want to take this time to thank Kevin and Erin and ALL my long-time readers -- and I know who my regular readers are even if you never comment -- for putting up with these "cathartic musings and occasional rants about my trips to India to study my heart's passion, and my sweet adventures along the yoga path."

I also want to thank all of the yoga bloggers who have put this blog on your blogrolls. I can tell from my site meter how people find me and I am amazed at how many blogs I'm linked to so mucho thanks for the link love!

May you all know happiness and the causes of happiness.
May you all be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May you all never be parted from freedom's true joy.
May you all dwell in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.

peace
shanti
a-salaam aleikum
so shall it be.

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.

turn out the lights....

...the yoga party is over.

well, at least for a while.

I have decided to stop blogging for the time being, at least for the summer. I will not say when I will pick up the pen again. I took almost all of 2006 off from blogging, and I think it's time for a break. I will keep the comments enabled only for a week, then shutting them down.

I want to concentrate of getting healthy again....not that anything is seriously wrong with me, but I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I also want to concentrate on my own personal yoga practice (a yoga therapy practice) and for me that means cutting out extracurricular stuff that keeps my mind off my own practice.

it's gotten to the point where I'll be taking a shower and a blog post will pop into my head or I'll think about how to tweak a sentence or two, and before I know it, I've been sitting in front of the computer for three or four hours writing and tweaking. can't do that anymore. besides, the weather is getting too nice to be sitting inside for any length of time.

so I am doing what the Buddha taught: giving up an attachment -- blogging. I have made many cyberfriends in the blogosphere -- you know who you are and I will still read your blogs when I check my emails. but I won't be attached to them.

who knows? if the mood strikes me I may sit down and write another yoga rant, but for right now, it's all about me and my yoga and getting healthy again -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

thank you all for reading this blog and for all your beautiful comments...remember to breathe peace, be peace.


may all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness
may all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering
may all beings never be parted from freedom's true joy
may all beings dwell in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion

OM MANI PEDME HUM

spreading the love

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

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...

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!

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



found at my newly discovered yoga blog, Souljerky.

nothing more needs to be said.

who is YogaDawg?

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!