What a year it’s been! At the beginning of 2009, “blogging” was this annoying task that I had to do in my busy life as an overworked magazine editor. But once the magazine I worked for closed and I was out of a job, I started to spend my abundance of free time reading blogs. And so I decided to start my own. Fast forward to December and not only have I been maintaining my little blog for 9 months, but I have tapped into a dynamic and passionate community of people who think, read and blog about yoga.
I’ve spent a lot of time reading blogs over the past year and there are definitely some voices that stand out. And those voices have produced many fascinating blog posts about yoga. Here are 15 of my favourites, in no particular order.
Linda’s Yoga Journey: this is my real yoga – I’m a huge fan of Linda and her blog, and this post is one of the most inspiring raise-your-fist-in-the-air-and-say-hell-yeah posts by her or anyone else.
Eco Yogini: Feminist Yoga… – Eco has an amazing ability to think deeply and critically. She’s not afraid to tackle the thorny issue of gender politics and offer up her interesting perspective.
YogaDawg: Yoga Star Hot Scale – Only YogaDawg is capable of such satirical brilliance. This scale made me laugh out loud, and had “B-list” yoginis thanking YogaDawg for being included on the scale.
YogaDork: Selling Out: Yoga Talent Agency Seeks A-list Yoga Teachers Seeking Fame – The title of this one says it all. It was hard to pick just one YogaDork post to feature here, because they are just so awesome. But this one stood out for its good questions and the fascinating discussion it inspired – including a response from YAMA-represented yoga teacher, Sadie Nardini.
Sadie Nardini: Om Scampi: A Top Yogi Comes Out of the Meat-Eating Closet – Sadie herself blogs on HuffPo, and while I have issues with some of her ideas about yoga, I find her articulate, practical and irreverent. This post embodies all that (and isn’t as self-promotional as some of her others).
Yoga Spy: Who the Heck is Tara Stiles? – I used to sometimes get Sadie Nardini mixed up with Tara Stiles (they’re both hot model aspiring-to-be-celebrity yoga teachers in NYC who post a lot of stuff on YouTube). Luckily, this memorable post helped me learn how to tell them apart.
Grounding Thru The Sit Bones: Where’s the Oprah of Yoga? – And on the subject of hot model celeb yoga teachers, Brenda poses an interesting and essential question about yoga. Who is going to step forward and be yoga’s Oprah? Could the world handle it?
Namaste & Knitting: The Image of Yoga… – I was very excited when I discovered Jennifer’s blog after she left some insightful comments during the whole Adidas Yoga fiasco. Another yogi/knitter/blogger out there! Here, she continues the conversation about the presentation and marketing of yoga.
elephant journal: Playboy Yoga – I’m not even going to ask how Waylon Lewis came across Playboy’s instructional yoga DVD featuring 2007 Playmate of the Year, Sarah Jean Underwood. This one was enough for me to declare yoga dead.
Yoga with Nikki Chau: Yoga Jargon Generator – It really works! Very entertaining. I discovered Seattle-based yoga teacher Nikki’s blog through a link to this post, and it had me hooked.
YogaNation: Punk Rock Yoga? from Seattle, My Friend – Speaking of Seattle, NYC blogger Joelle documents the interesting phenomenon of “punk rock yoga” with wit and style. Joelle is also the only person on this list whom I’ve met in RL (when she visited Mtl a few weeks ago), and she’s fantastic!
Yoga for Cynics: The Only Kind of Spirituality I Have Any Interest In… – Dr. Jay drunk blogging = awesome.
Yoga Demystified: In Praise of Jane – Short and sweet post by the irreplacable Bob Weisenberg.
Yogic Muse: Yoga and Empowerment – It was hard to choose which of Brooks reflective and thoughtful posts stood out the most for me this year, but this one really stayed with me.
My Embodiment: Present Moment Living: Horses, Yoga, Therapy & How They All Come Together – Teresa looks at the world through the lenses of yoga and psychotherapy, and she’s generous enough to share her thoughts with us.
**This post is a response to Daily Blog Tips’ latest group writing project.
29 comments
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December 6, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Brenda P.
Thanks, sis! I am so honored to be included with this list of my faves. What a great season it’s been for the yoga blog-community! Your Rainbeau post really knocked it out of the park, and sort of got the ball rolling for all of this. This is a cool idea…I better start collecting my favorite links. Cheers!
December 6, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Linda-Sama
oh my god, thanks so much for including me! I’m overwhelmed! your mention does my heart good because I’ve been writing LYJ since 2005…yeah, and I’m posting it on my FB page!
December 6, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Linda-Sama
and I agree with Brenda about your Rainbeau Mars’ posts….:)
December 7, 2009 at 12:21 am
YogaforCynics
…by which of course we mean, y’know, “drunk on yoga”…nonetheless, I think I recoiled in horror waking up the next morning to think that I’d actually pushed the “publish” button on that one…so, needless to say, it was especially gratifying to check my inbox and see that people liked it so much…and now to find it listed along with the greats of the yoga blogosphere…it’s all just too much…thanks!
December 7, 2009 at 12:22 am
Bob Weisenberg
Thanks so much for including me. I have enjoyed so much being part of this warm lively community. Those are indeed all great blogsters above.
Of course, everyone knows you could make an equally good “top 15” list from from your own blogs alone! Thanks for you inspiration and leadership.
Bob Weisenberg
P.S. Are you learning anything in your new social media job that would help us develop our Yoga blogosphere audience?
December 7, 2009 at 12:35 am
Waylon Lewis
I’ll tell ya how I came up with the Playboy Yoga scoop! And don’t worry, I haven’t been an ardent Playboy fan since I was 12.
As a blogger, I often am short of ideas for interesting content—I generally write four or five posts a day, on average. So I sit staring at my laptop and try and think of two contradictory or interestingly contrasting words, one of which has something to do with our mission: “the mindful life.” When I thought “Playboy” and “Yoga,” I knew something would pop up. It’s also how I tripped upon the Tara Stiles post that got picked up all over…I thought “American Apparel” (always a great source for eco, fair labor…and controversy and traffic) and “Yoga.”
Anyways–great post, I’ll tweet it up via our http://www.twitter.com/elephantjournal …
December 7, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Bob Weisenberg
We weren’t worried, Waylon.
Bob W.
December 7, 2009 at 3:24 pm
girlwarrior
yeah, and even if you are a life-long playboy fan, we wouldn’t judge you for it! (confession: i have a collection of vintage penthouse magazines, which i value as fascinating “cultural artifacts.”)
and thanks for the insights into your blogging process! that’s a really interesting way to approach it.
December 7, 2009 at 5:58 am
EcoYogini
Wow- very cool. 🙂 I never know what posts will stay with people.
I really like this idea- and like Brenda, I have my favourites from your space too 🙂
December 7, 2009 at 6:59 am
YogaDawg
I’m honored Roseanne. I agree that this was the year of the yoga blogger. Thanks for all the interesting reads on your blog. I’m counting on you to get the A-listers writing in…:)
All my best to you in the new year!
December 7, 2009 at 9:13 am
ad
Thank you Roseanne for introducing me to this wider yoga community – and for giving me such good reading material on this blustery day 🙂
December 7, 2009 at 10:29 am
Mark Landis
Hi, you got a great yoga blog out here and your posts are all high quality. As for me, I keep a blog of my own on Yoga http://morningyoga.info . Do have a look at it please. Thanks.
December 7, 2009 at 10:49 am
uberVU - social comments
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by elephantjournal: Just credit with 1 of Top 15 Yoga posts of Year, Playboy Yoga http://bit.ly/71iDe3 http://bit.ly/5BpZa3…
December 7, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Graceful Yoga
Looks like I’ve to catch up on my blog reading.
December 7, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Nikki Chau
Ah, so *that*’s why my website has been c…r….a…w…l…i…n…g to load all morning, thanks to all the traffic that you’re sending my way 🙂
Thank you so much for the mention, and I’m glad you enjoyed the Yoga Jargon Generator, or, as my friend Carlo commented on the post: “a asynergistic and holistic result driven and user friendly tool for the onboarding of the wider Yoga community”
(If you don’t understand what that said, consider yourself lucky.)
Happy December you guys.
Nik
December 7, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Teresa
Thank you so much! It has been a lovely year indeed & my first head on introduction to the blogosphere as a whole. I am honored beyond words (well nearly :),) that you listed my post in your top 15 of the year…it’s really a writing and inspiration boost to say the least! It has been a pleasure to be a part of the yoga sphere of blogging & to meet you and so many other amazing writers, thinkers, and passionate persons! Thanks again so much! I look forward to seeing what 2010 brings!
Teresa at my embodiment
December 7, 2009 at 10:44 pm
girlwarrior
2010, indeed! i’m sure 2009 has just been the build-up to an awesome year!
thanks everyone for commenting, and i’m glad y’all appreciate a wee mention. it was more than a pleasure to revisit my favourite posts of the year and share them with the world…
December 8, 2009 at 2:08 am
Brooks Hall
Thanks Roseanne!
December 9, 2009 at 1:41 am
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December 10, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Donna
Love the list and was just contemplating doing a similar run down. Since I’m also new to the yoga blogging world this year I’ll definitely checkout the links I have yet to discover. You are all wonderfully inspiring and the highlight of my week is cruising my reader. Thanks for the discussions, debates, jokes and insights. Wishing you a wonderful 2010 – who’ll be on the list next December?
PS Montreal is a lovely city! Definitely worth a visit.
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December 14, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Sara
Found you through Daily Blog Tips — what an awesome blog! And your list is really great too … I laughed, I cried, I’m motivated:)
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January 2, 2010 at 10:47 pm
om888
Hi!
This is a helpful blog for yoga practitioners. keep Up! =)
Carla
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