Liebster Award

In case you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, I have de-camped over to Virtual Yogarians for the month of April.

(Virtual Yogarians is a multi-user blog I set up for people to blog about how the April Yoga Challenge is going. I post there every day (from the seat of the teacher) but so do a whole lot of other people who are practicing in April, but not in the studio.)

Please feel free to check it out if you like yoga talk.

I thought I could keep these 2 blogs spinning on sticks while I taught 3 classes a day but I really could not, so when The Inspiration Location plate fell and smashed, I stepped over the shards and concentrated full time on Virtual Yogarians.  But I will get Inspiration Location up and spinning again once the Challenge is over in May.

Out of the blue the other day, I got a note in my inbox from a new blogger I just found and have been enjoying immensely. Her blog is called The Bliss Project and she has made a personal goal for herself to try 100 new things and write about them. (Hey Tim! If you are reading this post, this girl could be the poster child for Try Chips!!)

Her latest Bliss Project is yoga and she’s doing a yoga challenge (not mine) now and writing about it. She is my people, for sure.  She is adorable, takes pics of herself and her buddies doing stuff, and I just love her.

She passed on this award to me the other day:

What is this, you ask?

This is the Liebster Award, and from what I understand, it’s kind of a way for bloggers who are new on the scene, or like me, old on the scene but have less than 200 followers, to let each other know about one another. It’s a way of finding new blogs, new voices you may not have found otherwise.

It works like a chain letter. If you get one, you can then “pay it forward” by giving it to 5 bloggers who you like, who then can pay it forward, and by so doing, more of us can know about each other.

Cool, no?

When I tried to think of who I would nominate, so many blogs came to mind. Most of the ones on my blog roll are pretty famous and have a bizillion followers. What I always wish is that more of the people who I know IN REAL LIFE would write blogs.

Blogs  are like a peek into someone’s diary, or a daily/weekly/monthly letter you get from a friend. Blogs let people know about your life: what you are caring about, obsessing over, even cooking for dinner. I really want to know these things about certain people in my life, so I am always encouraging them to blog.

Very few do, but I do know some who are, and these are the ones I have chosen to nominate. Some of them have just started and are trying to get their blogging legs under them. If they got a comment, some acknowledgment that they are being heard in the blogosphere, they would freak. Others have some followers but really deserve more.

So here they are, my nominees–in no particular order.

Liberez Vous This is a new blog written by a young woman I first met when she began practicing at my studio. She writes about her yoga practice, and her life, and her cats, and food, and whatever is currently buzzing on her radar screen. She reminds me of my daughter a lot, so I have kind of adopted her.  She posts about once a week. This is a fun read. Oh, and she’s a good photographer, too!

Goodbye Ordinary– This is a brand new blog also, by another of my students who has had other blogs in the past, but started this one to talk about her new yoga practice. She is the young mother of 2 little kids and is trying to do the life/work balance dance and is extremely good at it. She’s a really good writer and deserves more readers. Check her out.

Em Likes Food – This is my daughter. She started this blog when she had an ailing computer and so had to do most of her posting from her Iphone! (I think). Recently, she has acquired a new Mac, plus an Ipad which should make posting lots easier. She manages a Starbucks in Portland, OR., works ridiculous (and many) hours, and likes to cook. She also likes good wine, and good coffee, and is very picky about her gimlets. She has a husband and a chihuahua. Her life is kooky. I want her to post more.  I miss her. (encourage her, k?)

Zee Zahava This is my best friend. I have known her since her Smedley’s days in Ithaca when she owned that bookstore. I have been writing at her studio for a long, long time and she is the most inspiring writing teacher/encourager/praiser on the planet. Simply phenomenal. A treasure. If you live in Ithaca, you know Zee. Her writing is hilarious, her conversation, sparkling, her haiku, enlightened. She will most likely not keep this chain letter going because she is brand new to blogging and it kind of scares her and freaks her out. But hers is a blog to subscribe to.

A Measured Word  I met Natalie at Zee’s. We were in the same writing circle for a few years and her writing used to blow me away. When I learned she was blogging I was so happy because then I could READ her and have her words to savor long after writing group was over. She loves language and gardening and taking pictures and cooking (she used to bring goodies from her kitchen to our writing groups occasionally–yum!). She’s in the middle of a move (from one house to another in Ithaca) and I can’t wait until she starts blogging again because this new house is going to inspire so much good stuff!!  Hurry back, Natalie!!

So there are my five.

If you receive the award, you should:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you. 

2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog. 

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

 4. Hope that the people you’ve sent the award to forward it to their five favourite bloggers and keep it going!