One Year Later
Yesterday was the one year anniversary of me and my blog. Like any relationship, its had it's ups and its downs. Recently, though, we had to have a long talk, and see where the future of this relationship was going.
The essential question here is: Why do I write this blog? Not in the past, because as neat as it would be, I'm not living there and don't plan on visiting in the near future. Now, why do I write now. I write because I enjoy doing it and think that a daily blog forces me to take the time to sit in front of my computer and work on writing skills. In doing this every day, I think I have better developed my "voice" and some speedy (if sometimes not perfect) editing skills.
I really enjoy the people and blogs I have found because I started this project. These relationships seem a lot like the relationships I have offline, if perhaps even more honest. Here, I have the time to really think my responses out as opposed to giving reflexive dialogue. And, as per one of my original intentions in beginning this blog, I have learned a lot about yoga. More times than I can count, entire class plans have been sparked by something online. Whether it be a pose or an idea or an intention, the blogosphere has become my main source for educating myself so I can be a better yoga teacher.
Sometimes, in class, I'll amaze myself at the amount of Sanskrit I know. In the beginning, sequences would take me so much longer because I would have to translate. I can't think of the last time I had to look up a word in the Dharma (see right panel link) dictionary. My vocabulary is awesome and it has helped in classes in unexpected ways. For example, I can discuss the root of the word in relation to how the body is moving and feeling. Today, in Fire Log pose, I talked about how the pose's name could come from the way the shins are stacked... or from the fire that some might be feeling in their hips.
But it hasn't been all roses. In fact, my blog has never given me roses, although I have received a small bit of swag. There have been nights when I come home late, having been gone and busy all day, and I hammer out a post with no love. Just because I said I'd do it every single day. Days when I felt like I didn't have much to say, but I burdened you all anyway. Because I said I'd do it every day. Moments where Chris would ask, "Are you listening to me?" And the answer would be no, because I was more invested in my computer screen. Because every day means every day.
Days when instead of practicing yoga I write about it (no, in this case, this doesn't count as doing yoga).
I am pitta (fire-y, pushy, bullheaded) and when I say I'll do something I'll do it, dammit. The dammit often comes afterwards. I've done my year and I am proud that I have, but now I need to find something that works. So in this beautiful, earthly swirl of love, self-care, and the seeking of balance, I'm making a change. Henceforth, I write when it doesn't affect my practice and my relationships. When I am not exhausted. I write when I have something to say and when I have nothing to say (because if we only wrote when we had something to say, we might never write, right?).
In the end, I'll write when I write. Sometimes I'll include the sequences I've been working on in my personal practice and with classes I teach and sometimes there'll be nothing at the end of the entry. In yogawords, I'm following my prana, darlings.
I'm still always looking for guest posts and guest articles, sequences or no sequences. I'm still equal opportunity, so as long as you write about yoga/health/wellness you'll probably get posted (even the blatant self-promo bits, because that's what equal opportunity means to me, and who am I to judge?). After I post this, I'm going to go update my motto; no more one yoga sequence every day. Thinking about changing the look, too.
Now, with this very-big-deal-for-me-and-my-entire-life I would love to hear from the ones I love, which is everyone who reads this. What do you think? Honest opinions. One year check in. How am I doing?
Thank you for reading. I mean it.
Love,
Emma
The essential question here is: Why do I write this blog? Not in the past, because as neat as it would be, I'm not living there and don't plan on visiting in the near future. Now, why do I write now. I write because I enjoy doing it and think that a daily blog forces me to take the time to sit in front of my computer and work on writing skills. In doing this every day, I think I have better developed my "voice" and some speedy (if sometimes not perfect) editing skills.
I really enjoy the people and blogs I have found because I started this project. These relationships seem a lot like the relationships I have offline, if perhaps even more honest. Here, I have the time to really think my responses out as opposed to giving reflexive dialogue. And, as per one of my original intentions in beginning this blog, I have learned a lot about yoga. More times than I can count, entire class plans have been sparked by something online. Whether it be a pose or an idea or an intention, the blogosphere has become my main source for educating myself so I can be a better yoga teacher.
Sometimes, in class, I'll amaze myself at the amount of Sanskrit I know. In the beginning, sequences would take me so much longer because I would have to translate. I can't think of the last time I had to look up a word in the Dharma (see right panel link) dictionary. My vocabulary is awesome and it has helped in classes in unexpected ways. For example, I can discuss the root of the word in relation to how the body is moving and feeling. Today, in Fire Log pose, I talked about how the pose's name could come from the way the shins are stacked... or from the fire that some might be feeling in their hips.
But it hasn't been all roses. In fact, my blog has never given me roses, although I have received a small bit of swag. There have been nights when I come home late, having been gone and busy all day, and I hammer out a post with no love. Just because I said I'd do it every single day. Days when I felt like I didn't have much to say, but I burdened you all anyway. Because I said I'd do it every day. Moments where Chris would ask, "Are you listening to me?" And the answer would be no, because I was more invested in my computer screen. Because every day means every day.
Days when instead of practicing yoga I write about it (no, in this case, this doesn't count as doing yoga).
I am pitta (fire-y, pushy, bullheaded) and when I say I'll do something I'll do it, dammit. The dammit often comes afterwards. I've done my year and I am proud that I have, but now I need to find something that works. So in this beautiful, earthly swirl of love, self-care, and the seeking of balance, I'm making a change. Henceforth, I write when it doesn't affect my practice and my relationships. When I am not exhausted. I write when I have something to say and when I have nothing to say (because if we only wrote when we had something to say, we might never write, right?).
In the end, I'll write when I write. Sometimes I'll include the sequences I've been working on in my personal practice and with classes I teach and sometimes there'll be nothing at the end of the entry. In yogawords, I'm following my prana, darlings.
I'm still always looking for guest posts and guest articles, sequences or no sequences. I'm still equal opportunity, so as long as you write about yoga/health/wellness you'll probably get posted (even the blatant self-promo bits, because that's what equal opportunity means to me, and who am I to judge?). After I post this, I'm going to go update my motto; no more one yoga sequence every day. Thinking about changing the look, too.
Now, with this very-big-deal-for-me-and-my-entire-life I would love to hear from the ones I love, which is everyone who reads this. What do you think? Honest opinions. One year check in. How am I doing?
Thank you for reading. I mean it.
Love,
Emma
