Meet LYNDA - Our Newest FEATURED VILLAGER

It’s about time I introduced you to another BLOG VILLAGER.

Her name is Lynda, and she teaches Pilates & Reiki as an American Ex-pat in the Turks & Caicos Islands. In her July 10, 2007 post on her blog, Pilates in Paradise, you will see that she enjoys blogging and is setting up several more blogs! She has a pet peeve concerning people that are unduly licensed to teach Pilates & Reiki and has made a couple of You Tube Videos available on her blog that explain Pilates & Reiki. To start off the interview I asked her to tell us who Lynda is and to share something about herself that she hasn't posted in her blog!

Lynda replied: “As a child & teen I was very interested in mysticism and spirituality. I studied Tarot, meditation, Ouija boards, astral travel, energy healing, etc. Then I went to college and got into western philosophy and went straight into a PhD program.

In traditional western philosophy the soul and anything mystical is completely frowned upon. Nobody believes in god, religion is silly and in a different department, and something like Reiki energy healing would be laughable. So I taught Pilates part time and just closed off my spiritual side.

When I left academia to open my first Pilates studio in 1995, I was suddenly inundated with alternative people, practices, ideas. And within a few years I was back to practicing Judaism, meditating, and exploring energy healing.

Now I've realized that contradiction is OK. As Schopenhauer explained many moons ago, faith is a leap we take knowing full well that we cannot logically explain everything. Sometimes when I teach Reiki I am struck by how silly some of it still sounds to me; yet it works and I cannot fault what works!”

To my question “What prompted you to start blogging in the first place?”, Lynda exclaimed, “I love to write and wanted to share some of my stories and knowledge with the entire world. Once I realized how easy it is to blog, it became a habit. Now I have readers from all over and my blog produces some income from advertising. I have considered splitting my blog into Pilates specific, Reiki specific, and expat specific sites, but people have told me that they like the variety in my posts so for now I am going to leave it as is.”

The next question should have been “When do you find time to blog?”, however I asked, “When do you find time to read other blogs?"

Lynda stated, “Not often enough! That's why I love places like Blog Village or Blog Her where there is a group of blogs that I like to read. I read other blogs throughout my day/week. Some don't update regularly so it's a quick pass through.

I find that Google alerts help. I receive blog alerts daily for Pilates, Reiki, Turks & Caicos and that connects me with blogs I never would see otherwise.”

When asked, “Where or through whom did you hear about BLOG VILLAGE?”, Lynda’s answer was, “One of the blogs I visited through a Google alert was Rosemary's (Day By Day with PD & PN), and I clicked through to join."

To continue the interview I wanted to know, “Why do you blog? Is your blog personal, business, therapeutic, or just plain fun?”

“All of the above! I have received writing & teaching offers from my blog. Advertisers like my blog. My clients read the blog, and I have gained clients from having a blog. Plus, I get to write and have fun, not knowing who will be reading!” was Lynda’s enthusiastic reply.

I was glad to hear that Lynda sometimes explores BLOG VILLAGE when I asked, “How many BLOG VILLAGE blogs do you read?”, because she said, “There are about 8 that I cycle through regularly. But sometimes I go in and just click different ones to see what's out there.”

The last question helps me with the answer to “Who do I pick for the next interview?” Lynda would like to recommend Eric of Erixgraphy, so he will be added to my list of BLOG VILLAGERS to get to know a little bit more!

Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.

If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.

Meet MARION - Our Featured BLOG VILLAGER

After sending Marion the same questions I ask of all my BLOG VILLAGE interviewees, she answered them in a way that does not need to be broken up! Please read on to find out about your fellow BLOG VILLAGER, Marion, over at The Herbal Connection:

I am a soon-to-be 56 year old woman who has had many life experiences, and who wants to share what I’ve learned as a result of these life-changing events.

I am twice-divorced; now living with my life-partner, Graham. Two dogs, Lucky and Nate, own us. I have lost a daughter; I am a recovering Alcoholic, still dry for many years. I am a mother and a grandmother, soon to welcome my second grandchild into the world.

As I learn, once more, to adapt to a different way of life, I use the Shamanistic and Reiki skills I have learned on a constant basis. I will always be amazed at how much easier life becomes, how well I can figure myself out, using these tools.

Graham is a Karuna Reiki Master Teacher and I hold Level 2 certification. I absorb the energies that fly around me so intensely, both negative and positive, that I had to learn how to protect myself. That is when I met Shaman Maggie Wahls, who opened the doors to an intensely spiritual time.

My awareness of ordinary, everyday occurrences became so acute; I wanted to write specifically about it. My life has become an amazing journey of miracles. It seemed right to share it.

And I wanted to be a storyteller. I have written all my life, primarily for myself…writing words that described the events of my life, horrible, sad words. It was the right time, suddenly, to turn those despairing words around to a more positive tone, to dissect and learn.

I wanted to reach people, to share hope in the everyday. Although I have sent some essays, etc. to various magazines, I have not seriously pursued this avenue. I treasure the rejection letters; seems they all, in handwritten words, love my writing…but what could they do with it? It doesn’t seem to fit in well, for magazine formats. LOL

Blogging seemed the natural choice for me. I am very at home on the Internet, having taken various different courses and having a natural bent towards research. I also wanted to learn to write consistently, with discipline. And I wanted to explore the world of photography.

My blog reading is done mainly in the morning, with some afternoon surfing. I try and find new blogs (to me) with the same interests I have, and try and extend my audience that way, as well as contacting and getting to know some wonderful people! And, no matter how busy life gets, I try and keep up with the great friends I have already made, just by blogging. I have huge gratitude for their support.

When I first started blogging, I knew nothing about it. Nothing. It took awhile to even understand how to publish, how to load photos, how to…the list goes on. I didn’t know about comments, etc., I didn’t know there were groups you could join. And then, one day, I heard Blog Village mentioned... I think it may even have been the Google help group, lol, a group I have had many occasions to visit!

My blog is a personal one. After all those rejections from editors, after all their suggestions to change my writing to more acceptable topics, I decided I was going to write what the muse wanted to. And so I did.

I only maintain one blog. I have others; they are still in the starting phases, where they will probably remain. I admire the people who have more than one blog; I just do not have time.

I usually try to post two or three times a week; it is a release and an outlet for my creativity. My writing is not for everyone; I wouldn’t expect it to be. But I try and project peace and serenity, I try and work out the happenings around me. I try and share any wisdom I may have learned, or am learning.

The sites on Blog Village are always entertaining. In my opinion, it is a great collection of different viewpoints; my site feels at home here. I enjoy it every day.

Now I get to pick another Blog Villager ... ta daaaa! I would love to hear about Tea, from Tea and Margaritas in my Garden!

All you need to do is read one of Marion posts to see her passion for life, to see how deeply she feels about the world around her. She has a unique way of writing and expressing life as she sees it. Read her Valentine’s Day post “Fury” to see what I mean and stop by to wish her a Happy Birthday. Her birthday is in February sometime! ~ Janey Loree


Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.

If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.