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Tonight I am interviewing Kamy Wicoff, founder of SheWrites.com on Sistehood, the Blog Radio.

Posted by on in Ananda Leeke, Blogher 2009, Social Media, women writers, WritingLeave a comment

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Kamy Wicoff, author and founder of SheWrites.com (www.shewrites.com)

 

 Happy Monday!

Tonight I am interviewing Kamy Wicoff, one of the fabulous women I met at the BlogHer 2009 Conference (www.blogher.com), at 8:00 p.m. on Sisterhood, the Blog Radio.  Kamy is an amazing author and founder of SheWrites.com (www.shewrites.com), a social networking site for women readers and writers.  My interview will focus on the reasons Kamy launched SheWrites.com and lessons she learned from the BlogHer 2009 Conference. Click here to listen to the show:  http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/42015.  If you miss the live show, don’t panic.  You can download a recording and listen to it when you have time.  That’s why you gotta love Internet radio! 

If you want to know more about SheWrites.com, click on the links below.

-SHE WRITES, the Site for Women Writers by Linda Lowen, About.com Guide to Women’s Issues –  http://tiny.cc/nz7sm

–SheWrites.com: A salon of one’s own by Frieda Klotz, Broadsheet on Salon.com – http://tiny.cc/Sx0Je

Enjoy your day and week!

Peace and Creativity,

Ananda

Social Media 101 – Check out a new webisode of Ananda Leeke TV

Posted by on in Ananda Leeke, Ananda Leeke TV, Creative Vado camera, Social MediaLeave a comment

Hi All,

On Saturday afternoon, I worked with my client Leigh Mosley, a photographer, digital filmmaker, and educator, on her social media strategy for Leigh Mosley & Associates.  Watch the webisode to find out my definition of social media and what happened during my session with Leigh.  Enjoy!

Many thanks to Leigh for filming the webisode with my Creative Vado (my new best friend) camera.

Have a fabulous week!

Peace and Creativity,

Ananda

Laughter and My BlogHer 2009 Moment@Ragu Luncheon on July 24

Posted by on in Blogher 2009, YogaLeave a comment

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Happy Friday!

How has your week been?  Mine has been really juicy online and offline! 

As you may know, I’ve been having a series of conversations on Sisterhood, the Blog Radio (http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/42015) with dynamic women who attended the BlogHer 2009 conference (www.blogher.com) on July 24 and 25 in Chicago, Illinois.  Our conversations have inspired me to stay on my “grustle” (grind + hustle = grustle; grustle is a term coined by one of my favorite folks — Hajj Flemings, an author and brand specialists – www.hajjflemings.com).  That means I am diving deep into practicing self-care as I work on a few projects.  Laughter is a key part of my self-care practice.  Finding humor and being silly in my daily life have become a necessity. So today I decided to post a photo that I took at the Ragu Luncheon held on July 24 during BlogHer 2009.  Every time I look at it, I crack up laughing. 

So what makes you laugh?

If you are looking for ways to incorporate more laughter into your life, click here to learn about laughter yoga:  http://www.laughteryoga.us/laughter-yoga.php.  Try some laughter yoga exercises: 

A few years ago I took some laughter yoga classes and really enjoyed them.  I use laughter yoga exercises with my clients and in workshops.  It really helps people relax and let go of stress.

Enjoy your day and weekend!

Peace, Creativity, and Laughter,

Ananda

The Business of Being Ananda Leeke – Part 3: Media Training 101 with Toni Blackman

Posted by on in Ananda Leeke, Ananda Leeke TV, The Business of Being Ananda LeekeLeave a comment

Happy Thursday!

On August 7, I spent the morning with Toni Blackman (www.toniblackman.com), my dear sistalove and media training coach, learning how to improve my online and offline appearance as the host of Ananda Leeke TV (www.youtube.com/anandaleeke) at Busboys and Poets (www.busboysandpoets.com) in Washington, DC.  Toni reviewed and critiqued the webisodes I filmed during my Chicago adventures at the BlogHer 2009 Conference (www.blogher.com). She also provided feedback on how to be more relaxed on camera, incorporate more gestures while speaking, improve my eye contact with the audience, and present a more polished look by selecting clothing, hairstyles, and makeup that enhance my natural beauty.  

After we talked about my webisodes, Toni filmed a webisode of me practicing my lessons learned.  I love how Toni uses experiential learning in her training sessions.  She also gave me homework to practice what I learned. My first homework assignment was a webisode I made during my plage de temps (French word for beach time) on Sunday.  I focused on making contact with the audience. Check out the webisode below.   Let me know what you think.

To learn more about Toni and her creative work, watch the webisode below. 

Enjoy your day!

Peace and Creativity,

Ananda

I will host the BlogHer 2009 Discussion on Sisterhood, the Blog Radio on Aug. 12, 13, 14 & 15

Posted by on in Blogging, Blogher Conference, Sisterhood, the BlogLeave a comment

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Happy Wednesday!

Sisterhood, the Blog Radio’s Lessons Learned from BlogHer 2009 series continues this week with four more interviews.  I will serve as the “blog hostess with the mostess!”  See the schedule below.   Click here to listen to the shows:  www.talkshoe.com/tc/42015.    If you miss them,  don’t panic.  You can download and listen to  recordings from the web site.  

1) August 12 at 8:00 p.m. EST – Denene Millner, the founder of MyBrownBaby blog (www.mybrownbaby.blogspot.com) and co-author of What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know: The Real Deal on Love and Relationships, What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know About Sex, and Money, Power, Respect: What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know;

2) August 13  at 8:00 p.m. EST – Holly Buchanan, a women’s marketing consultant (www.thesoccermommyth.com) and co- author of The Soccer Mom Myth;

3) August 14 at 8:00 p.m. EST – Lucrecer Braxton, the founder of Art-Slam blog (www.art-slam.com); and

4) August 15 at 8:00 p.m. EST – Deb Rox, the founder of Deb on the Rocks blog (www.debontherocks.com)  and author of 5 Ways to {Blank} Your Blog. 

What makes you feel beautiful? August Issue of Real Simple Magazine

Posted by on in Self-Discovery, WritingLeave a comment

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Writer Winifred Gallagher

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Writer Asha Bandele

 

Happy Tuesday!

On Friday afternoon, I escaped from D.C. and traveled to Annapolis.  Why?  Plage de temps.  Plage de temps is a French word that means beach time.  Beach time in my world means chilling out and chill-axing.  I had a great weekend hanging out with parents, practicing yoga outside (OM yummy!), eating seafood, playing on the beach, making a beach webisode of Ananda Leeke TV (www.youtube.com/anandaleeke– will post the webisode soon), and reading the August issue of Real Simple (www.realsimple.com).  My favorite article in the August issue was “What makes me feel beautiful.”  It featured essays by several women writers.  Two writers really touched my heart with their words:  Winifred Gallagher, author of Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life and Asha Bandele, author of Something Like Beautiful: One Single Mother’s Story, Daughter, and Prisoner’s Wife (one of my favorites).  Winifred was a new discovery for me.  Asha has been one of my favorite writers for several years. Her books and essays really move me.  She always speaks to my soul, mind, and heart!

Below are excertps from the essays written by Winifred and Asha. Winifred wrote about how being active every day makes her feel beautiful. Asha wrote about how writing makes her feel beautiful. They are my favorites!

Winifred – “That exercise makes me feel beautiful, struck me around age 40, right after I had taken a quick run… The way to stay lively is to stay active.”

Asha – “Writing requires us to take the world on more slowly, to notice its harshness as well as its richness.  Writing reduces the chaos in my mind.  As the gospel song says, it orders my steps and makes me feel in control of myself and therefore appreciative of the world.”

To learn more about Winifred and her books, visit www.harpercollins.com/authors/3432/Winifred_Gallagher/index.aspx. Click here to learn more about Asha and her books: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Asha-Bandele.  She is on Facebook too:  http://www.facebook.com/asha.bandele. 

After I read these women’s words, I sat on my parents’ deck and finished eating a healthy green salad for dinner.  In between bites, I paused and thought about what makes me feel beautiful.  A list emerged in my mind.  Here’s most of what I thought about.

  •  When I practice yoga, I feel beautiful.
  • When I meditate, chant with my mala beads, and give myself Reiki healing touch, I feel beautiful.
  • When I play on the beach, I feel beautiful.
  • When I drink green tea and eat oatmeal with raisins and honey in the morning, I feel beautiful.
  • When I work as an artist-in-residence for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts, I feel beautiful.
  • When I run my mile down 16th Street, I feel beautiful.
  • When I write notes and cards to family and friends, I feel beautiful.
  • When I wrap myself in my blankets and comfy sheets, I feel beautiful.
  • When I wear the colors pink, purple, orange, yellow, and red, I feel beautiful.
  • When I read books out loud, I feel beautiful.
  • When I have dates with handsome, witty, attentive, well-read, mature, and charming men at Rice, Love Café, Busboys and Poets, Utopia, and 24/7 Café in my neighborhood, I feel beautiful.
  • When I connect with family and friends through conversation, I feel beautiful.
  • When I color, paint, draw, and create wire sculpture, I feel beautiful.
  • When I get caught in a summer rainfall, I feel beautiful.
  • When someone special says my name “Ananda,” I feel beautiful.
  • When I kiss a man I like on the first date, I feel beautiful.
  • When I dance, I feel beautiful.
  • When I get in bed before 10:30 p.m., I feel beautiful.
  • When I walk or sit in Malcolm X-Meridian Hill Park, I feel beautiful.
  • When I host radio shows, I feel beautiful.
  • When I meditate with my People of Color sangha, I feel beautiful.
  • When I sit in All Souls Unitarian Church and worship with my spiritual community, I feel beautiful.
  • When I shop for healthy organic food at Yes! Organic Market in my neighborhood, I feel beautiful.
  • When I put on my MAC lipstick with Burt Bees lipgloss, I feel beautiful.
  • When I listen to my voice on Talkshoe.com radio shows, I feel beautiful.
  • When I touch flowers and trees, I feel beautiful.
  • When I cry after watching a good film, YouTube video, or television show, I feel beautiful.
  • When I walk home after getting a massage, pedicure, and manicure, I feel beautiful.
  • When I travel and fly on airplanes, I feel beautiful
  • When I write poetry, blogs, essays, emails, and books, I feel beautiful.
  • When I teach someone how to use yoga, Reiki healing touch, social media, and creativity to expand their vision of their life and work, I feel beautiful.
  • When I listen to music by Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Eric Roberson, Maxwell, Julie Dexter, Pat Metheney, Fertile Ground, Deva Premal, Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Sista Shree, Donny Hathaway, and Dwele, I feel beautiful.
  • When I hug folks, I feel beautiful.
  • When I greet people on the street with a big smile and hello, I feel beautiful.

 What makes you feel beautiful? Please share your list in the comment section.

 Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your day!

Peace, Creativity, and Beauty,

Ananda

Blogger Yoga for BlogHer Community: Another Way to Share As a Blogger/Yoga Teacher

Posted by on in Blogger Yoga3 Comments

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Have you heard about BlogHer – www.blogher.com? It is a great online community for women who blog.  There are several male members. 

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I recently attended my first BlogHer conference in July and had a fabulous time.  After I returned from the conference, I started thinking about how bloggers spend numerous hours in front of computers. We tweet, text, blog, vlog, audio blog, and post photos from our phones.  Our brains work really hard to create and write status updates, blogs, comments on blogs, content for social networking sites and other web sites, online magazines, op-eds, articles, and emails.  All that finger action on keyboards gives our hands a mighty workout.  Our eyes read a lot of information.  The way we sit while we interact online may be hurting our bodies (shoulder, neck, back, hips, etc.). That’s why I decided to create a Blogger Yoga Group for the BlogHer community. 

Blogger Yoga is a group for people who want to learn more about, share, and diiscuss how to use kind and gentle yoga, office yoga, eye yoga, chair yoga, keyboard yoga, hand yoga, face yoga, laughter yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices, breathing exercises, mantra chanting, Reiki healing touch exercises, stress-relief exercises, and self-care practices to enhance their lives as bloggers.  Blogger Yoga also offers me an opportunity to share my gifts as a kind and gentle yoga teacher and Reiki Master practitioner with the BlogHer community.  Click here to learn more about the Blogger Yoga Group:  http://www.blogher.com/groups/blogger-yoga-stress-relief-exercises-meditation-self-care-practices.

Blogging OMs to you,

Ananda

Great News! Ananda & Sisterhood, the Blog Radio Mentioned in Natalie McNeal’s Frugalista Files blog (published in Miami Herald)

Posted by on in Ananda Leeke, Blogher Conference, Sisterhood, the BlogLeave a comment

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“Frugalista” Natalie McNeal

 

Happy Monday!

Great News! Sisterhood, the Blog Radio and I were mentioned in a post written by Natalie McNeal, founder of the Frugalista Files blog (http://miamiherald.typepad.com/frugalista) that appears in the Miami Herald. Click here to read the post:  http://miamiherald.typepad.com/frugalista/2009/08/frugalista-talks-about-blogher.html.  Many thanks to Natalie!

Here’s some more great news!  Natalie will appear as my guest on Sisterhood, the Blog Radio tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST.  Natalie will share her reasons for blogging and lessons learned from Blogher 2009.  Click here to listen to the show:  www.talkshoe.com/tc/42015.    If you miss it,  don’t panic.  You can download and listen to a recording from the web site.

Enjoy your day and week!

Peace and Creativity,

Ananda