Here are our favorite, most popular, most inspiring blogs of 2013.
Did we forget one you loved? Include in the comments below!
A deep bow to you: and all our readers, writers, staff, inspirerers and elephriends for our growth (6.4 million readers a month!) this year! We’re a few steps closer to (mindful) world domination (in pursuit of the common good).
(And we’re not kidding. Here’s why.)
elephant is reader-created and supported. Why do our readers care to keep us alive?
We’re dedicated to sharing the good life beyond the choir, and to all those who didn’t yet know they give a care about living a good, fun life that’s good for others, and our planet. The mindful life is about yoga, organics, sustainability, conscious consumerism, enlightened education, the contemplative arts, adventure, bicycling, family…everything. But mostly it’s about this present moment, right here, right now, and how we can best be of benefit, and have a good time doing so.
Elephant has been around for 11 years. We started off as an ecopaper-printed magazine. But after going national in Whole Foods and such, we wanted to further “green” our ways. Thing is, the bigger you get as a magazine, the fewer copies percentage-wise you sell. We were unwilling to join all the other magazines in selling only three out of 10, and wasting the rest (magazines get milled, printed, bounded, shipped from China typically [we were US], shipped another five times…it’s incredibly wasteful after all of that to waste seven out of 10 copies, which can’t even really be recycled—getting inks out of magazine paper is super energy-intensive). Anyways.
And because we are independent, and indie media is another raison d’etre, another value of ours, we didn’t want the investment we needed to create our own distribution system, which is a tough wheel to reinvent.
So, we went online. We’re still independent, and we’re getting rid of direct ads, so our editorial (unlike just about everything else you and I read) is fully independent. Because the world needs honesty, and urgently. One of our heroes, Lester Brown, told me that the key to saving the world would be media. Education. Communication. He told me that seven years ago, and said we had very little time, then.
So join us. Sign up for a free 10 day reading trial. If you don’t like us, cancel. If you do like us, join the elephant community. Know that we’re not about being right (there’s stuff you and I will read that we’ll hate), but rather about respectful dialogue, and grassroots responsibility. So leave thoughtful comments for those who disagree with. And, write if so inspired. Join the cause.
And holy cow…there were so many more we wanted to feature, but…108 offerings to enjoy!
(In no particular order:)
> Want to Feel Great in the Morning? Start the Day off Right with a Morning Ritual.
> 10 Things I Find Sexy in a Man (that Aren’t All About Sex).
> To My Post-Partum Self: Things I Wish I’d Known.
> What You Can Really Expect at your First Yoga Class.
> How to Stay Young & Hot Forever: Advice from a 96-Year-Old Grandma.
> Bloated? Try Apple Cider Vinegar.
> 50% of US Bees Dead. “We’ve been doing this 30 years, & we’ve never experienced this kind of loss before.”
> Please Don’t Envy Me: The Facebook Status Everyone Should Read.
> A Handbook for Hard Times: How to Make it Through A Rough Patch.
> In Praise of Periods, or, 5 Ways to Stop Ragging on Your Rag.
> How to Love a Girl who Writes.
> 8 Ways to Keep Your Relationship Exciting.
> My Favorite Kitchari Recipe.
> 5 Ways to Be Happier & Less Depressed Through Buddhism.
> 6 Ways to Reset a Bad Mood.
> Dear Lover: 5 Simple Things I Wish You Would Do For Me. (Adult)
> The Perfect Poop.
> 101 Quotes about Wellness, Buddhism & Yoga to Change a Life.
> 9 Rules Every Yoga Teacher Should Follow.
> How to Say No (in 25 Bad A** Ways).
> Best yoga video you’ve seen for a long time.
> 12 Tips for Getting Through a Breakup.
> The Meaning of True Love (from a Buddhist’s Perspective).
> 10 Things You Should Do Every Day.
> “Every morning, recite this.” ~ Dalai Lama
> 10 Things that are Bad for Us that can be Good for You if Practiced Mindfully.
> Confessions of a Loved & Hated Ashtangi.
> How to Be Naked.
> 6 Tips for Waking Up Early, Getting Sh*t Done & Being Happy.
> Comparing the Modern Yogini with Tibetan Female Mystics.
> Lonely? Don’t fill the space. Breathe the cold, sweet air in deeply.
> 5 Ways to Get Old…Fast.
> The Beginner’s Guide to a Tantric Love Affair with Life.
> Touch Me… Please!
> Monsanto: the most Evil Company in the Universe. {Here’s Why.}
> Self-Help is Bad for Us.
> How to Build a Mason Jar Herb Garden.
> My Favorite Buddhist Quote By Someone I’ll Bet You Never Realized Was Buddhist.
> What Nobody Tells You About Yoga.
> Vitamin D has Astonishing Benefits.
> Gluten-Free can be Bad for 99% of Us.
> The Bravest, Sexiest Thing You Can Do in an Uncomfortable Moment.
> Why I’m Not Buying the Whole Forgiveness Trend in Yoga & Spirituality.
> 6 Lazy Ways to get Happier, Sexier, Healthier, Richer.
> 7 Reasons to Try This Position in Bed.
> The Real Unphotoshopped Me.
> Yes, I’m a Serious Yogi, But I Still Do These 6 Things.
> 5 Traits of a Good Relationship.
> Top 30 Plants to Detox Your Home.
> “After I’ve lost 20 pounds, I’ll be happy with who I am.”
> 10 Things to Give Up in Exchange for Happiness.
> 7 Sensational American Buddhist Books You Must Read.
> 5 Ways to Get Intimate that Don’t Involve Having Sex.
> Can’t Give Up Cheese? This One’s For You.
> Solutions for a Toxic Relationship.
> 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Clothes.
> Meditation Practice is Your Ultimate Best Friend.
> Why I Practice.
> Things Your Yoga Teacher is Dying to Tell You (But Probably Won’t).
> Setting Your Intention: 69 Words to Start & Re-Start Your Day.
> Tranquility is Yours: 5 Scientifically-Proven Reasons to Ditch Facebook.
> Advice to All the Single Ladies.
> The most beautiful & sad Craigslist Missed Connection in the history of Love.
> 5 Things Women Do to Impress Men that Don’t Work.
> Speed Vegan: 12 Quick Recipes for the Frantic Herbivore.
> Caught Between Monogamy & Polyamory: A Case of One-itis.
> The Truth About “True Love.”
> How to Bike in a Mini-Skirt (& Other Bike Stylish Tips).
> The Good Mother.
> Best Breath Practices: 5 Energizing Pranayama Techniques.
> What People Really Look Like.
> 5 Ways to Make a Man Feel Really Loved.
> 8 Secrets of a Happy Home Yoga Practitioner.
> Why Relationships Don’t Work.
> Secrets of the Sea: Underwater Yoga Photos That Will Blow Your Mind.
> Find Your Life Partner in 4 Easy Steps.
> The Art of Drinking Water: 10 Ayurvedic Tips for a Happily Hydrated Body.
> Yogis, Be Careful with Your Joints.
> 10 Ways to Say “I Love You” Without Words.
> How Yoga Changes your Body—Starting the Day you Begin. [Infographic]
> Push the Pause Button on Adrenal Burnout.
> What it Means to Love a Libra.
> The Best Article from Elephant Journal in 11 Years.
> Too Hot, Too Cold? Four Keys to “Just Right” Sex.
> A Simple Lesson from Thich Nhat Hanh.
> Top 10 Urban Commuter Everyday Bicycles for Work, Hot Dates, Family.
> 8 Ways to Make Every Day Your Best Without Pretending You’re Happy or Letting Go.
> It’s More Than What We Eat: 12 Ayurvedic Tips for Healthy Eating.
> This is What a Real Yoga Body Looks Like.
> 10 Weird but Awesome Habits that Aren’t Just for Hippies.
> Solo Yoga is Essential: 8 Alone-Time Practice Tips.
> What Women Want from Men. (It’s Simpler than We Think.)
> Can We Be Lovers & Not Have Sex?
> Things Yoga Students are Dying to Tell Their Teachers (But Never Will).
> Oil Cleansing: How to Have Amazingly Clear & Radiant Skin.
> Mindfulness for Beginners: Dispelling 7 Myths of Meditation.
> How To Find Yourself, When You’ve Lost Yourself.
> 6 Reasons My Family Doesn’t Get Sick!
> How to Cure Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a Few Days.
> The Best Advice I Ever Got About Love.
> How We Can (Spontaneously) Wake Up Our Minds to the Present Moment.
> How to Be Free: 10 Simple, Transformative Daily Life Practices.
> Stunning Photos of Little Girl Who Grew Up With Animals in Africa.
Bonus: We couldn’t get enough of Waylon’s series “Things I Would Like to do with You.” (Soon to be a book. Keep an eye out!)
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