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Interview with Cheryl Murman
Welcome back to another installment of Blogger’s in the Spotlight. Today I would like to introduce Cheryl Murman. Cheryl is a certified yoga life coach and fitness instructor. She has a wonderful blog full of great information about yoga and the services she offers. I hope you enjoy this interview with quite an inspiring individual.
Hi Cheryl, thanks for taking part in this interview. Could you start by telling the readers a little about yourself?
My name is Cheryl and I am a yoga teacher, life coach, fitness instructor, personal trainer and…bank teller. I live in the Southeast US, and I have about 6 public classes each week. I also have many private clients a week, either as private yoga, Life coaching clients, or personal training or a combination. I lead many workshops and trainings as well each year. I started in the fitness industry over 25 years ago as a group instructor and over the years took on personal training & then started teaching yoga in 2001. I had done yoga off and on for years, but when I was asked to teach it I began studying with YogaFit and have continued to grow as a teacher. I have studied with ACE, AAFA, Gin Miller, YogaFit, Doug Keller, Sadie Nardini, Manu Jois & I have my YA 200 + from Kashi Ashram. I am certified as a yoga life coach with Debra Williamson and am currently taking an additional 300 hr’s w/ Kaoverii Webber to further my training as a Yoga Therapist. I am also a master trainer for Fitour.
Yoga & fitness are both about lifestyle, about how you live your life, but yoga has the spiritual component not found in fitness. I work part-time at a bank close to home, the benefits are great & I love the folks I work with. Teaching is what I ‘do’ and who I am. I believe in the transformational power of yoga and of living a healthy life.
I am really stepping out of my comfort zone by writing a blog, I am basically a shy person (my students & clients might not think so but I am). This is especially true when it comes to putting my name ‘out there’ or promoting myself. That’s a difficult thing for me to do, so writing a blog was a scary venture.
What made you decide to begin a blog?
Wow big question! I have always written, years ago when I was younger I wrote a lot, poetry & short stories and kept a journal, but I rarely let anyone read anything. Writing was a creative outlet for me, a path of expression. Over the years life got in my way, or like I said on your blog, more than likely I was in my own way. I had an experience about 3 years ago that changed me, call it an epiphany or a life altering event, more than an Aha! Moment. It was a re-awaking of sorts and I began to write again, among other things, and blogging seemed the natural next phase, to put it out there, for everyone or no one. Blogging has helped me articulate ideas, thoughts, emotions. I have become a hell of an editor LOL. I edit my stuff even after it has been posted… like weeks after.
How long have you been blogging? Is this your first blog?
I started blogging almost a year ago. I started with Google sites, for one simple reason, I could access it at work. At the time Blogger & WordPress were blocked where I work (It was a good thing too). I learned a lot about the technically side, about layout, about set up, it was fun, but the community was really different. Even at other blog-sphere places, the community isn’t as welcoming and fun as WP is. I don’t know how to explain it, but WP really is a community isnt it? It’s like we all live in a small town, not so small that you know everyone, but small enough that you feel like its ok to walk up to someone on the street and say Hi! So needless to say, I deleted that blog in December about the time I went live on WP. Oh and they changed the firewall at work so I can WP at work woo hoo!
How often do you write a new post?
I try to post twice a week, that was the deal I made with myself when I started. I have been pretty consistent so far, only having a few weeks where I only hit it once, and I think there is only 1 or 2 weeks where I haven’t posted at all.
What has been your best experience since beginning your blog?
Just meeting wonderful bloggers from all over the world. Perhaps that sounds cliché, but I really didn’t come to blogging or to WP with an agenda for my business. I really just wanted an outlet to hone my skills, to practice ‘writing’ what I already ‘speak’ with ease. That there are friends I haven’t meet yet intrigues me and I look forward to meeting more.
What has been most surprising to you about having a blog?
I went through a spell where I was quite a ‘stats’ whore. That was the first thing I looked at every time I would login (LOL). I loved to see that there were 8 people who had looked at my blog, OMG 8 people like me HAHA. Then I realized that some of the blogs I read must have hundreds of hit every day, I just laughed at myself. I rarely look at the stats at all now, well…hardly ever.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking of starting their own blog?
Being a life coach I don’t really give advice, but some suggestions might be to play with the blog themes, settings etc. before you go live. That was a big help to me, posting in a smaller venue. Another would be don’t pigeon hole yourself into one idea or concept unless that’s part of a bigger plan for your blog or if you have time and energy for more than one blog. Most important have fun & be creative!
Are you creating a blog as part of your career?
Not right now, as I move more into the field of Yoga Therapy and build the Life Coaching up then I will want to drive traffic to my web site, but right now my web site has gone fallow, I’m not doing much with it till I can combine it with my WP blog.
A little more about Cheryl’s blog in her own words.
The blog is called Cheryl’s Yoga Shanti, as I mentioned I am not good at self promoting, so putting my name in the blog title was a deliberate challenge for myself and the word Shanti means peace in Sanskrit. The Matala theme is pretty, I’ll admit it and it appealed to my hippie chick side. But as I get more and more comfortable with the whole blogging world I will probably change themes… more than once
If you have enjoyed this interview and would like to visit Cheryl’s blog, please see the link below. Thanks to Cheryl Murman for giving up some of her time to do this interview.
www.blissbodysoul.wordpress.com
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Wendy McCance
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What a great interview. I very much enjoyed learning about Cheryl. I have always been interested in yoga but have not taken any action. I think it may be time. 🙂