The decision was hard. The applications were incredible. A big thanks to all who entered!

And now, Alive in the Fire would like to introduce the blog's sponsored yogis for this year...

Emily Berna,

Nicole Crist,

and

Hans Park!

along with an extraordinarily awesome guest post team:

Dana Almdale

Richard Krzyzanowski

Beth Morey

Annie Sullivan

Emily Taggart

This is me, shouting a much deserved: CONGRAAAAAAATS!

In the weeks and months to come, you'll be hearing from these yogis who are located all around the country and who practice a variety of yoga styles ranging from Bikram to Vinyasa to Anusara and Yin, and more.

They are teachers and students.

Men and women with compassion.

Brilliant writers, designers and thinkers who are ready to share their reflections on life as it's lived both on and off the mat.

I couldn't be more excited to have them on board!

I'd also like to send out a personal thank you to every blog reader who entered the sponsorship program. I hope the application process was fulfilling and helped you learn more about yourself and your yoga practice.

I couldn't be more stoked to share some of your stories in the weeks to come, too. I value and appreciate your feedback and your ideas about the blog.

Thanks to you and your honest input, you can expect to see some exciting changes around here at Alive in the Fire, including:

new design
more continuity
a new series or two
some new personal posts
advice on specific postures, plus a comprehensive guide to every Bikram asana in the 26-posture series
more info for yogis who don't practice Bikram
more info for guys who yoga

Thanks to you, the blog is better and it's growing. I hope you'll stay tuned for some lovely input from the sponsored team, starting with their bios next week (plus the cutest bio video ever!).

And once again, a big fat congrats to the sponsored yogis, guest bloggers, and to every applicant who submitted. You are amazing!

A new day, a new dawn (on the blog). Beautiful! Photo via One Love Photography.