Welcome to Mindfully Savvy!

Now that we've completed our Mindful March, I'm guessing you're wondering what's next? I am so happy to have been able to put together a program with such amazing content and such wonderful and inspiring people! This all started with one small idea to get back to being mindful. So, now that we've finished the month, I've decided to roll Mindful March into Mindfully Savvy. We will still keep the group; the name will change. There won't be as much content thrown out to you, though right now it may be a good thing since there is so much to sift through. I will be working on getting see new things together for you to continue to bring mindfulness into your routines, but you won't see a post every day.

As for me? I am going to be diving into the content myself actually. I'll be working through this the entire month of April!

I know that there were a TON of things thrown out at you. So if you need to take some time and work on the prompts separately (like all of the mindful eating at once, the mudras, or the mediations, etc.) then over the next few months or weeks then I encourage you to do so! Participate along with me through our Mindfully Savvy/Mindful March group.

Please continue to post questions and share with me how you are doing with the content. We will also still use the hashtag #mindfullysavvy

Our last Mindful March giveaway ends in a few hours. You can enter the giveaway here!

Mindful Mondays: The Power Of The List

Do your list of TO-DOs ever make you feel like this?

I think the moment I realized I was doing this was when a friend of mine called me out. “There she goes, making her lists again…” It’s just what I do, and no matter how unorganized it may look – for the most part, these things actually do help me. Seeing it all in front of me and having the power to cross something off after it’s completed is my absolute favorite part.

But what happens when the list takes over your entire life? What happens when we become so enthralled in those tiny little pieces of paper?

Today, I’m asking you to ditch the to-do list.

Alright, alright. Don’t all go shrieking in horror and unfollow me. Take your to-do list for the week, or even the month and tack it on the fridge. Leave it in the open, where it doesn’t get lost. (or do, because God, do we love making lists!) But, it doesn’t leave the fridge – got it? (I know you just added a bunch of stuff to it because I told you that you couldn’t touch it… I’ll let it slide for now!). 

I want you to know and accept that you will NEVER get EVERYTHING done.

There will a l w a y s be something to do. Extinguish your guilt!

Now I want you to try condensing your to-do list; even if it’s just for today. Pick the top 3 things that absolutely HAVE to get done. Organize them in order of priority and do your best to get them done.

There is however, one small little catch;  b e    p r e s e n t ! In anything you do today, and especially from that list, take notice in what happens. Notice your frustrations and your advances. Notice your annoyances and your satisfactions. Notice the people you greet, the stress you feel and the relaxation that comes after.

At the end of the day, I want you to express gratitude to yourself for getting the things that you did done, and making a dent into your list. No matter how small, it’s still a dent. Be proud of that!  If there was something you just couldn’t get to; that’s okay. Add it to the top of the next day’s list. Don’t beat yourself up over it. The most important thing you can do is be present, and even if you didn’t get everything done; you were present.

Bottom line;

I know how important tasks and deadlines are. But they shouldn’t consume our entire life. If you’ve got to get something done – do it beautifully.

DIY: Green Tea & Peppermint Bath Soak

You Will Need:

• 3 cups Epsom salt (unscented)

(I chose to use a 1:1 ratio of Pink Himalayan Salt and Dead Sea Salt after the yoga studio I attend starting carrying it at a fairly reasonable price!)

• 1 cup finely ground sea salt
• 3 Tbsp loose green tea or 9 green tea bags
• 4-6 drops of peppermint essential oil (I also used a couple drops of eucalyptus essential oil)
• 6-8 drops Fractionated coconut oil or Almond Oil

 Combine the 3 cups of Epsom salt and the 1 cup of sea salt in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to make sure they’re fully mixed.

If you’re using green tea bags, cut them open to remove the tea. Add the tea to the salt mixture and stir again to make sure they’re mixed very well. You want to be sure that you have a pretty even distribution of the tea.

Add the peppermint oil and either the coconut or almond oil and stir it well to combine. If you’re skin is dry, use the coconut oil. If your skin is oily, go with the almond oil. You can use a bit more than called for if it doesn’t go far enough, but you shouldn’t have to when you’re adding the essential oil to it as well.

Stir very well to make sure the oils get distributed.

When mixed well, cover with a paper or kitchen towel and let sit for an hour or so to absorb the scent and oil.

Store in an airtight container in a dry place.

To Use: Mix (1/2 – 1 c) into warm bath, set your playlist to Zen & enjoy!

Original recipe courtesy of;  http://sixdollarfamily.com/diy-green-tea-and-peppermint-bath-soak

Mindful March Giveaway! (closed)

We are already approaching week 3 of our month long journey to mindfulness together. Watching all of this unfold as well as your interactions within the group and on posts has truly been something amazing. Whether you’ve participated in daily/weekly conversations, messaged me privately to let me in on your progress or have kept your thoughts private; I am in awe of our little group. Imagining what this group would become and watching it slowly grow into that – and so much more has been the best experience I’ve ever had.

Thank you to all of you and our wonderful collaborators for making this into something so beautiful!

As a special thanks, I’ve put together a giveaway for one lucky participant as a final giveaway for Mindful March. You have until 11:59 on March 31, 2016 to submit your entries. We will draw a winner on April 1st (and I really do promise that’s no April fool!).

One lucky winner will receive;

·         A copy of The Little Book of Mindfulness by Patricia Collard

·         A copy of The Mindfulness Color Book by Emma Farrarons

·         1 set of colored pencils or markers (your choice) to complete your coloring

·         A copy of Robot Coconut Trees by Kelsey Horton

·         A set of (1) Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads

·         1 Pura Vida bracelet

·         1 of each of the DIY recipes mentioned on the blog throughout the month

·         1 Peloha Essential Oil diffuser necklace w/ interchangeable discs

·         1 $10 gift card to Lush

·         1 pair of Note To Self® socks

·         1 Free class of Curvy Yoga at FocusOm Batavia

Thank you again for joining me this month! I look forward to the remainder of our time together in Mindful March and thereafter!

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**PLEASE NOTE!
In order to receive your entry, you MUST complete the prompt.

Entries submitted without completion of the prompt will be deleted without notification.

No purchase necessary to win. Giveaway only open to U.S. Citizens.

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If you have any technical issues regarding leaving a comment below, you may also leave your comment on the album in our Mindful March group on Facebook!!

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Mindful March Collaborators: Meet Kelsey + Giveaway (closed)

 

Kelsey Horton is a writer, yoga teacher, and environmental activist who blogs about stuckness and creativity at KelseyHorton.com. Her new book Robot Coconut Trees helps writers reinvigorate their creative flow, bust through writer's block, and unapologetically share their words with the world. When she isn't writing, teaching yoga, or traveling, you can usually find her wandering through Chicago while smiling and wearing a colorful outfit.

Kelsey has so graciously offered to give away a copy of her book; Robot Coconut Trees. To enter the giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter prompt below.

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Mindful March Collaborators: Meet Ganesha Yoga Chicago + Giveaway (closed)

To understand what Ganesha is all about, you have to go back to the summer of 2008. Mindy wanted to become more active–a lonely task and difficult to stick to without support—and this was just the impetus that Jane needed to get back to some semblance of the person who long ago had run the Chicago Marathon. Holding each other accountable and laughing a whole lot along the way, they ran, rowed, and swam, but most importantly, they got back to yoga which they had both practiced intermittently since 2000. And the more they practiced yoga, the more they became believers in yoga’s ability to serve all people.

At Ganesha, both Mindy and Jane are in the 'business' of helping you find your yoga groove. They specialize in yoga for beginners, teaching vinyasa classes at a manageable pace and helping students challenge themselves without pushing to injury and frustration.

Ganesha is a laid back community where people know your name, you're encouraged to explore, and you'll never feel intimidated. Specialty classes include Ganesha Plus (for people carrying extra weight or who want a gentler class), Stiff Guy Yoga (sequenced for men, taught by men, geared towards gaining flexibility and balance), Ganesha Rx (a therapy class that improves range of motion and heals injuries), and Gentle Chair Yoga. 

They also offer workshops for students and trainings for teachers that delve deeper into adaptive yoga, yoga therapy and pose modification.

Additionally, they also offer private yoga sessions for both personal practice and yoga therapy.

Jane; pictured above in a photo taken while in Dhaka, Bangladesh

In 2012 Jane Rossi Musgrave completed her 200 hour certification with Suddha Weixler of the Chicago Yoga Center. She is also certified to teach HeavyWeight Yoga, and has completed a 300 hour certification in yoga therapy with Joseph Le Page’s Integrative Yoga Therapy. She plans to start the full 800 hour training in the fall, as soon as she is done with her Masters in Human Nutrition from Eastern Michigan University.

Mindy Hanzlik is an E-RYT 500 Yoga Therapist who specializes in helping people who are sure they don't have a body built for yoga begin and grow their yoga practice. She believes there's no challenge that can't be beaten, no obstacle that can't be overcome, and if you apply yourself, not only will you succeed, but you can have a great time doing so.

Mindy; pictured above in a photo taken while at the beach in Sawyer, Michigan

As a teacher, her focus is on "plus size" yoga, and she is certified in HeavyWeight Yoga, Curvy Yoga and Big Yoga, with training in Somatics, Chair Yoga and Yoga for Osteopenia and Osteoporosis. She completed my E-RYT 500 Yoga Therapist certification through Integrative Yoga Therapy, and is currently pursuing her 800-hr certification, as well.

You can read more information about the wonderful power ladies behind Ganesha Yoga & Adventures in Fitness here.

Additionally, you can also find them on Facebook & Instagram by following the links below.

Each week Jane & Mindy will be sharing content they've created in Mudra Mondays where each week we will explore a new, mindful Mudra to practice.

To help you along in the process, they've so graciously offered to giveaway a copy of Mudras for Healing and Transformation Flash Card Set.

You may enter the giveaway below using the Rafflecopter prompt.

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Setting Intentions + Giveaway (closed)

“Setting your intention is like drawing an arrow from the quiver of your heart.” Bruce Block

The first time I ever really remember hearing about setting intentions was in a yoga practice. Actually, it was a gong session. From there I paid more attention to find that each of my yoga instructors in some way, shape or form were asking me at some point to set an intention for my practice. More prominently you can think of this as setting goals – which resonates with just about anyone. We spend our entire lives setting intentions or goals. Small goals, big goals, lifetime goals. Day in and day out we constantly transform our fears and doubts into hopes and possibilities. At some point we always derive a purpose or plan to have in mind and to direct our whole world to.

But I’m here to tell you it doesn’t just have to be some huge life changing intention. You should be setting an intention every day. From what you’ve got to get done for the day to simply waking with love and kindness.

Today I challenge you to set an intention that will help you go from just living the day in and day out to fully participating in your life. It can be something as easy as “Today, I will greet every person I see with love and kindness.” or “Today, I will believe in myself.” to something a bit more intricate and time consuming like; “Today, I will dive in and finally begin cleaning out and organizing my closet.”

Dive Deeper: Create a Vision Board.

You decide the timeline, size and theme. Hang it up it somewhere within your house where you’ll be able to see it multiple times every day; think your bedroom, mirror or fridge for example.

You can also choose to make an electronic board with a photo collage app if you wish.

Post a pic or a screen shot of your board on Instagram or in our Mindful March group for a chance to win a copy of; The Little Book of Mindfulness. This pocket sized book is filled with 10 minute exercises to help you dive deeper into practicing Mindfulness in your every day life. 

Posting your vision board using the hashtag #mindfullysavvy will also qualify you for an extra entry into our BIG Mindful March Giveaway at the end of the month!

*Winners of our final and biggest Mindful March along with this giveaway will be announced on April 1st, 2016! (and that’s no April fool!)

**If you miss this giveaway, as long as you have your board completed and posted using hashtag #mindfullysavvy no later than 3/31/16 at 11:59pm, you’ll receive your additional entry!

***Please note: All entries for THIS giveaway must be submitted through the Rafflecopter prompt below. So when you post using the hashtag or in our group; please enter your information in the Rafflecopter prompt below this message!

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For more help, check out this blog post here;