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

Self Care & Why It's Important

When I was younger, I always made time for me. This was probably because I had no real responsibilities. But I always had time to go get manicure or a pedicure, or to take a hot relaxing bath and make sure my legs were shaved, exfoliated and moisturized. I always had time to paint my nails or to spend the evening conditioning my hair and giving myself a pedicure.

Time like that is a rarity for me these days. If I’m not working, planning, teaching, cleaning or spending QT with my husband, pups and family, I’m sleeping. The older you get, the more hectic life becomes and the more important having some kind of self-care ritual becomes.

For me, in the midst of what already was chaos, I also am teaching yoga. I am teaching this powerful tool that inspires others and here I am sometimes finding myself uninspired. I am portraying that I totally have my shit together, when in all honesty, sometimes I’m just flying by the seat of my pants. Becoming a teacher was the best thing I could do. But is also takes time away from me. You learn to get your inspiration and “me time” in other ways and yet somehow it never feels like it's quite enough. Having a great mentor is one of the best things to help with this. However, I've also found taking the time for yourself; whether it’s setting a pamper night or signing up for a yoga class with your favorite instructor.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't take what I do for granted OR wish I didn't do it. I absolutely LOVE what I do. In a way, the 'high' I get before and after teaching a class is part of my self care. It literally is the best feeling in the whole entire world that I am so grateful I get to experience.

My point is though; it's not just being a yoga teacher. Regardless of what you do professionally (but especially if you are in an industry where you take care of others) or what you do for a hobby,  You have GOT to do something to nurture yourself because the truth is – we can’t even begin to help people if we don’t help ourselves first.

Sure, this may sound selfish, but it’s the same reason the flight attendant instructs you to put on your oxygen mask before helping your neighbor with theirs.

How can we expect others to be able to drink from our cup if our cups aren’t full?

I won't lie to you. It's a hard thing to do! But it isn't impossible.

Today, make time for you. Set aside some time for yourself; even if it’s 5 minutes and do something for you.

Zen Coloring + Giveaway (closed)

You’re probably starting to see books such as Creative Coloring Mandalas popping up everywhere. They aren’t new; but they are the new craze! In fact, they’ve been around for quite a long time. I remember going to Borders book store while in middle school and going in ‘halfsies’ on a book that my friends and I would make copies of and color during sleepovers. I didn’t understand back then what I was doing. I just thought I was making gorgeous works of art that didn’t come from a coloring book for a 5 year old.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. I’ve got all these responsibilities and you want me to color? I’ve been there before. The first time I was re-introduced to coloring was in a yoga class where we were given homework. Simple; mindful things to do each week between practices. Then she handed out a coloring page and explained the art of adult coloring – and instructions for completing our ‘yoga homework’. When I picked up the page I thought, “Yeah right! I’ve got work, teacher training, homework from that, classes AND a life. I’ll get right on that.” I think it was partly my initial thought on it, but when I finally remembered to pick it up, I sat down to watch a TV show and brought out my trusty old Crayola markers. Immediately I wished I had found time sooner to do it. It was so relaxing to color. Ultimately it took me 3 days to complete mine. I would just start wherever I left off the night before. What I learned was it didn’t matter how much I did, but in just doing some I felt more at ease.

Here is the finished product from my yoga homework!

So, what is it that makes coloring so relaxing? Well, researchers say it ultimately takes us back to a time in our minds before we had to worry about making ends meet.

Before we had to worry about what bills we had and how we were getting those paid.

Before we had to worry about schedules and the only true cares we had in the world were when dinner was, and what time you had to be home by.

It does not require the talent of painting, drawing or really any sense of creativity.

Ultimately, this form of zen coloring is the perfect way to step back from the stress of everyday life, be imaginative when you haven’t a creative bone in your body and just relax! The meditative benefits of putting pen (or in this case marker/colored pencil) to paper that offer an opportunity to channel anxiety into a nourishing creative accomplishment.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go color! Print the attachment in your email (if you subscribed) or download your own. Spend some time working on it and post a picture of your finished project. 2 winners will win a Zen color book of their own!

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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 Mondays: 11 Ways to Create a Mindful Morning Routine + Giveaway (closed)

o n e -  First and foremost; get enough sleep!

You can’t expect yourself to be fully present in life if you aren’t getting enough. Avoid constantly hitting the snooze button in the mornings and in life by going to bed at a decent time to give yourself enough rest. Who knows – maybe you’ll end up using less concealer too!

 Helpful tips for a good night’s rest;

• TURN IT OFF!

That’s right… your cell phone? Set the alarm, put it on the charger and LEAVE IT ALONE! The TV? Turn it off! DVR your favorite late night show or catch the latest and weather tomorrow morning. Just turn it off!  In fact, try to skip anything that increases brain activity. For me, this even includes reading – especially if it’s an E-Book. I’ll know I won’t want to stop turning the page. Or, after I stop I will constantly be thinking about it/living it in my head. Plus, if I’m using an e-reader I’ve got that bright screen in my face and that isn’t going to help when I’m ready to call it quits. So, I don’t  ever do this directly before bed.

• Add a little pamper into the mix.

Something that not only helps me sleep but also is a great self-care ritual to have (and also allows me to practice a little mindfulness) is doing a little self-care before bed. What does this entail? Take a nice, hot, relaxing bath. Add some essential oils or use some of your favorite bath products. Mine happen to come from Lush! They’ve got ton and tons of great & affordable natural products that not only make bath time more fun and relaxing but also enjoyable. If baths aren’t your thing, go for a shower! They also make shower bombs (or you can make your own - hint hint at a future blog post friends). Simply toss in the shower and as the water hits it, it will vaporize and become part of the steam. You can also use essential oils. We’ll be talking more about this at a later date. But some great essential oils to use for relaxing and calmness are; lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, sandalwood, marjoram, cedarwood and vetiver.

Maybe you don’t want to shower/bathe the night before. That’s okay. Some other ideas include; face masks, moisturizing/massaging your skin with your favorite *moisturizer or put on some relaxing music and soak your feet and give yourself a mini pedicure.

*coconut oil is amazing for this, but if you’re looking for something that also promotes relaxation – Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy line works wonders!

• Avoid naps during the day – OR napping at the wrong time/for too long
• Keep the lights off

When you get up in the middle of the night; don’t turn the light on. Instead make sure you leave a nightlight out, but not in your direct path. You want to keep each room you enter as dark as possible.

• Avoid over sleeping!

You’ve got the day off tomorrow and you’re sleeping in? Be mindful. Set your alarm, and get up with intention. So many times we get up, turn off the alarm, and then go sit back on the couch. Get up and get moving. Make breakfast, take your shower, check your email.

t w o - AVOID CHECKING YOUR PHONE!

Seriously, once is enough! We’re all guilty of it. In fact, ever since I got the iPhone 6S, I find that I now check it more than ever. With the thumb-print recognition, it’s easier to unlock (and actually more fun! I catch myself doing it constantly more so now than ever). Go on, check your emails,  check your text messages and your Facebook, and then PUT IT DOWN! 

Some other helpful tips to avoid checking your phone;

• Create No-Phone Time Zones

• Turn off your phone when you get in the car

• Avoid your phone the first 30 minutes of your day. Turn off you’re alarm – that’s it.

t h r e e -  Make your entire routine mindful

During those first 30 minutes that you’re now not using your phone; take the time to meditate, or go for a walk/run.

You could even work a mantra into your day, meditate in the shower, take time within the moment! Choose a different color Eyeshadow or notice why you gravitate towards that particular everyday shade. Ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Don't just brush your hair. FEEL sensation in your scalp as you brush your hair

Spend an extra minute massaging moisturizer into your skin

f o u r -  move or stretch

Go for a walk, a run, complete a simple morning yoga practice or just take 5 minutes to stretch every part of your body from head to toe.

f i v e -  make a morning tonic to activate your insides.

No, I promise I’m not a witch! But studies show waking up and drinking lemon water (hot or cold) helps to do some amazing things like; boost your immune system and metabolism, balance your pH, flush out unwanted materials, decrease wrinkles and blemishes, relieve tooth pain and respiratory problems, cure throat infections, reduce fever and purify blood. Lemon is a natural energizer! One little lemon hydrates and oxygenates the body so that it feels revitalized and refreshed.

s i x -  eat breakfast

Even if it’s just fruit, eat something. Eat something and take the time to eat it - not inhale it. Who knows when lunch will get pushed back or if something will come up. Savor it!

s e v e n -  prioritize your day

Condense the long to-do list. Seriously! Tack it on the fridge, and then pick 3 things you absolutely need to get done and organize them in priority. Ask yourself what do you need to do for yourself today and whether it’s a power-nap, a fancy cup of coffee or a self-care ritual when you get home – DO IT!

e i g h t -  write

take time to write in a journal or on your blog. Even if it’s just 5 minutes!

n i n e -  Power clean the first 10 minutes

No one can get as much cleaning done in the minutes before someone comes over. I know this all too well. So, first thing when you get up, set a timer and GO! Get as much done as you can and leave the house knowing you’ll come home to less of a mess!

t e n -  set an intention for the day

We do it in our yoga practices and meditations. We even do it at the beginning of the year for the following 365 days. So why not for our day? For one day, set an intention the entire day and make it happen! Spend the entire day making it happen

e l e v e n -  diffuse an essential oil.

When in doubt when looking for an energy boost, use a citrus oil like orange, lemon, grapefruit or lime. Use an already blended oil like ‘En-R-Gee’ from Young Living or doTERRA’s ‘Elevation’.’citrus bliss…. Some other oils include; lemongrass, peppermint and frankincense.

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Time for another giveaway!

In hopes of making your morning routines a little sweeter, Savvy Serenity Yoga is giving away;

(1) One Love Organics 'The Cleansing Sponge' (a $10 value).

The Cleansing Sponge is made with 100-percent pure konjac plant fiber, prized for its ability to detoxify pores and smooth skin while buffing away dirt and makeup. Soft yet exfoliating, The Cleansing Sponge is ideal for everyday use on even the most sensitive skin. - See more at: http://shop.oneloveorganics.com/products/the-cleansing-sponge-original#sthash.L8m77OyF.dpuf

(3) Wilma Schumann Skincare Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads (3 separate winners will each win one set of eye pads!)

Enhance your eye contour area by visibly reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and puffiness. 100% pure collagen gel pads offer intense hydration and are easy to use and non-irritating.- See more at http://wilmaschumann.com/hydrating-collagen-eye-pads

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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;

Welcome To Mindful March: What Is Mindfulness

What is Mindfulness? Technically you could say that Mindfulness is a living movement. It began over 2500 years ago as a Buddhist tradition and was then adopted Westernly in psychotherapy that greatly expands on this Buddhist tradition.

Defined by Mr. Webster himself; Mindfulness is described as ‘the quality or state of being conscious/aware of something’. He goes on further to say that mindfulness is ‘a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment; while calmly acknowledging & accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations’. It’s also thought to be a therapeutic technique used by many.

That’s deep right? I mean, I can barely begin to wrap my head around all of that. So, you want me to acknowledge my own feelings… and THEN accept them, at the same time make sure to take note on what’s going on up there in ‘ye old noggin’? Yeah, OKAY!

But how many times do we catch ourselves just going through the notions of life? How many times do we say we’re going to change that, and then end up right back where we started? Something so simple as feeling our own bodies can even the most challenging. I mean, we walk and talk all day – but when do we really FEEL the magic of ourselves?

I hadn’t really ever remembered experiencing this until I went to yoga. That was the first time I connected with my body. It didn’t matter whether I looked like the person next to me, or the other one. It didn’t matter whether I could physically do the entire practice. In that moment nothing mattered. Nothing mattered but myself.

Right there, laying on the floor at the end of the class. That was the FIRST time I had ever been present. I felt what it felt like to feel my entire body pressed into the earth. I felt what it felt like to feel my breath move through my entire body. I felt what it felt like to be still, yet fully aware. Do you know how liberating that is? It was so overwhelming (in the best way possible) that it brought me to tears. It was literally like I was right there, doing the practice – and yet I was also magically apart from my body, watching myself experience it and feeling the feels. What moved and what stayed still. What hurt and what didn’t.

This was my first experience with mindfulness.

So, what if we were to live every day like that first day I went to yoga. What if we paid attention on purpose and gave the gentle effort to continuously, consciously, be present with our experience of life?

What if, each day, we paid attention to the way we eat and savored the taste of our food with each and every bite? What if we truly allowed ourselves to feel the sensations of living? What if, each day, we allowed ourselves to take notice of the beauty within ourselves and our surroundings?

Today, I challenge you to pay attention! Be present and pay attention to your life on purpose! What do you notice that wasn’t there before?

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How our Mindful March program will work;

Expect to see a post of some sort every day! On days that there isn't a blog post, head on over to the Savvy Serenity Yoga Facebook page and/or Instagram and check there. We'll also post the most up-to-date information in our Mindful March group on Facebook so if you haven't joined yet, please do so now! (click here)

*FYI! You may want to adjust your notification settings on Facebook for our group. I expect there to be more than one post per day, and I know sometimes excess notifications can be annoying throughout the day. Please know that this is definitely not our intention what so ever! So, if you feel the need to turn off notifications and then check in daily - that's quite alright! If you feel you've missed something, feel free to message us on Facebook or via e-mail (savvyserenityyoga@gmail.com) and we'll be happy to help get you back on track!

*If you signed-up using your email, you will get weekly notifications every Friday of what's been going on for the week as well as an occasional mid-week check in. If you haven't yet signed up, please be sure to head on over to the Mindful March page to do so.

Meanwhile, we've got some amazing collaborators who we've already started introducing. The rest you'll be meeting shortly. We've also intertwined some fabulous giveaways into our posts as well so be sure to check for those.

Due to popular demand, the majority of our course will be via Facebook/Blog posts. But, if you don't have a Facebook, that's alright! Just let us know so we can be sure you get all of the content.

**Are the links not working? Leave a comment below to let us know!