Kelly Bonanno

Your soulful coach for eco friendly living, clean beauty & wellness Savvy | Sexy | Beautiful | Healthy | You

Mind Body Connection

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Are you feeling out of sorts? A bit more anxious than usual? It’s completely understandable. This unprecedented situation with COVID-19 and the recession have many everyone stressed out and overwhelmed.

For most of us, the situation is frightening, confusing and inconvenient but for some, it’s downright devastating. People have lost their lives, others are fighting for their lives and many are facing serious financial hardships.

I truly hope each of you reading this are healthy and safe. If you or a loved one has fallen ill, my heart goes out to you.

It’s on my heart to help you feel supported during this pandemic. To accomplish that, I offered a free Virtual Self-Care Retreat in April during Stress Awareness Month. The feedback I received was fantastic, participants loved it so I’m making it available to everyone. 

Give me a few minutes each day for a week, we’ll get your self-care game going with fun, easy, relaxing self-care and wellness activities that will improve your mood, reduce stress and give you a healthy focus.

Now more than ever devoting attention to your well-being is essential. The current global climate has people on edge and fearful. The shelter in place has many feeling overwhelmed and disoriented. You’re trying to stay healthy, doing your part to prevent the spread of coronavirus while navigating this new normal, albeit temporary. But some things will change for good.

I want to help you turn that around, choose faith over fear, find peace, and relieve tension. We’re not stuck at home, we’re safe at home. Let’s make the most of it.

My free Virtual Self-Care Retreat gives you fun, simple ways to practice self-care along with self-love and self-compassion. Self-love is acknowledging that you are enough. You matter. You are loved. The most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one with yourself.

Learn to listen to your own inner voice and feel important enough to be heard and looked after the way you care for others. Loving and nurturing yourself allows you to love and nurture others in a stronger capacity.

During this time of uncertainty trying to avoid coronavirus and adhere to the social distancing mandate, the most beneficial thing you can do is support your mind and body with positive habits that reduce anxiety and strengthen your immune system.

This virtual retreat will lift your spirits and reduce anxiety.

I’m known for helping people go green and improve health by reducing toxic load caused by environmental toxins but other things cause a different type of toxicity that I help people mitigate. Stress, fear, anxiety, pessimism are all toxic to your system. A strong immune system is vital right now, read this blog post for tips to boost yours: 5 Powerful Ways To Strengthen your Immune System During This Pandemic 

During this retreat, we are going to detox your lifestyle with some radical self-care and fun.

Go from overwhelm to relaxed in 7 days.

Sign up now!

This will lift your spirits and help alleviate some of the added stress and anxiety brought on by this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and the recession. It will help you prioritize self-care, self-love, and personal development which is crucial for your overall well being.

Do stress and anxiety harm your health and impair your immune system? Yes, but there are enjoyable ways to mitigate the harmful effects.

Each day, I’ll share fun, easy self-care and wellness activities designed to alleviate stress, anxiety and overwhelm. Enjoyable self-care – not the overused buzzword type that’s demanding and makes you feel guilty if you don’t do it!

Some activities will be purely for relaxation and well being, others will help you be more efficient and productive with your time. You’ll have access to my free private Facebook community where you can bond with like-minded individuals and get support.

This resource is everything you need to incorporate self-care and self-development into your daily routine and kick stress to the curb.

Whether you are extra busy and overwhelmed working from home while homeschooling or find yourself with more time on your hands than usual and perhaps bored, this retreat will benefit you. I will be sending you emails and replays of all the Facebook live streams so you can complete activities on your own time.

Click here to sign up for the Virtual Self-care Retreat and enjoy 7 fun, stress-reducing days devoted to you 💜Joy heals. Focusing on the positive heals.

Invite your friends to join us too!

This retreat is very important to me. I want to give you the tools that I use to alleviate my stress and the self-care activities my clients and I enjoy to feel calm and centered during difficult times.

Creating a positive mindset and inner peace will help keep you healthy. It’s good to feel good.

Stay well 💕 

#savvygirlsvirtualselfcareretreat 

https://kellybonanno.com/2020/04/the-savvy-girls-virtual-self-care-retreat-giveaway/

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7 Good Reasons to Practice Yoga

Yoga is rich in benefits for the mind, body, and spirit

Yoga studios have been popping up everywhere in the last few years. It’s like Starbucks, seems like there’s one on every corner, right?! It’s more popular than ever, with over 20 million Americans practicing. I have been an avid yogini on and off for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, I’ve been more ‘off’ for too long. I do plenty of cardio and strength training and I’m usually good about doing some yogic stretches afterward but haven’t had the steady yoga practice that I used to. I miss it! 

In fact, I was just telling a friend at lunch the other day that I want to commit to a regular practice again. Honestly, I see and feel a clear difference in both the way I look and feel when yoga is a regular part of my fitness routine. Writing this has inspired me and now I’ve put it out there, you can hold me accountable! Check back in a few weeks to see where I’m at 😉 

A good yoga session leaves you with an inner peace that stays with you throughout the day. The mind body experience of yoga has benefits that go beyond leaner muscles and a more zen state of being. No chanting necessary, so roll out your yoga mat and strike a pose.

yogasakti-_292

The Mind Body Connection
In yoga, you focus on your breathing, as well as what your body is doing and how it is feeling and reacting to each pose. That focus carries through to other aspects of your life. “I think the most important benefit of a yoga practice is learning how to replace habits with mindfulness,” says Leeann Carey, founder, Yāpana by Leeann Carey Yoga. “Mindfulness is a strategy for turning knowing into doing and being. It is more than striking a yoga pose. It is about noticing what you are doing and how you are doing it. A yoga practice is a method for implementing this.”

Increased Strength and Stamina Yoga doesn’t just make you more flexible, it really makes your muscles strong. You work all of your body parts and many of the poses take a tremendous amount of strength, particularly when you challenge your body to hold them for at least five breaths. I notice a lot more definition when I practice yoga on a regular basis. A good yoga class really works me and I love it.

Stress Reduction

Yoga has a calming effect on the nervous system. Stress causes a PLETHORA of health problems, seriously, it’s a killer. Anything you can do to manage stress will be unbelievably beneficial. Mindful breathing is one of the best things you can do to bring your stress levels down. In yoga, you focus on your breath as you move from pose to pose. Yoga has been shown to increase levels of a chemical in your brain that helps decrease anxiety known as GABA (gamma-amniobutyric). That wonderful afterglow of yoga known as the “yoga buzz” keeps you energized and calm.

Pain Relief

The Group Health  Research Institute in Seattle recently conducted a study where they found that 60 percent of their subjects suffering from chronic back pain reported significant relief after just 12 yoga classes.

Weight Loss

There isn’t a huge amount of research regarding yoga and weight loss but studies have shown a correlation. Carey says she has seen countless students lose weight through yoga, “There are plenty of styles of yoga that promote weight loss — some that are more aerobic than others. But the most important and enduring effect is a mindful lifestyle which supports overall healthy choices in food, activity, thought, and action in all things,” says Carey.

It Just Might Reduce Inflammation 

Inflammation is the primary cause of disease and aging. Reducing toxic load and maintaining a healthy weight are huge factors in keeping inflammation in check. The Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research reported a study that found individuals who practiced yoga had lower inflammatory markers levels than those who didn’t.

Yoga Is for Everyone

It doesn’t matter what your fitness  level is or how old you are, there are modifications for each pose that allow everyone to practice and reap the benefits. Yoga is now mainstream; it’s easy to find a good class. There are several different types of yoga, so do a little research and find the best fit for you. Be sure to choose a reputable yoga studio with skilled instructors. It is crucial that they know how to teach proper alignment and make necessary adjustments in the poses to avoid injuries. Namaste 

Yoga tree pose

This post was originally published in 2016, it has been updated and revised for your enjoyment.

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Savvy Girl’s Premiere Virtual Self Care Retreat & Giveaway

Are you feeling out of sorts? A bit more anxious than usual? It’s completely understandable. This unprecedented situation has most everyone stressed out and overwhelmed.

April happens to be National Stress Awareness month, quite timely given what we’re going through with COVID-19, isn’t it?

For most of us, the situation is frightening, confusing and inconvenient but for some, it’s downright devastating. People have lost their lives, others are fighting for their lives and many are facing serious financial hardships.

I truly hope each of you reading this are healthy and safe. If you or a loved one has fallen ill, my heart goes out to you.

It’s on my heart to help you feel supported during this pandemic. To accomplish that, I am offering a free Virtual Self-Care Retreat.

Join us for 10 days of healthy, relaxing activities to make your time at home less stressful and more productive and enjoyable 💕

Now more than ever devoting attention to your well-being is essential. The current global climate has people on edge and fearful. The shelter in place has many feeling overwhelmed and disoriented. You’re trying to stay healthy, doing your part to prevent the spread of coronavirus while navigating this new normal, albeit temporary. But some things will change for good.

I want to help you turn that around, choose faith over fear, find peace and relieve tension. We’re not stuck at home, we’re safe at home. Let’s make the most of it.

My Virtual Self-Care Retreat gives you fun, simple ways to practice self-care along with self-love and self-compassion. Self-love is acknowledging that you are enough. You matter. You are loved. The most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one with yourself. Learn to listen to your own inner voice and feel important enough to be heard and looked after the you care for others. Loving and nurturing yourself allows you to love and nurture others in a stronger capacity.

During this time of uncertainty trying to avoid coronavirus and adhere to the social distancing mandate, the most beneficial thing you can do is support your mind and body with positive habits that reduce anxiety and strengthen your immune system.

This virtual retreat will help improve mood and reduce anxiety during this challenging time while normal life is on hold. Sign up and join us, everyone who participates will be entered to win a self-care clean beauty bundle!

I’m known for helping people go green and improve health by reducing toxic load caused by environmental toxins but other things cause a different type of toxicity that I help people mitigate. Stress, fear, anxiety, pessimism are all toxic to your system. A strong immune system is vital right now, read this blog post for tips to boost yours: 5 Powerful Ways To Strengthen your Immune System During This Pandemic 

During this retreat, we are going to detox your lifestyle with some radical self-care and fun.

Go from overwhelm to relaxed in 10 days.

We start on

World Health Day

Tuesday, April 7th

Sign up now for the next retreat!

We’re all in this together, joining a community in the name of self-love with like-minded individuals will lift your spirits and offer a welcomed distraction.

Do stress and anxiety harm your health and impair your immune system? Yes, but there are enjoyable ways to mitigate the harmful effects.

Each day, I’ll share fun, easy self-care and wellness activities designed to alleviate stress, anxiety and overwhelm. Enjoyable self-care – not the overused buzzword type that’s demanding and makes you feel guilty if you don’t do it!

Some activities will be purely for relaxation and well being, others will help you be more efficient and productive with your time at home. You’ll have access to my free private Facebook community where you can bond with like-minded individuals and get support.

This resource is everything you need to incorporate self-care and self-development into your daily routine and kick stress to the curb.

Whether you are extra busy and overwhelmed working from home while homeschooling or find yourself with more time on your hands than usual and perhaps bored, this retreat will benefit you. I will be sending you emails and replays of all the Facebook live streams so you can complete activities on your own time.

Click here to sign up for the Virtual Self-care Retreat and enjoy 10 fun, stress-reducing days devoted to you 💜Joy heals. Focusing on the positive heals.

All participants have a chance to win a self-care clean beauty bundle! Enter the giveaway on the form below. 

Invite your friends to join us too!

This retreat is very important to me. I want to give you the tools that I use to alleviate my stress and the self-care activities my clients and I enjoy to feel calm and centered during these difficult times.

Creating a positive mindset and inner peace will help keep you healthy. It’s good to feel good.

Stay well 💕 

Sign up here now for the next Virtual Self-Care Retreat and to enter the new giveaway click here.     #savvygirlsvirtualretreat 

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My #1 Tip For Staying Sane During The Holidays

Last week it hit me. Christmas is in less than TWO weeks! I admit, a little panic set in. And now Christmas is less than 1 week away. Quite honestly, it ticked me off to feel stressed because I want to enjoy the holidays. I happen to love this time of year ?

Shopping, wrapping, decorating, entertaining, cooking, baking, attending parties… There is just so much to do on top of everything else we do on a daily basis, isn’t there?!

What keeps me sane when I feel out of control during the holidays (and all the other hectic times that come up)? Living in the present.

Yep, it’s that simple. Although, it’s really not so easy. You have to be mindful to live in the present and that requires some work because it’s so easy to let your mind future trip and worry.

So, how’s it done? I have a quick little exercise that will do the trick.

Stress is the root cause of a lot of illness and premature aging so managing it is vital for our health. We’ve all heard that meditation is one of the best stress and anxiety relievers but I’m sure the last thing you want me to recommend at the moment is to get your om on for 45 quiet minutes every morning.

Of course that would be great and if you can, go for it but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, give yourself a mindful minute. This will help center you, bring you to the present and live in the moment.

Take just 60 seconds to focus on your breath. Inhale for 8 counts, hold for a second, exhale for 8 counts and you will feel yourself start to calm. It’s quick and easy but it works wonders. Place your hand on your stomach to make sure that as you inhale, it contracts and as you exhale, it expands.

Tuning into our breath isn’t our first thought when we get pushed to our limits but try it any time you feel scattered, irritable, worried, anxious, pissed off, stress, overwhelmed or any other unfavorable feeling.

During my inhales and exhales I focus my thoughts on a few things that I’m grateful for because gratitude is the highway to peace and happiness.

You deserve a little self care and with the pressures of the season it’s especially important. Self-care is the new trend but it isn’t just a buzzword, it truly is important.

Remember that you can’t please everyone and you may not get everything done. Be gentle with yourself, let some things go and enjoy the spirit of the season ❤️

As crazy as it can get, I LOVE the holidays and all the glitzy, sparkly, glamour that goes with it. The parties, the beautifully decorated homes, time with friends and family and the true spiritual meaning of the season that we celebrate, whatever our beliefs.

I don’t want a frantic energy to round out 2017 and I’m sure you don’t either. So give it shot, next time you feel the stress begin to rise give yourself a mindful minute and be present.

Enjoy the holidays!

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21 Healthy Habits To Adopt In 2016

Laugh

Meditate

Nurture Friendships

Give Hugs

Pay it forward 

Listen

Use kind words

Kiss

Listen to music

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Walk barefoot in the grass

Love

Cuddle your kids

Be kind to yourself

Pray

Cuddle your pets

Sleep

Moisturize

Play

Unplug

Drink Water

Have lots of good Sex

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National Day of Prayer

Today marks the 64th annual National Day of Prayer. This year is especially meaningful to me as I am on a spiritual journey that is having profound affects on my life.   

To compliment this year’s theme, Lord, Hear Our Cry, the chosen scripture is I Kings 8:28 “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.”

The theme emphasizes the thumbneed for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men.

“In America, our nation is stronger because we welcome and respect people of all faiths, and because we protect the fundamental right of all peoples to practice their faith how they choose, to change their faith, or to practice no faith at all, and to do so free from persecution and discrimination. Today, as we pause in solemn reflection, we celebrate the religious liberty we cherish here at home, and we recommit to standing up for religious freedom around the world… In the face of tremendous challenges, prayer is a powerful force for peace, justice, and a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow. Today, as we join together in fellowship, we seek to see our own reflection in the struggle of others, to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, and to keep faith — in one another, in the promise of our nation, and in the Almighty.” ~ President Barack Obama

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A Grateful Heart

Scores of studies show that gratitude offers a bevy of health benefits, from improved sleep, to enhancing relationships, strengthening immunity & decreasing stress

Gratitude is powerful. Some of the wise spiritual leaders I follow suggest that when you are feeling down, angry or uninspired, think about things you are grateful for and it will turn your mood around. #gratefulheart

GHMtiedyeEGbutton_zpsed6c294bI’m telling you, it works. At the very least, it will give you a different perspective and lead you in the right direction. I am a big believer in gratitude so I am happy to participate in Ember Grey’s Grateful Heart series. I thank God each day for the countless blessings in my life, today, these are a few that stand out…

♡ The weather! I truly appreciate the beautiful sunny days we get to enjoy. I am a true So Cal girl, I love a pool day, tennis in the sunshine and warm balmy evenings #sundressweather (that being said, I would be grateful for rain, we sure need it in the midst of this drought!)

♡ Marianne Williamson & Gabby Bernstein These are two of the spiritual leaders I was referring to above. I am eternally grateful for all I learn from them. I have followed them for nearly 2 years and lately I can’t get enough of their books and CDs. Their wisdom and inspiration is helping me in all aspects of my life. I have experienced some rather remarkable transformations over the last few weeks that have changed me in profound ways reinforcing beliefs I’ve long held and giving me new perspective on certain aspects of life #inspired

♡ New and improved features on my blog I accomplished things I’ve been wanting to take care for a long time. My husband is super tech savvy, I needed his help making some changes and upgrades, he delivered #happy

♡ 20150321_104238Jackson’s Little League team I always enjoy watching my boys games and this season has been the most fun baseball season yet! I look forward to each game, always a good time. The coaches are amazing, the kids on the team are a great group of boys who all get along well and have fun together, the parents of the players are lovely, they’re in third place (we’ve been on some last place teams so this is a nice change!) and best of all Jackson is having fun #GoPadres

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life, it turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend”

~Melody Beattie

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5 Ways To Keep Your Memory Sharp & Slow Brain Aging

  • Eat for brain health A healthy diet with foods rich in antioxidants are essential for keeping our brains healthy. Avocado (one of my all time favorite foods!), extra virgin olive oil and nuts are anti-inflammatory & antioxidant with the good brain healthy monounsaturated fatsfile0001594896729
  • Keep stress at bay Stress hormones wreak havoc on our brain cells and impairs our memory. The best way to reduce stress? Meditate. Even if it’s just a few minutes in the morning and a few in the evening. All exercise helps keep stress in check but Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are especially good at helping us de-stress
  • Use it or lose it Word puzzles, crosswords, Soduko, jigsaw puzzles, reading and learning something new will work your brain out the way physical exercise works your body
  • Exercise Get some cardio and do some weight lifting. Studies show that exercise slows the rate at which the brain ages, improves memory and may reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Even mild physical activity is good for brain health
  • Don’t put on extra LBs Keep your body at a healthy weight. Obesity can impair our body’s ability to allow blood to reach the brain. Clearly these are all things we need to do for overall health as well as brain health. Check out “The Memory Prescription” by Dr. Small for more ways to keep your brain healthy

 

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#iSavvy Song Of The Week ~ Love Runs Out

e713c7d1424563592116c7b119c56f8b“I’ll be your ghost, your game, your stadium. I’ll be your fifty thousand clapping like one. And I feel alright, and I feel alright ’cause I worked it out…”

Like nearly half of the American population you might have made a New Year’s resolution to get in better shape. Moving your bod never goes out of style.

It a non-negotiable for over all health. It’s common knowledge that the benefits go way beyond helping you look hot in a bikini. It’s essential for mental well being and longevity. I feel incredible after a good session on the elliptical or a morning jog but music is a must have to keep me going.

Research has shown that certain types of songs, particularly those with strong lyrical affirmations can give you the physical and mental boost you need to keep going.

So plugging into your iPod doesn’t necessarily mean mindlessly checking out, certain songs can help you keep focus. And let’s face it, music staves off workout boredom so you can keep going. Frankly, just playing whatever song your in the mood for helps!

According to a study in journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise the right tunes can make your workout seem less strenuous. The researchers believe it’s likely because putting the focus on keeping time with the song keeps the mind off the pain.

I don’t need any research to back up the fact that music just makes it more fun. Music makes everything more fun.

In this new Savvy Suburban series I’ll share songs that get me going so they just might help motivate you to go the extra mile in your efforts to get in your best shape ever.

My pick for the premier post of iSavvy is my favorite at the moment… Love Runs Out by One Republic. I just can’t stop playing it!

What songs motivate you to go the distance during your workouts?