Hello Everyone!

So here I have my story (which is a bit long) and if you scroll to the bottom, my basic bio is there as well for those that want to get to the point.

My name is Phyllicia Victoria Bonanno. An artist, yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, sound healer and so much more. I have been blessed with many passions and paths to follow in this life. Everyday I just make sure to show up as my best self and follow the path that is lit with my bright light.

I often get asked how I started my journey into mindfulness, so I will start at the beginning. I was born and raised in New Jersey, the oldest of 7 children. My whole childhood I was raised by my grandparents because my mother had addiction issues and my father was not in the picture. I grew up very quickly. My time of seeing things through a child’s sight was short lived… I saw things for exactly what they were and I listened to everything. Being so open so young was not always a good thing, as it opened me up to feeling hurt, pain, not wanted- I felt abandoned. Still to this day I work through deep trauma of not being wanted, not feeling enough, or worthy. But despite it all I pushed my feelings in deep and pressed forward with a smile. I never wanted anybody to really know how broken I was, how lonely I felt, I did not want anybody to have pity on me.

Fast forward to high school. I tried for so long to find my group but I just never felt like I belonged. I always felt different. And I know most of that was attributed to the fact that I had deep trust issues. I did not want to risk giving my heart if it would result in me being hurt. I had been through too much hurt. I remember junior year I had completely given up on fitting in or being part of a group of friends or any friends for that matter. I stopped gong to the cafeteria for lunch and would go to the art room instead. I felt safe there. I didn’t even go to prom because I didn’t have any friends to go with. When people asked why not, I’d say that I was saving up for a car. Every relationship I was in I feared getting hurt, being deserted, not being wanted…not being enough.

During this time I was looking for a physical activity. I felt like my heart and spirit were sending signals to my body that there was negative and stagnate energy that needed to be released. I did track for part of a season, and also did crew for a season…but neither were for me. At that time I was obsessed with Madonna and she was just starting her yoga journey at that point. So I was intrigued to try it as well, I started taking Bikram classes at a gym a few blocks away from my house. I would go do yoga before I went to school, and actually would run into my art teacher on the treadmill. The funniest part about this is that the yoga class was actually quite horrible. She had all the 26 poses recorded on a cassette tape and would play the tape every class. But I had no idea what to expect and it turned out to be exactly what I needed at that time.

Through the years I continued practicing yoga but it was not consistent. As yoga is expensive and I could not afford memberships with my part time job and going to college. I’ve worked since I was 15 years old. I’ve always had the mindset that I would find my own way no matter what. What I would do was get living social or groupon deals online every so often to make it more accessible to me to practice in a yoga studio.

I had yoga teacher training in the back of my head, but financially I did not have the funds. I had no intention of teaching but to just expand on my own knowledge. I believe in divine timing and although I was busy with work and my masters degree, I could not deny what I was being called to do. I was blessed to get a scholarship and my YTT was at no cost to me. I completed my 200 hours in 2016.

I eventually started to teaching classes and workshops as I continued to grow in my own yoga practice. I started using Instagram as a tool to explore new poses that weren’t touched on in class by participating in yoga challenges. I would post my photo of the day in the hashtags and slowly my page started to grow. I realized I had something special to offer. I also started to meditate more, focusing inward. At first I resisted it, for so long I had pushed my emotions in deep and far away that I found it too painful when they would surface during meditation. It hurt alot- but in order to get to the light, you have to go through the darkness. I was holding on to so much and needed to do the work to release, to forgive, to let go.

I started facilitating Soundbaths because I felt how the sound changed me, how the sound settled my thoughts and canceled out some of the chatter in my head. Allowing me to reflect deeper and hear messages of truth and light.

Through yoga I have mended many relationships. The most important one is with my mother. For most of my life I resented her, I was angry with her, and felt unloved. It took me a long time, but through yoga and mindfulness, I have forgiven her, and myself and we have connected now in the way were meant to- accepting each other for exactly who we are.

Yoga is my art form, my way to express myself through movement and connecting deeply with my true self, my divine light.

Phyllicia Bonanno is a Sweat yoga instructor, wellness influencer and sound bath facilitator based in New Jersey and New York City. She has been practicing yoga since she was in highschool. She is an artist at heart and yoga has translated into a moving art and meditation for her. You can find Phyllicia teaching vinyasa flows, meditation, yin, and soundbaths. Phyllicia also shares the gift of sound healing with the use of alchemy crystal singing bowls. Each of her bowls are infused with different crystals that connect to the chakras and deeper self. The sound of the singing bowls vibrate through the body allowing you to achieve an inner cleanse and calm throughout your whole being. Phyllicia’s mission is to inspire health and wellness in every individual in an accessible way. She uses her voice to share her journey and daily experiences showing how yoga is a way of being.