Oh my goodness! We’ve made it! A whole year of one healthy habit per month… ONE GOAL, that SEEMS POSSIBLE in order to succeed in making changes that last.
Here they all are:
#1 – Drink Water
#2 – Exercise
#3 – Sleep
#4 – Eat Real Food (and Less Sugar)
#6 – Eat Slowly. Stop at Satisfied.
#7 – Focus on Strength Training
#8 – Get Your Vitamins
#9 – Just HIIT It
#10 – Write in a Food Journal
#11 – Stretch
And finally…. #12:
Meditate
Now, obviously there are some different camps of thought on the idea of meditating as a Christian, which I find immensely interesting given the number of times the Bible instructs us to meditate on His Word.
Some people are concerned about Satan taking over your mind, or forgetting about God if you clear your thoughts. And given the number of Buddhist images that populate during a simple image search, I understand why meditation and Christianity are not exactly synonymous.
Yet “meditation” is mentioned no less than 16 times in the book of Psalms alone…
And as we conclude our journey of simple healthy habits, I don’t feel meditation can be overlooked.
As I explained in a previous post about rest and meditation, the benefits for the body are numerous.
- decreasing respiration and pulse rate, thereby lowering blood pressure.
- slowing of the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which may boost your immune system and assist with fat loss
- clearing the mind for higher quality sleep
- finding a new perspective for a stressful situation
- improving self-awareness and stress-management skills
How to Meditate (and Your Free Gift!)
Now there’s no right or wrong way to meditate. The goal is to relax your mind, body, and breath to find a calm sense of peace. In the process, you can focus on a specific verse, or just allow your mind to relax as well – and be completely in the moment, soaking in every sensation.
If you want some step-by-step instructions on meditation, let me talk you through it… (literally!)
A FREE, 10-minute Relaxation Audio Download
I’ll admit, it’s definitely much better live and in person at a Flow class, but for my first attempt, I’m pretty pleased.
When you sign up to receive the audio, a few other freebies will be making their way to your inbox over the coming week as well. If you’d rather be surprised, skip ahead a bit…
If you’re like me and would rather just know… If you sign up for the audio, you can expect to find in your inboxes over the coming week these top tips as well:
* 5 Ways Anxiety/Worry Affects Negatively Affects Your Health
* 6 Ways to Deal with Anxiety/Worry
* 12 Bible Verses about Worry
If you know someone else who might need some tips on meditation and relaxation in their life, I’d love for you to share this page with them!
And, seriously, now that we’ve made it an entire year focusing on healthy habits, let’s work on putting it all together! If you’re really looking to create a major lifestyle change, and need just a little more accountability in actually following through on all of these healthy habits, perhaps you’ll want to consider getting involved in one of my monthly challenge groups. Just let me know if you want more details….I’d be happy to help!
It’s been fun to “Connect the Dots” with you this year! Here’s to finishing out the year strong, with a beautifully completed picture!
Everyday Faith + Fitness 