Since it’s a federal holiday here in the USA, I decided to take the day off from both blogging and school. I still wanted to posts something, so it’s a repost day here at The Purple Almond.

Here is a repost of my Meditation Monday year end review from December. I couldn’t decide which article to repost today, so I decided to post this one, which posts all of them, up until December. Do you have a favorite? For me, it’s the grounding meditations as well as the walking and EFT tapping.

ENJOY!

I began my Meditation Monday blog series on December 19, 2016. One year on, I have covered the gambit of meditation and relaxation techniques. I began with Yoga, and have included everything from Qi Gong to chair yoga and candle gazing to stone stacking. Whether you’re a fitness fanatic, or hate to exercise (like me!) there’s something for everyone.

Many of you may wonder why I focus so heavily on meditation and motivation, despite being a nutrition site. As someone who is studying holistic nutrition, I learned early on that food is only part of the equation when it comes to complete, whole body health. A body under constant stress is an unhealthy body, even if you eat in a super healthy way. Yes, all of that healthy food does help, but the stress still takes a toll on you. That’s why I include so many meditation and motivational posts on my blog.

In fact, I feel that dealing with stress is so important, my very first blog post, from over a year ago, was devoted to dealing with anger:

Do You Hold Onto Your Anger?

Here are just a few physical effects stress has on your body:

Acne and other skin problems
Increased blood pressure
Increased heart rate
High cholesterol
Increased risk for a heart attack
Lower bone
Joint pain
Acid reflux
Diabetes
Irritable bowel
Lower sex drive
Comprised immune system

So below is a list of 23 of my Meditation Monday posts from this past year, beginning with my first YOGA post, from December 19, 2016. I hope you can find something on this list to help you relieve stress over this holiday season, and through out the new year.

The Benefits of Yoga with 30 Minute Restorative Yoga and Meditation video

NEW YOU –

Letting Go Of Yesterday Guided Meditation

Qi Gong –

7 minutes of Magic for Health

Guide to walking Meditation

Simple Meditation led by Jeffrey Zlotnik – Founder of The Meditation Initiative

Meditation for Beginners:

The Ultimate Guide

The Butterfly – Kids Meditation

40 Ways to Relax

in 5 Minutes or Less

6 Guided Meditation Videos

for Anxiety and Fear

A Mindful Eating Meditation

to Manage Food Cravings

Stone Stacking

Grounding Meditation (AKA: Earthing) with Free Guidebook

Tapping-The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

EFT Tapping for Self-Love

Candle Gazing

Deepak Chopra’s Top 8 Meditation Tips

Partner Yoga for Relaxation

Guided Imagery

Foot Soaking Meditation

Yoga for Mental Health

20-Minute HIIT Yoga Flow for Stress

Chair Yoga

A Quick Guide to Yin Yoga

The benefits of yoga are many and well known. But, when you think of yoga, you most likely think of someone in workout clothes, standing or lying on a yoga mat, doing different poses of varying difficulty.

I personally LOVE yoga, but often have difficulty finding time to work it into my busy schedule. I’m sure you can relate. So, when I discovered chair yoga, while researching this article, I was excited. Now, when I’m studying, I can take a 10 or 15 minutes break and do one of the following routines.

Chair yoga is a perfect way to relieve stress…at the office….at home…in a hotel room…while traveling…anywhere you have a chair!

If you’re a beginner and not familiar with yoga, chair yoga would be a great place to begin. It’s also great for senior citizens, obese individuals, and people with neurological problems or other injuries who may want to stay active.