With the year winding down and everyone starting to finally hit their pre-cCovid stride again, I thought it may be a good time to offer up some well-deserved recovery tools that will help us as we embark on the next year.

There are many different types of meditation, and the specific technique that is best for you may depend on your personal preferences and goals. Here is a brief overview of three common types of meditation and some tips on how to best integrate them into a daily habit:

1. Focused attention meditation: This type of meditation involves focusing your attention on a specific object or sensation, such as your breath or a mantra. If you're new to meditation, this can be a good place to start. To integrate focused attention meditation into your daily routine, try setting aside a few minutes each day to sit in a quiet, comfortable place and focus your attention on your breath or a mantra. You may find it helpful to set a timer or use a guided meditation app to help you stay on track.
2. Open monitoring meditation: This type of meditation involves paying attention to whatever arises in your experience without judgment or attachment. This can include thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and external stimuli. To practice open monitoring meditation, try setting aside a few minutes each day to sit in a quiet, comfortable place and simply observe your experience without trying to change it. Again, you may find it helpful to use a timer or guided meditation app to help you stay focused.
3. Loving-kindness meditation: This type of meditation involves cultivating feelings of love and compassion towards oneself and others. To practice loving-kindness meditation, try setting aside a few minutes each day to sit in a quiet, comfortable place and silently repeat phrases of love and compassion to yourself and others. You may find it helpful to use a guided meditation app or script to help you get started.

To make meditation a sustainable part of your daily routine, it can be helpful to choose a specific time of day to practice and to find a comfortable, quiet space where you can focus. It's also important to be patient and remember that it's normal to experience distractions and difficulties when you're learning to meditate. With practice and patience, meditation can become a valuable tool for managing stress and promoting wellbeing.

• Massage and meditation can both be beneficial for reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
• Here are a few ways that massage can complement a meditation practice:
• Massage can help relax tense and sore muscles, which can make it easier to sit comfortably and focus during meditation.
• Massage has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood by releasing endorphins, which are the body's natural feel-good chemicals. This can make it easier to relax and enter a meditative state.
• Massage can improve sleep quality and duration by helping to relax the body and mind. This can be particularly beneficial if you're having trouble sleeping and are struggling to get into a good sleep routine.
• Massage can help increase mindfulness by encouraging you to focus on your physical sensations and the present moment. This can help you develop the skills needed for a successful meditation practice.
• Massage can be a form of self-care that helps you feel nourished and rejuvenated. This can make it easier to prioritize your meditation practice and make it a regular part of your routine.

It's important to note that massage and meditation should be used as complementary practices, rather than a substitute for each other. Both practices can be beneficial for reducing stress and promoting relaxation, but they work in different ways and serve different purposes.