Interest in meditation has been growing for some time, as a form of relaxation, a spiritual practice, a mental health prescription, or as a tool to help manage chronic pain.

Meditation can indeed be beneficial for our overall health. But are all forms of meditation equal? Can meditation be harmful? What is Christian meditation? How does it differ from other popular forms of meditation? This three-part series will attempt to answer these questions, and summarize and simplify the Vatican, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation. This document, written by Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, provides a good outline of Church teaching on the matter. Note: From now on I will refer to this document using the acronym, OSACM.

In Part-One, we looked at some of the ways Christian meditation differs from other forms of eastern non-Christian meditation (we will now refer to it as ENC). We looked at how ENC meditation techniques focus on the self, while Christian meditation is Christ-centered. We also touched on the fact that the goal of ENC meditation is union with or immersion into the divine (within oneself), and how this differs from how we as Christians seek union with the will of our Trinitarian God.

ENC forms of meditation usually focus on emptying the mind, with the goal of reaching mystical states and on escape from suffering. The ultimate goal is to eventually achieve enlightenment or Nirvana, and/or to be freed from reincarnation (ie. cyclical suffering). In Part-Two of this series, we will look at how the focus and goal of Christian meditation is quite different.

“Ok,” you might be saying to yourself, “but what can be wrong with emptying the mind, with trying to reach mystical or alternate states of consciousness, or with seeking escape from suffering? Are these ideas really out of sync with Christianity?” Well, while we again use similar language in that, as Christians, we seek to “empty ourselves,” this is not the same as emptying our minds. As Christians, we meditate not to leave ourselves empty, but to fill ourselves with Christ. We do not actually want to empty our minds and focus on the self during meditation. Scripture warns us against doing this (see Matthew 12:43-45)¹. Instead, what we can to do is quiet or calm our minds so that we can contemplate the things of God. The Christian understanding of “emptying” involves ridding ourselves of our selfish and unhealthy desires, so that we can more fully focus on Christ. We seek to give ourselves completely to God, so that He may fill us with His Spirit.

In the case of seeking alternate states of consciousness or mystical experiences, as Christians, we understand that there are no methods to follow that will guarantee mystical graces, but that these are always an unmerited gift from God, to those He has chosen, for the good of His Church. “The Christian who prays can, if God so wishes, come to a particular experience of union. The Sacraments, especially Baptism and the Eucharist, are the objective beginning of the union of the Christian with God. Upon this foundation, the person who prays can be called, by a special grace of the Spirit, to that specific type of union with God, which in Christian terms is called mystical.”²

So contemplation is in its essence a gift from God, a gift of intimate knowledge of our Father, God, through Jesus Christ. It is a deepening of our relationship with Christ…it draws us closer to Him and reveals to our souls the depths of His Truth. However, “Genuine Christian mysticism has nothing to do with technique: it is always a gift of God, and the one who benefits from it knows himself to be unworthy.”

Obviously, the concept of reincarnation is not compatible with Christian revelation, as we believe in heaven and hell, and in the Resurrection. However, let’s address the escape from suffering. Christians acknowledge the inevitability of suffering, as do the eastern religions. No one enjoys suffering, but escape from suffering is contrary to Christ’s instruction to take up our cross and follow in His footsteps (Matthew 10:38, 3 Matthew 16:24, 4 Mark 8:34, 5 Luke 9:23, 6 Luke 14:27 7). As Christians, we accept our cross, our suffering, and we unite it with the cross of Christ for the good of His Church. We believe our suffering has meaning and that Christ accompanies us in our times of trouble. Our suffering can actually bring us closer to Christ and advance our spiritual lives. Therefore, we should not run from suffering. Instead, we can remain faithful, bearing our cross as Christ did for us, and trust in Him and in the Resurrection.

Alright, at this point you might be thinking, “So should we reject something, just because it is not Christian?” The answer is no. As the document, OSACM, stipulates. “The majority of the great religions which have sought union with God in prayer have also pointed out ways to achieve it. Just as ‘the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions,’ neither should these ways be rejected out of hand simply because they are not Christian. On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian conception of prayer, its logic and requirements are never obscured.”²

It is not harmful to us use natural breathing to quiet (not empty) our minds and relax our bodies. This is not Christian meditation, as simply breathing does not necessitate prayer. However, we can use this relaxation technique to help us better focus on God during the practice of Christian meditation, as Saint Teresa of Avila recommends in what she terms, “The Prayer of Recollection.”

So, we can acknowledge what is good and true in other religions, but we need to be careful not to injure our relationship with Christ with false forms of prayer and worship. The document, OSACM, specifies that, “even in the first centuries of the Church some incorrect forms of prayer crept in. Some New Testament texts (cf. 1 Jn 4:3; 1 Tim 1:3-7 and 4:3-4) already give hints of their existence.”²

According to the document, OSACM, these “incorrect forms” generally fall into two categories and tempt us in our pride to “try and overcome the distance separating creature from Creator, as though there ought not to be such a distance; to consider the way of Christ on earth, by which he wishes to lead us to the Father, as something now surpassed; to bring down to the level of natural psychology what has been regarded as pure grace, considering it instead as ‘superior knowledge’ or as ‘experience’.”²

The document continues saying, “such erroneous forms, having reappeared in history from time to time on the fringes of the Church's prayer, seem once more to impress many Christians, appealing to them as a kind of remedy, be it psychological or spiritual, or as a quick way of finding God.”²

Unfortunately, these “erroneous forms” of meditation are not neutral and can also cause harm. This is acknowledged in books on Eastern medicine that address “meditation disorders.” Likewise, often linked to eastern meditation are unnatural breath practices aimed at producing mystical experiences. Some of these breathing techniques have been shown to cause harm to the nervous system. There are no concerning side effects to Christian meditation.

Now that we have a good understanding of the differences between Christian meditation and other forms of meditation, perhaps a basic guide on how to practice Christian meditation would be helpful, so that we can avoid these errors and the possible concerning side effects. This is what we will do in Part-Three of this summary of the Vatican, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation. Until then…

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Your sister in Christ,

Jocelyne DeGroot

Foundation 1 Pietra Fitness Instructor

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Christian Meditation: A Basic Guide Part 1

Christian Meditation: A Basic Guide Part 3

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Jocelyne DeGroot is a Canadian homeschooling mom, member of the Order of Secular Discalced Carmelites, and co-founder of freetruth.ca, where she shares free and faithful Catholic online resources. Jocelyne’s favorite pastimes include writing, kayaking, camping, and curling up with a good book. She is also the first Certified Pietra Fitness Instructor in Canada! 

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Interest in meditation has been growing for some time, as a form of relaxation and by many looking to fill a spiritual gap in their lives. Meditation has also now become a popular prescription for those suffering from various psychological illnesses, or as a tool to help manage chronic pain. Meditation in this form usually involves focus on breathing or on the concentrated relaxation of each part of the body, but can take on other forms as well.

Meditation can indeed be beneficial for our overall health. But are all forms of meditation equal? Can meditation be harmful? What is Christian meditation? How does it differ from other popular forms of meditation? This three-part series seeks to answer these questions by referring to the Vatican, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation.

I’d like to dive specifically into this document by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as it provides a good outline of Church teaching on the matter. In fact, this three-part article will attempt to summarize and simplify this document for you. Note: From now on I will refer to this document using the acronym, OSACM.

In our busy world, full of various forms of technology, noise, and distraction, many are just looking for some peace and quiet. Due to this deep seeded hunger for peace, for the spiritual, many have been drawn to the forms of meditation and prayer offered by eastern non-Christian traditions. On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, recognizes this need for “spiritual recollection and a deep contact with the divine mystery,” and looks to provide a solid formation in the various forms of Christian prayer, “while remaining faithful to the truth revealed in Jesus, by means of the genuine Tradition of the Church.”¹

ENC meditation is many times marketed as neutral and non-religious, appropriate and beneficial for all. However, the document, OSACM, warns against the danger of syncretism. “With the present diffusion of eastern methods of meditation in the Christian world and in ecclesial communities, we find ourselves faced with a pointed renewal of an attempt, which is not free from dangers and errors, to fuse Christian meditation with that which is non-Christian.”¹

So, in order to better recognize the differences and incompatibilities of eastern and of Christian meditation, we need to look more closely at, and clearly understand them both.

ENC meditation techniques focus on the self, on union with or immersion into the divine (within oneself), on emptying the mind, on reaching mystical states and on escape from suffering. The ultimate goal is to eventually achieve enlightenment or Nirvana, or be freed from reincarnation (ie. cyclical suffering).

Looking at these ideas more closely, it becomes clear that ENC meditation is incompatible with Christian revelation in many important aspects. Firstly, we should understand that Christian mediation is a form of prayer. Therefore, like all prayer, it can be defined as, “a personal, intimate and profound dialogue between man and God.”¹

In this way, Christian meditation is always a communion with our Trinitarian God. “This communion, based on Baptism and the Eucharist, source and summit of the life of the Church, implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from ‘self’ to the ‘You’ of God.” ¹

This is in direct contrast to ENC meditation techniques where the focus is on the self. Further, the document OSACM stipulates that, “it [Christian meditation] flees from impersonal techniques or from concentrating on oneself, which can create a kind of rut,”¹ as focus on the self detracts from our Lord and closes off communication with Him.

“St. Augustine is an excellent teacher: if you want to find God, he says, abandon the exterior world and re-enter into yourself. However, he continues, do not remain in yourself, but go beyond yourself because you are not God.”¹

You may be wondering, however, how the use of ENC meditation as a means of attaining union with the divine (within), or immersion into the divine, isn’t akin to how we as Christians seek union with Christ, whose Holy Spirit we understand dwells within us. Well, the difference may seem subtle, but it’s actually not. What is significant here is the difference in the understanding of the divine. In eastern traditions, there are many schools of thought on the subject, ranging from a belief in many gods to no god at all. Eastern meditation techniques “propose abandoning not only meditation on the salvific works accomplished in history by the God of the Old and New Covenant, but also the very idea of the One and Triune God, who is Love, in favor of an immersion ‘in the indeterminate abyss of the divinity’.”¹

Moreover, as Christians we believe that, “an absorbing of the human self into the divine self is never possible, not even in the highest states of grace.”¹

These ideas are contrary to Christian revelation. We believe in One, Trinitarian God. We believe that God has created all, but that He is separate from His creation; we recognize that we are creatures and He is our Creator. We seek to be unified to the will of God, and we understand that we become like God through Baptism; we are His sons and daughters made in His image and likeness, but we are not God, nor will we ever become gods. We acknowledge our total dependence on Him in all things. These are just some of the marked differences.

Part two of this summary of the document, On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, will look at more reasons why Christian meditation is set apart from other forms. Until then…

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Your Sister in Christ,

Jocelyne DeGroot

Foundation 1 Pietra Fitness Instructor

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Christian Meditation: A Basic Guide Part 2

Christian Meditation: A Basic Guide Part 3

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Jocelyne DeGroot is a Canadian homeschooling mom, member of the Order of Secular Discalced Carmelites, and co-founder of freetruth.ca, where she shares free and faithful Catholic online resources. Jocelyne’s favorite pastimes include writing, kayaking, camping, and curling up with a good book. She is also the first Certified Pietra Fitness Instructor in Canada! 

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In August, the Church honors the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

This month, we remember in a special way the interior life of the Blessed Mother––her joys and sorrows, her virtues and perfections––and seek to emulate her love for Jesus. 

Here are five ways to honor the Immaculate Heart and grow closer to Jesus through Mary during the month of August. 

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Consecrate yourself to the Immaculate Heart

Marian consecration is the act of entrusting one’s self––body and soul–– to the protection, guidance, and intercession of Our Lady. You are giving the Blessed Mother, who always brings us to her Son, permission to take you by the hand and lead you to holiness. In giving yourself to Mary, she will give you fully and more perfectly to Jesus.

Pietra Fitness is consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary to help you grow both physically and spiritually.

Many people use St. Louis de Montfort’s Preparation for Total Consecration or Fr. Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory as a way to prepare for consecration but you can also offer a simple and sincere prayer like this Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by Venerable Pope Pius XII:

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Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to You, all the people of our country and all the world.

Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world.

O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.

We come with confidence to You, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed Your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes Your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home. Amen.

Begin the First Saturday Devotion

The First Saturday Devotion aims at making reparations for the blasphemies and offenses spoken against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The devotion was first explained to Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the Fatima visionaries by Mary herself. Our Lady told Sister Lucia:

Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.

This beautiful practice will bring so much joy to the hearts of both Jesus and Mary and beginning this devotion during the month of our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will bring her much honor. If you miss the first Saturday of August, commit to starting in September.

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Wear your Miraculous Medal

The Miraculous Medal, one of the most popular Catholic devotions, goes back to France in 1830 when the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Catherine Laboure. Mary gave Saint Catherine the symbolic designs for a medal that grants those who wear it devoutly a multitude of graces. You can find this medal at any store that sells Catholic goods and it’s a simple way to honor Our Lady every day, especially during this month. 

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Meditate on the life of the Blessed Mother

As Christians trying to live a life of holiness, we have so much to learn from Mary during her earthly life. Spending time with her in prayer gives us a chance to, in some sense, observe her example of virtue and help us imitate her.

One way to meditate on her life is, of course, by praying the Rosary. By praying either the traditional mysteries of the rosary or the Seven Sorrows Rosary, you can pray with the significant moments in the life of Jesus and Mary. 

You can also read through key passages in Scripture and, using forms of prayer like Lectio Divina or Ignatian Meditation, gleam wisdom on how to live a life with God at its center. Not sure where to start? Try Luke 1: 26-28 or John 2:1-12. Invite the Spouse of Mary, the Holy Spirit into this time of prayer to guide your thoughts. 

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Observe the major Marian feast days this month. 

During this month dedicated to Our Lady, the Church also observes two of her feast days. 

On August 15 we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which remembers Mary being brought body and soul to heaven. Consider placing flowers by a statue of Mary or praying a decade of the rosary before bed. And don’t forget, this Solemnity is a holy obligation so make sure you go to mass!

Then on August 22 we celebrate the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. You can honor the Queen of Heaven and Earth doing something as simple as praying the Hail Holy Queen before bed or something more extravagant like making a dinner feast fit for a royal. If you have a statue of Mary in your home, you can make a crown and place it on her head. 

Get creative with your celebrations and have fun embracing the liturgical year. 

Let us know on social media how you plan to honor Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart this month!

Whether you find yourself at the pool, the beach, or a cookout with friends this summer you’re going to need some snacks. And in order to keep up with your health goal during the summer months, you will want to choose delicious and nutritious snacks over the allure of seasonal junk food.

Below you will find some awesome snack recipes that will ensure your body is both happy and healthy this summer.

Fruit and Poolside Dip

Whip up this healthy snack from The Seasoned Mom in under five minutes!

Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
• 1 (8 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
• For serving: strawberries, pineapple, grapes, mango spears, apple slices, or other fruit of choice or crackers

Directions

Step 1: Whisk together orange juice and pudding mix for approximately 30 seconds – 1 minute, or until it starts to thicken and become smooth. Whisk in yogurt.

Step 2: Gently fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Step 3: Serve with a variety of your favorite fresh fruit.

Dairy Free Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Swap full-fat ice cream with this healthier, but still delightful frozen treat from As Easy as Apple Pie.

Ingredients

• 2 bananas chopped and frozen
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Directions

Step 1: Cut bananas into smaller pieces and place on parchment paper in the freezer for at least two hours.

Step 2: Place frozen bananas into a food processor pulse until smooth.

Step 3: Then, add the cocoa powder and blend until incorporated.

For a soft ice cream, serve immediately. For a firm chocolate banana ice cream, transfer it back to the freezer for at least an hour.

Peanut Butter Granola Apple Bites

Enjoy this protein-packed recipe from The Comfort of Cooking.

Ingredients

• 2 apples sliced into wedges
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of your favorite granola
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for sprinkling
• Semisweet chocolate chips optional*

Directions

Step 1: Coat the tops of apple wedges in peanut butter and sprinkle with granola and cinnamon.

Step 2: If using chocolate, warm chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring in 30 second increments until melted.

Step 3: Drizzle wedges with melted chocolate and serve.

Homemade Trail Mix

Mix and match and make your own trail mix using tips from The Healthy Maven.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw nuts (i.e. almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts etc..)
• 1 cup raw seeds (i.e. sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc…)
• 1 cup unsweetened dried fruit
• Fun stuff (amounts vary-- i.e. 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate, 1 cup popped popcorn, 1 cup pretzels etc..)
• Optional spice (i.e. 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg)

Directions

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Step 2: Enjoy immediately or store in a ziploc bag or mason jar for up to 1 month.

Oven- Baked Zucchini Chips

A healthy alternative to potato chips from Table for Two.

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Kosher salt and/or pepper

Directions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Step 2: Thinly slice zucchini using a mandolin then pat rounds dry with a paper towel.

Step 3: Line up the zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheet tightly next to each other in a straight line, making sure not to overlap them.

Step 4: Bush the olive oil on each zucchini slice.

Step 5: Sprinkle salt throughout the baking sheet. Do NOT over-season, in fact, it's better to use less salt initially because the slices will shrink; so if you over-season, it'll be way too salty.

Step 6: Bake for 2+ hours until they start to brown and aren't soggy and are crisp.

Step 7: Let cool before removing and serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Crackers or Veggies with Hummus

This delicious Hummus recipe from Cookie and Kate goes great with crackers and veggies.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
• ½ teaspoon baking soda (if you’re using canned chickpeas)
• ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 ½ to 2 lemons), more to taste
• 1 medium-to-large clove garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
• ½ cup tahini
• 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, more as needed
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Any of the following garnishes: a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of ground sumac or paprika, chopped fresh parsley

Directions for Hummus

Step 1: Mix chickpeas and baking soda (if using) in a medium saucepan. Cover the chickpeas with several inches of water, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas look bloated, their skins are falling off, and they’re quite soft. In a fine-mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them for about 30 seconds. Set aside (no need to peel the chickpeas for this recipe!).

Step 2: Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the lemon juice, garlic and salt. Process until the garlic is very finely chopped, then let the mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow, ideally 10 minutes or longer.

Step 3: Add the tahini to the food processor and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy.

Step 4: While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of ice water, and blend until the mixture is ultra smooth, pale and creamy.

Step 5: Add the cumin and the drained, over-cooked chickpeas to the food processor. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil. Blend for about 2 minutes. Add more ice water by the tablespoon if necessary to achieve a super creamy texture.

Step 6: Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl or platter, and top with garnishes of your choice. Serve with veggie sticks or crackers. Store leftover hummus in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

It’s summertime and livin’ isn’t always easy.

Oppressive heat and humidity can make the simplest of tasks feel impossibly difficult while vacation and fun plans throw us out of our usual routines.

With the summer beginning, you might face some challenges maintaining the healthy habits you cultivated earlier in the year but with these five simple tips, you can keep yourself on track.

Get outside

Yes, I know getting outside isn’t the easiest when the temperature gauge is rising but your body will undoubtedly appreciate a little time in the fresh air and sunlight.

Vitamin D, produced by your body as a response to sun exposure, greatly benefits both your bodily and mental health. Vitamin D can support your immune, brain, and nervous systems, promotes healthy bones and teeth, and reduces your risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.1

Studies have also shown that serotonin, your body’s natural mood stabilizer, increases when exposed to bright light so you’re more likely to feel more elevated moods. Higher serotonin levels during the day also affect your melatonin levels at night, helping you to get a better night’s sleep.2

Dress for the weather

While getting outside is good for your overall health, too much exposure to UV rays from the sun can have lasting, negative effects including eye damage and skin cancer. Whether you’re heading to the beach or having a cookout in your backyard, be sure to project yourself with either sunscreen, hat, or sunglasses.

You’ll also want to opt for some lightweight, loose fitting,breathable clothing to help keep you cool and comfortable.

Drink enough water

Of course, staying hydrated is important for maintaining wellness all year round but especially in the summer months.

On average, a person should drink roughly 8 glasses of water every day; however, during the warmer months, you need to drink a bit more to replenish what your body lost through sweating.3

Consume sports drinks and other sugar-filled beverages in moderation, as sugar and caffeine can have dehydrating effects. Stick primarily with water to quench your thirst. You can also add some summer fruits to your cup for some colorful flavor.

Eat for the season

Eating heavy, carb and fat loaded meals can generate a lot of heat in the body, which won’t make you feel your best in the hot summer months. Instead, try to eat small, light meals throughout the day.

Plus, many nutritious fruits and vegetables come into season in the summertime so eating healthy is made easier. Throw some strawberries in a fresh summer salad or enjoy a few refreshing slices of watermelon.

Beat the heat in your workouts

Your fitness routine may face some serious challenges when summer hits, especially if you don’t have an air-conditioned space to move your body.

Low impact workouts are also excellent for summer to avoid overheating. Pietra Fitness offers many well-rounded fitness classes to help keep you active all year round.

Instead of forgoing your workout, try to exercise in the morning or evening when it’s cooler. You can read more about establishing an effective morning fitness routine or an evening fitness routine on our blog. Even better, you can enjoy some classic summer activities like swimming, cycling, or frisbee as exercise.

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Everyday movements like walking, running, jumping dancing, even lifting and throwing depend on a strong lower body.

Keep reading for some powerful fitness routines that can help you strengthen this crucial muscle group and keep your body functioning at its best.

Never Skip Leg Day! Benefits of Lower Body Workouts

Your lower body is made up for four main muscle groups: Quadriceps, Glutes, Calves, and Hamstrings. Exercising these muscles are a necessary part of a well-balanced fitness routine.

Not only are these muscles crucial to everyday movement, but they can also benefit your physical and mental health by:

• Improving balance and posture
• Creating a strong foundation; strengthens your core
• Improving your mobility, stability, and range of motion.
• Alleviating joint (especially hips) and back pain
• Boosting cognitive function1
• Relieving stress
• Reducing risk of injury
• Furthering your fitness goals.

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9 Workouts that Strengthen Your Lower Body

Pietra Fitness offers well-rounded workouts that keep the muscles in your body strong and flexible. While all Pietra Fitness classes work your lower body, here are 10 workouts that specifically target these muscles to help you strengthen this area.

Live for Advent: Gentle Leg Toning

Focus: Legs

Level: Gentle

In this Gentle class, your legs will be both stretched and strengthened as you work through squats, pikes, swan dives, high lunges, and seated forward folds.

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Live! from Home: Back to Basics 2

Focus: Lunges

Level: Gentle

Perfect high lunge, lunge 1, lunge 2, and pike pose in this 36-minute Foundational Postures class. Strengthen your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core and challenge your balance with three different types of lunges.

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Cardio #3: Banded Glutes & Hips

Focus: Glutes and Hips

Level: Intermediate

Are you looking for a quick, heart-raising workout that focuses on your hips and glutes? Cardio #3: Banded Glutes and Hips may be just what you are looking for. Move through circuits of squats, bridges, donkey kicks, clamshells, and fire hydrants. Then cool down with quad stretches, wide-leg cherry pickers, and a hamstring stretch. Intensify the workout by using a resistance band. It’s not your traditional Pietra Fitness class, but a great way to incorporate cardio into your well-rounded fitness regime.

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Live! from Home: Feel the Burn

Focus: Core, Glutes, and Thighs

Level: Intermediate

Get ready to work your core, glutes, and inner and outer thighs in Live! from Home: Feel the Burn. This lively 55-minute class has it all: breathwork, stretches, crunches, planks, leg lifts, lunges, pushups, tricep extensions, quad strengtheners, and unique exercises that utilize a small fitness ball (or block) to engage every muscle in your body.

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Live! from Home: Leg Day

Focus: Legs

Level: Intermediate

Fast-paced flows, squats, lunges, and tough sequences that will throw your balance for a loop and have your legs burning give this challenging Level 1 class its name. Whether you’re stretching long in pike split and reverse lunge 2 or making small pulsing movements in a squat, Live! from Home: Leg Day will strengthen all the muscles in your legs, glutes, and core.

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Live! from Home: Base Builder

Focus: Legs

Level: Intermediate

With basic moves like low and high lunges, squats, and Lunge 2, and more challenging and targeted exercises like revolved arabesque, leg curls, donkey kicks, and more, this 45-minute class is the perfect way to build strength and endurance in your lower body.

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Easter: Leg Force

Focus: Legs and Glutes

Level: Advanced

Build strength in your legs and glutes with this 25-minute, lower body workout. While targeting the major muscle groups in your legs, you will gain agility, strength, and endurance.

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In June, the Church remembers and celebrates the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Sacred Heart is a profound reminder of the humanity of our Lord and of His immense love for us. It is often depicted as a heart, bloodied and broken, but burning with Love. This image beautifully illustrates the great sacrifice that Christ made for you.

As Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: “Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love.”

Here are some unique ways to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially in the month of June:

Consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart

Jesus gave us His whole heart, it seems only right to offer our hearts in return. The consecration promoted by St. Margaret Mary (as seen below) is a specific way for the faithful to unite themselves more closely to Jesus. Pietra Fitness is consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and strives to put Jesus at the very heart of all we do.

Here is a prayer of consecration written by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque:

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.

I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.  Amen.

Enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home

Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful way to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your physical space. This ceremony involves your family solemnly acknowledging the Sacred Heart as King of your home by putting an image of the Sacred Heart in a place of honor. You can look to this image often as an example of the sacrificial love to which we are all called.

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

The Divine Mercy Chaplet offers you the chance to meditate on the Sacred Heart of Jesus which poured itself out for our salvation with the words: O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in you.

This simple prayer can be prayed any time during the day but is especially efficacious at 3:00 pm, also known as the Hour of Mercy.

Commit to the First Friday Devotion

The first Friday of every month has been set aside as a remembrance of the Sacred Heart, a devotion that began at Jesus’ request during His appearance to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

This special devotion requires you to receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays with the intention of making reparation to “the Heart that has loved men so and is loved so little in return.” Jesus promised to shower special graces––including final perseverance in the Catholic faith, reception of the sacraments before death, and death in the state of grace–– to those who devote themselves to His Sacred Heart in this way.

While you can begin this devotion any time during the year, how special it would be to begin it during the month of the Sacred Heart.

Spread the Love

If we seek to imitate the Sacred Heart, inflamed with love for others, then we should seek to share that love with others through service and Evangelization. There are many people right in your own community who do not know the Good News that Jesus died for our sins and that we are called to be in relationship with Him for eternity.

Go out of your way this month to pray with someone else, share your faith, or witness to Jesus’ love through acts of kindness and service.

Work your Heart

The Sacred Heart is a profound reminder of the Incarnation, that God Himself took on flesh in order to save us from our sins. The Sacred Heart reminds us of the goodness of our human bodies.

Take some time this month and pray with your body through exercise. Pietra Fitness combines Christian meditation and exercises for every fitness level to help get your heart pumping.

You want to get serious about creating a daily fitness routine, but maybe you’re just not a morning person.

If exercising before you begin the day isn’t an option, creating an evening exercise routine is a good alternative that will help your body feel its best.

However, many people use bedtime as an excuse to avoid an evening workout, worried that exercising before bed will negatively affect your sleep. But it doesn’t have to!

Here are five tips for creating an effective evening workout routine without sacrificing a good night’s sleep.

1. Have a plan

Having a plan can set you for success in creating your daily workout routine. Knowing what workout program or exercise you plan to do each evening helps you jump right in instead of wasting time trying to get it all together.

Vigorous activities can stimulate your nervous system and heart rate, making it difficult to fall asleep. On the other hand, light to moderate-intensity exercise can help you fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep.1

If cardio is your thing, make sure you balance it with some less vigorous movements, like lifting weights and stretching to help your body settle down easier post-workout.

Pietra Fitness offers classes for all skill levels including low-intensity routines to relieve stress and anxiety, preparing you for a good night's rest.

Many people struggle with a lack of motivation and following through with their evening workout routine, especially when the couch seems so inviting after a long day. Planning can help ensure you get your daily exercise.

For example, if you plan to exercise after work, it may help to change into your workout clothes before you leave the office. This creates one less hurtle for you to overcome when it's time to exercise.

What are the factors that distract or demotivate you? What can you do to avoid them?

2. Stay hydrated

Whether you’re spending your day wrangling kids or sitting in the office, you might forget to drink enough water, which can seriously impact your evening workout.

Make sure you’re drinking water throughout the day to avoid cramping, a lack of energy, or other issues caused by dehydration. You can find some more tips for staying hydrated here.

3. Eat Dinner

Many people wonder about eating before a workout, especially when it comes to an evening fitness routine.

You can eat dinner before or after a workout, but you still need to be intentional about when (and what) you eat to maximize your evening routine.

If you eat dinner before your workout, try to eat 1-3 hours before your workout. If you choose to eat dinner after your workout, allow yourself at least 45-60 minutes for proper digestion prior to sleep or reduce your portion size.

Make sure you eat a good amount of protein, carbs, and some fat to help your body recover and your muscles grow.

4. Shower post-workout

Depending on how late in the day you workout, you may be tempted to just hop into bed after you exercise. However, skipping the shower might make sleep more difficult.

Showering after a workout helps your muscles recover and helps your body relax.2 Changing out of your workout clothes before bed also signals to your body that it is time to wind-down for the day.

If possible, wait 20-30 minutes after your workout before showering to allow your body to cool down a bit.

5. Take some time to wind-down

After an evening workout, it’s important to take the time to adequately relax not only to ensure a good night’s sleep but also to help your body recover and grow stronger.

Having a healthy bedtime routine will help this process. Opt for herbal tea instead of a glass of wine, and a good book instead of scrolling on your phone to really help your body ease into sleep.

Setting aside time for prayer and meditation in the evening before bed can also help calm your mind as well as your body.

Pietra Fitness instructors end every class with a time of calm and prayer to begin the wind-down process.