A Winter Refresh

In 2017 I moved to the upper mid-west from the west coast. Before my move, I spent 20 years between Seattle and Los Angeles. Two great cities whose climates are different from the upper mid-west. I couldn’t wait for the rain to end in Seattle, and in Los Angeles, I prayed for a rainy day. There are some variations throughout the year, but the weather is the same much of the time. One of the things I love about the mid-west is four distinct seasons; each season has its beauty. This includes winter.
Nevertheless, this winter has felt tough. We had below-average temperatures for much of January and February, and a series of colds and flu visited our house. As a result of the long winter, I had the doldrums, and I needed to refresh.

In early January, I shared my vision board with you. As I move through the year, it continues to serve me well. It reminds me of my values and my passions. The more I look at it, the better I feel. My vision board includes activities that fill my life with joy. Two of these activities are ice skating and XaBeat. What activities do you love to do? Do you need to hit the reset button? I will share what I did to recharge through the winter in today’s post. 

An Old Activity

I have been ice skating on and off my entire life, I started ice skating as a kid on ponds, but after moving to the west coast, most of my ice skating was in a rink. Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, and, as a result, there are numerous opportunities to ice skate outside. After moving here, I rediscovered that there is nothing better than ice skating outdoors. The crisp air, the challenge of navigating the natural lake surface, and seeing the joy on everyone’s face. I love to skate on a sunny day, but the energy produced by my body movement keeps the cold at bay on a cloudy day, and the activity refreshes my soul. I invested in skates for the entire family; it was difficult at first. Still, each of us has enjoyed improving our skating skills, the opportunity to get outside on long winter days, and exercise our bodies. It remains the perfect pandemic activity for the entire family.

The twin cities are full of groomed and ungroomed locations for skating. My favorites include Lake of Isles , Centennial Lakes Park, and the Loop at Maple Grove .

What activity has been in your life for a long time? Have you been practicing it? Consider bringing it back into your life.

A New Activity

I participate in an exercise class called XaBeat. XaBeat is a dance-fitness program that offers high-intensity cardio and toning set to current top 40 hits. I love XaBeat because the routines are simple and easy to follow; I believe anyone can do it. Alongside the joy I get from participating, I also burn calories and sculpt my body without realizing I am working out. During the pandemic, it was hard to find XaBeat classes. I added XaBeat to my vision board because I wanted to keep doing it, but I also wanted to learn how to become a XaBeat Inspirator, a certified XaBeat trainer. This goal is not only to serve me but to pass it on to others. I inquired about training with the owner of XaBeat over the last six months, but since the pandemic, their training opportunities were minimized to the Fargo, ND area (four hours from me). In mid-January, the owner reached out to me about training in Detroit Lakes, MN, and asked if I wanted to participate. Detroit Lakes is three hours away from me, but the training was on the weekend, and I decided to use the opportunity to take a short break by myself, learn the training and enjoy a simple winter refresh.

Simple is the approach I took to the weekend. Detroit Lakes is a small town, and it offered the perfect simple solution. I stayed at the Lodge on Detroit Lake. It was a Best Western with a lovely lobby overlooking the lake adorned with a warm fireplace and wooden rocking chairs. I drove up on Saturday for the Sunday training. It was six degrees outside, and after I arrived at 4 pm, I settled into my room and found a perfect spot in the gracious lobby between the window view and the fireplace. I read a book for a few hours, ordered a sandwich from the bar, and enjoyed the time to myself. I returned to my room, took a bath, and headed to bed. The next day I ate a simple hotel-provided breakfast and went to the training. I had planned to stay that night at the hotel, but the weather was forecasted for substantial snow and wind the next day, so I opted to check out and plan to drive back after my training.

When I showed up to the training, I learned that I wasn’t the only one concerned about the weather, and the three other participants had canceled. I was there, and as a result, I had two experienced teachers there to help me learn how to become a XaBeat Inspirator. It was challenging to learn something new by myself. Still, due to the one-on-one training, we could move quickly through the material, and I had extra time to practice the training routines. I left with a solid plan and a list of resources to continue my training back in the twin cities. Also, since I had elected to return home that afternoon, I wasn’t stressed about the weather or the time; I had achieved what I had set out to do and was excited to continue my learning of something new.

Is there a new activity or skill that you want to learn? Whether it is an exercise program, a writing retreat, or another skill you want to foster, seek out a way to make that learning opportunity part of a more significant occasion to invest in yourself to refresh.

The winter is long, and the cold and cloudy days can be isolating for many. It is easy to stay inside, watch movies and drink hot chocolate. I love movies and hot chocolate, but it negatively affects my well-being if I do them too often. Exercising my mind and body helps me to refresh. What new or old activity would bring you greater joy? Maybe there is room in your life for both an old movement and a new activity.