Beat Winter SAD: Frolic in the Garden!

A couple of winters ago, I started a little series called Beat Winter SAD as a way to get myself (and hopefully you) through the darkest months of the year. Because let’s be honest, January in Toronto can feel… a lot. Short days, long nights, grey everything. So I’m bringing it back, and we’re starting with one of my favourite winter mood boosters: indoor gardens. Yesterday, my friend Holly and I took advantage of a freakishly warm January day (12 degrees in Toronto?! We’ll take it!) and spent the afternoon wandering through Allan Gardens Conservatory. The second you step inside, it’s like your nervous system takes a huge exhale. It smells like summer and feels like vacation: sunlight filtering through glass, lush tropical plants everywhere, instant serotonin. The Science Behind A Botanical Gardens Visit Botanical gardens have higher humidity, which can help with dry winter skin, irritated sinuses, and that scratchy throat that sneaks up this time of year. Being surrounded by greenery has also been shown to reduce stress hormones, lower anxiety, and boost your mood. I can confirm this one for sure, I WAS FULL OF ENERGY AFTER. It’s a natural antidepressant: leaves from tropical plants release oxygen and moisture into the air, making the air feel fresher and easier to breathe. It totally reminded me of being down south in Mexico or the Caribbean; it feels like a mini-vacation without leaving downtown, buying a ticket, getting on a plane, or packing. Allan Gardens is especially magical. It’s free to visit, open year-round, and filled with little surprises. There’s a fountain bubbling away in the centre (made a wish!), vibrant flowers in full bloom, turtles hanging out, and we spotted a huge lemon growing on a lemon tree, which felt wildly optimistic for January. 🍋 Standing under palm…

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Embrace Winter at Cold Camp

I recently spent a weekend with Unbounded at Canada’s Cold Camp, and if peace & tranquility had a home, it would be right there on that secluded peninsula by Oak Lake. It was awesome. For more photos & info follow @stayunbounded on Instagram & scroll down for a discount to book your own experience. Unbounded’s motto is all about embracing winter and immersing yourself in nature, and trust me, they deliver on that promise. The setting was pure magic – a private spot that offers the perfect blend of serenity and comfort, far removed from the city chaos. Very chill vibes. 😎 The experience encourages you to step out of your comfort zones with cold exposure, but in the most laid-back way possible. Imagine frozen lake ice pools, a cedar barrel sauna, and a cliffside cedar barrel hot tub – all against the backdrop of nature. Winter at its best. Throughout the weekend, Sean and walked in the woods, did yoga, breath work, and cycled thought cold dips in the lake, hot sauna sessions, or relaxing in the hot tub. Sean even got out for a cross country ski on the frozen lake. Activities at Cold Camp are thoughtfully curated for relaxation and are low-key yet invigorating. Each moment was an opportunity to unwind and connect with nature in a way that left us feeling rejuvenated. We stated in a private chalet on the property that had a queen size bed and smaller room with a couch that folds out to a bed. I used the smaller room as my closet because I packed 100 outfits. Unbounded gives you the option to bring your groceries or you can pre-order meals, snacks, and juices from their partner, Nook Kitchen. We packed our own food because cooking at a cabin in the…

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Cold Plunge Season 2022

Did my first cold plunge of the season this weekend! It was with 1,700 people at Woodbine Beach, the largest group plunge ever. It was incredible! Everyone set up their stations 9-10 am, the music was great, we all did breathwork, got our blood pumping, then went in as a group. Lots of screaming as we went in, then the volunteers encouraged everyone to breathe through the cold and focus. By the time we hit the 2-minute mark, everyone was smiling and screaming. I didn’t take that many photos but shared a bit on Stories here. Kinda wish I took my phone in the water. The energetic vibes were so inspiring. Swipe through this post from @bowen416 to see what it was like View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ryan Bowen (@bowen416) Thank you to the event hosts Othership, CityShred, JayBird, and Unbounded. This photo was from last year, today there was 4x the amount of people! The weather has been so warm the past week I’ve not filled my cold plunge tank on the roof yet. I always hated the cold but I really love it now. Have written about cold plunge experiences for the past few years, see posts here. Looking forward to running this week, it’s lighter an hour earlier. 😁

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Beat Winter SAD: Sweat!

Since making exercise part of my life over the last few months, I’ve started to crave the feeling I get from working out. Each night I lay out my gym stuff and look forward to going each morning. I wrote a bit about my fitness journey here and once I started to see results, it motivated me to keep going. I’m committed to not letting this winter give me seasonal affective disorder like last year, I never want to get that way again. I’m sure there will be sad days here and there (there deff are), but I know I can fight it with fitness. Today’s tip to beat Winter SAD is to SWEAT. Find a class, get a YouTube video going, download Nike Training club, dance, or jump around. Do something to get yourself moving, create endorphins, get your brain high on body moment. My Fav Apps & Fitness Resources I like the NTC app for exercises and the NRC app for running. I often do Yoga with Adrienne on Youtube or find workouts on Pinterest. There are so many free resources available online if you don’t have a gym membership. If you are in GTA and want a workout buddy to try a class, ask me anytime! I love hanging with friends and movement makes us all feel good. You got this, we can beat winter SAD!

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Podcast: Coming Up in My Sneakers w/ Heather Loduka

I’m on another podcast! A couple of weeks ago I hung out with Heather Loduca and we recorded an episode of her podcast, Coming Up in My Sneakers. On each episode, Heather talks to industry leaders about their ‘come-up’ story of who they are and how they got to where they are today. In this ep, I go right back to the beginning and share about my family, my first business, publishing, high school, and more. We laugh a few times in the first 6 minutes so I hope you enjoy it lol. I’m not sure I’ve ever shared this much about my personal life before so if you’ve got time, hit play below or find the podcast on your favorite service here. The podcast is available on all podcast streaming services, find your fav way to listen here. Casie Stewart is THE original influencer. Before Instagram, before Tik Tok, Casie was blogging and connecting with brands and using unique business tactics that are completely applicable today. She started back in the 00’s when people didn’t even know what an influencer did or how it could help their company. In this episode Casie offers real advice, amazing stories from working with Much Music and Virgin Airlines and a colourful come up story that any 2020 influencer can greatly benefit from. Heather Loduka, Host, Coming Up in My Sneakers

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