Hello 2026! ✨✨As always, my word for the new year arrived quietly in the final days of the one before it. This year, that word is Refine – likely because 2025 reminded me of where my life is asking for a little more intention, clarity, and care.

To refine something is to make it better, purer, or more precise by removing what no longer serves. It’s about polishing, simplifying, and elevating. Refinement can apply to a physical substance, an idea, a skill, or even the way we move through the world. It’s the process of becoming clear and more purposeful through small, conscious shifts.

For me, refinement doesn’t mean reinventing who I am. It’s about becoming more aligned with what really matters, strengthening what’s already good, and letting go of habits or patterns that dull my shine. Refining my character, skills, thoughts, and my relationships so I can show up healthier, wiser, and more at peace.

This theme of refining really landed when I started working as a ski instructor this winter at Beaver Creek Resort. Teaching adults has taken me back to the fundamentals of skiing-  the mechanics, the balance, the precision of the sport. I’ve skied most of my life (since growing up in Utah), and honestly, I don’t remember ever having formal lessons. I think the philosophy back then was simply, “Point them downhill and hope for the best.”

Now, relearning proper technique, has been humbling and enlightening. It’s forcing me to slow down, refine my movements, and pay attention to the details of a sport I once took for granted.  And yes, my daughters may now receive more unsolicited ski tips when we’re out together. 😉

I often tell my students, especially when they’re frustrated after falling, that learning something new as an adult requires patience, repetition, and self-compassion. Refinement asks us to stay with the process, even when it’s uncomfortable. Skill doesn’t come from perfection; it comes from the willingness to learn and practice- and stumble and fall!

The same ideas apply to my inner work. As I reflect on qualities I want to refine—patience, discernment, generosity, presence—I realize how much of that requires awareness of old habits and unconscious patterns. I’m finally embracing the truth that if I keep doing what I’ve always done, I’ll keep getting the same results. If I want something different in this new year, I have to show up differently and think in new ways. 

One of my intentions for 2026 is to truly listen and hear what’s behind people’s words. Not only will this support my skills as a psychedelic guide and acupuncturist, but this will also help me take things less personally, respond rather than react, and be more discerning about where I place my time and energy.

On a physical level, refinement has shown up in how I care for my body. Being back in the Vail Valley means honoring the demands of altitude, movement, and aging gracefully -and honestly.  I’m no longer trying to live like a 20-year-old ski bum – I need extra sleep, nourishment, and recovery!  I’ve modified my routine with gentle detoxing, strength training, more yoga, and fewer long endurance days. I’ve also significantly reduced drinking alcohol—it’s a game-changer!  And working in a beautiful wellness clinic has reconnected me with the wisdom of Chinese medicine, reminding me how deeply our physical, emotional, and energetic bodies are intertwined.

Refining my body and spirit feels foundational to everything else. When I feel clear and supported from the inside out, everything flows with more ease.

I’d love to hear your word for 2026?🔆🔆

With love and intention,
✨ Amie