Learn Something New in 2022

January is always a time for making new year resolutions. Unfortunately, following through on resolutions is often frustrating and discouraging. Too frequently, people set their goals based on what others expect of them but soon find that their determination quickly dwindles.  This year, rather than making an empty promise like “lose weight” or “get in shape”, make a commitment to yourself to learn something new!

Forget about what others are thinking and focus on something you truly desire. As they say, “happiness comes from within” – if we are always wondering what others are thinking, we are not looking within to see what can truly make us feel happy and fulfilled.

One of the main obstacles to achieving any new year’s resolution is having an impossible goal or deadline. This is not to discourage “dreaming big,” but clear thought and wise actions must be a part of any plan. By committing to learning something, which is an ongoing process, there is no finite goal or deadline to impair or discourage progress.  

Accomplish more than one goal through learning

By learning something new, you can accomplish more than one goal. For example, by discovering a new sport you can get in shape, as well as learn new skills and thought patterns. By learning about a new topic or craft you can understand culture and history while enriching your personal growth and creativity.

The possibilities and opportunities to learn new things are everywhere. Here, we have compiled a list of ideas and activities in Milan and online you might want to try in 2022.

Learn to use your voice

Wendell Simpkins, American singer, and vocal coach has started Soul Voices, an international choir and creative group. If you have a passion for music, R&B, soul and spiritual music, then Soul Voices is for you.

A fun group of international expats and Italian residents of Milan, everyone is welcome. You will not only learn about singing techniques and using your voice but you will also learn about the origins of choir music and its cross-culture significance and role.

Click here to learn more about Soul Voices.

Learn Scottish Country Dancing

Swing your feet to the rhythms of reels, jigs, and strathspeys! Dancers in couples trace progressive patterns in Scottish Country Dancing. A typical Scottish country dance is made up of intricate movements with some common variations. It’s fun, gets your heart pumping, and has been scientifically proven to keep you young!

The Milan Scottish Country Dancers meet every Monday, Via Solferino 17, from 7.30 to 9 pm in the Brera neighborhood of Milan. Lessons are open to all ages and nationalities.  

You’ll not only make new friends and learn the steps, but you’ll learn about the origins of Scottish Country Dancing and the Scottish culture. The group prepares for events, dances, and formal balls held for special occasions such as St Andrew’s Night in November, Burns Night in January and lots of ceilidhs (informal dances) in between. 

Click here to learn more about the Milan Scottish Country Dancers.

Learn Stress Management

Olya Novikova offers Ayurveda treatments and lifestyle consultations at the Inner Wisdom Studio in Milan. The ancient Indian medical practice considers three vital energies or doshas – Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (water and earth). When these fundamental energy levels remain balanced, you are in good health; however, when one of these elements becomes too overpowering or too weak, then the body-mind system will become ill. Olya can help you find the key to understanding the triggers behind your stress and adopting the right stress management skills through Ayurveda. 

Click here to learn more about Olya Novikova Ayurveda treatments.

Learn English

For our local Italian friends, as you know, Easy Milano is also a great resource for finding English teachers and organizations where you can practice your English.  

Click here to find English teachers in Milan.

Search for English language teachers online in the Preply English teacher database.

Learn Italian

If you are living in, or planning to live in Italy, learning the Italian language is necessary. Italian is a complicated language, but it shouldn’t have to be an ongoing struggle. We have outlined some fun and useful ways to learn and improve your Italian language skills in our article 9 Ways to Improve your Italian.

You can also find an Italian teacher in the classified section of Easy Milano.

Search the Preply Italian teacher database for Italian language teachers online.

Learn to cope with your new life in Italy

Living abroad can be challenging on many levels, and the emotional and psychological impact on yourself and your relationships is sometimes quite a shock. There are numerous and often unexpected cultural differences, some of which might include trying to understand where you fit into Italian culture or navigating the particular challenges of having a bi-cultural family. 

Karen Rigatti is a Certified Professional Counselor, a member of the American Counseling Association and AssoCounseling, in Italy. Karen has been working with ex-pats (individuals, couples and young adults), helping them develop more effective communication and coping strategies to better manage interpersonal challenges and embrace the changes in their lives.

Click here to learn more about Karen Rigatti, Certified Professional Counselor.

Learn Pilates for Health & Wellness

Dr. Mirjana Ilic, Physical Therapist, Dipl. Osteopath, Certified WFPBN and Pilates method Alliance Certified Teacher is the founder of Medical Pilates.  She has created Medicalpilates Soulwellness, a sophisticated and valuable method that helps all ages achieve physical and inner wellbeing. You can start with a free consultation, in person or online, and begin a course to understand Pilates movements and the benefits that come with this technique.  The Medicalpilates Soulwellness Clinic is offering a 30 euro voucher for new registrations to Easy Milano readers. 

Click here to learn more about Medical Pilates.

Learn about yourself and how to face difficult times

Feelings of depression, anxiety, or anger may be deep rooted and need perspective. Understanding aspects of your life that affect and have an impact on your physical and mental state and emotional wellbeing may need the help of a medical professional.  Dr. Giulia Remorino Ibry is a multi-lingual psychologist and psychotherapist working with the international community of Milan. She speaks English, Italian and French. Her vast experience extends to career advisor, school psychologist, couples therapist and is a teacher of Relaxation Techniques at the “Psicoterapia e Psicosomatica” master school. Her experience spans adolescents facing eating disorders stress-related neurosis, post-trauma symptoms, and psychotherapeutic assistance for refugees. 

Click here to learn more about Dr. Giulia Remorino Ibry.

Learn anything

The Women’s Society is a network of international professionals, who want to connect, collaborate and create synergies and that are actively engaged in working towards building a better world. Members are professionals from all fields offering free training courses and mentorship.

Click here to learn more about the Women’s Society.

Udemy is the online platform for learning anything. You can learn everything from creative writing by award-winning authors to how to run an online business or even how to play the piano!

Click here to see the Udemy catalog of courses.

Edx is the online platform for free university courses.  World-renowned universities such as Berkeley University, Harvard University, Sorbonne Universitè, Hong Kong Polytechnic, The University of Queensland Australia, and many others offer their courses online.  There are over 2000 free online courses from 140 leading institutions worldwide. Some courses offer certification and if you want to build credits to a degree, you can join special programs and online learning programs. University-level courses in everything from psychology to engineering to languages, culture, and humanities.  Learn new skills and earn a certificate of completion.

Click here to see the Edx catalog of courses.

Eventbrite, the online platform for events and tickets also has a section for Free courses and workshops! There are course on for yoga, massage, painting and more.

Click here to search free courses in Milan on Eventbrite.

Corsidia is an online database that aims to increase the visibility of all free and social educational programs in Italy, such as free training courses for the unemployed, youth, funded training for new graduates, professional retraining, and so on. Search for a course or see the offers in your city. There are courses for pizza making, baking, languages, pottery, art restoration, mechanics, business training, IT and software development and so much more.

Click here to learn more about Corsidia.

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Learning never exhausts the mind

Leonardo Da Vinici

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Article by C. Abernethy for Easy Milano