Winter Wisdom
Beauty, Resilience & Adaptability
There is wisdom in the stillness of the forest in winter that can lead us to an inner calm in our own mind and body when we step outdoors and listen. Teachings of resilience and adaptability are shared with us by the birds, animals and trees. Like them, we can learn to thrive, grow and even be playful in this season of long nights and short days. The lack of sunlight and feelings of being cooped up in winter is hard for many people. We hope you will join us in getting outside and letting nature help lift your spirits this winter while we explore beautiful natural areas and the stories shared with us by the land itself.
Each week we will be working with mindfulness and nature connection practices while drawing on the story of the day as it presents itself. Our pallet will include:
Animal Tracks & Sign
Natural Navigation
Winter ecology
Resilience & Adaptability
Mindful Walking
Guided Meditations
Practices of Awe & Wonder
Join us for all or some of the weeks and we will do this and more!
When: Three Sundays: Jan 26, Feb 2, Feb 9 - from 9:30am to Noon. You can register even if you are unable to attend all sessions. Limited scholarships available.
If you would like to join a future offering of a past workshop let us know or join our mailing list to stay in the loop!
Past Workshops
From Hibernation to Connection:
Spring is a time of awakening and transition that happens quickly! Carve out the space now to slow down and to be present for its unfolding. Catch returning migratory birds, the flowering of native plants and the "bloom of the present moment" as the leaves of the trees open.
Through mindfulness practices, meditation and nature awareness activities, participants will strengthen connections to their inner and outer worlds.
Our time together will provide inspiration and practical techniques for cultivating insight, balance, and well-being long after the course is over.
Join us for all or some of the weeks and we will do this and more!
When: Four Saturdays: April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18 - 9:00am to Noon. You can register even if you are unable to attend all sessions. Limited scholarships available.
Know Your Trees:
Poet David Wagoner says “No two trees are the same to Raven, No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, you are surely lost. Stand Still. The forest knows where you are. You must let it find you”. In the north east, forests are almost synonymous with Nature. We sit in their shade, we walk beneath their branches watching them turn the land green in the spring and then to shades of red, yellow, orange and brown in the autumn.
Would you like to deepen your relationship with the trees? To know their names? To sip some tea brewed from their bark or needles? To learn medicinal and edible qualities of different species? In our time together we will balance knowledge of the trees with direct experience working with nature connection and mindfulness practices. We will practice identifying tree species through bark, leaves, habitat etc. and then move towards knowing them as individuals. Yes it’s a sugar maple but it's really this sugar maple. What is this tree's story? What can we learn about its past and what is it telling us about the future of the land? Who does it co habitat with, what animals rely on it?
Join us for all or some of the weeks and we will do this and more!
When: Three Sundays: Sept 29, Oct 6, Oct 13 - 9:30am to Noon. You can register even if you are unable to attend all sessions. Limited scholarships available.