Build a deep connection with a living giant throughout the shift of seasons.
Registration is closed. Please email Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me with any questions.
What is slow leaf peeping?
Autumn in New England is brilliant. We’re gifted with sweater weather, apple cider donuts, and a glowing world of red, orange, gold, and auburn. It’s easy to understand why people would want to travel to Maine just to get a glimpse of this magical moment.
However, most leaf peepers will drive hundreds of miles just to quickly pull over on the side of the road, snap a picture, and move on to the next “peak” location. There are busloads of people shuttled from one tree to the next, weekly foliage reports, live webcams, and influencers sharing this neatly packaged idea that fall can only exist in a brief “perfect” moment.
This course asks, “How can we shift leaf peeping from a frenzied, scarcity-driven industry to being in an intentional relationship with the land we inhabit?”
Slow Leaf Peeping is a fully immersive experience where you’ll be able to slow down and connect with a single tree through the entire cycle of its leaves changing and falling. Throughout the course, you’ll also begin to change, expanding your awareness of the tremendous natural transformations that occur every single day, “peak” foliage, or not.
This course came out of my lifelong love for trees. Everywhere that I’ve lived, I’ve made a conscious decision to befriend a tree in my neighborhood so that I feel more at home. A recent study showed that humans can have decades long relationships with tree friends that elicit joy, admiration, and a connection to something larger than themselves. It’s a friendship that can be passed from generation to generation, a constant in a world that is rapidly changing.
Portland is frequently called the Forest City. Whether you’re deep in Fore River Sanctuary or walking in the Old Port, you have the opportunity to connect with trees. This experience will give you the tools to find a sense of belonging anywhere you go.
What you’ll learn
Slow Leaf Peeping is an 8-week course and cohort. Sessions will take place in person in Portland, ME.
Each session is designed to deepen participants’ relationships with the tree they’ve chosen to observe. Using your tree as an anchor point for the passage of time, your practice will be bolstered by guided centerings and gentle movement, environmental education, hands-on mindfulness meditations, journaling, and community sharing circles.
Week 1: Arrival
Course & cohort intros. Learn about fascination attention vs directed attention and you’ll choose “your” tree.
Sunday, September 15, 2024, 9–11 am
Week 2: Natural Sound Bath
Orient to your environment. Practice observation through deep listening, learning how to slow down and prioritize rest.
Sunday, September 22, 2024, 9–11 am
Week 3: Seeing the Forest Through the Trees
Using methods of artistic abstraction you’ll further familiarize yourself with your tree.
Sunday, September 29, 2024, 9–11 am
Week 4: Leaves
Observe the brilliant transformation of color one leaf at a time.
Sunday, October 6, 2024, 9–11 am
Week 5: Welcoming Autumn
Attune to the subtle seasonal shifts and passage of time.
Sunday, October 13, 2024, 9–11 am
Week 6: Bark & Roots
Breathe with your tree’s vascular system and explore a microscopic world.
Sunday, October 20, 2024, 9–11 am
Week 7: The More-Than-Human World
Learn about the wildlife that inhabits your tree.
Sunday, October 27, 2024, 9–11 am
Week 8: Letting Go
When we give space for things to be finite, we also build a more stable foundation to process large emotions like grief. Welcome your empty tree with a meditation led by death doula, Victoria Rutledge.
Sunday, November 3, 2024, 9–11 am
Meet your Guides
Davinica Nemtzow
Davinica (she/her) is a certified Mindful Outdoor Guide from the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and a proud Mainer. She builds inclusive communities that honor our collective growth, healing, and sense of belonging through connection to each other and immersion in nature.
Through Kaneel she offers guided mindfulness practices in natural settings throughout the state of Maine. She encourages people to connect with the natural world in meaningful ways so they may become active stewards of our planet.
Victoria Rutledge, Guest Educator
Victoria Rutledge is a tenured yoga teacher and certified death doula, with experience leading group processing sessions, leading workshops and retreats, and hospice volunteering. Passionate about self inquiry and creating an equitable and just world for all people, she finds purpose in creating spaces to hold the vastness of the human experience. She is currently teaching at both The Portland Yoga Project, and Portland Yoga Collective, and is the community outreach ambassador for The Portland Yoga Project, focusing on mutual aid, accessibility, and inclusion as we navigate yoga and movement spaces.
Are you ready to…
Cultivate a consistent mindfulness practice?
Connect, share with, and learn from a community of like-minded people?
Enhance your observational skills to be more engaged with the world around you?
Frequently Asked Questions
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If you have specific questions about accessibility, please reach out to Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me.
Parking: There are at least 6 designated accessible spaces in a partially paved parking lot. None of them are van-accessible with striped access aisles. There is also ample street parking available.
Trail: This course is wheelchair accessible. The trail surface is paved (asphalt, brick, or cement), and typically at least 4 feet wide. We will spend most of our time on a lawn-style grass. The estimated grade is mostly gentle (5% or less). Most of our experience will be in stillness, and when we do walk it will be slow and for very short distances.
Sensory Activities: Throughout the meditation, participants will be invited to explore the space using all 5 of their senses. Participation in any of these activities is not required and can be adapted for those with sensory impairments or difficulties.
Restrooms: There are two wheelchair accessible all-gender toilets in the park. A vault toilet is a permanent waterless bathroom that sits above a vault or “pit” that is serviced by a waste management company. Vault restrooms do not require plumbing or electricity.
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Early bird pricing is available through August 7 and is just $185!
The regular price for the 8-week program, cohort, and course materials is $225.
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Yes! Using a pay-what-you-can model, a subsidized rate is available starting at $85.
Please email Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me with a price that feels accessible to you and she will send you a discount code to enter when purchasing.
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This course is for any and all people who want to slow down and align with the gradual shift of seasons. This course and cohort will support and nourish you whether you are new to mindfulness or have been practicing for years.
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Attendees should try to make themselves available for all of the program sessions as each lesson builds off of the previous weeks.
However, you can miss up to 2 sessions.
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While this course can be used to add another skillset to your arsenal, this is not a professional certificate program. It's for anyone who wants to engage in learning for the sake of learning.
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There’s a lot to learn about our natural environment in the rain! If a session needs to be canceled due to extreme weather or illness, we will find a time to reschedule that fits the majority of the cohort’s schedules.
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We’re excited to have you! You will receive a welcome email shortly after you sign up. You will also be added to an email group in the days leading up to the event to connect with your cohort and receive notifications from Davinica.
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Yes! We will be offering a light version of this course on the afternoon of October 26, 2024. Please email Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me if you’re interested in joining.
We also have a wide variety of events throughout the year. You can find a calendar of events on my website.