SUP yoga (SUP is short for Stand-up Paddleboard) combines paddle sports and yoga practice. We will paddle out onto Little Dyer Pond and drop anchor before flowing through a 90-minute yoga session on the water. Tucked away in the Northwest corner of the Hidden Valley Nature Center we will breathe in the quiet calm of the pond as we balance on our boards. 

Sarah Anne Plummer has been teaching yoga and Group Exercise classes for the last 30 years. She most recently completed her 200-hour Baptiste certification with Melanie Burns at Wicked Good Yoga in Wiscasset, Maine. Sarah is the owner of Maine Outdoor Yoga, https://www.maineoutdooryoga.com/ and teaches in several studios in the Midcoast as well as on Pemaquid Beach. She says, "It is an incredible feeling to be able to wake up every day knowing you are going to do something you love that feeds your soul.  Sharing that passion with others is a dream come true.  I have found my path in life and I hope to meet many incredible new people along this journey!"

The SUP Yoga program is one of three independent offerings as part of Wellness Weekend at Midcoast Conservancy’s award-winning Hidden Valley Nature Center - learn more here. Registration is required.

Forest Therapy is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments. In Japan it is called "shinrin yoku," which translates to "forest bathing." Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for stabilizing and improving mood and cognition.

In general terms it is described as a practice of making contact with nature and “taking in the atmosphere” of the forest. We’ll meet, and I’ll guide you through several invitations to awaken our senses and slow down, slower than you are used to going. We’ll notice what is in motion along the trail, we may sit with a certain tree for a bit. We will share our observations in council. We won’t walk very far, maybe a mile in the three hours that we are out. Forest Bathing is a gentle restorative and meditative way of being in nature. In the end we’ll share a foraged tea.

Susan Bickford, a lifetime Maine resident, received her Forest Therapy Guide certification from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and has been guiding walks since 2017. www.midcoastmaineforesttherapy.com. Bickford is also an artist, receiving her MFA from Maine College of Art in 2001 and her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 1986. Bickford has been combining forest therapy and art for years crafting collaborative events in nature, you can see her work at www.susanbickfordinteractive.com and www.stillnesskitchen.com.

The Forest Bathing program is one of three independent offerings as part of Wellness Weekend at Midcoast Conservancy’s award-winning Hidden Valley Nature Center - learn more here. Registration is required.

Nia is an energizing barefoot cardio workout that connects you to your body, mind, and soul. Through Nia, you can safely explore and enhance your potential to live a healthy and meaningful life by engaging your senses and listening to your body. Nia combines dance, martial arts, and mindful movement to leave you energized, mentally clear, and emotionally balanced. Nia is non-impact and adaptable to individual needs and abilities. Each class starts with setting a focus. We will then warm up, dance our hearts out, and cool down, followed by stepping back out into daily life.

Anna Fiedler is a certified Nia blue belt teacher who has taught Nia since 2007. She enjoys creating space for others to connect together to tap into their power and well-being through movement.

The Nia Dance program is one of three independent offerings as part of Wellness Weekend at Midcoast Conservancy’s award-winning Hidden Valley Nature Center - learn more here. Registration is required.