Settle into the serenity of the season.
Join us for a cozy silent retreat that mirrors the quiet calm of winter through a series of immersive mindfulness practices, including guided meditation, nature walks, and relaxing in a sauna.
Nobody will be turned away for a lack of funds. Please reach out to Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me with a cost that feels accessible to you, even if that answer is $0!
The trees lose their last leaves, the animals burrow away to hibernate, and the bustling energy of the winter holidays comes and goes. Deep winter invites us to settle into the stillness of the season, a chance to rest before the growing season arrives.
In Kaneel’s first winter retreat, we’ll gather in community at Nurture Through Nature, Maine’s first Green-Certified earth-friendly retreat center, and mirror the quiet calm of the season through a series of immersive mindfulness practices, including:
Mindfulness Meditation
Wrap up in a blanket by the wood stove and turn inward with guided meditation, taught in the Insight tradition.
Plant-based Brunch
Savor a delicious, locally sourced plant-based meal lovingly made by Nurture Through Nature’s generous team.
Walking Meditation
Learn to walk with intention through the snowy woods, listening intently to the crunch of the snow, the stream running under the ice, and the chickadees in the trees.
Mindful Animal Tracking
Deepen your connection to the forest wildlife by observing the tracks left behind and the stories they tell.
Sauna
Warm up after our outdoor time in a cozy, candlelit, wood-fired sauna—breathing in eucalyptus-infused steam made from fresh brook water, and gazing out at the surrounding forest. After you sweat, relax on the deck or take a dip in the mountain’s natural pools.
If you don’t want to or can’t sauna, join a guided activity for personal reflection and centering.
Community connection
Listen from the heart in our community sharing circle
No prior meditation or ecology experience is necessary; all are welcome!
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You will need to bring the following:
Appropriate layers for sun and wind
Hiking or snow boots with ice traction
Hiking poles for added stability (optional)
Reusable water bottle
Journal and pen
If you plan to sauna: swimsuit, towel
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Experience NTN’s regionally recognized pristine sauna in the forest, a hand-crafted circular, cedar-lined, wood-fired sauna near our spring-fed mountain brook. Fresh mountain spring water and Eucalyptus oils are ladled over the hot lava rocks, creating circulating, medicinal steam that envelopes the bather and fills the lungs.
Move freely in and out of the sauna to the transition room to enjoy cool water and healthy snacks, sit on the deck, or take a dip in the nearby brook.
Important Information
There are many benefits of using the sauna. However, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, have existing cardiovascular conditions, low blood pressure, and inflammatory diseases, we ask that you consult your doctor before using our sauna.
Intense sauna heat is not recommended during:
High-risk pregnancies. Consult your physician prior to sauna appointments.
For patients with unstable angina pectoris, recent myocardial infarction, and severe aortic stenosis.
Decompensated heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia are relative contraindications.
Alcohol and/or drug intake before or during sauna bathing can create serious health risks and impaired judgment. For these reasons, the partaking of drugs or alcoholic beverages are not permitted at our sauna.
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For venue accessibility questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact Emily at emily@ntnretreats.com. For retreat activity accessibility questions, please email Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me.
Cost: Nobody will be turned away for a lack of funds. Please reach out to Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me to figure out a cost that feels accessible to you.
Location: This event is not physically accessible for wheelchair or crutch users. Our indoor meditation space is up a flight of stairs, with a few stairs to enter the building itself. The terrain between the building and the sauna is a hilly, uneven nature trail that will likely have snow.
Parking: Parking at the retreat center is free. While the small parking lot will be plowed, the driveway is not open in the winter, so you will have to access the mountain on foot. If you can carpool, please do so.
Activity: This retreat has a combination of sitting, walking, and an optional sauna. In the sitting portion, you are welcome to stand and stretch as needed. In the walking portion, we will slowly walk roughly 1 mile on nature trails.
This class is taught orally. If you need visual materials, please let us know by February 10, 2027, by emailing Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me.
Restrooms: There are all-gender composting toilets.
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Refunds
We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule the retreat due to unforeseen circumstances such as inclement weather, even at short notice.
If we cancel the activity due to unforeseen circumstances there will be a full refund. If we reschedule, you’ll have the option for a full refund or to transfer your ticket to the new date.
All cancellations by customers must occur no later than February 19 at 9 am. In this case, you have the option of a full refund or to donate your ticket to our community care fund.
No refunds will be issued in the event of a no-show or cancellation within 48 hours of the booking start time.
If the weather turns bad unexpectedly and the guides decide to cut the retreat short, a partial refund may be given.
Other Terms
All attendees must be over 18.
Kaneel and Nurture Through Nature will not be responsible for the loss or damage of any items or valuables brought on the trip by customers.
Because of the nature of the terrain at the retreat center, we will be walking on uneven nature trails that will likely have snow and ice. By purchasing a retreat ticket, you are confirming that you are physically able and comfortable to do these things, and you assume all associated risks.
Some accessibility accommodations can be made. When you agree to the accommodations provided, you assume all associated risks.
It is required that all customers behave in a safe and respectful manner to all staff, other customers, animals, and the land.
Customers must follow the guide’s instructions during the full time that the activity takes place.
The guide reserves the right to ask you to leave if unruly or unsafe behavior is displayed. In such an event, no refunds will be made.
Meet your guides
Photo credit: Friends of Casco Bay
Davinica Nemtzow
Davinica (she/her) is a certified Mindful Outdoor Guide from the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and the owner of Kaneel. Through mindfulness meditations, she builds inclusive communities that honor our collective growth, healing, and sense of belonging through connection to each other and immersion in nature.
Cassiah Sahl
Cassiah Sahl (she/her) is a mindfulness meditation practitioner and a blossoming teacher who is passionate about community awakening and healing, especially through connection with nature. She is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher through Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield’s 2-year training program. She leads regular mindfulness offerings in Old Orchard Beach.