Small-group walks in Central Park
Walk your way back to your sparkle.
Small-group walks in Central Park, guided by Syd, with women in the same season you're in.
Guided by Sydney Connolly
Master of Applied Positive Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
Duke Certified Health & Well-Being Coach
Is this you?
You're carrying a lot right now. Perhaps it's a growing belly, a newborn on your chest, or a calendar that never lets up.
You chose this life, and maybe you'd choose it again. But somewhere between the expectations and the to-do list, you stopped hearing yourself.
You don't need fixing. You need fresh air, a few women who truly get it, and research-backed tools to carry into your everyday life.
The Walks
One walk a week, for four weeks. The same three or four women. One hour together in Central Park.
Research suggests that walking side by side builds connection, and that time in nature helps quiet an overthinking mind. Our founding walkers felt it too: they said the walks helped them get out of their heads and into their bodies, and experience Central Park in a new way.
Arrive
Meet Syd and your circle at the East 72nd Street entrance, on Fifth Avenue. Step away from your day, and into an hour that's fully yours.
The Format
Each week, Syd guides a research-backed practice, like mindfulness, recognizing your strengths, or connecting with your highest self.
The Walk
The heart of it is the conversation: uninterrupted, refreshing, and deeper than the usual talk of where you went to school or what you do for work, with women reflecting on the same season of life.
Carry it home
Leave with a clear insight for the week ahead, and the surprising realization that you have far more in common with these women than you imagined.
Find your circle
Expecting
For women in their second or third trimester. Walk alongside others preparing to meet someone new, and to meet a new version of themselves. We keep an easy pace, with time to pause.
Book a walkNew Mothers
For the months after birth. Bring your baby along. Chest carriers are encouraged, and strollers are always welcome, because your comfort comes first. Find women who understand the beauty and the blur of these early days.
Book a walkWorking Women
For women whose careers ask a lot of them. Walks happen before or after work, never during it, so you can step out of back-to-back meetings and into honest conversation with women who know the pressure from the inside.
Book a walkOne walk a week for four weeks, with your same small circle · One hour each · $200 for the series ($50 per walk)
Plan to join all four. Connection deepens each week.
If you're pregnant or postpartum, please check with your healthcare provider before joining.
In Their Words
“I was struck that my hopes for my future self were much more ‘states of mind’ than accomplishments. My future self was confident, calm, and smiley. Very happy to report that a year later, I feel a lot closer to who I envisioned.”
“For the first time in a long time, I enjoyed uninterrupted and meaningful conversations with a group of smart and like-minded women. Everyone was really present and invested.”
“Great way to unplug after work. Perfect environment to meet people in a low-stakes and relaxed way.”
“An opportunity to meet new people, experience the beauty of Central Park, and have conversations that are new and refreshing!”
Meet Syd
For years, I lived a beautiful life following a script I didn't write.
On paper, it was everything: a career at Google, a full calendar, people I loved. But I was making everyone happy except myself.
I wanted more than a life that looked good. I wanted to thrive. Then I realized the pen was already in my hand, and I could write my own story.
Coaching, therapy, mindfulness, and positive psychology gave me the courage and confidence to start writing. Learning to make deeply aligned, authentic decisions was hard. It also led me to the deepest, most stable contentment I've ever known, and to richer relationships with myself, the people I love, and the world around me. Hard seasons still come. They just no longer run me.
I'm now a Duke Certified Health & Well-Being Coach with a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where I studied research-backed ways to align mind, body, and spirit so we can live as our highest selves.
Petiole is the community I always wanted as I committed to a life I truly love. It's grounded in movement, nature, research, and most of all, genuine connection with women who understand and support each other's journeys.
I can't wait to walk beside you.
Why Petiole
A petiole is the small stem that connects a leaf to its branch. It holds the leaf steady and turns it toward the light.
Petiole does the same for women. It connects you to yourself, to each other, and to the world around you. It helps you turn toward your own sparkle.
Our Mission
Petiole guides women out of self-doubt and into deep alignment, empowering them to trust their instincts, nurture meaningful connections, and fall in love with their lives.
Our Vision
To awaken every woman to the pen already in her hand and the agency she holds to write her soul's story.
Go Deeper
For when you want more, or an easy place to begin.
Say Hello
Not sure where to start?
Have a question, or not sure where to start? I'd love to hear from you, and I'll reply within three business days.