Guide Training Immersion 4-Days
Canada, Ontario – Dharma Centre of Canada – August 2027
- August 27, 2027
- to
- August 31, 2027
- Enrollment Open
An opportunity to connect with other guides from other cohorts and learn from the shared experiences.
If you have completed at least module 4 and submitted the corresponding assignments, of the six-month remote Forest Therapy Guide Training you’re eligible to apply. Completion of this immersion and the six-month training fulfills the requirements for full Certification. When space is available, ANFT-trained guides who have completed training in any past cohort can also participate. Please note that priority goes to students who need to take the immersion to get fully certified. Therefore, when you apply, you’ll be put on a waitlist until three weeks before the start of the immersion.
A 4 day in-person gathering, with 1 or 2 trainers, and people from different cohorts where you will have the opportunity to apply what you learned, experience in-person forest therapy walks and simply connect and share experiences and stories with other guides.
In this immersion, you will:
- Get a hands on experience of what you learned
- Get to know trainers personally
- Get to know other guides and connect
- Learn from shared experiences with other guides
- Deepen into the practice
- Get the opportunity to ask specific questions that might come up
Once you complete this four-day immersion, your certification will be moved from provisional to permanent. You have two years after you complete the six month core training course to complete an immersion. It will help to give you a sense of the community of guides that has grown and is active throughout the world.
About the Venue
Dharma Centre of Canada
The Dharma Centre of Canada, one of the oldest meditation centres in North America, is situated on 400 acres of beautiful boreal forest. The Centre is embraced by the ancient Canadian Shield which is one of the world’s oldest geological rock formations with bedrock dating back approximately 1.3 billion years old.
Much of the land is completely untouched and home to a diversity of beings such as mushrooms, mosses, ferns, trees, wild flowers, and wildlife including deer, wild turkeys, beavers, rabbits, groundhogs, bald eagles, owls, hummingbirds, various turtles, fish, salamanders, frogs and even the rare moose to name only a handful of examples of inhabitants of the land.
The property holds wetlands, lakes, ponds, streams and lots of mixed coniferous and deciduous forest rich in biodiversity. The land is welcoming and lush, holding us gently to practice and share Forest Therapy. The weather in Ontario in late August and early September is an ideal time to relax in the warm glow of summer.
During your spare time you can choose to enjoy numerous hiking trails that traverse the property. There is even access to Union Lake that can be gained by using one of the centre’s canoes or kayaks for those experienced enough to use them safely
Lodging
The accommodations rest quietly within 400 acres of forested land – simple, clean cabins and rooms are nestled among trees and sky. Each person has their own private room that is humble, peaceful, and held by nature’s embrace. The washrooms are shared, but each participant can retreat to the solitude and quietude of their own cozy room.
There are no offsite food and accommodations options allowed, you must register with the Dharma Centre of Canada paying in full for both food and accommodations to partake in this Immersion.
Once you have paid for your tuition, you will receive a link to register for lodging and meals with the venue directly.
Everyone will have their own basic rustic single bedroom. Bathrooms are shared.
4 nights including food and accommodations – $600.00 CAD, taxes included / $455.00 USD approx / subject to exchange rate
Meals
The Dharma Centre of Canada provides three wholesome, primarily vegetarian, home-made meals made daily, often featuring produce from their own gardens. Meals are served buffet-style, designed for mindfulness and sustainability.
All meals are included in the price, starting with dinner on August 27th (arrival day) and ending with lunch on August 31 st (departure day).
Special dietary restrictions can be accommodated if requested in advance. There is also a separate kitchen in the teahouse if needed.
Transportation
TRANSPORTATION
It is best to come by car or carpool. You can take a Flixbus or the Rider Express from the Toronto Airport to Peterborough, but you need to arrange private transfer from Peterborough to the Dharma Centre of Canada at your own expense. There is a gentleman affiliated with the Dharma Centre who occasionally can offer a transfer from Peterborough at an arranged time and cost. Please contact the Dharma Centre of Canada for more details.
Schedule Details
Arrival
August 27, 2027 (register in the afternoon) between 3 – 5 PM
Departure
August 31, 2027 (depart after lunch) 1 PM (2 PM latest)
General Notes
No consumption of intoxicants. Please read the venue’s policies:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ccb16167d0c917755dd2fb5/t/5d726a6318c3cc37f0cf505d/1567779428109/DCC+-+ORIENTATION+WELCOME+PKG+-+July+2019.pdf
WIFI
Wi-fi available in the Tea House and Main House, not in accommodations
Tuition
The tuition for the four-day immersion is 495 (USD). Wait to pay until you are ready to register for a specific immersion. You will have two years from the completion of your core guide training to do the immersion.
Immersion tuition does not include transportation, lodging or camping fees and food. These expenses are separate from the program costs for the four-day immersion and are the responsibility of the trainee.
IMPORTANT: Please wait until you receive enrollment confirmation before booking travel and lodging.
Tuition figures are subject to change.
Training Team
- Stana Luxford Oddie
- Based in Canada, Stana has been working for the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority for over twenty-five years as the Senior Conservation Educator. Her passion is supporting people to build their relationship with all beings with their heads, heart and hands. Stana is a certified Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) in cohort 6 in 2016. In 2017 she took on a mentor role and has been a train since 2018. Through Cataraqui Conservation, Stana brings Forest Therapy walk experiences to all ages in the community from private and public organizations in all seasons! She is a dedicated mindfulness practitioner and a recently certified Qi Gong Teacher. You will most likely find her in the outdoors in her garden or in wild places often with her adventurous, Cockapoo pup, Theo, sometimes in the good company of her partner, Lachlan and occasionally with their 17-year-old son, Asher.
- Giovanna Raineri
- "Giovanna Raineri was born and raised in Chile. Her love for nature and being outside led her to work as an outdoor guide for 10 years, having the chance to work and live at Torres del Paine National Park (Patagonia) and the Atacama Desert . She lived in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) for 8 years where she was in the hotel management and travel company and later she became an Ontological Coach spending 8 years working with people and organizations .She came across the concept of Shinrin-Yoku in 2014 while she was settling in her new place in a forest in the south of Chile . She kept looking for training until she found the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and immediately felt touched by the words: ""The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the door"". Giovanna was trained in 2019 and certified in march 2020. She quit her job as a coach and she has been advocating full time to Forest Therapy. She has been guiding and facilitating experiences since then. She works with Fundacion Bayos where she facilitates Forest Therapy to Families, teenagers and Children and she is also guiding experiences for a Lodge in the island of Chiloé. She is fluent in Spanish and English."
Certification Pathway
STEP 1
6-Month Remote Training
You will start with a 6-month remote training, covering the content on live calls with the support of your trainers, fellow students, a very user friendly learning platform, many self exploration and nature connection activities that are done outside. After completing this training you get a provisional certification as a Certified Forest Therapy Guide. To view the available trainings scroll down
STEP 2
4-Day In-Person Immersion
After completing module 4 you can apply to attend a 4-day in-person immersion, for hands on forest therapy guiding experience with trainers and fellow students. You have two years time to complete this step.
STEP 3
Get Your Certification
After completing the 6-month remote training and the 4-day in- person immersion, you will receive your permanent certification as an ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide and be part of the largest Forest Therapy Guide Community Worldwide.