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Canadian Shield Forest – Ontario, Canada

August 27, 2027 – January 13, 2028

Start your certification with a 7-day hands-on experiential training on the land, followed by four months of online integration and consolidation.

Become an ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide. Six months online, with weekly live calls.

7 Day in-Person

Dharma Centre of Canada

1267 Galway Rd, Kinmount, ON K0M 2A0, 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.

Ontario Dharma Image - Association of Nature & Forest TherapyOntario The Dharma Centre of Canada - Association of Nature & Forest TherapyOntario Dharma Centre Forest Lake - Association of Nature & Forest Therapy

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.

4 nights including food and accommodations – $600.00 CAD, taxes included / $455.00 USD approx / subject to exchange rate

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 arrival day and ending with lunch on the departure day.

Special dietary restrictions can be accommodated if requested in advance. There is also a separate kitchen in the teahouse if needed.

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. We will also share a carpool sign up to self-organize and ride share to and from the venue.

ARRIVAL

August 27, 2027 (register in the afternoon) between 3 – 5 PM

DEPARTURE

September 2, 2027

Wi-fi available in the Tea House and Main House, not in accommodations

No consumption of intoxicants. Please read the venue’s policies HERE.

4 Months Online

September 16, 2027 - January 13, 2028

Live calls will always be on Thursdays from 3:30 -  5:30pm Pacific Time for the duration of the training.
For your local time check HERE
Language: English

Training Team

Thursday, July 22, 2027 at 3:30pm Pacific Time

Join the call

Stana Luxford-Oddie

Stana Luxford-Oddie

ANFT Trainer · Ontario, Canada

Stana trained with ANFT in cohort 6 in 2016. In 2017 she took on a mentor role and in 2018 became a trainer. Based in Canada, she has been working for the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority for over twenty-three years…

Giovanna Raineri Blanco

Giovanna Raineri Blanco

Guía de terapia de Bosque · Pucón , Región de la Araucanía, Chile

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 is fluent in Spanish and English.

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