7-Day Training + 4 Month Online
Canada, Ontario – Dharma Centre of Canada August 2026
- Cohort 171
7 Day In Person
- 1267 Galway Rd, Kinmount, ON K0M 2A0, Canada
- August 28, 2026
- to
- September 3, 2026
4 Months Online
- September 15, 2026
- to
- January 12, 2027
- Enrollment Open
7-day In-person Training
In this training, you will learn:
- Be guided on Forest Therapy walks by your trainers
- Learn how to guide ANFT’s Standard Sequence – A Powerful approach to nature connection
- Guide your first Forest Therapy walk
- Sequencing forest therapy invitations for maximum impact and benefit
- The heart-centered Way of the Guide approach
- The Language for Relational Forest Therapy to help create powerful connections with self and nature
- Somatic techniques for embodied awareness
- Start developing and deepening your relationship with the land
- Trail awareness and safety -how to choose a forest therapy trail
- Facilitation skills that promote an open environment for group sharing
- Competency standards: what a Forest Therapy Guide should know and be able to do
- Practical exercises and explorations to consolidate your learning
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.
6 nights including food and accommodations – $900.00 CAD / $655.00 USD 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 28th (arrival day) and ending with lunch on September 3rd (departure day).
Special dietary restrictions can be accommodated if requested in advance. There is also a separate kitchen in the teahouse if needed.
Transportation
It is best to come by car or carpool.
The nearest bus station to the Centre is in Fenelon Falls. However, the arrival time is at 8 PM which makes it not a good option.
There is a gentleman who drives people from and to the Centre from Peterborough for a fee of $50/passenger one way.
Schedule Details for the 7 Day in Person Training
Arrival
Arrival:
August 28, 2026 (register in the afternoon) between 3 – 5 PM
There will be a carpool spreadsheet for trainees to self organize carpooling.
Departure
Departure:
September 3, 2026 (depart after lunch) 1 PM (2 PM latest)
General Notes
No consumption of intoxicants. Please read the venue’s policies HERE
Wi-fi available in the Tea House and Main House, not in accommodations.
4 Month Online
In this second part of the training, 4 months online you will:
- Consolidate the learning from the 7 day in person training
- Guide your practice walks
- Debrief your practice walks with the training team and your cohort colleagues
- Sequencing forest therapy invitations for maximum impact and benefit
- Getting to know your bioregion, its history, watershed, awarenesses and more
- Nature and forest therapy scientific research and knowledge
- Learn how to develop your guiding practice
- Continue to deepen your relationship with the land
- Practical exercises and explorations to deepen your guiding skills
The training is designed in a way that will gently guide you through all the steps and processes to integrate and deepen the learning in your head and in your body. Upon completion of this course you will be able to succesfully guide forest therapy walks within the framework of ANFT’s guide certification training.
Schedule for LIVE Online calls for 4 month training
Tuition
The tuition for the complete program that includes the 7 day in person training and the 4 month online program is $3600 (USD).
Payment plans are available on registration.
IMPORTANT: This price does not include lodging, meals nor transportation to the 7 day in person training.
Other costs to your training include payment for Wilderness First Aid training, which is required for Certification, and is provided by third parties. Prices range from $100 to $300.
Tuition figures are subject to change.
Training Team
- Stana Luxford Oddie
- 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 as the Senior Conservation Educator. Her passion is supporting people to build their relationship with the More-Than-Human World with their head, heart and hands. Through Cataraqui Conservation, Stana brings Forest Therapy walk experiences to all ages in the community from private and public organizations and as well to elementary and secondary school aged children and youth in all seasons! Stana received her BA from the University of Waterloo in 1998, in the Applied Studies Co-op program with Honours History. She earned her Bachelor of Education at Queen’s in 1999 from the Specialized Outdoor and Experiential Education Program and is a certified OCT teacher in good standing. She recently published two, self-paced professional development courses for Forest Therapy Guides: Guiding Children & Youth; as well as Guiding in Winter & Cold Weather. She is grateful for her continued embodiment practices and being a part of the professional development course: Embodiment for Forest Therapy Guides. Her work related to Forest Therapy continues to open her heart and deepen her relationship with all beings. You will most likely find her in the forest or near a lake often with her adventurous, Cockapoo pup, Theo, sometimes in the good company of her partner, Lachlan and occasionally with their 14 year old son, Asher.
- Darlene Roooney-Keller
- Darlene is an ANFT Forest Therapy Guide, mentor and trainer living in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Longmont, Colorado. In 2018, she founded Nature Heals Forest Therapy where Darlene works in partnership with local organizations including Chautauqua Experiences, Dunton Hot Springs, Krupnic Counseling and many private groups. Darlene also deeply values creating her own unique offerings to support her community in having opportunities to deepen their practice of Forest Therapy. She offers seasonal immersions, retreats, couples walks,1-1 walks and more. Darlene is passionate about Forest Therapy and the opportunity to hold space and support people in connecting with a deeper part of themselves through awakening their relationship with the Natural World. Darlene’s intuitive and heart-centered guiding supports people in opening and relaxing into their heart’s intelligence and healing power of this beautiful practice of connecting with the Natural World. Darlene has been serving her community through the healing arts of massage therapy yoga and meditation for over 25 years. Living in the Rocky Mountains, she is grateful for the abundant opportunities to be outdoors connecting with the land, supporting her in finding balance, grounding, self care and inner peace.