Firstly, taking the time to determine who clients will be or which demographics you would like to attract will facilitate the rest of the planning. As we teach our students to be client-centric, knowing who they are and what they need will be the focal point of your success.
Locals vs. International Visitors
If you are attracting international visitors, adding a cultural touch or insider tips to the experience is always appreciated. On the other hand, if your clients are predominantly local and know the area well, your Forest Bathing experience will have to be unique and authentic to be unforgettable. Therefore, this is the time for you to shine and bring out your expertise that your clients would never experience otherwise.
Adult Only vs. Family Friendly
Are you welcoming children to join your trip? Contrary to what most people think, children are great Forest Bathers! Their innate ability to notice the small little things around them usually allows them to use their senses better, when properly guided in the natural environment.
Alternatively, if you are offering the experience as part of the corporate wellness program with executives whose minds are occupied with ideas and to do’s, it may be somewhat challenging to suddenly get them to relax and meditate. In that case “3 Fun Tips on How to Meditate While on a Hike and Cultivate Mindfulness in the Forest” may give you some ideas.
At The Mindful Tourist, our Shinrin Yoku guides-in-training come from various backgrounds and have a variety of expertise. Each one of us has different techniques to help their clients reach that relaxed meditative state. For those whose backgrounds are not in meditation and massage therapy, they will benefit from our TMT Breath® and TMT Touch®.
You Client’s Mental Well-Being vs. Your Skills
Forest Bathing is simple and for the most part it can be practiced on your own on a regular basis. However when you are guiding someone professionally, you probably would not want to give them the same experience they could have done themselves. This is especially true if you are offering your services for someone with specific emotional or mental concerns. This could range from something as common as work-related stress to something that requires more attention such as PTSD or traumas.
The idea of our training both for
Practitioner Level and
Instructor Level is for
our students to be able to guide their clients professionally. Our students always have different backgrounds and experiences. Some come with psychedelic background, some are naturopaths, yogis, meditation masters, life coaches, dance therapists and even bankers (change of career – absolutely out of balance in banking) and so we teach them to combine their own unique skills with forest bathing to create a niche. Since the backgrounds of
our founders are in psychology and holistic wellness, TMT designs the training with a huge focus on mental wellness, self awareness and recovery from traumas etc.