THE MINDFUL TOURIST® · MENDOZA
An invitation to slow down, explore the living landscape, and reconsider our relationship with nature, ourselves and one another.
Nature-Based Intervention, Mindfulness & Wellbeing
01 · Understanding nature connectedness
Many of us associate nature with fresh air, beautiful landscapes, recreation or opportunities to rest. Yet encountering nature and feeling connected to nature are not necessarily the same thing.
We may spend time outdoors without paying attention to the life around us. Equally, an encounter with a tree, an insect or the changing light may become deeply meaningful even when it lasts only a few moments.
Nature connectedness refers to different dimensions of the human relationship with the natural world. It may involve emotional attachment, identity, belonging, attention, meaning, compassion and an awareness of ecological interdependence.
Our guided sessions invite us to explore these relationships through direct experience. Rather than treating nature only as a backdrop to human activity, we ask what it means to participate in a living world.
There is no correct emotional response. You may experience curiosity, calm, delight, uncertainty or simply a new question. The purpose is not to prescribe how you should feel.
02 · Why nature connectedness matters
Contemporary life often involves long hours indoors, digital distractions, busy schedules and reduced opportunities for meaningful contact with natural environments.
At the same time, our relationship with nature is not determined only by the number of hours we spend outside. Frequency, familiarity, quality of attention, personal meaning and the way we relate to place may all influence our experience.
Research on nature connectedness explores associations with wellbeing, pro-environmental attitudes, meaning and human flourishing. However, these relationships are complex, and not every outdoor experience produces the same outcome.
Noticing natural elements through direct sensory experience.
Allowing room for aesthetic, emotional and personal responses.
Exploring belonging, care and the place of humans within ecological relationships.
These sessions provide time and a supportive structure to explore such possibilities, without suggesting that a guided experience is the only way to develop a meaningful relationship with nature.
03 · The role of professional guidance
Nature does not require a professional to become meaningful. People have formed deep relationships with forests, rivers, animals and landscapes throughout human history.
A guide does not create the value of nature, nor can a guide determine the meaning of someone else's experience.
Nevertheless, professional facilitation may contribute something important. A guide can prepare an appropriate route, consider physical and emotional safety, offer accessible invitations and create opportunities for reflection or group connection.
Guidance may be particularly useful for people who wish to explore unfamiliar ways of engaging with natural environments, appreciate the reassurance of professional preparation, or prefer the social dimension of a group experience.
At The Mindful Tourist®, the purpose of guidance is not to create dependence on the facilitator. Our approach encourages participants to develop their own relationship with nature beyond the organised session.
Explore the wider scientific, environmental and social questions surrounding the role of professional Shinrin-Yoku, forest bathing and forest therapy guides.
Read the Article →04 · The four-hour experience
Each guided Nature Connectedness session offers approximately four hours of gentle exploration, sensory attention, reflective invitations, individual observation and opportunities for voluntary group sharing.
We introduce the location, group agreements, safety considerations and the purpose of our shared experience.
Through gentle invitations, we become more attentive to sound, light, textures, movement, temperature and the surroundings.
Participants explore selected elements of the environment through sensory, reflective or relational activities. There is no expectation to respond in the same way.
Time is provided for personal observation, quiet reflection and independent engagement within the agreed safe area.
The group may gather to exchange observations and reflect on the experience. Sharing is always optional.
The pace is unhurried. This is not a fitness hike or a competition to cover distance. However, some walking on natural and uneven ground may be involved.
The exact structure can change according to participant needs, weather and site conditions.
05 · Language and inclusion
Sessions can be conducted in English or Spanish, according to participants' needs.
If you prefer to participate in Spanish, please let us know when registering. The same applies if you prefer English.
Where a group includes participants with different language preferences, we will communicate the language arrangements in advance and consider what is practical for the group.
The aim is to make instructions, safety information and opportunities for participation as clear and inclusive as possible.
Las sesiones pueden realizarse en español o en inglés, según las necesidades de los participantes.
Por favor, indicá tu idioma de preferencia al inscribirte. Confirmaremos los detalles antes del encuentro.
06 · The TMT® method
Our approach is informed by the TMT® Scaffolded Model of Engagement, which explores how professional facilitation can support participants while preserving personal agency.
The guide offers structure, orientation and invitations, but participants remain free to choose how they engage. Some may wish to remain quiet, others may explore a particular element or spend time in observation.
The wellbeing of the guide, the participants and the natural environment are considered interconnected. Responsible guiding requires attention to all three.
The experience develops through the encounter between people and place.
The guide manages foreseeable risks. Participants communicate their needs and limits.
We cultivate respect for ourselves, one another and the more-than-human world.
07 · Our meeting place
Barrio Natural El Caramillo
Las Compuertas · Luján de Cuyo
Mendoza, Argentina
Estancia El Caramillo is situated in Las Compuertas, within the landscape of Luján de Cuyo and the Andean foothills.
The Barrio Natural concept places emphasis on the surrounding landscape, native vegetation and a relationship with the natural environment.
For our Nature Connectedness sessions, this setting offers opportunities to encounter the qualities of a Mendoza landscape: open space, vegetation, natural textures, changing light and seasonal conditions.
Rather than approaching the location merely as scenery, we invite participants to notice the environment as a living context.
The precise meeting point, arrival instructions and any access arrangements will be provided following registration.
Please follow the instructions in your confirmation email rather than relying solely on the general address.
08 · Preparing for your experience
You may wish to continue observing your relationship with the environment through ordinary daily encounters.
A moment with a tree, a bird, a garden or the changing sky may become an opportunity for attention and reflection. There is no requirement to reproduce the guided session to continue developing your own experience.
09 · Environmental conditions
Outdoor sessions depend on suitable environmental conditions. Strong winds, heavy rain, electrical storms, extreme temperatures, fire risk or other hazards may require us to modify or postpone the experience.
If the session must be rescheduled, relocated or cancelled because of unsafe environmental conditions, registered participants will be informed as soon as reasonably practicable.
Please check your email before travelling when the weather is uncertain.
The wellbeing of participants, guide and environment takes priority over maintaining the original schedule.
10 · Safety, inclusion and boundaries
No natural environment can be made entirely risk-free. Outdoor sessions may involve uneven terrain, sun exposure, changing temperatures, insects, vegetation and other environmental conditions.
The guide undertakes appropriate planning and risk assessment, while participants are expected to follow communicated safety guidance.
The emotional experience of nature is also individual. An invitation may feel meaningful or restorative to one person, but uncomfortable or uninteresting to another.
All invitations are optional. Participants may pause, adapt or decline an activity without explaining their reasons.
The session is a guided nature connectedness experience, not psychotherapy, medical treatment or a clinical intervention. No specific health outcome is guaranteed.
11 · Your guide
MChem · PhDEng · MScPsy
Founder of The Mindful Tourist® and the Shinrin-Yoku Association, Milena brings together scientific inquiry, psychological perspectives, Japanese traditions, nature connectedness research, professional guide education and personal experience.
Her years living in Japan and extensive experience in natural environments have shaped an approach centred on relationships with nature, ethical practice and respect for participant agency.
Her research critically examines the science of Shinrin-Yoku, forest bathing, forest therapy, nature connectedness and the professional role of guides.
She encourages participants to question assumptions, explore independently and understand nature as more than a resource for human wellbeing.
Books by Milena → Research & Publications → Shinrin-Yoku Association →Practical questions
No. Beginners are welcome. There is no requirement to have prior knowledge of Shinrin-Yoku, meditation or nature connectedness.
Sessions may be conducted in Spanish or English according to participants' needs. Please indicate your preferred language during registration. We will confirm arrangements before the session.
No. The emphasis is on sensory awareness, reflection and a gentle pace, rather than distance or exercise. Some walking on natural ground may nevertheless be required.
No. Group sharing and personal reflection are entirely voluntary.
Yes. Individual participants are welcome.
If unsafe weather conditions require a change, registered participants will be notified by email. A new date or other appropriate arrangement will be communicated.
You may request a transfer to another available session or another person, subject to prior approval, availability and any applicable price difference. Mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.
Participation agreement
Please review these conditions before registering for a guided Nature Connectedness session with The Mindful Tourist®.
The event is a guided nature connectedness experience involving sensory awareness, reflection, gentle movement and optional group participation. It is not psychotherapy, medical treatment or professional certification.
Participants must provide accurate contact details, select a session date and communicate relevant participation requirements. Confirmation and arrival instructions are sent following payment verification.
Sessions may be facilitated in English or Spanish. Participants should indicate their preferred language during registration.
The organiser will confirm the practical language arrangements before the event, taking into consideration the needs of the group.
The advertised fee is ARS 40,000 per person for a four-hour session unless otherwise stated at registration.
Payment by Argentine bank transfer is available using the published Mercado Pago details. Participants should send their payment reference and selected session date.
Participant cancellations are generally non-refundable, except where applicable law requires otherwise.
Participants may request a transfer to another available session or another person. Transfers require prior approval and depend on availability and any applicable price difference.
The organiser may postpone, relocate or cancel an event if strong winds, storms, extreme temperatures, fire risk or other conditions make participation unsafe.
Registered participants will be notified by email as soon as reasonably practicable. Alternative arrangements and any legally required remedies will be provided.
Outdoor environments may include uneven ground, plants, insects, sun exposure and changing temperatures.
The guide undertakes appropriate planning and foreseeable risk assessment. Participants must follow site safety instructions and remain within agreed areas.
Experiences in nature may evoke different emotional responses. All invitations are voluntary, and participants may adapt, pause or decline activities without explanation.
No one is required to disclose personal experiences or demonstrate a particular emotional outcome.
Participants are encouraged to discuss mobility needs, language preferences and reasonable adjustments before attending.
The organiser will explain relevant site limitations where known and explore possible adaptations.
Participants should respect each other's privacy. Photographs, recordings and distribution of personal information require permission. Sharing during the session is optional.
Participants should avoid disturbing wildlife, removing plants, damaging natural features or leaving litter.
The guide may adapt or discontinue activities when needed to protect the environment.
Co-creation: The experience emerges through interactions between guide, participants and place.
Co-responsibility: The facilitator maintains professional responsibilities for preparation and safety, while participants communicate their needs and limits.
Co-being: We recognise our participation in a wider living world and cultivate mutual respect.
Individual responses to nature experiences vary. Participation does not guarantee stress reduction, emotional improvement or any particular medical or psychological outcome.
Registration information may be used to administer bookings, verify payments, communicate event details and address participation needs.
Participants should avoid sending unnecessary sensitive personal information by email. Event registration does not automatically constitute consent to unrelated marketing messages.
Unforeseen circumstances, facilitator illness, venue restrictions or safety concerns may require the organiser to change the event. Participants will be informed as soon as reasonably possible.
Nothing in these terms limits mandatory consumer rights or protections that cannot lawfully be waived.
For requests or questions: info@themindfultourist.net
THE MINDFUL TOURIST®
You do not need to know how to feel connected to nature. The invitation is simply to begin noticing.
Guided sessions are available in English or Spanish, according to participants' needs.
Explore Available Sessions & Register →Nature-Based Intervention, Mindfulness & Wellbeing
THE MINDFUL TOURIST® · PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
Explore professional training in Shinrin-Yoku, Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy through three learning pathways. Grounded in scientific inquiry, Japanese perspectives, mindfulness, nature connectedness and responsible guiding, all pathways lead toward the same Shinrin-Yoku Association certification requirements.
Study independently, at your own rhythm, with access to structured learning materials and optional consultations. Ideal for those who prefer flexibility and self-directed learning.
Explore Pathway 1 →Learn through 15 live teaching meetings, guided assignments, reflective dialogue and professional feedback. Ideal for those who value regular interaction and structured mentoring.
Explore Pathway 2 →Combine 10 weeks of online learning with a five-day forest immersion at Toyouke no Mori in Nara, Japan. Experience learning through practice, cultural encounters and connection with the living forest.
Explore Pathway 3 →