Forest Bathing Training & Well-being

\ Outward Journey / \ Inward Discovery /

Practitioner level

Online Course

TMT Online Forest Bathing
Guide Certification Training
- Level 1 (US$899)

Learn the art and the science of forest bathing and get certified as a Shinrin Yoku Forest Bathing Guide. This course is a prerequisite for TMT Shinrin Yoku Forest Bathing Instructor Certification Training Level 2.

TMT’s online Forest Bathing course is equally suitable for absolute beginners in the health and wellness practices, as well as professional wellness practitioners of various modalities.

Once enrolled in the program, you will be given access to The Mindful Space platform, which provides a seamless Forest Bathing learning experience online, with over 20 hours worth of in-depth reading materials on Forest Bathing, mindfulness, physical and mental wellness.

TMT Guide Assessment Markers will help you to complete your practicum. Your instructor will facilitate a process of completing your practice during the entire duration of the training, especially during The Mindful Practice (week 11 – week 15) module.

In all, this theory + practical training program enriches the in-nature training, deepens understanding and provides our students with an ongoing knowledge on Forest Bathing in order to lead a successful tours or business relating to health and wellness.

After completion of the 20-week course, you will be awarded with
TMT Professional Shinrin Yoku Guide – Level 1 certification.

Our trainings have ISO credentials

Our Shinrin Yoku Guide Trainings (Forest Bathing) received the Quality Management System Certificate acc. ISO 9001:2015 in the field of training services by the European Center for Quality and Promotion.

During Your Shinrin Yoku Guide Training You Will

Design a Shinrin Yoku session from A to Z
Create your own Shinrin Yoku invitations based on your vision and mission
Conduct 10 practical sessions
Consider ethical issues that may arise during a session
Consider risk assessment of the sites of your choosing
Learn science behind Shinrin Yoku
Learn about Shinrin Yoku in the context of Nature Connectedness
Find your own approach of conducting a Shinrin Youku experience
Dive into your own values and wellbeing to become an authentic Shinrin Yoku Guide
Set your foot into your future business project

Upcoming Online Shinrin Yoku Guide Training

February 2023

Staring every Wednesday

Feb 8, 10 am (GMT-3)
Feb 15, 12 pm (GMT-3)
Feb 22, 8 AM (GMT-3)

March 2023

Staring every Tuesday

March 14, 10 am (GMT-3)
March 21, 12 pm (GMT-3)
March 28, 2 pm (GMT-3)
March 14, 8 pm (GMT-3)

April 2023

Staring every Thursday

April 6, 10 am (GMT-3)
April 13, 12 pm (GMT-3)
April 20, 2 pm (GMT-3)
April 27, 6 pm (GMT-3)
April 13, 8 pm (GMT-3)

May 2023

May 2, 8 am (GMT-3) – Tuesday
May 12, 8 pm (GMT-3) – Friday
May 19, 6 pm (GMT-3) – Friday

Make a payment

A payment to The Mindful Tourist will appear on your statement. You will receive a message asking you to confirm the cohort and log-in details to the The Mindful Space, our learning platform. Thank you for signing up with us.

US$ 899 / person

Practitioner's Forest Bathing and mindfulness training
10 x Conduct Practice Sessions
20 sessions with your mentor
1-year Access to The Mindful Space
A certification upon successful completion of the program
Be a part of an international community
Eligibility to be featured on Forest Bathe Around the World
Listing on The Mindful Tourist website showcasing your profile and a link to your business
Franchise business opportunity (upon completing level 2)

Training Outline

Weekly Training Outline

The Mindful Forest Bathing

Week 1-5

The Mindful You

Week 6-10

The Mindful Practise

Week 11-15

The Mindful Business

Week 16-20

Our Approach

TMT way of Shinrin Yoku is to embrace the physiological and psychological benefits of spending time in forest in combination with the active role of TMT Shinrin Yoku Guides and participants in a Shinrin Yoku session. Whether guided or self-guided, forest bathing cannot happen without a receiver of the benefits, let it be the nature or participants. Shinrin Yoku and forest bathing are used exchangeably. A TMT Shinrin Yoku Guide is a person who facilitates the experience of mindful immersion through senses, mindful-based and nature-based activities.

Whilst TMT recognises that the most benefits to human health spring from the forest environment, we are also aware that not everyone is fortunate to live in the proximity of the forest. Thus, the way of TMT is to embrace the present moment - the present physical location. Instead of focusing on “this location is not good enough for a Shinrin Yoku session”, we ask ourselves “what is possible with where I live?”. TMT recognises the role individual differences play in the praxis of life and the reciprocal relationship between humans and environments. Thus, the way of TMT to Shinrin Yoku is to embrace diversity in any form at present moment: the present mental location and the present skills and knowledge. Instead of focusing on “I am not good enough”, we ask ourselves “how can I utilise my existing skills, potential and interests I already have in combination with Shinrin Yoku?”.

This approach allows for connection with nature and oneself anywhere in various ways and for creating unique experiences: bringing nature to people and people to nature. Location relates to different environments from which our guides come from; in turn, these environments have shaped their interests, skills, and passions. Human-human and nature-human connection is at the core of TMT approach to Shinrin Yoku that relies on knowledge and creativity of our guides jointly with amazing work of nature.

Milena A. Guziak

Co-founder, Creative Director & Head Instructor

Your Benefits

Read Heidi's reflection on her training journey while undergoing cancer treatments

Reflection & Practice

Mentoring & Consulting

Why Choose Us

Research-Based Content

Our curriculum is founded on solid research about Forest Bathing and its holistic well-being benefits. Designed to
provide broad and varied experiences and activities it invites you to think deeply about what nature means to you and builds on your prior knowledge and experiences.

High Standard of Training

Our client’s well-being is of utmost importance. Our students go through training topics such as ethical guidelines & code of conduct, values and empathy to maintain high standard of client services.

Certification Training

Internationally recognized, with ISO credentials, certification with internship opportunities with The Mindful Tourist upon completion. Train in Japan. Cultivate mindfulness and connect deeply to nature.

Vocational Support

Turn your passion into a business through additional business consultations.

About Creative Director

CEO & Creative Director of The Mindful Tourist, MChem (UK), PhDEng (Japan), MScPsy (UK)

Milena spent 18 years outside Poland, including 10 years in Japan. She first encountered Japanese culture when she went on a one-year internship in Japan while studying in England. This year changed her life. After graduating with a master’s degree in chemistry, she went to the country of sakura again to study PhD in engineering, applicable physics. During this time, she taught at universities using ‘reflective education’ and ‘student-centered approach’, as well as exploring the forest and cultural corners of Japan. It was in the forest that she found her path. It was there that she found her creative soul and goodness in herself.

Her faith in the goodness of people and connection with nature, her scientific background, knowledge of teaching methods, as well as Japanese language allowed her to create informative trainings. Milena completed her master’s degree in psychology in 2022, and her research project addresses the role of nature in regulating emotions. A scientific article from her master’s thesis in English will be available soon. She is now collaborating with Prof. David Sheffield (Nature Connectedness Group of Derby University) on the influence of psychedelics on connecting with nature and Polish State Forests to spread Shinrin Yoku as an mental-health intervention and as response to the climate crisis.

Milena has trained almost 80 forest bathing guide; she is the author of the guide and instructor courses.

Find out more about Milena here.

“I can’t remember ever taking a class where the harmony and energy was so right off the bat. After the first meeting I felt I had arrived in a way I hadn’t in a long time. It is not only the topic that unites us but also something deeper, an inner basic attitude towards life and nature. This bond has made me look forward to seeing each other’s faces on my laptop all the more each week.

Since childhood, I was passionate about nature. As a resilience therapist, the forest, with its health-promoting properties, has taken on an even more important place for me. The Mindful Tourist has taught me a lot and brought closer my desire to combine resilience therapy with Shinrin Yoku. I have not only learned theoretical knowledge but also more about myself and the unconscious connection and background of my love for nature. I have rediscovered myself a little bit through some tasks.

At the beginning of the course I didn’t know what exactly to expect and was open to everything. Still, I didn’t think that after an online course I would walk out with so much knowledge that I can put into practice. Milena and Pin, with their style and approach, have also been incredibly beneficial in making the weeks so educational and enjoyable. As well as my wonderful course mates who, through conversation and their thoughts, gave me an hour that I looked forward to all week 🙂

I have been looking forward to doing Level 2 training and practicing Shinrin Yoku in the Japanese woods since the beginning.

Thank you Milena, Pin, Stephanie and Dhouha for such a wonderful time. I can’t wait to see you all and laugh together with you in person!” Agata Bielski, TMT certified Shinrin Yoku guide.

What They Say About Us

I discovered Shinrin Yoku from the comforts of a dental chair. If you can find comfort there. My friend ( a Hygienist) was telling me about Shinrin Yoku and this was something she felt I would be good at. So I took her words to heart and here I am sharing with you this amazing journey, complete with wonderful new friends from around the world and this awesome training I received through "The Mindful Tourist." Our instructors Milena and Pin were great at making us the best we could be. I owe my success to them. Every class was enjoyable time spent. Wonderful learning opportunities came from what other people are doing and sharing with me. My take away was for my own enlightenment to give back to my friends. I am learning drum therapy something I would never have thought about. One of my new friends shared her experiences using drum sound and the flute in the forest. This experience has given me almost a new birth to new things. My vision is to take Shinrin Yoku to my community (which is in rural Minnesota) in as many ways as possible, and share what my training has done for me. In turn I hope to reach out to other wellness businesses and offer my services to them. My celebration to the end of my training is a celebration of a new beginning to a healthy approach to life. I can celebrate my achievements of what I learned and how I am ready to step out in the world. For my vision of the future contains no borders and my horizons are endless. I woke up the "kid" in me and that is joy at its purist level. Once again to be free to imagine everything within the trees, the leaves, flowers, butterflies, everything that was always me is more alive and has been set free to create and become amazing. Our training was deep and rich in what we needed to know to make us successful in the direction we feel we need to go. It was a lot of field work and a blessing at the same time. I need to personally thank the other students in my group for a rich opportunity to meet you and just knowing all of you has made the earth seem smaller and closer as our hearts have grown bigger to encompass our dear friendships with all. Thank you everyone, thank you so much.

Rose

It is not often, through the course of my life, that I get to be part of a circle where members are from greatly diverse backgrounds both culturally as well as professionally. Yet, it is also not often, in the course of my life, where I find myself in a circle where people are so like-minded, in their connection to nature, motivation to head in a particular direction of their lives and level of empathy and kindness. For that alone — in finding this community and in building these friendships and comradeships which I hope will last a lot longer than the 15 weeks we have spent together — I am grateful. I joined the course as an uncertain, cynical, doubtful lost soul, and am now going to leave as a more positive, determined open-minded version of myself. Rewind back to 4 months ago, I would never have believed I would make a video of myself (which subsequently gets uploaded onto YouTube) and would go on to guide more than 15 hours of forest bathing sessions with client (albeit friends). The knowledge I have gained along the way, whether its through the course readings, recommended books, inspirational videos or sharing sesions, has been immense and broad. I also feel immensely proud and supported, that I now have two kind, generous and creative ladies I can reach out to as my mentors, in forest bathing, in business, in the quest for ikigai, and in life. I truly hope I will not disappoint, and will go on to kickstart and build @The_Backyard_Bathers, my forest bathing practice with an arty, crafty twist — with the aspiration of enhancing holistic wellness and spreading joy through connecting with nature, client by client. I also cannot wait till the day I can undertake TMT Level 2 to strengthen the foundation and extend the path, and meet some of you in person. Till then, may we all go out there and pursue our ikigai! Wishing everyone great success in the paths which you choose, and keep in touch!

Jieying

For some years now, I had been very curious to understand and study more about Shinrin Yoku. This pandemic brought pain, but it also brought opportunities of light, for me, this certification has been that light. I will always be grateful for that! As a dancer I have felt that I do not always fit well into the mold of the image of the dancer that one is supposed to be, I have learned over time that each living being is its own way and I discovered that nature is part of that destiny for me, The TMT certification is my new HOW in life. Every Tuesday morning as soon as I turned on the computer and saw all the faces of my classmates and teachers, those were all enjoyable moments, what I loved with all my heart was that we all embraced and respected each other's individual processes, even the curriculum is designed for that, no one got lost along the way. My most endearing achievements were being able to make friends around the world and understand that this technique is as personal as the individual who performs it, this left me an open field for imagination. I will celebrate these achievements by following my life path, saying yes to life. Thank you Milena for accompanying us in the most kind and sensitive way that a human being can accompany, thank you Pin for your support and for your follow-up with such passion and commitment, you two have inspired me to undertake by daring to share who I am with the world, I will always be grateful to them and they will always have a home in Mexico. I CANT WAIT TO MEET YOU ALL GUYS IN PERSON AND GIVE US A HUGE HUG!!!!

Lucía

15 weeks already. WOOW 😀 This really went fast. I am very glad I went on this journey to discover more about Shinrin Yoku and it has been a fantastic inspiring and greatly and educational journey. I was quite unaware of what I was going for when I started, and I have been very pleasantly surprised on the way. This has really enriched my life in many ways. 🙂 In particular, I would like to highlight the wonderful people I have met and with whom I have shared these 15 weeks. I feel like I've made some new good friends for life. <3 The weeks have been characterized by very educational and great weekly assignments that have given me a greater insight and better understanding of Shinrin Yoku, why it is so important in the time we live in and how to create a business based on what we have learned together. It is greatly appreciated and is very useful for us as we move our business to the next level. I am also very grateful to Milena and Pin who have made this possible for us. I cant imagine someone better for the task. I could really feel that you guys care and are there for us. You really have the ability to create good flow in the group and have focused on very exciting topics in a fun and interactive way with my favorite on Passion and Ikigai. This has been fun for me to participate in. I want to use my new certificate to be able to build a stronger foundation together with Priscilla and our business Joyful solutions. Here we will guide people to live more healthy and happy way through nature. Aiming for a spiritual forest community. These weeks has really motivated me to learn more about forests mysteries and not least spend more time in the the forest. Yes, in fact, I'm going on a forest trip this weekend with my friends. : D Thank you so much. <3

Victor

I am very thankful for having joined this Shinrin-yoku training. I could learn a lot about myself, about my relationship with Victor, and about my dream business. I think one of the most important aspects of the training was this great group of diverse and amazing people, each one bringing a different perspective of Shinrin-yoku. Also, I really appreciate the knowledge, friendship and openess of Milena and Pin, that created this space that allowed us to develop and to be more prepared for the world out there. There were so many perspectives of Shinrin-yoku that I didn't know about, such as the existing researches on the topic and how to get prepared for all scenarios possible when guiding our clients. I want to use this certificate to boost my business and guide many people in this path to (re)discover the connection with nature. I see myself giving value to people, supporting them in their self-development process and to go for their dreams fearlessly. I am shocked that 15 weeks have passed, it was such a pleasant time, even if we needed to wake up 5am for the classes :D. Everything was worth it! And I know I still have so much to learn, and I will continue my studies and practices. Thank you so much trainers and colleagues for this amazing time together!!! You can count on me for life! Hopefully, see you all on level 2 training. You are all welcome to Sweden and Norway to visit, to do your internship (just throwing out a suggestion :P) to do business... I know we have a long and brilliant way ahead!

Forest Bathing Trips around the world with a woman touching a tree trunk

Priscilla

My Shinrin Yoku trail has been a path of self discovery. And it still is. I’m traveling through life and on my backpack a new patch of a Japanese Hinoki tree is sewed. It’s my certification. My souvenir that invites me to discover new destinations. Still unknown, but inviting. My Shinrin Yoku patch helps me to see and choose more paths then before. More directions, more chances, more knowledge and more inspiration. My map and my world became bigger. My monkey mind got calmer and my inner bear got louder. I’ve learned that being connected to nature is being connected to yourself. We are nature. We come from nature and that’s why we all return to nature. That’s why we find health and happiness in nature. I mostly enjoyed the gifts that come to you when you open up your senses. When you listen to the invitations of nature. When you look with different eyes or feel with different fingers. Finding awesomeness in ultimate awareness. Like witnessing the dance of light and shadow through the leaves of a tree. I’ve learned to take myself into the present moment. The only place where life truly exists. Nature showed me the way. I gained a greater awareness of different perspectives. Reconnecting with nature rewires the brain. Just like being thankful. So I’ll celebrate this certification by having and sending thankful thoughts every coming day for 21 days. Thank you Milena and Pin for making this all possible. And thank you, all new friends. Thank you for your wonderful support and stories. Thank you for your part in my journey.

A man sitting on a giant rock forest bathing under a tree in Ansterdam

Ramon

I can't remember ever taking a class where the harmony and energy was so right off the bat. After the first meeting I felt I had arrived in a way I hadn't in a long time. It is not only the topic that unites us but also something deeper, an inner basic attitude towards life and nature. This bond has made me look forward to seeing each other's faces on my laptop all the more each week. Since childhood, I was passionate about nature. As a resilience therapist, the forest, with its health-promoting properties, has taken on an even more important place for me. The Mindful Tourist has taught me a lot and brought closer my desire to combine resilience therapy with Shinrin Yoku. I have not only learned theoretical knowledge but also more about myself and the unconscious connection and background of my love for nature. I have rediscovered myself a little bit through some tasks. At the beginning of the course I didn't know what exactly to expect and was open to everything. Still, I didn't think that after an online course I would walk out with so much knowledge that I can put into practice. Milena and Pin, with their style and approach, have also been incredibly beneficial in making the weeks so educational and enjoyable. As well as my wonderful course mates who, through conversation and their thoughts, gave me an hour that I looked forward to all week 🙂 I have been looking forward to doing Level 2 training and practicing Shinrin Yoku in the Japanese woods since the beginning. Thank you Milena, Pin, Stephanie and Dhouha for such a wonderful time. I can't wait to see you all and laugh together with you in person!

Agata

I was trying for a long time to find the right words that express how special & meaningful these 15 weeks of online program have been. As the owner of a boutique tour operator for wellbeing retreats & mindful journeys to Asia and personally being deeply in love with Japan, I've always been interested in diving deeper into the topic of Shinrin Yoku. During the pandemic seeing everyone near and far lose their ground, I felt becoming a Shinrin Yoku guide myself would be a useful additional qualification in my professional life but above all I felt I could help others to reconnect and to heal with the power of nature. Helping people regaining their energy and bringing back the glow in their eyes generally is the greatest joy for me. But during the course I realised it has become a deep journey to myself. I had the honor to meet the most wonderful ladies every week online and I think it was quite magical how connected we felt right from the start. We were so open, honest and emotional with each other that it was a million times more than an advanced online training. I believe all of us learned a bit more about our own purpose through the reflection and support of the others. Thank you to the power woman Pin and to Milena, our guide through these weeks, a wonderful, highly professional and very sensitive human being. And thank you to my “school buddies” Agata and Dhouha. Already miss you all dearly and can't wait to see you in person soon.

Stephanie

A walk in the forest will never be the same again! Everything changed for me after starting the Shinrin Yoku training course with the Mindful Tourist. My first forest walk (in Castlefreke) was mind changing. It wasn't a mindless walk in the forest, thinking my own thoughts. It was being there, "Aware" and "Noticing" Nature through my senses. It was tapping into the senses -opening them up -letting Nature in. This opened up a whole new experience for me. It felt different; I was taking it all in, experiencing it and appreciating it. Part of that process for me is photography, wanting to capture Nature in all its wondrous beauty. The wild, rugged, rural setting where I live combined with the changing seasons offer an ever-changing playground for me in which to explore and experiment. We are so lucky to have such beautiful Nature around us and lucky to have Milena and Pin to support us and point us in the right direction! How amazing it was to be able to join up each week with a group of like-minded people via the internet and to learn from each other. Even though we are like scattered leaves across the globe, we all have a lot in common; love of Nature, protection of the environment and use of Nature for well-being. What I learned from the course was to be open-minded, reflective and to see things from a different perspective. So I'll raise a glass of champagne to that!

Shinrin Yoku lady in Cork Country, Ireland

Emir

Why is Our Price
So Affordable?

We made a pledge to focus on our purpose and passion (for us and our team), value and inspiration (for our students/clients), sustainability and inclusion (for the environment and the community) and we agreed never to make business-related decisions based on financial reasons. We also will remain boutique and personalized.

Being frugal and intentional with our daily expenses and being creative with our strategies allow us to keep our costs very low and, as a result, we do not need a massive number of students to be profitable. Not having to pay rent for an office space and not having advertising budget enable us to offer affordable quality education. Not advertising means you find us with intention and we do not spend our money to promote more distractions in the world to put our content in front of those who do not need to see it. We choose to grow slowly, steadily and organically.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have some experience with Forest bathing and would like to embark on the Continous Professional Development (CPD) journey. Is TMT the right choice for me?

Continous Professional Development (CPD) is a personal commitment: it reflects your determination to keep your professional knowledge on Forest Bathing up-to-date and improve your capabilities as a Nature-Based practitioner.

If you are previously certified in Level 1 Forest Bathing Guide training by TMT or The Mindful Tourist, you may want to explore TMT Forest Bathing Instructor Training Level 2.

It is worth mentioning that the credit you are entitled to from your Level 1 training can be applied towards this Instructor Training, valid after 1 year of the completion of my Level 1 training.

If you have some experience with Forest Bathing or have been certified to offer Forest Bathing professionally by other institutions, you maybe qualified to enroll in our TMT Forest Bathing Instructor Training Level 2, with our Conversion Program, subject to a favorable assessment.

Will my certificate be mailed to me?

Your program fee includes a digital certificate, which can be used to show your qualification on your website or LinkedIn.

If required, your certificate could be printed and mailed to you, at no extra charge. In order to reduce the environmental impact of mail delivery and printing on paper, we require that our students plant a tree for each certificate printed and mailed. In order to offset the carbon emission, TMT will plant a tree at our corner of the world for each certificate requested to be printed and mailed, too. You are also required to show some evidence of a tree planting using a medium of photo, video or a social media post.

Where can I get more information about TMT Connected Community?

TMT Connect Community operates using a franchise business model where The Mindful Tourist’s certified instructors get to be a part of. After being certified, TMT Instructors will get all the business support they need to be able to operate a TMT Forest Bathing Retreat or open a TMT Forest Bathing training center under The Mindful Tourist brand name. Click here to read more about TMT Connect Community.

If you are currently on our Level 1 Forest Bathing Guide training, your Forest Bathing sessions and retreat will be featured on Forest Bathe Around The World, given you fill out the form on that page. This comes at no additional charge for TMT certified guides.

What are my options if I do not wish to do the training online?

As our community expands our reach to all continents, we grow in numbers of our certified TMT Instructors. If an immersion training is preferred, now we have instructors based in Europe, Asia and North America.

Regardless of the training location, our programs will equip you with both the art and the science of the practice of Forest Bathing. Please contact us for more information on this.