THE 2023 AWAKE IN THE WILD TEACHER TRAINING BASED IN NORTH AMERICA IS NOW FULL.
FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE 2023-2024 EUROPEAN AWAKE IN THE WILD TEACHER TRAINING, CLICK HERE.
Awake in the Wild Teacher Training in North America
January – October 2023
The Awake in the Wild Teacher Training is an apprenticeship training in guiding contemplative nature practice, inspired by wisdom teachings from the Buddhist tradition, by Mark Coleman’s book Awake in the Wild (AITW) and by the wilderness retreats led by Mark for more than two decades across the Americas. Nature meditation brings mindful awareness practices into the outdoors as a support for presence, connection, and insight. Mark is excited to share this cherished work with a group of dedicated nature meditation practitioners that will give them tools to begin to share similar practices with others.
The Awake in the Wild Teacher Training is for people who care deeply about the earth, who have a strong Dharma / meditation practice and who take that contemplative presence into the outdoors. Equally important, it is for those who feel called to take people deep into nature with a spirit of reverence and contemplation.
This program will have four residential retreats with Mark in California, the western states or Mexico. There will also be monthly online tutorials, personal nature-based work and a teaching practicum.
The 2023 Awake in the Wild Teacher Training program will run from January through October 2023.
Awake in the Wild Teacher Training Informational Zoom Session
Click on the image to watch the informational session that originally ran live on Zoom on May 11th. Here Mark talks about the Awake in the Wild Teacher Training and answers questions.
“I joined the first AITW Teacher Training because I appreciated Mark as a teacher and I already had, what I felt was, a deep connection to nature. I wanted to help others use nature to support them in their lives. But, through the experience of the AITW training, I found this training has really connected me to nature and to all living things on this earth more than all my years of backpacking and hiking in nature had done. I found the experience to be profound in how it expanded my relationship to the earth and how I share that relationship with others. I would recommend AITW Teacher Training to anyone with a love for both nature and Mindfulness.”
“The Awake in the Wild Teacher Training has been a great way to deepen my practice and connection to nature. It has become a way of being that influences not only my professional life but my life.”
“I use these practices to help my own students cultivate mindful connection to the Earth and to find their own meaningful place in the natural world.
This practice has taught me to look more closely at flowers, listen more attentively to the chirping of birds and insects, feel the subtle touch of the wind on my skin, and feel more vibrantly alive in each moment.”
Awake in the Wild Teacher Training Course Overview
Awake in the Wild Teacher Training Course Details
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FAQs about the Awake in the Wild Teacher Training
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Remaining Questions?
Email Jen at jen@awakeinthewild.com.
To Apply

The application asks specifics on your meditation practice, your retreat experiences, your teaching experiences, and your intentions in taking the training.
The application period for the 2023 North American-Based Awake in the Wild Teacher Training is now closed. To learn about the 2023-2034 Awake in the Wild Teacher Training based in Europe, click here.
The next North American-Based Awake in the Wild Teacher Training based in North America will start in the fall of 2024. The application period for this training will open up in the spring of 2023.
“When we attune to nature with sensitivity, we can see just how connected we are. We are always in relationship; we just rarely notice it. From this perspective, everything on this earth, from the spring rains that provide fresh drinking water to the warmth of the sun, is an open-hearted, generous offering.”
“In my own life, the combination of mindfulness and time in the wilderness has greatly increased my capacity for joy. Awareness practices taught me how to pay attention and how to wake up to the beautiful world around me. Practicing mindfulness outdoors has exposed me to a deep well of abundant happiness. It is this joy that has inspired me to lead others into the wilderness. It is too much to keep all to myself, and it feels natural to share the joy and blessings of nature.”
“Nature is a nurturing environment in which we can begin to open up to emotions that have long been repressed. The spaciousness and openness we feel when we look at the ocean or walk in the mountains can give us a larger container to hold any difficult inner experience.”
“Oscillating our attention between our inner feelings and the outward tranquility of the natural world can prevent us from becoming so overwhelmed by our emotions, and support us in staying balanced even in the midst of great difficulty.”
“Opening our awareness to the natural world can bring us a balanced perspective between life’s agonies and its ecstasies. When we turn our attention to the beauty of the wild, both outside and inside ourselves, even in the midst of city life, the core of our being comes alive with joy and vitality.”