Health, Fitness, and Wellness

Mindful Outdoor Guide Certification, Level 2 Aligning with Nature

As a Level 2 Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, you develop skills that take your leadership to the next level. This intensive 9-day immersion provides a powerful opportunity to deepen your relationship to the earth through daily, early morning, element-themed meditations and practices. Learn transformational outdoor skills such as friction-fire birthing, shelter building and Bush-craft tool making with KSMOL faculty, and sub-alpine ecology and orienteering with Mass Audubon atop Mount Greylock on our two-night camping trip. Learn the history of the first people of Kripalu’s land from Stockbridge Munsee Mohican Language Manager Shawn Stevens. Present your personal project and guide your solo mindful outdoor experience before graduation.

Deepen your connection to nature and expand your skillset as a Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide as you:

  • Share with your fellow guides the findings of your Level 1 home research project.
  • Learn from Shawn Stevens, language and cultural peacekeeper of the Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohicans, the history of the indigenous people for whom the Kripalu grounds are part of their ancestral homeland.
  • Explore advanced nature meditation, working with the air, ether, fire, water, and earth elements as your focal points.
  • Carve your own bow-drill kit, learning the ancient art of birthing fire through friction.
  • Learn how to integrate fire into your mindful outdoor experiences, both as a focal point for meditation and as an ally for carving your own wooden tools and utensils.
  • Continue your studies with Mass Audubon, honing your exploration of the geology, flora, and fauna of the unique subalpine environment atop Mount Greylock.
  • Develop the essentials of map and compass navigation with Mass Audubon.
  • Forage for wild teas and incorporate the ceremonial art of making and sharing tea within the context of guiding mindful outdoor experiences.
  • Bolster your guiding skills on an overnight adventure, learning about trip preparation, packing, gear selection, and cooking, as well as the health benefits of resetting your circadian rhythms when camping.
  • Discover how to fashion a safe, dry, and cozy shelter using only what you gather from the forest—a crucial skill for building confidence and a sense of connection to the outdoors.
  • Receive mentoring and supportive feedback from faculty and peers on the 45-minute Mindful Outdoor Experience you lead at the completion of your Level 2 training.

Prerequisite Mindful Outdoor Guide Certification, Level 1: Forest Community

Special Savings!
Take the July 20–29 dates of this program back to back with the July 10–19  Mindful Outdoor Guide Certification, Level 1: Forest Community for a 10 percent discount on housing and tuition for each program; please call to register.
*10% discount cannot be combined with scholarship awards or senior discount.

Find out more about the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership

 

Program at a Glance

Yoga Experience
None
Suitable For
All
Program Theme
Professional Training
Schedule
Download

Micah Mortali and Mark Roule: Nature Deficit Disorder

Presenter(s)

Micah Mortali, Director of Outdoor Education and Programming and longtime Kripalu Yoga teacher, is the Dean and Founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership and author of Rewilding.

Full Bio and Programs

Mark Roule, RYT 500, is a Kripalu Yoga teacher and outdoor guide who holds qigong teacher certifications with the Elixir Light and IIQTC schools, and is certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapists.

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Dale Abrams, MS, is the education coordinator for Mass Audubon’s Berkshire Sanctuaries and a lifelong naturalist whose specialties include birding, wildlife tracking, and ecosystem studies.

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Red Eagle (Shawn Stevens), a member of the Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohicans, is a Native American culturalist, artist, musician, and ceremonial helper.

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Erin Casperson, Dean of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda, is passionate about sharing how the ancient practices of Ayurveda can be applied to modern-day living.

Full Bio and Programs