MINDFUL FACILITATION FOR EMPOWERMENT (16 Days Intensive Training of Trainers Program)

Programme Overview

Type: Face to face

Dates: Sep 26th - Oct 11th 2026

Place: Wongsanit Ashram, Nakhon Nayok Province. Thailand

Website: https://gaiaschoolasia.com/training-of-trainer/

Contact: gaiaschoolasia@gmail.com

Certified by:

GE2021_BRAND_LOGOMARK_FICHA (1) Organised by:

Pracha Hutanuwatra & Jane Rasbash's Legacy Training

Join our intensive residential program, 'Mindful Facilitation for Empowerment' held at Wongsanit Ashram from September 26th – October 11th 2026. This legacy training program is inspired by the teachings of Late Pracha Hutanuwatra, an engaged Buddhist activist, and Late Jane Rasbash, former active member of Gaia Education. They both were vital contributors to the ongoing development of our Ecovillage Design Education and Training of Trainers curricula, sourced from their pioneering work in Mindful Facilitation.

This program offers participants invaluable skills in mindful participatory facilitation, community building, and more. It's designed to empower leaders, educators, and community workers who are committed to sustainable and regenerative futures.

This program is one of the most comprehensive and intensive Gaia Education Training of Trainers (ToT) available and a vital step on your journey to becoming a certified Gaia Education Trainer.

Discover how this training can empower you and inspire you to become a certified Gaia Education Trainer. Find out more here and register to secure your spot. Be part of the change and connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for empowerment, sustainability, and community building

I WANT TO PARTICIPATE

WHO ARE PRACHA HUTANUWATRA AND JANE RASBASH?

Pracha Hutanuwatra was an engaged Buddhist activist, social critic, new paradigm leadership trainer and mentor. Pracha established the intensive Training of Trainers where participants gain skills, concepts and attitudes to work in their local communities, appropriately identifying needs and actions with the local people towards sustainable, regenerative futures.

Our dear teacher and mentor Pracha Hutanuwatra passed away on 13 May 2023. He has left behind a huge legacy in the many students, colleagues and friends whose lives he inspired to ‘be the change’.

“Decision making is education
Relationship is education
Self-cultivation is education”

– Pracha Hutanuwatra

Jane Rasbash was a prominent figure in the field of education for sustainable development, with a focus on empowerment and engaged spirituality. Jane co-facilitated Training of Trainers with Pracha Hutanuwatr for over 15 years. This work has been instrumental in promoting participatory facilitation across Asia and internationally. Based in Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland, Jane’s expertise in Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) and Grassroots Leadership Training has left an indelible mark in Myanmar, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Jane was also passionate about Nature connection and the Work that Reconnects. Jane served as a Board member of Gaia Education for 10 years and during her time, demonstrated her commitment to fostering positive change. As the main guide for ‘Mindful Facilitation for Empowerment,’ she brought her wealth of experience to empower participants in their journey towards sustainability and positive transformation.

Jane Rasbash, our dear friend and colleague passed away on 31 October 2024, exactly on the day of her birthday and on the day of Samhain

WHAT IS PRACHA HUTANUWATRA'S TRAINING OF TRAINERS LEGACY?

This special Legacy ToT will stay as true as possible to Pracha and Jane’s incredible teachings that they developed over decades. Every aspect of human interaction needs facilitation.

Mindful participatory facilitation is an invaluable skill for leaders in a shifting paradigm as it is equalizing and empowering rather than hierarchical and dominating. In this experiential training participants will co-create a safe space and gain ample facilitation practice in a supportive environment.

Participants will deepen their awareness and experience in how to teach, facilitate and train people, by enabling collaboration among a community of learners. Participants will flourish in a dynamic balance of mindfulness practice and open experimentation within the design and facilitation of holistic education sessions.

The course will inspire you to know what you are most deeply called to teach and why this kind of empowerment education is critically important for the future of life on Earth. The training will be certified by SEM College & Gaia Education. Content will be adapted and designed to meet the needs of participants drawing from the following topics.

WHAT TOPICS OF LEARNING WILL THIS TOT COVER?

TOPIC	LEARNING OUTCOMES
Introduction to Participatory Learning & Building Community	Recognise the value of games as learning tools & processes for participation and co-creation of knowledge Comprehend the cycle of participatory learning (Praxis) & basic skills Express the relevance of co-creation of knowledge
Trust-building and Learning Community	Employ techniques for building trust Recognise the value of building a safe container for learning
Holistic Perspectives	Recognise values and limitations of holistic, clear thinking Practice tools to experience different perspectives
Emergent Design, Group Eergy and Mindfulness	Comprehend benefits of mindfulness as a facilitator Express how to work with emergent design and group energy
Participatory Learning for Empowerment	Recognise participatory learning as an empowerment process Comprehend attitudes to develop in participatory learning
Practice Teaching	Practice participatory facilitation skills Give & receive constructive, empathetic feedback
Edge Work	Comprehend the concept of Edge Work Employ skillful means for maximizing edges as a social change facilitator
Sustainable Development Goals	Gain skills and practice to become an SDG Multiplier Comprehend social, economical, ecologic and worldview aspects of the 17 SDGs

This training forms one of the requirements to become a certified Gaia Education Trainer.
* During the Practice Teaching topic participants will facilitate their sessions in English
* The Sustainable Development Goal topic is an optional 3-hour module for Gaia Education Certification.

SAVE MY PLACE I WANT MORE INFO

ABOUT THE LEARNING PROCESS?
 Participatory & Experiential
 Contemplative & Reflective
 Creative & Transformative
 Active & Practical
 Intensive

Our educational approach is as important as the contents of the course, where learning,
playing, working and meditating together in a community of practice, merges to foster
compassion, intellectual understanding and social commitment.

MEET THE PROGRAM FACILITATOR TEAM
 Sunisa Jamwiset Deiters (Om) lived and worked as a facilitator at Wongsanit
Ashram under close Pracha’s guidance for 8 years, and later moved to Panya
Permaculture project in Thailand. She helped create the Next Generation of
Global Ecovillage Network of Asia & Oceania (NextGENOA). She founded Gaia
Ashram with her partner, Tom Deiters, in 2013. Since 2010 She has been
facilitating and co-facilitating courses and programs related to Deep Ecology,
Ecovillage Design Education, and Permaculture across Asia.

 Petra Carman, PhD is a dedicated facilitator and independent researcher in
social, community, and environmental psychology. Her journey is marked by a
deep exploration of human-nature relationships, including immersive experiences
in ecovillages, as well as active involvement with Awakening Leadership
Training—a collaborative program between the International Network of Engaged
Buddhists (INEB) and Spirit in Education Movement (SEM) for the past 7 years.
Petra’s profound connection to engaged spirituality and various mindfulness and
meditation practices fuels her passion for alternative education and
empowerment-focused processes. In her role as a facilitator, Petra emphasizes
holistic and embodied approaches to knowledge, guiding participants in their own
transformational learning journeys, nurturing mindfulness, empowerment, and
personal growth.

 Tu Hong (Heaven) is a seasoned facilitator and co-founder of Shandao, an NGO
dedicated to fostering participatory engagement in China. With a Certified Top
Facilitator credential, she brings extensive experience working with NGOs and
activists. Her journey into mindful facilitation was deepened through participation
in the SUPER-T program and the Buddhist Education for Social Transformation
course. Since becoming a core member of Pracha’s TOT team in 2017, she has
been instrumental in nurturing leadership and empowering others through
mindful facilitation both in Thailand and China.

WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS TRAINING OF TRAINERS PROGRAM?

Those who look for personal empowerment and leadership training
Facilitators looking to become certified Gaia Education Trainers in order to host
or deliver EDE programs
Teachers and facilitators who are interested in participatory and empowering
methods of delivering content
Facilitators who are looking for methods to draw collective wisdom from group
learning processes
Community workers who want to engage deeply with their teams
Eco villagers who are looking for facilitation skills that help to build a community

PROGRAM VENUE
This program will be held at Wongsanit Ashram near Bangkok, Thailand.

Address: Wongsanit Ashram, Rangsit, Klong 15, Nakorn Nayok Province
Food: Wongsanit Ashram serves delicious Thai food using ingredients from the garden
and local market. Vegetarian, vegan and dietary restrictions can be accommodated.
Lodging: Thai simple style shared accommodation is included in the course fee.

COURSE FEE
 Full Fee
57,000 THB
 Early bird ticket, Register and pay deposit before 30 th June 2026 (only 5 tickets
available)
52,500 THB
 Food & Accommodation are included. All fees are to be paid in Thai Baht