The accredited Mindfulness MBSR & MBA Teacher Training Level 1 course is an experiential training course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction MBSR and Mindfulness-Based Approaches MBA for mental health and wellbeing. Offering the opportunity to engage in personal and group learning processes supported by the mindfulness gold standard 6 domains of teaching Mindfulness (MBI-TAC this course has been designed to deepen personal practice and the skills of teaching Mindfulness core practices, inquiry and mindful movement as a new career and in professional practice.
You will find all the information and links on this page, or download the full Prospectus HERE
The courses are taught by Kathy Ward, Mindful Academy International CEO, Senior International Mindfulness MBSR/MBCT/MBA Trainer, Supervisor, Teacher, TEDx speaker. Kathy is also a World Health Organization WHO Mindfulness Consultant where she is developing, supporting and researching a Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence for mental health and wellbeing in the workplace course.
With a maximum of 9 students to allow optimal personal support and development, the course includes plenty of opportunities to engage in personal and group learning processes designed to support and deepen understanding and skills in teaching and integrating mindfulness-based approaches in professional practice.
We are currently only teaching live online fully interactive videoconferencing courses via Zoom due to COVID-19. The content of the course and schedule is exactly the same for both the in-person and interactive live online courses, ensuring that you receive the highest possible training experience.
- Standard Rate course tuition - €925
- Subsidized Rate tuition - €800
- For the Hungarian course price and full details, please visit https://tudatossag.net/a-mindfulness-rol/
You can secure your space and start training right now with a €250 deposit. Please note: The deposit is non-refundable as you will have started to train with us and received goods and services. Please read our Terms and conditions of booking. The tuition balance is then due 8-weeks before the course starts.
"The program was very well balanced, in practice and theoretical background. There was enough time for meditating, which allowed me to gain an open and curious mind and learn a lot during the week. I would like to thank Kathy for her professional and kind guidance of the online course. I would definitely recommend this course to everybody who wants to become a self-confident mindfulness teacher"
Marcela Roflíková. Czech Republic online Level 1 course in July 2020.
Interactive Live Online course dates:
- March/April: 90-minute workshop Saturday the 27th of March followed by the 7-day intensive course from Saturday the 24th - Friday the 30th of April 2021 at 7.30 p.m
- September/October: 90-minute workshop on Saturday the 28th of August followed by the 7-day intensive course from Saturday the 26th of August - Friday the 1st of October 2021 at 7.30 p.m
- Summer School: There may also be an opportunity to take the level 1 course as modules over the summer with Kathy. If you are interested in this option, please email us at [email protected]
Subsidized Rate - Subsidized spaces are limited to 2 per course and must be applied for at the time of sending your application. Requests for the subsidized rate at any other time will not be considered. Please only select this rate at the time of applying for the course if you are in receipt of benefits or would find it otherwise inaccessible to attend due to the fee. We will not ask for evidence of benefits or income at the application stage but may ask for evidence to support your application in the future. This option is not available if your company is paying for the course.
Standard Rate - This is the market rate for this type of course and the rate we ask you to select if you are able.
What's included in the price of the course
- 65.5hr contact hours of live in-person or live on-line interactive course tuition
- Extensive 430-page training manual supporting every aspect of Mindfulness teaching and practice
- Mindfulness Teacher Training Resources and Scripts including all core Trauma-sensitive Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Movement scripts
- Pre-course study guides and mp3 recordings of all core practices so you can start training straight away
- Live online course workshop one month before the intensive part of the course starts to explore the 6 Domains of Teaching Mindfulness and help you to prepare to teach the core practices
- 1 x 60-minute private Supervision session to get you started on the pre-course preparation (worth €50)
- Pre-course study pack and forum to support your teaching development and preparation
- Support and development of you teaching the core meditation practices utilizing the 6 domains of mindfulness (MBI-TAC) developed by the Universities of Bangor, Oxford, and Exeter.
- 1 x 60-minute private Supervision session on your return home to discuss the MBI-TAC and your next teacher training pathway steps (worth €50)
- Level 1 Mindfulness MBSR and MBA Teacher Certificate on successful graduation
- Accredited CPD/CEU hours to add to your annual training record and sought after skills on your curriculum vitae
- Welcome dinner on Arrival day (in-person courses only)
- Daily morning tea (in-person courses only)
- Ongoing mentoring by email and optional Mindfulness Meditation Supervision in line with the Mindfulness Network Mindfulness Good Practice Guidelines
The Level 1 course is intended for people who are:
- A minimum of 25 years old.
- Have 1 year of meditation experience not necessarily Mindfulness Meditation.
- Commitment to an ongoing daily personal mindfulness-based practice, ideally based on MBSR/MBCT or MBMA practices
- The course starts from the premise that as teachers we need to embody mindfulness-based practice in our own lives before we can attempt to teach it to others so you should have taken an 8 Week MBSR, 8-week MBCT course or both modules of the MBMA course as a participant either -
- In your home location with a qualified teacher OR
- Take the Mindful Academy International Live Online 8-Week MBSR Course and be guided by the Director of Training Kathy Ward. There is a 100 euro discount if you book and pay for the 8-week MBSR Course at the same time as booking the Level 1 course.
The course is designed to begin the process of training to be a teacher of mindfulness-based approaches. It is our experience that students come to this course with varying skills and experience and levels of practice. Inevitably, not everyone will be ready to begin to teach the 8-week MBSR course on completion of the Level 1 course and further development may be required. This could be with supervision or perhaps by attending another 8-week course and consolidating further personal practice.
Please note: Our courses are not attendance courses. Students are expected to attend and take part in all sessions. The training, support, development, and assessment are ongoing and in order to graduate as a Level 1 Mindfulness MBSR and MBA Teacher, students must meet the teaching standards outlined in the MBI-TAC.
During this experiential course, you will receive comprehensive training in teaching all aspects of Mindfulness including the latest research. This is supported by our extensive 426 page Manual covering every aspect of teaching mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions, along with Mindfulness core practice Meditation Scripts and mp3 recordings of all practices.
Our time together will be spent in silence as we practice, and in small and large group reflection and investigation as we learn through the co-created shared experience. In this space, you will continue to deepen your own practice and embodiment of mindfulness and learn foundational teaching skills.
You will experience and learn specifically how to teach the core practices of the 8-week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction MBSR course including mindful movement and develop the skill of Inquiry.
An estimated 90% of the world's population will be exposed to a traumatic event over the course of their lives (Frans, Rimmo, Aberg & Fredrikson, 2005) and up to 20% of us will develop post-traumatic stress. This means that anywhere mindfulness is being practiced, someone in the room is likely to be struggling with trauma. To address this, Mindful Academy International CEO Kathy Ward has extensively updated all the core practices and resources so that we can explore how to teach the general public in a trauma-sensitive way to minimize the potential dangers of mindfulness. Read more
Level 1 Accredited Mindfulness MBSR & MBA Teacher Training Learning Objectives
- Reflect on and investigate personal learning and development as a mindfulness practitioner
- Deepen embodiment of trauma-sensitive mindfulness in teaching and own practice
- Develop skills, attitudes, and knowledge to enable practice as a teacher of mindfulness-based interventions and courses including the skills of inquiry and guiding trauma-sensitive mindfulness core practices
- Demonstrate the importance of personal integrity of approach, ethical standards and mindful attitudes for teachers of mindfulness-based courses
- Demonstrate familiarity with the teaching and learning strategies of mindfulness-based courses
- Demonstrate familiarity with the MBI-TAC 6 domains (skills) of teaching mindfulness developed by the Universities of Bangor, Exeter, and Oxford
- Reflect on the importance of the professional good practice guidelines and what they mean to you
- Start your personal mindfulness development portfolio
These are the key foundations of teaching mindfulness and Level 2, Qualified and Certified courses are based on the foundation of this course.
The course is designed to begin the process of training, and participants come to the Level 1 course with varying skills and experience and levels of practice. Inevitably, not everyone will be ready to begin to teach the 8-week MBSR course on completion of the Level 1 course and further development may be required. This could be with supervision or perhaps by attending another 8-week course and consolidating further personal practice.
Your certificate will show:
Contact Hours: 65.5 hours
Other Directed Learning, non-contact hours: The personal and professional pre-course study including reading the required books and 2 supervision sessions is estimated to be 112 hours. The non-contact hours are of course subjective depending on when you sign up for the course, and how much time you are able to allocate. We ask that you do what you can, with the time you have available.
Total hours for Level 1: 177.5 hours
After successfully completing the training, you may state: “_____ (your name) has graduated as a Mindfulness MBSR & MBA Level 1 Teacher with Mindful Academy International, an International Provider of Training Excellence©”
Please note: Our courses are not attendance courses. Students are expected to attend and take part in all sessions. The support, development, and assessment are ongoing and in order to graduate as a Level 1 Mindfulness MBSR and MBA Teacher, students must meet the teaching standards outlined in the MBI-TAC.
Learning to teach the Mindfulness Core Practices -
On the Teacher Training Level 1 course, you will have the opportunity to teach 10, 20 and 30-minute mindfulness core practices (see the list below) followed by time for reflection on what went well, and anything you would do differently next time. In this way, practice by practice, your skills and confidence can grow.
You will also receive supportive formal assessment, support and feedback on your teaching using the industry gold standard Mindfulness-based Teaching Assessment Criteria MBI-TAC from Kathy and the team, plus informal feedback from your peers, and learn how to take the MBI-TAC forward as a personal learning portfolio to support your own development as a teacher.
At the end of the course, there is an opportunity to discuss this and other feedback from the MBI-TAC Teaching assessments before you leave and also in a 60-minute online supervision meeting (included in the price) with Kathy Ward. This can be helpful in reflecting on next steps and reviewing your learning and development needs after your Teacher Training Course.
The mindfulness core practices you will learn to teach are:
- Awareness of Body, Breath and Senses Meditation
- Body Scan Meditation
- Cultivating curiosity to the whole of my experience 'being with the difficult' Meditation
- Mindful Movement
- 5 Awareness Meditation
- Choiceless Awareness Meditation
- Compassion practices with either a 3 Step Kindness or Loving Kindness Meditation
- Short Mindfulness practices such as the 3 Step Anchoring Space, S.T.O.P and others
What can I teach after the Level 1 course?
Graduates typically start teaching the Mindfulness core meditation practices including Mindful Movement to family, friends, and clients in classes, workshops or as part of their profession.
Depending on the skills of the individual you may also find that you are able to:
- Co-lead an 8-week MBSR course and/or
- Lead an 8-week MBSR course with Supervision as per the Mindfulness Good Practice Guidelines
This course is designed to begin the process of training to be a teacher of mindfulness-based approaches. Participants come to this course with varying skills and experience and levels of practice. Inevitably, not everyone will be ready to begin to teach the 8-week MBSR course on completion of this course and further development may be required. This could be with supervision or perhaps by attending another 8-week course and consolidating further personal practice.
CEO and Founder Kathy Ward chose to have Mindful Academy International and the courses we teach independently 3rd party verified and accredited and as a Provider of Training Excellence and CPD Provider© we assure you of the highest level of professional mindfulness training.
To further demonstrate the professional nature of our mindfulness training, we also follow the Mindfulness good practice guidelines (GPGs) for teaching and supervising mindfulness Teachers, and utilize the Mindfulness-based Interventions Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC) developed by Bangor, Oxford and Exeter Universities as part of our supportive assessment process of the 6 domains of teaching mindfulness.
To achieve the accreditation Mindful Academy International has undergone a rigorous assessment process focusing on 4 key principles -
- Our organizational structure,
- The learning provision we offer,
- Our methods for maintaining excellence, and
- Our client's personal experience.
This final principle involves a random selection from our student and graduate base and a direct discussion between them and the PDC to gather a first-hand review of their experience working with us.
A separate rigorous assessment process that focuses on the development and delivery of our training including our educational authority, how we collect and utilize our delegate feedback, and ensuring our content is kept up to date was also undertaken as part of the accredited CPD Status.
Now Mindful Academy International have achieved this accreditation and status as a Provider of Training Excellence and gold standard CPD provider, we are committed to working hard to maintain, and exceed, the excellent standard we have already set with our courses and the testimonials shown below, reflects our dedication to delivering accredited courses for an outstanding learning experience.
The courses have also been accredited with the Yoga Alliance in the USA since 2010 and the Yoga Alliance Professionals in the UK between 2012 and April 2019 however, unlike the Yoga Alliance, the new accreditation is globally accepted in a multitude of countries and across all professional sectors and demonstrates a much higher standard of professional mindfulness education.
Mindfulness Level 1 Course Senior Trainer
Kathy Ward is a Senior International Mindfulness MBSR & MBCT Teacher, Trainer, Supervisor, Founder and Director of Training of Mindful Academy International. During the Level 1 course, she teaches a minimum of 8 hours per day and all online supervision is with her.
She has nearly 40 years experience in training and development and has been training Meditation and Yoga teachers since 2010, during this time she has taught 65 Teacher Training courses to graduates all over the world. She supervises many of the graduates and has regular supervision herself from CMRP to support her work. When not training, supporting teachers or working as a Mindfulness Consultant for the World Health Organization WHO, Kathy teaches the 8-week MBSR to groups and individuals using the online platform Zoom.
She has diplomas in Clinical Hypnotherapy and NLP Coaching with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT, Motivational Therapist, and Coach with Motivational Training in Scotland. She is also a qualified Mindfulness Yoga Teacher and Trainer registered as a CPD provider with the USA Yoga Alliance, and a certified Yoga Therapist. As a member of the UK British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches BAMBA, she meets the requirements of the Good Practice Guidelines for trainers and supervisors of Mindfulness-based Teachers.
Her training in mindfulness includes MBSR Teacher Training and specialist Supervision training with Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice CMRP Bangor with Eluned Gold, Sarah Silverton, and Jody Mardula. She also attended specialist Teacher Training with CMRP in MBCT for Cancer with Trish Bartley and Christina Shennan, and MBI-TAC training with Rebecca Crane. As part of the mindfulness best practice guidelines, Kathy continues Supravision (supervision of supervisors) with Christina Shennan.