The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction MBSR Specialization Teacher Training course is an opportunity to take a deep dive into every aspect of the curriculum and teaching of trauma-sensitive Mindfulness MBSR 8-week courses. Much of the content and experiential practices will also support teaching other Mindfulness-Based Programmes.  

This further teaching development process is intended for professionals who have:

• Previously attended a Mindfulness-Based Programmes MBP Teacher Training with Mindful Academy International or an equivalent course with another training organization, please contact us if you are not sure about equivalency.
• Attended a total of 5 - 7 days guided Mindfulness-Based Silent Retreat. Online retreats would be accepted.
• Practiced Teaching the MBSR and MBP core practices including Mindful Movement learned during the Teaching Mindfulness-Based Programmes (formally the Level 1 course) to family, friends, and clients in classes, workshops, or as part of your profession. 
• Optional depending on the skills of the individual -The course can also be taken by Qualified or Accredited Mindfulness Teachers to further deepen and update teaching skills. In particular, it may be of interest to those who wish to minimize the potential dangers of mindfulness by developing trauma-sensitive teaching practices whilst teaching the general public.

The course includes assessment, feedback, and development of your teaching skills with the support of the Mindfulness-based Intervention Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC) You will also continue to learn how to take your MBI-TAC portfolio forward to support your own development as a teacher.

Once you have been accepted and paid the deposit, you will receive the detailed 8-Week MBSR Course Session Plans, Resources, and Participants Workbook so that you can start to prepare and teach straight away. 

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 advanced teaching skills including the 4 key skills of teaching MBI's:

• Stewardship of the group
• Homiletics, or the delivery of didactic material
• Guidance, Deepen your embodiment and sense of co-journey when guiding formal and informal group experiences
• Inquiry into participants direct experience by identifying which element is a brief 'teaching point' and which is an element to be explored with inquiry skills and a sense of exploration and co-journey

As Santorelli describes the MBSR teaching perspective, "Importantly, rather than 'lecturing' to the participants, the attention and skill of the teacher should be directed towards listening to the rich, information-laden insights and examples provided by the participants and then, in turn, to use as much as possible of these participant generated experiences as a starting point to 'weave' the more didactic (teaching) material into the structure and fabric of the class"

You will experience and learn specifically how to teach all elements of the traditional 2.5/3 hour sessions of the 8-week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction MBSR course using the provided session plans and the Participant Workbook.  You will also explore the 4 Ennobling Truths, Foundations of Mindfulness and Spectrum of Teaching Intentions of each of the sessions.

You will have the opportunity to teach both 30 and 60-minute sections of the sessions in small groups with time for self-reflection orientated around the MBI-TAC on what went well, and areas for development, plus informal feedback from your peers. Once again, you will receive supportive assessment and feedback on your teaching using the industry-standard Mindfulness-based Teaching Assessment Criteria MBI-TAC from Kathy and the team.

Learning objectives:

• Deepening embodiment of mindfulness in your own practice
• Deepen, develop and assess the skills, attitudes, and knowledge required to deliver trauma-sensitive Mindfulness-based courses to the general public competently and consistently
• Develop further understanding and reflection on the 6 domains of teaching mindfulness with the support of the MBI-TAC as you continue to build your personal portfolio
• Develop further understanding of the official UMASS and CMRP Bangor University 8-week curriculum, teaching skills and underpinning themes with the support of the Mindful Academy International trauma-sensitive 8-week course curriculum covering every aspect of teaching, further refining and strengthening existing skills
• Demonstrate relevant teaching skills by selecting, organizing and evaluating teaching methods, to facilitate the integration of theoretical and experiential learning. In particular, we explore what are 'experiential points' that should be drawn from the participants through the 'co journey' and what are the brief 'teaching points' 
• Demonstrate responsive and flexible pacing to cover a portion of the curriculum appropriately, as well as holding the group learning environment and managing challenges and difficulties
• Demonstrate relevant qualities for teaching mindfulness-based approaches including the embodiment of mindfulness and warmth of approach 
• Explore teaching trauma-sensitive mindfulness to the general public in alternative settings
• Inquire into 'who am I as a teacher?' exploring the ways in which we relate to ourselves, individuals, group and the teaching process itself

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 included 60-minute online supervision meeting with Kathy Ward. This can be helpful in reflecting on next steps and reviewing your learning and development needs after your Teacher Training Course.