I was convinced I had no business being in the room. I did not know enough. I had not practiced enough. I fell flat on my face too often. I did not have the right letters after my name. I was not even sure how I had been allowed to come to this MBSR teacher training. But something in me would not let go of the idea of being there. Some deep place had its teeth firmly in the belief that immersing myself in the teachings, and practicing deeply with others, was exactly where I needed to be. So I went.
I made myself small. Quiet. There were so many others in the room that I could fly under the radar. Still, the waves of unworthiness and imposter syndrome would rise and fall. Occasionally they softened enough that I could simply be in the experience of learning and practicing, breathing, walking, hearing the bells, soaking up the talks, and being real in conversation.
Out of character, my introverted self got on a plane two more times to join new, large groups of trainees for more intensive learning. Each time, I discovered the same thing: people drawn to mindfulness are incredibly kind. That kindness gave me courage.
Before long, I found myself putting it out there that I was a “teacher.” Public speaking once gave me panic attacks, so it made no logical sense that I was doing this. Yet there I was, and even more surprising, people showed up. They told me their lives were changing. Not because I was extraordinary, but because I was enough, and the practice itself was doing the work. The practice is what transforms us.
All of this happened in 2011 when I enrolled in the first MBSR teacher training program with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli. After years of teaching and training others to teach, I have learned that this doubt is nearly universal. The question “Who am I to teach?” hums in most of us. When we do not let it paralyze us, it becomes a source of humility, curiosity, and compassion.
You might have a quiet voice inside urging you to explore teaching, or to take this training for your own growth even if you never teach. Listen to that voice. The one that tells you that you do not belong is just making things up.
At Mindfulness Northwest, our MBSR Teacher Training offers:
- A fully online program with no travel required.
- A small cohort that moves through each phase together, building trust and genuine connection.
- An apprenticeship model that places you in real classes rather than role plays.
- Trainers who know you, support you, and guide you with kindness and depth.
- The gold standard in mindfulness training. Certification as an MBSR teacher gives you credibility and a strong foundation to create your own courses, workshops, and retreats.
- Trainees often tell us how much the individualized attention matters, that they never feel lost or pushed ahead before they are ready. We walk closely with each person through every stage of teaching, offering thoughtful feedback, one-on-one mentoring, and ongoing email support so each step forward feels both supported and earned.
Here’s what participants are saying:
Deeply supportive every step of the way. The experiential nature of the training was clearly designed not just to help me learn how to teach the curriculum, but to live it – so that over time the content became something I knew intimately, in my bones, rather than something I was delivering from an outline. Now my experience supporting a group feels like it is coming from an internal groundedness – not a performance – which is incredibly meaningful and fun!
The MBSR Teacher Training program with Mindfulness Northwest was exceptional: not too tight, not too loose, a small cohort, all the essentials of the curriculum covered and more, various expert perspectives, generous and gracious guidance and support at all times.
Mindfulness Northwest MBSR Teacher Training has deepened my practice and given me confidence and encouragement in teaching MBSR. I now have an authentic teaching voice and remain true to my own practice and background. I’m immensely grateful for their care and attention throughout the process!
Join us on February 3 for a low key, no pressure information session to learn more about the Fall 2026 MBSR Teacher Training.