We believe that transformational learning occurs in the context of doing, reflecting, learning, and doing again. The Mindfulness Teacher Training Program (MTTP) is highly experiential and also includes a required practicum project in which participants will create and deliver a one-day mindfulness workshop with support from the MTTP leaders on each step of that process.
Between the 3rd and 4th Study Weekend participants will work together or individually to create and deliver a one-day mindfulness workshop in their local community or workplace. This Practicum Project will integrate learning from the first 4 blocks and provide a rich learning opportunity.
Note that you may use materials created for the Practicum Project (and any video collected of the teaching) as part of your Certification Portfolio, or you may find it wiser to collect this material using teaching you organize after the close of the MTTP program.
Mindfulness is deeply rooted in our personal experience, study and "from-the-inside-out" understanding of the practice. For this reason we're delighted to offer a full 7-day meditation retreat during which we'll explore some of the Buddhist roots of mindfulness.
We'll also have the opportunity to observe facilitation of a weekend mindfulness retreat for newer mindfulness students. In April, we'll join with other mindfulness students in a weekend mindfulness retreat led by Tim (primary MTTP instructor) and other Mindfulness Northwest faculty.
Embodiment of the practices - and teaching from that direct, personal experience - is a core aspect of mindfulness teaching. The MTTP strongly supports daily practice, including a structured program of practice through each Learning Block and regular check-ins with faculty around personal experience of daily practice.
Much of the learning will happen during five 4-to-6-week-long, distance-based Learning Blocks. Each of these Blocks is followed by a Study Weekend in-person in Bellingham, WA.
During the Learning Blocks we will be:
Approximate total time commitment during the learning blocks:
After each Learning Block we will gather in Bellingham, WA for an in-person Study Weekend.
During the Study Weekend we will:
The Study Weekends are full, rich, and a lot of fun. Note that food and lodging in Bellingham is not included in the program fee. These are non-residential weekend retreats. (Room and board are included at the retreats in the program.)
Study Weekends are held in Bellingham, WA.
Arrive Friday dinner time in Bellingham and plan to spend Friday and Saturday nights in Bellingham, leaving lunch time on Sunday.
Friday
7pm-9pm: evening meeting
Saturday
6am-8:30am: optional Buddhist meditation
<Breakfast break>
10am - 1pm: morning session
<Lunch break>
2pm - 5pm: afternoon session
<Dinner break>
7pm - 9pm: evening session
Sunday
9:30am - 1pm: Sunday session
In this comprehensive mindfulness teacher training we will study:
The MTTP process emphasizes transformational learning. We learn most deeply by doing, considering, studying, conversing, and doing again. Accordingly, the MTTP is highly experiential - emphasizing daily practice, retreat work, peer practice, reading and reflection, and the completion of a hands-on Practicum Project in which you'll design and deliver a mindfulness workshop in your community or workplace.
The MTTP is broadly about learning to teach mindfulness and create mindfulness programs in a flexible, creative way. We will consider the classic curriculum of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) but we'll also study adaptation and creation of new programs based on the proven success of the MBSR model. Lead instructor Tim Burnett has extensive experience creating new courses and workshops to suit a variety of situations in institutions and community settings.
Our goal is for MTTP participants to become both deeply grounded and highly flexible and adaptive. The MTTP is about learning core components of mindfulness and ways of assembling those components into a course or training that matches the situation you find yourself in.
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