Meditation Instructor Training: 2021-2022
It has been a long time since the beginning of the mindfulness movement began. It was catalyzed by groundbreaking early pioneers, for example, John Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programs in the 70’s and his inspiring book, Full Catastrophe Living, which was published in 1990. So much has changed since then. This was before the internet. It was before the internet became integrated with the fabric of our lives. This was before we were talking about the impacts of orientalism and colonialism in the appropriation of Buddhist traditions. This was before we were collectively thinking through the lens of trauma and addressing the question of why it is that we don’t always feel better when we meditate. This was before we were talking about power structures in teacher-student ethics. This was before the #metoo movement in Buddhism and before the collective awakening to racial trauma. This was before we had collectively woken up to the need for racial healing and diversity skills in the meditation class. These are defining concerns that change what the meditation teacher of the future is. It is why I developed the Meditation Instructor Training, with a deep wish to empower meditation teachers to meet the urgent and pressing contexts of our time. Some things do remain the same since the beginning of the mindfulness movement. The persistent suffering, the emotional dysregulation that dominates a life, and the sense of disembodiment and alienation that can overshadow a life. The power of meditation to stabilize and heal the body and mind is only more and more evident due to so much research. It is clear to me that, perhaps more than ever, there is a great need for meditation instructors who can serve as a soothing balm in these troubled times. But there are all these new questions that must be cared for in the training of new meditation instructors, or they will be ill equipped and underprepared for the great challenges that await. I originally initiated the Meditation Instructor Training with the intention in mind that Buddhist philosophy and ethics should be kept intact with meditation. As a scholar of Buddhist philosophy, I have long been impressed at how often people who were exposed to mindfulness training also longed to experience the fuller context of Buddhist philosophy and ethics. The curiosity and appetite for that knowledge is unending and I reimagined the training of the meditation instructor to return to that source material. Going beyond the artificial and ethnocentric construct of a secular/religious binary, imperative questions about the context of meditation loom large for meditators. What is meditation for? What is mind? How do we work with emotions? How is our consciousness conditioned by our values and actions? What is the point of meditation? How do the obstacles to meditation relate to our identity, to our body and to our society? These are just a few of the issues that Buddhist philosophy and ethics weigh in on and why I felt that they must be taught in tact with the meditation methods that were shaped by these very concerns. When Satya and Aruna joined me as co-teachers of the MIT, we developed the teaching into an online format to make it more accessible to people with full and demanding lives. I felt likewe were standing together to face the challenge of nurturing and supporting the meditation instructors of the future. And that commitment has been expressed thoroughly in our new expanded training format. Now as we are poised to begin our next cohort of training, I am also proud to celebrate that our training addresses those invisible yet overwhelming factors that sit alongside us on the meditation cushion. We are always doing meditation practice in the context of power, sexuality, race, trauma and technology. This is not just a training in techniques, but instead in the robust array of traditional Buddhist meditation practices in tact with philosophy and ethics along with a deep care for how meditation teaching and practice intersects with issues of power, sexuality, race, trauma and technology. We are training the meditation teachers of the future. The new beginning of this program is good news in a time when it is so easy to be overwhelmed by all the stories of suffering and sorrow that appear in our news feeds everyday. I draw encouragement and relief from this beautiful project of creating empowered meditation instructors. It gives me great relief to know that they will be leaders that bring compassion, care and wisdom to a world that so sorely needs it and to know that they will be prepared and ready to meet the turbulent times ahead. With joy, The Meditation Instructor Training supplies the fundamental knowledge and experience necessary to lead meditation classes and one-day meditation intensives. People all over the world have turned to Buddhist meditation as a source of wisdom. Meditation offers a powerful method to access a sense of spaciousness, peace and authentic presence. The practical benefits of meditation are well documented. Research shows it improves mood, reduces stress (Brown & Warren 2003), it improves memory, visuospatial reasoning, sustained attention and executive brain function (Zeidan et al. 2010). It reduces sub-clinical depression and anxiety (Schreiner and Malcolm 2012). From a Buddhist point of view, when we know how to meditate, we learn how to work with mind and emotions. We have a practice for unraveling conditioned scripts and unconscious habits. Meditation is a pathway to discovering human goodness by making peace with our mind. Ultimately it is a method for getting free from dissatisfaction, resolving confusion and waking up to see reality more clearly. Equanimity, calm, peace, inner strength, resilience, centeredness… there are so many reasons the world needs meditation teachers. Meditation Teachers can offer important tools for relating to these tumultuous times. Meditation promotes mindfulness and equanimity – the ability to let emotional states arise and pass without becoming overwhelming. With mindfulness, we are able to become aware of our mind-states, rather than carried away by them. It promotes the state of equanimity, the ability to respond skillfully to situations. Instead of responding with knee-jerk reactions, blame, resentment and anger we can choose healthier responses, such as loving-kindness and compassion. There are so many places where meditation can be taught. It can add a profound benefit to temples, yoga centers, health centers, schools, corporations, communities and healthcare settings. This training offers meditation instructors copious knowledge, both practical and experiential – so that you can offer high-quality classes in any setting. The training includes a study of the postures for meditation, breathing techniques, the five key meditation techniques from Zhine, (also known “Calm Abiding), common obstacles to meditation, remedies for obstacles of meditation and more. We will also review the most important Buddhist teachings to support meditation practice – looking to the wealth of Buddhist philosophy for new perspectives on what is mind, how to work with thoughts and emotions, what is the body-mind connection and how body and mind can be harnessed for awakening. ORIENTATION WINTER BREAK MODULE 3 – JAN & FEB 2022 FINALS – FEB 2022 TOTAL COURSE HOURS = 150 BONUS ELECTIVES – SELF PACED & OPTIONAL
SATURDAY GROUP WORKSHOPS Attendance of all workshops is required for certification. *International Students may request to attend via recording. Saturdays, 10am PT October 31, Orientation – 3 hours Nov 6 – Phone check-in with MIT faculty – 30 min Nov 13 – Online Workshop w/ Pema Khandro, 10am-1pm Nov 20 – Phone check-in with MIT faculty – 30 min Nov 27- Phone check-in with MIT faculty – 30 min Dec 4 – Phone check-in with MIT faculty – 30 min Dec 11 – Online Workshop with Aruna & Satya, 10am-1pm Dec 18 – Phone check-in with MIT faculty – 30 min Dec 25 – No Workshop Jan 1 – No Workshop Jan 8 – Phone check-in with MIT faculty – 30 min Jan 15 – Online Workshop with Pema Khandro, 10am-1pm Jan 22 – Phone check-in with MIT faculty – 30 min Jan 29 – Phone check-in with MIT faculty – 30 min Feb 25 – Final Teaching Practicum Group 1 – 10am-2pm PT Feb 12 – Final Teaching Practicum Group 2 – 10am-2pm PT Feb 26 – Final Transmission w/Pema Khandro, Teaching Vows & & Graduation, 10am-1pm PT GROUP WORKSHOPS or OPTIONAL PRIVATE COACHING If you must miss one or all of the scheduled group workshops due to timing, timezone, professional or family life, you may elect to receive private coaching in its place. For each group workshop missed, you may schedule an hour of private coaching from MIT faculty at the rate of $100 per session. Scheduling is based on the availability of the training instructors. To elect for this option, please contact Info@BuddhistStudiesInstitute.org Orientation & Introduction – Live Online Lessons & Practice Videos Exams Daily Journal Students will be required to submit journal entries documenting practice sessions. Students are expected to maintain a daily meditation practice of at least 24 minutes per day throughout the entirety of the course. Journal questions include: Workshops – Live Online Teaching Practicum Final Transmission & Graduation – Live Online Introduction Lesson Zero: What is Mind? Lesson 1: How to Sit – The Seven Point Posture of Vairocana Lesson 2: What is Meditation – Why Meditate? Lesson 3: Tradition & Context of the Practice Lesson 4: Ideal Place and Time “If the conditions of tranquility are impaired, one may meditate intensively for as long as a thousand years without achieving tranquil absorption.” -The Bodhipathapradīpa Lesson 5: Mastering the Posture Lesson 6: Preparation for Practice Lessons 7: Abiding in Peace and Calm Lessons 8: Abiding in Peace and Calm Lessons 9: Abiding in Peace and Calm Lesson 10: Abiding in Peace and Calm Lesson 11: Abiding in Peace and Calm Lessons 12 – 14: Obstacles and Antidotes Lesson 15: Obstacles and Antidotes in Diet & Lifestyle Lesson 16: Teaching Methodology Lesson 17: Tips for Teaching in the Meditation Practicum Lesson 18: The Stages of Meditation Lesson 19: The Goal of Meditation Lesson 20: Questions and Answers Lesson 21: Instructor Parameters Lesson 22: Bonus Class Final Words of Advice Financial Aid Considerations The course costs are set at a minimum fee already, with financial aid built into all tuition rates. Because we are a non-profit organization, the costs of all activities and overhead of our organization must be covered by the participants of the courses or donations and all courses are offered at below cost. For those who are experiencing genuine financial hardship and wish to enroll in the course, Financial Aid applications are available. (Applications must be received in advance.) Financial Aid Scholarships receive a 50% discount on tuition. Submit Financial Aid Scholarship Application Here The Buddhist studies institute advocates for observation of Buddhist ethics, maintaining personal discipline and observing practices necessary for suitable health throughout the course and throughout one’s teaching career. The course curriculum is designed and led by Lama Pema Khandro Rinpoche, internationally renowned teacher and scholar of Buddhist philosophy. Pema Khandro has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree specializing in Tibetan buddhism, she is currently completing her Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies. Her scholarly research focuses on the intellectual history of Buddhist meditation in Tibet, the history of Dzogchen and on gender studies. She is the founder of Ngakpa International and its three projects, The Buddhist Studies Institute, Dakini Mountain and the Yogic Medicine Institute. In her work as a Buddhist teacher she is an authorized Lama If I complete the training, will I automatically be a Certified Meditation Instructor and authorized to lead classes and one-day meditation retreats?
150 Hour Certification Training – with Pema Khandro
Registration is Open – Starts March 26, 2022
Self-paced Module Available Now!
What People are Saying about Meditation Instructor Training
LETTER FROM PEMA KHANDRO
ABOUT MEDITATION INSTRUCTOR TRAINING
MEDITATION TEACHERS NEEDED
ABOUT THE FORMAT
Live Online – 3 Hours
MODULE 1 – NOVEMBER 2021
Self Paced Courses & Quizzes
MODULE 2 – DECEMBER 2021
Learning to Teach – 35 hours
DEC 23 – JAN 2
Teaching Practicum – 37 hours
Final Exams & Graduation – 9 hours
Additional Supports for your Practice
DATES FOR LIVE MEETINGS
OVERVIEW OF KEY ASPECTS
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW 22 LESSONS
ABOUT TUITION
OVERVIEW OF OTHER COURSE REQUIREMENTS
PREREQUISITES
CONSISTENCY OF CONDUCT
ABOUT THE TEACHERS
and lineage holder of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions and was enthroned to carry on the lineage of her predecessor, the first Pema Khandro, a twentieth century yogini in Eastern Tibet. She is certified in two systems of natural medicine, Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine as well as three times certified as an Advanced Yoga teacher, and she has led dozens of courses in nutrition, meditation teacher trainings, yoga teacher trainings and natural medicine courses for health workers from every field. In her humanitarian work she has supported children, orphans and elders in the Himalayas. She has led a vibrant world-wide community since 1999. Through the Buddhist Studies Institute, she also offers a complete curriculum of training in Tibetan meditation and Buddhist Philosophy. 
Aruna Rig’dzin was ordained in Nyingma Lineage by Pema Khandro Rinpoche in 2007. She is one of the Directors of Ngakpa International and the Community of Buddhist Yogis, as well as Director of the Yogic Medicine Institute. She is a NAMA certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and has over 19 years’ experience as an Advanced Yoga and Meditation Instructor. Aruna is passionate about healing, sustainable living and giving people the tools to live a vibrant, healthy and joyous life.
Dr. Satya has been studying with Pema Khandro since 2001. She is the Director of Operations for Ngakpa International since 2010, and is a board member. Satya is the Clinic Director of the Yogic Medicine Institute since 2004, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, as well as a NAMA certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and Panchakarma Specialist. Her Doctoral Research specialized in acupuncture & herbal treatments of the endocannabinoid system to modulate pain and inflammation for healthy aging and longevity.FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
