Mindfulness Teacher Training

DO IT! The kids need it. But more importantly than that, we – humanity – we need it. So that we can be kinder to each-other and support one-another.

– Salomeh G.
iBme TT Graduate

What Will I Learn?

It was hand-in-glove in terms of usefulness in the real world.

– John B.
iBme TT Graduate

Learn how to . . .

• Show up in an authentic way
• Bring a fun, lively approach to teaching mindfulness
• Meet the challenge of a diverse audience
• Help students navigate difficult social situations + make meaningful relationships
• Integrate mindfulness as a way of life
• Develop sensitivity + responsiveness to who’s in the room
• Communicate on many levels – intuitive and relational level, as well as cognitive
• Dive deep into important issues that are happening in the world

There’s no one way of teaching mindfulness or leading meditation. We want you to develop your own voice, draw from your experience + not be confined to the “right way” of teaching. We give you the practice to be responsive, authentic, + meet the moment as the best teacher you are.

– Khalila Archer
iBme TT Core Faculty

Why do this program?

This teacher training helped me become a teacher that’s able to tap into what’s real; what’s happening; what’s alive, and speak from an authentic place inside of me.

– Sara Shapouri
iBme TT Graduate + faculty for 2021 cohort

Personal Growth + Healing

• Gain Confidence to step into the next stage of bringing mindfulness into your community.
• Find your Voice. Find a way of teaching that resonates with you.
• Deepen your Personal Practice. Be more present, patient + self-aware.
• Time + Space to Go Deep in a community of like-minded adults.

What do you really want out of life? Who do you want to be? What kind of impact do you want to have in the world? It’s the space to go deep – this program affords you that.

– Dan V.
iBme TT Graduate

Make an Impact

• Tap into what’s real, relevant + alive. Integrate mindfulness into daily life + topics like money, identity and social justice.
• Become a more compassionate, patient resource for young people.
• Bring mindfulness to your community in a way that fits – so no one is left out.
• Build integrity + social responsibility as a teacher. Lead in a way that doesn’t cause harm + navigate spaces without perpetuating systems of oppression.

One-on-One Coaching with Core Faculty

Go deep, unpack course material + talk about things you’re grappling with during monthly one-on-one meetings with your mentor.

We’re there to support you in all areas of life – not just your teaching + meditation practice.

Accessible Teachers, Small Group Size

We’re shooting for a 50-person cohort with 7 core faculty – that’s a 7:1 teacher – student ratio!

You’ll also be part of a “small group” for mentoring + support, led by one of the core faculty. Capped at 8 people, the groups are a chance to bounce ideas off of one-another, go deep + practice teaching.

The small groups, peer feedback + conversations create a real sense of intimacy – personal, professional, and spiritual – that extends far beyond the training.

If I didn’t understand something, I could always ask, and the teachers were very accessible – which has not been my experience with other programs.

– Salomeh G.
iBme TT Graduate

Program Overview

Dates: June 2021 – June 2022 (12 months)

Anticipated Intensive Dates: In person or online (in response to COVID-19)
June 15-20, 2021
January 14-18, 2022
June 14-19, 2022

Course Structure:

• Three Teaching Intensives (included in program fee, 5 days each)
• Independent Study between retreats
• Small Group Meetings (1x month)
• Cohort-Wide Facilitated Calls (1x month)
• One-on-One Coaching with Core Faculty (1x month)
• Structured Daily Meditation Practice + Weekly Practice Groups (1x week)
• Practicum

Upon completing of the program, you will receive:

• Certification from iBme
• Graduate Level Credits (available for Teachers)
• Opportunity to receive certification from International Mindfulness Teacher’s Association. (IMTA). We’re the only youth education-focused IMTA accredited program, which allows you to become an internationally certified and recognized mindfulness teacher.

Read Detailed Program Here

Curriculum

Origin and Definitions of Mindfulness

Unit 1: Mindfulness, Awareness, and Attention

Mindfulness of Self

Unit 2: Stress, Relaxation, and the Body
Unit 3: Emotions and Thoughts
Unit 4: Forming the Adolescent Identity
Unit 5: Trauma, Addiction, and the Descent

Mindfulness in Relationship

Unit 6:Teaching as Mentorship
Unit 7: Mindful Communication
Unit 8: Social Justice, Intersectionality, and Power

Mindfulness in the World

Unit 9: Play, Culture, and Creative Expression
Unit 10: Nature Awareness
Unit 11: Building Mindful Communities
Unit 12: Livelihood

Prerequisites

To be part of this TT, you’ll need a strong background in the study and practice of mindfulness, including:

• A consistent mindfulness meditation practice for at least three years
• A minimum of 10 days total of teacher-led silent mindfulness meditation retreat practice, including at least one retreat of 5 days or more (e.g., two 5-day retreats, or one 7-day retreat and a 3-day retreat)
• At least three years of experience working with adolescents
• Experience teaching classes or facilitating groups is suggested.

Who this program is FOR…

This program is FOR you if . . .

• You want to make a difference. You care about raising young people who are committed to the planet.
• Your teens are left out. You feel that the mindfulness movement is being directed towards white kids, affluent students, and cultures that don’t include yours.
• You want to dive deep
• You’re looking for community
• You want to build a business or teaching practice with mindfulness as the core.
• You’re ready to step up + invest in yourself. You have more to give + want the tools to do it!

Bring Your Whole Self!

Who this program is NOT for…

This program is NOT for you if you . . .

• Are new to mindfulness practice. We’re so glad you’re fired up about mindfulness AND we believe that effective teaching comes from deep personal practice.
• Aren’t willing to explore vulnerability in a group.
• Want a pre-set curriculum or script for teaching mindfulness..

NOTE: You can’t half-ass this program!!!

This is a graduate-level program that takes investment, vulnerability + a willingness to carve your own path.

What kind of people do this program?

Social workers, musicians, yoga teachers, high school teachers, healers – you name it!

If you’re interested in bringing mindfulness to your school, college or community

OR

You want to deepen your mindfulness practice as a foundation for working with young people

. . . this training is for you.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Public and Private School Educators
• Higher Education Professionals
• Adolescent Counselors & Social Workers
• Health and Wellness Professionals
• Experiential Educators
• Professionals who work with young adults in any capacity

Why learn with us?

Experience. We’ve led thousands of teens and young adults in deep transformative mindfulness programs, and more than 50% of our teens come back. Teens are committed to our programs + they work!

Diverse Faculty. Our faculty brings different cultures, racial backgrounds, + styles to the table.

We’re Leaders in the Field.

Small groups, intimate access to teachers.

Accreditation. We’re the only youth/education-focused IMTA accredited program. This Allows you to become an internationally certified and recognized mindfulness teacher.

Our Approach to Mindfulness Education

We don’t give you a script; we give you a toolbox.

We believe . . .

• that education should teach the HOW, not just the WHAT
• in raising people that are committed to the planet
• that communities + cultures are valuable parts of society
• that mindfulness applies to all areas of life – nothing is outside the range of practice.
• in connection to self, connection to community + connection to the world
• that play is an important part of learning!

Mindfulness – Not just for White People!

In mindfulness meditation in the west, this is something that’s very dominated by white culture. Being able to look up at this team of teachers from diverse backgrounds + ethnicities – that is a huge strength. If none of the teachers looked like me, I don’t think I would have been able to feel comfortable.

– Salomeh G.
iBme TT Graduate

Faculty

Jessica Morey, MA

Jessica Morey, MA

Jessica Morey, MA is the Executive Director of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education(iBme), a nonprofit organization that offers mindfulness meditation retreats for teens, young adults and parents and professionals who work with teens. Jessica began practicing meditation at age 14 on teen retreats offered by the Insight Meditation Society (IMS). She returned every year for 6 years and then participated for 10 years in an IMS young adult mentoring group. Jessica has attended longer retreats (1-3 months) in Asia and the U.S., and is a founding board member and lead teacher for iBme teen retreats. Jessica leads meditation retreats for youth and adults across the country and beyond at leading centers such as the Garrison Institute, Insight Meditation Society, and the Against the Stream Meditation Society along with iBme retreats. Through her work with iBme, Jessica has taught over 40 mindfulness meditation retreats for teenagers, working with over 1000 teens over the past 9 years in immersive secular depth retreats, in addition to leading high school presentations, ongoing and online classes for teens and presentations and trainings for teachers and parents across the country.Her published works range from the chapter ‘Ordinary Awakening’ in Blue Jean Buddha to Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project: Renewable Energy Production in Costa Rica. Her published articles include an article in the February 2014 Mindful Magazine, ‘Finding My Way,’ about her experience learning and benefiting from mindfulness throughout her young adult years and ‘‘Bodhi Trees’ review of Susan Murphy’s book Minding The Earth, Mending The World: Zen And the Art of Planetary Crisis in the November 2014 issue of Shambhala Sun magazine. Her experience of bringing mindfulness into her work and life was described in a 2012 Shambala Sun article ‘Dharma 2.0.’ Jessica is regularly invited to speak and lead workshops at the leading mindfulness conferences across the U.S. including Wisdom 2.0, the Mindful Leader Summit, the UMass Center for Mindfulness Scientific Research Conference, the Omega Mindfulness and Youth Conference, and UCSD’s Bridging Hearts and Minds conference.

Before joining iBme, Jessica worked in clean energy and climate policy and finance. She holds a BA in Environmental Engineering from Dartmouth College and Masters degrees in Sustainable Development and International Affairs.

Khalila Archer

Khalila Archer

Khalila Archer is a mindfulness and yoga instructor with 20+ years of personal practice. Introduced to yoga and meditation in her teen years, she has attended many multi-day silent meditation retreats, including two month-long retreats. Her background includes over a decade as a wilderness educator leading multi-day expeditions for a variety of educational organizations, as well as teaching interdisciplinary curriculum in formal classroom settings and beyond. She holds a B.A. in Adventure-based Environmental Education from Prescott College and over 500 Yoga Teacher Training hours. Khalila teaches meditation retreats for all ages through Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) in both residential settings and remote wilderness environments. Her teaching is grounded in nature awareness and connection, mindfulness meditation as a means for insight, care, and well-being, and social justice praxis that recognizes our interdependence and collective need for freedom. Khalila currently serves on the iBme Board of Directors and is part of the core faculty for the iBme Mindfulness Teacher Training

Charisse Minerva Spencer, MA

Charisse Minerva Spencer, MA

Charisse Minerva Spencer brings to the Mindfulness arena a background in Arts, Science, and Youth Development. She earned a B.S. Degree in Medical Technology from the Medical College of Virginia/VCU. However, her love of the Arts led her to divert her path in order to live her passion for dance and choreography. Later Charisse returned to school to get a Masters in Performance Studies with a concentration in Dance Anthropology from Tisch School of the Arts/New York University. Her eclectic professional experience coupled with more than 30 years of practice in the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist organization led to her interest in Mindfulness. Charisse brings a scientific and artistic approach to the field investigating the existence of contemplative practices, its individual and cultural significance, as well as how these practices can be introduced in ways that are broad-based. She has worked with Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP), Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme), is Mindfulness Coordinator at Friends School of Virginia Beach, and has done workshops in schools, festivals, corporate offices, detention & treatment centers.

Enrique Collazo

Enrique Collazo

Enrique Collazo is a Buddhist meditation teacher and experienced public speaker. Enrique is trained to teach Buddhist meditation by Noah Levine (Dharma Punx). Enrique has also been teaching mindfulness to young people sense 2008. Presently the majority of his work is with youth. Enrique works for Challenge Day during the school year, teaching emotional intelligence and social skills for thousands of young people each year and teaches mindfulness retreats for young people in the summer. He has extensive experience bringing meditative interventions into jails, youth detention centers, and addiction treatment facilities. Enrique believes that one of the key comments so working with young people is by building authentic relationship.

Sara Shapouri

Sara Shapouri

Sara Shapouri is an Iranian-American meditation and mindfulness instructor, artist, musician and lawyer. Sara’s experience with sharing mindfulness and meditation include curriculum development and instruction at Awake Youth Project, a program offering meditation and mentoring to teenagers in Brooklyn, and teaching meditation retreats with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education. She has completed teacher training programs with the Interdependence Project in 2016 and with Inward Bound in 2018. She has also trained in conflict mediation with the New York Center for Interpersonal Development, completed the year-long caregiver training program at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care in 2015, and in 2019 finished the Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy in Complex Trauma training. Sara is currently participating in the Community Dharma Leaders Program through Spirit Rock and is also in the Dharmapala Training through Sacred Mountain Sangha. While she is currently retired from the practice of law but remains committed to social justice, particularly issues related to human rights and children’s rights.

Anthony Maes

Anthony Maes

Anthony “T” Maes found mindfulness during college when struggling with addiction, and it saved his life. He has practiced mindfulness meditation since 2003 including many weeklong and monthlong silent retreats. He’s been teaching teens in mindfulness retreats and weekly class formats since 2009 for various organizations including Spirit Rock and IBME. On retreat he enjoys teaching emotional intelligence, diversity and inclusion, relational mindfulness, multi-racial liberation, and acrobalance. He is a teacher and coordinator of the weekly Teen Sangha meditation group at East Bay Meditation Center. He has worked as a wilderness mentor for middle-school boys with Stepping Stones Project and Back To Earth. He is passionate about supporting college-aged young adults, and has founded a leadership program for “aged out” iBme alumni. “T” graduated from UC Berkeley in 2004, completed the yearlong Commit2Dharma program at East Bay Meditation Center in 2011, and is currently part of the Community Dharma Leaders training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

Zac Ispa-Landa

Zac Ispa-Landa

Zac Ispa-Landa has practiced and studied insight meditation for 13 years and has accumulated over 90 days of silent retreat experience. He is a graduate of the iBme Teacher Training program and has been staffing iBme teen and college retreats since 2017.

He is a senior lecturer in the School of Environment and Natural Resources and a professional affiliate in the Leadership for Sustainability Program at the University of Vermont.

As an ecologist, naturalist, and meditator, Zac has deep respect for interdependence, diversity, complexity, self-organization, compassion, and the healing power of awareness. He is particularly interested in the role contemplative practices can play in undoing systems of oppression and creating conditions for collective liberation and sustainability. In both his professional and personal life, he aspires towards embodied compassion, joy, and wisdom.

Josh Kehler

Josh Kehler

Bio coming soon!

David Treleaven

David Treleaven

David Treleaven, PhD, is a writer, educator, and trauma professional whose work focuses on the intersection of trauma and mindfulness. He is author of the book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing published by W. W. Norton, and currently a visiting research scholar at Brown University. Originally from Toronto, David currently teaches with Generative Somatics, a non-profit organization in Oakland, California, that offers trauma-healing work to social and environmental justice organizers. He’s lectured on trauma-sensitive mindfulness at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and the Omega Institute in New York. Trained in counseling psychology at the University of British Columbia, he received his doctorate in psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is currently a visiting scholar at Brown University.

Rod Owens

Rod Owens

Lama Rod Owens (Mdiv) is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Rod is the co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Lama Rod is also a teacher with the Daishin Zen Buddhist Temple, the Urban Yoga Foundation, Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme), a visiting teacher with Natural Dharma Fellowship and the Brooklyn Zen Center. Lama Rod has been a faculty member for the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s professional education program in mindfulness for educators and has served as a guest faculty member for the school’s course Mindfulness for Educators. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School where he focused on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. He is a co-author of Radical Dharma, Talking Race, Love, and Liberation, which explores race in the context of American Buddhist communities. Lama Rod is a founding teacher for the Awaken meditation app that offers meditations and contemplations focused on social change. He has been published and featured in several publications including Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Spirit Magazine, and contributed the chapter on working with anger for the recent publication Real World Mindfulness for Beginners. He is a regular guest on SiriusXM’s Urban View hosted by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and publisher Karen Hunter. He has offered talks, retreats, and workshops for many organizations and universities including New York University, Yale University, Harvard University, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, Tufts University, University of Vermont, and Boston College. Lama Rod facilitates undoing patriarchy workshops for male identified practitioners in Brooklyn and Boston. His current writing projects include patriarchy in spiritual communities, White supremacy in Tibetan Buddhist communities, sexuality and ethics, as well as fatness and spirituality. Lama Rod’s next book will explore transformative anger and love and is due out June 2019. Lama Rod can be reached at www.lamarod.com.

Doug Worthen

Doug Worthen

Doug Worthen is the Director of Mindfulness Programs at the Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. Since 2010 he has been supporting and educating the Middlesex School community (students, faculty, staff, parents, and alums) in mindfulness. Doug began practicing mindfulness meditation in 1999 as a member of the UVA national championship lacrosse team and has been a dedicated practitioner ever since. Living through two bouts of lymphoma, including a bone marrow transplant in 2007, Doug has also experienced how supportive mindfulness can be when living with illness. Doug has attended several 1-3 month-long mindfulness retreats, a variety of teacher trainings, and is dedicated to supporting other schools in creating full-time mindfulness faculty positions. He regularly staffs iBme retreats and served on the iBme board from 2010–16. You can read about his classes at Middlesex.

Wendy Hasenkamp, PhD

Wendy Hasenkamp, PhD

Wendy Hasenkamp, PhD, currently serves as Science Director at the Mind & Life Institute. Wendy holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University, where her graduate and early postdoctoral training centered around understanding the pathology of schizophrenia, utilizing techniques ranging from single-cell gene expression to psychophysiology, and from cognitive testing to neuroimaging. More recently, growing out of her personal interest in contemplative practice, she used brain imaging to investigate the neural correlates of dynamic cognitive states that occur during focused attention meditation. In her time at Emory, Wendy was central in the development of the Emory Collaborative for Contemplative Studies, organizing an interdisciplinary seminar focused on exploring the application of contemplative practices in our modern society. She also has been involved in developing neuroscience curriculum and teaching Tibetan monastics in India through the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative since 2009; she has taught summer sessions in Dharamsala for two years and is co-author and editor of several neuroscience textbooks developed through this program. Wendy currently teaches contemplative neuroscience for Lesley University’s Masters Program in Mindfulness Studies, and is also the editor of the forthcoming book on the 2013 Mind and Life dialogue with the Dalai Lama in Mundgod, India.

Miki Kashtan

Miki Kashtan

Miki Kashtan is a practical visionary pursuing a world that works for all, based on principles, tools, and systems that support true collaboration without compromising efficiency. Miki co-founded Bay Area Nonviolent Communication and the Center for Efficient Collaboration, and has taught and consulted with individuals and organizations on five continents. She is the author of Reweaving Our Human Fabric and blogs at The Fearless Heart.

JoAnna Hardy

JoAnna Hardy

JoAnna Hardy has been exploring and practicing multiple traditions since 1999. In 2005, her focus landed on Buddhism and Vipassana meditation, which is the premise for most of her current teaching. She teaches; adult and teen weeklong silent retreats, day longs and weekly classes, and works with at risk youth and non at risk youth in institutional and school settings. Helping communities and individuals that don’t typically have access to the traditional dharma settings and building multicultural community is top on her list of priorities. She has been trained in council facilitation with the Ojai Foundation and is an empowered teacher in the Ajahn Chah, Mahasi Sayadaw, Spirit Rock, IMS lineage. She is the grateful mother of CJ and Harris – her main inspirations.

Oren Jay Sofer

Oren Jay Sofer

Oren Jay Sofer teaches Buddhist meditation, mindfulness and Nonviolent Communication nationally. A member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, he holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, and co-author of Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Adolescents. Oren is co-founder of Mindful Healthcare and the founder of Next Step Dharma, an innovative online program that helps meditators integrate their retreat experiences into daily life. Find him on social media @Orenjaysofer

Praise for the Faculty

Shining stars in the field.

“They’re shining stars in the field. I was completely impressed with their teaching acumen. Not only in terms of the history + science of mindfulness, but it’s application in very diverse settings.”

– John B.
iBme TT Graduate

The caliber + quality of the teachers was incredible.

“It was so rich. The caliber + quality of the teachers was incredible. I thought each one of them brought something different to the program. And the proof is in the pudding – meaning that, hearing their teachings and sitting in front of them, you can tell they’ve cultivated a lot of self-awareness through their practice.”

– Salomeh G.
iBme TT Graduate

Hear What Other Students Are Saying…

Truly transformative – both to my own practice and to the way I bring mindfulness to my students.

“This program was truly transformative – both to my own practice and to the way I bring mindfulness to my students and school community. The curriculum was vast and deep, including not simply your business-as-usual mindfulness techniques and protocols, but also an exploration of our relationship to nature, best practices around trauma-informed teaching and mentorship, a firm grounding in the neuroscience of attention, affect, empathy, and compassion. and countless less tangible lessons in wisdom, play, culture, and community. Perhaps the most rewarding part of the training was the profound engagement with the way social and racial justice and anti-racist work intersects with and is reinforced by mindfulness. I’d recommend this course to anyone who works with youth and wants to support them in their work to make a better world for themselves (and for us). Thanks iBme!”

– Adam L.
English Instructor, Marlborough School

Rich, Rigorous, Unapologetically Inclusive

“The rich, rigorous, stimulating curriculum unapologetically inclusive of today’s most urgent issues for teens alongside the structured time for personal practice with the support of a wise and deeply committed teaching team has enriched my life and greatly supported the teaching and facilitating that I do. It’s inspiring to be part of a program that is dedicated to confronting the issues of our world for the benefit of young people, all people and the planet…”

– Valerie S.
Brooklyn Schools teacher, Storytelling Master Practitioner

Helped me connect mindfulness to social justice in a really welcoming way.

“The training helped me connect mindfulness to social justice in a really welcoming way. Before, I just didn’t have the lingo. I was introduced to a whole new way of coming into a space that I wasn’t aware of + hadn’t practiced. iBme TT introduced me to that and showed me the important and benefit of having that awareness.”

– Soroosh V.
Graduate Student, Master of Pastoral Studies, Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy

An expanded view of what mindfulness education can be.

“I’m walking away with an expanded view of what mindfulness education can be. It doesn’t need to be a teacher at the front of the class teaching students how to follow their breath – it can be about play, communication, how to navigate treacherous social situations and make meaningful relationships.”

– Topher S.
Study Abroad Program Director

Personal healing + freedom from a lot of old stories

“I’ve done SO MUCH personal growth over this past year – it’s incredible. It’s had me reflect + revisit areas of my life that I hadn’t in a while. It’s been a lot of personal healing + freedom from a lot of old stories, which is fantastic.”

– Dan V.
Middle School Asst. Principal

Helped me develop the confidence I needed

“The practice teachings helped me develop the confidence that I needed to bring this out into my community. I’ve been meditating for years, but it’s one thing to sit and meditate and another thing to actually go out and teach. The program content was multidisciplinary + holistic – incorporating everything from body awareness to play in the learning cycle. It’s experiential learning, as well as the fundamental sitting practice.”

– John B.
Educator, Consultant

I can be of better service for my students

“Participating in iBME’s inaugural Teacher Training was a profound gift. Being a person that works in schools + an educator, it gave me a deeper dive into myself + my own practice so I can be of better service for my students in helping them navigate in this very unjust world.”

– Salomeh G.
Community Schools Manager

Thriving connections + bonds. . . I feel privileged to be a part of this community.

“The 2019-2020 TT was comprehensive, stimulating, engaging and relevant. The year yielded gifts that were far beyond what I had imagined even in meeting the challenges of Covid. I have used much of the curriculum in the mindfulness community that I teach in with very positive feedback. My own personal practice has expanded and become richer in every way. Finally, the connections I made and the bonds that were forged in our cohort still thrive months after our training officially ended, and this has been a source of continued growth for all of us. Deep bow of gratitude to our core teachers. I feel privileged to be a part of this community.”

– Karen B.
Guiding teacher at Long Island Center for Mindfulness

Opened me up

“This training opened me up to some really important things. It’s helped me look more deeply into important issues that are happening in the world right now, and contemplate how I can share them with my students or anybody! How can we be more thoughtful of others? How can we come back home to ourselves, to our bodies, to nature? How can we incorporate more playfulness into our lives? I was able to take information, turn it around, give it a try + teach it in the classroom – to integrate these practices in a more authentic, holistic way. Mindfulness as a way of life.”

– Pam M.
Educator, Yoga Teacher

An opportunity to go deep, be present + be a resource for young people.

“This program basically created my life as a teacher of mindfulness. It was a great opportunity to go very very deep – in getting to know who I am, how I relate with other people, how the world works, how the brain works . . . It’s given me this wealth of knowledge. It’s made me be able to be present + be a resource for young people.”

– Ingrid K.
Teacher

Robust practice giving and receiving feedback in an openhearted way.

“The entire learning style of the iBme Teacher Training has really influenced my own work teaching and facilitating groups and organizations. The hybrid structure of experience-based learning, small group peer support, and robust practice giving and receiving feedback in an openhearted way really inspired my own pedagogy in teaching Mindfulness and Nonviolent Communication (NVC).”

– Shea R.
Somatic therapist, NVC teacher + Social Justice Activist

Courageous, authentic, compassionate container for growth

“I’ve grown so much through this program. Thank you for guiding me to become a stronger, more grounded mindfulness practitioner, and for teaching me how to bring this to others. I feel so lucky. The courageous, authentic, compassionate vulnerability that you modeled created an amazing container.”

– Gary N.
Social emotional learning coordinator

Gave me the confidence, clarity and optimism I needed to create my own path.

“This teacher training gave me the confidence, clarity and optimism I needed to create my own path as a mindfulness educator. It facilitated a deep, introspective kind of learning for me – helping me explore core questions about why I want to teach mindfulness to young adults specifically, deepening my sense of purpose and clarifying my personal and professional aspirations. That clarity and resolve has been the fuel that’s gotten me through the hurdles of the past two years, working in a field that still feels emergent and is sometimes met with skepticism or resistance by those who aren’t familiar with mindfulness practice and its benefits.”

– Nina B.
Mindfulness Director at Mindfulness Director Initiative + Director of Wellness at Harvard College

FAQs

If you have any additional questions, please contact us at teachertraining@ibme.com.

Why is iBme offering a mindfulness teacher training program?

Do you offer tuition assistance?

Is there an application fee?

When will I know if I’m accepted?

How many people will the program be open to?

Is there a set curriculum to implement in schools and youth settings?

Is this training appropriate for people who are working in non-educational contexts, such as hospitals or youth detention facilities?

What does the mentoring consist of?

What does the curriculum consist of between retreats, and what kind of learning activities does it include?

Is the training based on a specific meditation lineage?

The application requires that I list my meditation teacher. What if I don’t have a meditation teacher?

Will this training prepare me to become an iBme teacher on a teen & young adult retreat?

Are there recommended retreat centers to meet the prerequisites?

What if I don’t teach youth? Is this TT still for me?

Will this program be offered again?