I have completed two mindfulness teacher training courses. From these courses, I’ve transitioned into and grown as a full-time teacher. I learnt techniques and curriculum, communicating and guiding, classroom management, and the importance of embodiment and personal practice.
1. Mindful Schools, Oakland, California
My first course was the 1-year certification course with Mindful Schools back in 2013. I was excited with the prospect of teaching my own children (the youngest then was only 10 years old). I had attended a 10-day mindfulness retreat and unexpectedly healed from stress. As a parent, I can imagine the trajectory my children will be following into adulthood: responsibilities, deadlines and stress. I wanted them to be able to thread water when thrown into the deep end of situations.
I wondered why such a skill wasn’t taught in schools. I attempted to guide my children based on what I had learnt from the retreat. I failed. My kids were bored and confused. I decided to seek formal training. Mindful Schools impressed me with the four pillars of their instructor program: curriculum, science, classroom facilitation, and personal practice. It had developed (and refined) lesson plans for primary and secondary school-going students. They were very comprehensive and well-thought through.
I learnt to keep lessons short and catchy for children. Their developing attention span, reinforced with an instant digital lifestyle, is limited and requires regular stimulation. Since mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment, I keep lessons fresh by focusing on different senses such hearing and seeing. Connecting the lesson to a trending content from social media helps make the awareness training relevant.
2. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, University of Massachusetts (UMass)
The other mindfulness teacher training course was to be a qualified teacher for the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. I received regular requests from companies to share about mindfulness. Participants asked about stress management and sleeping better at night. My sessions could benefit from relating with adult issues.
Choosing to study with UMass Centre for Mindfulness was a no-brainer. I wanted to learn directly from the horse’s mouth. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn designed and introduced MBSR at UMass Medical Center back in 1979. The MBSR Teacher Training courses provided the rigour of formal education. There were textbooks, study groups, discussions and presentations to fellow teachers. Peers and senior trainers gave feedback. We learnt about pacing, relating, and even sustaining a conducive environment. We honed and discovered our own teacher voice. It took me two years to be a qualified MBSR teacher.
Continuous improvement
Improving my teaching skills is an on-going effort. Fellow teachers from these training schools actively reach out for help with a challenge, for feedback, or just to garner ideas.
During the COVID lockdown, I got trained to teach .b by the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP), the most established provider of mindfulness training for schools in UK.
To support clients with more psychological strategies, I’ve also completed courses on mindfulness-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), one of which was conducted by ACT founder, Dr. Steven Hayes.
When possible, I attend classes led by other teachers. I get to experience how their content, language and connection make a difference. I keep up with new developments by reading extensively, watching videos, and attending ongoing professional development courses.
Next steps: Happy to share with you, so get in touch! I taught my first class back in 2014. Experience first-hand by attending a public class, arrange for a private session, or plan for a corporate workshop.
