Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program

ADMISSIONS

How Do I Apply?

COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM

Apply now to set up your application account and fill out the application form. You can save your form and come back to it if you need more time. Make sure you have reviewed the information about the admissions requirements and prerequisites. If you have not yet completed these prerequisites, please submit your application anyway. If accepted, you will have until June 30, 2025, to complete them. In your application, you will be able to select your preference from various tuition payment plan options.

PAY YOUR DEPOSIT

After you complete the application form, you will pay a $50 deposit to submit your application. Your deposit is nonrefundable.

RECEIVE YOUR ACCEPTANCE STATUS

If your application is accepted, you will be automatically enrolled in the program and your credit card will be charged the amount of the first payment of the payment plan you selected minus the application fee. If you are accepted and enrolled in the program and you later wish to cancel for any reason, you must notify mmtcp@soundstrue.com in writing by October 31, 2024, for a full refund of tuition paid to date.

After October 31 2024, cancellation requests and refund requests will not be accepted except in cases of medical necessity or emergency, with proper documentation. There will be at least a 15% cancellation fee.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Final Date to Submit an Application: February 7, 2025
Program Begins: February 2025

Prerequisites Completion Due: June 30, 2025

Am I Qualified To Participate?

Admissions Requirements

You are eligible to apply if you have:

A love for mindfulness and meditation and a desire to serve others through teaching
Practiced meditation for a minimum of two years and maintain a regular practice
Completed—or will complete prior to June 30, 2025—the two prerequisites

The emotional and spiritual maturity to inquire into your own growth areas and receive constructive feedback

The awareness and willingness to reflect on your social conditioning around race, gender, socioeconomic class, ability, and other dimensions of identity and how this conditioning can impact others

Prerequisites

PREREQUISITES NEEDED

There are two prerequisites needed to begin the program. If you have not completed these prerequisites, please submit your application anyway. If accepted, you will have until June 30, 2025, to complete these requirements.

The Power of Awareness training:

Complete The Power of Awareness online course

One approved vipassana or Insight meditation retreat (select one of two options):

One in-person, residential, four-night or five-day, silent meditation retreat in the style of Insight or vipassana meditation

One online retreat from the list of MMTCP-approved online retreats

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PREREQUISITES

The Power of Awareness

The Power of Awareness online course by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. The Power of Awareness is a self-paced online course created by Jack and Tara and offered several times per year (registration is only offered once every seven or eight weeks). We highly recommend registering for the next session of the course, which will help you move toward meeting the prerequisites. Register here.

This updated learning experience provides you with all of the tools and training you need—21 hours of teachings in total—to develop and, even more importantly, sustain a daily awareness practice using mindfulness meditation. It is the foundational course for becoming a mindfulness teacher.

Silent Retreat

Choose one of the following two options:

Jack and Tara want to ensure that all MMTCP students begin the program with the shared experience of participating in a silent retreat that is grounded in the vipassana (Insight meditation) practices that you will be teaching. This silent form of retreat builds a depth of concentration and mindfulness that can be particularly powerful and transformative.

In-Person Retreat Option

In-person retreats must meet the following criteria to be approved:

Held in silence (other than teaching sessions)
Minimum of 5 days/4 nights in residence at the retreat location
In the tradition of vipassana or Insight meditation

Online Retreat Option

If you are unable to participate in an in-person retreat or you prefer to complete your retreat online, you must choose a retreat from the list of MMTCP-approved online retreats.

Organizations and meditation centers that often offer approved in-person retreats around the world can be found via an Internet search, or you can review the list of MMTCP-approved online retreats. An example of some retreat centers that often host these types of retreats are Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Community of Washington, Insight Meditation Society, Insight Retreat Center, or Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, to name a few.

Retreats are subject to approval, and you are responsible for making sure your chosen retreat meets the prerequisite requirements. If there are any questions as to whether the retreat you are considering meets the requirements, please send a description of the retreat, dates, number of days, teachers, and a website link to mmtcp@soundstrue.com. We are happy to review the details to ensure they meet the criteria.