The Awareness Training Institute  
and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley present

The Mindfulness Meditation
Teacher Certification Program

A Two-Year Training Program for Teaching Awareness and Compassion-Based Practices

with Jack Kornfield & Tara Brach

The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program

Join the Waitlist to be notified when
Applications Open on February 22, 2022

A Personal Letter from
Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach

Dear fellow meditator,

It is a great pleasure to announce the opening of enrollment in our two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program.

The program combines our best and most creative teaching, offering a wonderful and thorough training in mindfulness, lovingkindness, and compassion for those who want to teach. Our first group came from 16 countries and has become a vibrant and creative community.

The first three programs filled to capacity, so we encourage those interested not to miss this chance to enroll. Join the waitlist today to ensure your spot in this training, which includes two very special live virtual teaching events. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come basis, beginning February 22, 2022.

This Teacher Certification Program through the Awareness Training Institute has been in the making for over 30 years. We have seen a need for more qualified mindfulness meditation teachers to support the growing popularity of mindfulness, self-compassion, and meditation. By joining this training, you will become part of a worldwide movement of people dedicated to bringing mindfulness meditation to local and global communities and people from all walks of life who are committed to mindful living.

Our certification program has both psychological and spiritual depth. It combines powerful online learning, as well as online training sessions with guest teachers such as Eckhart Tolle, Dan Siegel, Kristin Neff, and many more. Our program will begin and end with live virtual events featuring Jack, Tara, and many of our mentors and guest faculty. These online events will include small breakout sessions, live Q&A sessions, and opportunities for one-to-one connections to virtually meet other students from around the globe. You can participate from anywhere in the world, and all sessions will be recorded and available for playback if you need to watch some sessions at a later time.

By joining us to become

a certified mindfulness meditation teacher,

you will:

  • Learn how to teach mindfulness meditation with tools for body, heart, mind, and community
  • Train to teach practices of compassion, lovingkindness, forgiveness, and joy
  • Develop skills for leading groups and classes and guiding students
  • Receive ongoing professional mentoring (individual and group) offered throughout the two-year training by an international group of highly respected meditation teachers
  • Participate in two virtual weekend events to connect with your fellow aspiring teachers
  • Gain skills that apply mindfulness and self-compassion to relationships, conflict, trauma, organizational wisdom, and societal change
  • Grow and deepen your spiritual path
  • Join a stimulating network of peers—a vibrant international community of mindfulness teachers around the world

Upon completion of the program, you will be certified by both the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Continuing Education credits will also be available.

This is going to be an extraordinary training and experience. By doing your own meditation work and then by helping others do the same, you will be making a significant contribution to the evolution of your own being as well as helping shift the consciousness of humanity to a wiser and more compassionate level.

We hope you can join us!

With much appreciation,

Jack Kornfield & Tara Brach

P.S. To learn more, watch the video below where we discuss our vision for this program with Tami Simon, Founder of Sounds True.

Program Features

  • Two years of in-depth study
  • Two virtual events with breakout sessions, live Q&A sessions, and opportunities for one-to-one connections
  • Individual and group mentoring with highly qualified mentors selected by Jack and Tara
  • Practice groups with your peers
  • Online video and audio learning
  • Additional broadcasts with Tara, Jack, and guest faculty
  • Self-designed Practicum program
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training woven in to the curriculum

MEET YOUR TEACHERS

Jack Kornfield

Jack Kornfield, has been teaching meditation globally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness practices to the West. He is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His 16 books have sold 1.5 million copies. He is a father, husband, and holds a PhD in clinical psychology.

Tara Brach

Tara Brach holds a PhD in clinical psychology and teaches meditation internationally. Founder and senior teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC (IMCW), Tara is the author of the bestselling Radical Acceptance and her latest book, Radical Compassion. Tara’s weekly podcasts are downloaded over 2 million times each month.

GUEST FACULTY

During the training, we will invite several colleagues to serve as guest teachers. You will also have the opportunity to learn from a range of renowned senior meditation teachers such as:

Eckhart Tolle

Dan Siegel

Konda Mason

Kristin Neff

Van Jones

Tim Ryan

Teja Bell

George Mumford

Joanna Macy

Peter Levine

Sylvia Boorstein

Larry Yang

Rick Hanson

Judson Brewer

Anne Cushman

Jonathan Foust

Trudy Goodman

Christiane Wolf

JoAnna Hardy

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

The Mentorship program is a critical and fulfilling part of your journey in The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. Small Mentor Groups and one highly-qualified Mentor provide you the opportunity for creating lasting connections with your peers while you refine your skills with a seasoned and experienced guide. Our Mentors were hand-selected by Jack and Tara through an application and review process, and most have trained directly with Jack and Tara to become meditation teachers.

THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM, YOUR MENTOR WILL:

  • Facilitate monthly mentoring group calls with a small group of up to 6 students
  • Hold individual Mentor calls to support your specific needs as a teacher in training (3 over the course of the program)
  • Follow a set Mentor program curriculum carefully designed by Jack and Tara to build your teaching skills
  • Provide feedback for students as they exercise their skill building in these sessions
  • Wholeheartedly encourage and support the aspiration and intention of each student
  • Guide and support students to become certified teachers of awareness
  • Serve as role models in leading compassion-based practices for students to share in their own communities

Anne Cushman

The mentorship program is led by Anne Cushman. Anne has been integrating mindfulness practice, embodied meditation, and creative expression for over 35 years. She is a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where she founded a multi-year dharma training for yoga teachers. She is the author of the memoir The Mama Sutra, the novel Enlightenment for Idiots, the mindful yoga book Moving Into Meditation, and the India pilgrimage guide From Here to Nirvana; and her essays on spiritual practice in daily life have appeared in the New York Times, Yoga Journal, O: The Oprah Magazine, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, and many other publications. She teaches regular meditation retreats with a focus on creativity and embodied practice. For more, visit annecushman.com.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

The mindfulness teacher training curriculum includes understanding the transformational principles underlying meditation, exploring the interface of meditation with Western psychology and cutting-edge science, developing teaching skills, and receiving guidance on how to establish classes and workshops. 

specific content includes:

core-practices-photo

Core Practices:

Develop your practice with mindfulness, body scans, mindful movement, concentration, inquiry, open awareness, and heart meditations

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Training in the domains of mindfulness:

Practice awareness as it relates to our body, feelings, emotions, and mind states

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Current research:

Establish a familiarity with research findings and current literature on the effects of meditation

skill-building-photo

Skill-building lessons:

Develop skills and confidence in giving talks, conducting individual and small group sessions with students, and responding to questions

teaching-emotional-photo

Teachings on emotional suffering:

Learn about its origins from a perspective of evolutionary psychology and understand how to find deep healing, happiness, and freedom in our lives

meditating-heart-photo

Meditating with the heart:

Practice meditations to cultivate forgiveness, compassion, lovingkindness, joy, and peace

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Transformational applications:

Apply meditation to address physical pain, emotional challenges, trauma, relational difficulties, and interpersonal conflict

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Mindful movement:

Complement sitting practices by bringing awareness to movement and engage with a somatic experience of meditation

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Mindfulness and reverence for life:

Approach life from an ethical and virtuous perspective

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Engaged spirituality:

Allow mindfulness and compassion to transform consciousness, leading us to actively engage with healing our earth’s environment as well as social injustice, racism, violence, and other expressions of suffering in our world

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Cultivating community:

Learn to both design and promote classes and workshops in order to create a community of dedicated learners

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The ethics of teaching:

Understand and learn to handle ethical issues in teaching and the student-teacher relationship

”The spiritual path is not a solo endeavor. We are in it together and the company of spiritual friends helps us realize our interconnectedness.”

—Tara Brach

praise for jack and tara

“Drawing on the latest findings in neuroscience as well as ten more years of personal experience on the path of awakening, Tara Brach’s superb second book brings readers ever more deeply in touch with our true nature. This book is a precious gift, filled with insight, shared from heart to heart.”

—Thich Nhat Hanh

“What an extraordinary mind is Jack Kornfield’s. Curious by nature and brightly shining from birth, tempered by suffering, both personal and worldly …”

—Alice Walker


 

“Tara Brach writes and teaches with an open and loving heart. She reminds us that we each have the capacity to connect to ourselves and others in a deep and lasting way.”

—Sharon Salzberg

“[Jack] is a very good friend and in many ways my mentor … I read his book A Path with Heart . . . and it literally changed my life.”

—Bill Ford


“Tara shows us an awakened intelligence and kindness that are a radical freedom in themselves.”

—Richard Freeman


“[Jack] brings to life a way to understand and cultivate mindfulness, compassion, lovingkindness, and true wisdom…”

—Jon Kabat-Zinn

Why Become a Certified
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher?


Teaching as a Powerful Gateway to Mastery
: Learning to share these practices and teachings with others will profoundly deepen your understanding and direct realization on the path.


Supporting Others in Healing and Awakening
: There is genuine gratification in being able to support others in their healing, personal growth, and spiritual awakening. By offering these teachings, you are contributing both to individual well-being and also to the need for greater global consciousness and the healing of our world.


Right Livelihood: Many of us wish to align our way of earning a living with our deepest values. Teaching mindfulness has the potential to contribute in a wholesome way to your own livelihood. The demand for meditation instruction is increasing not only among the general public, but also for those involved in education, business, nonprofit organizations, communications, health, prisons, mental health, and addiction counseling.


The Blessings of Community
: Participation in ATI’s teacher training will give you the opportunity to learn and grow spiritually in an international community of like-minded, dedicated practitioners. Your emerging local and virtual network will give you enormous support in your personal and professional growth.


Certification: With successful completion of this teacher training program, you will receive a certificate from ATI, and our partner, the University of California at Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. This credential will support you in establishing meditation classes, workshops, and trainings in communities, organizations, and institutions throughout the world.

”To begin to meditate is to look into our lives with interest and kindness and discover how to be wakeful and free.”

—Jack Kornfield

HOW IS THE PROGRAM ORGANIZED?​

Didactic
Teaching

Guided
Meditations

Special
Broadcasts

Practice Group
Meetings

Mentorship

Two In‑Person Events

During the program, you will engage in:

  • Two live, virtual weekend events featuring Jack, Tara, and many of our mentors and guest faculty. These online events will include small breakout sessions, live Q&A sessions, and opportunities for one-to-one connections to virtually meet other students from around the globe. You can participate from anywhere in the world, and all sessions will be recorded and available for playback if you need to watch some sessions at a later time.
  • Online video and audio learning—an in-depth curriculum designed and taught by Tara and Jack
  • Individual and group mentorship—mentorship sessions with highly qualified instructors to help address your personal questions and growth areas
  • Group practice sessions—opportunities to connect with your peers for feedback and support
  • Additional broadcasts with Jack, Tara, or special guest faculty—presented throughout the program, these additional online teachings from Tara, Jack, and special guest faculty will support your continued growth and development
  • Practicum—During your second year, you will engage in a Practicum where you initiate mindfulness classes in your local area to share and demonstrate your growing skill set. During this time, you will be supported by monthly teachings and broadcasts, monthly mentoring, and Peer Group meetings.

ABOUT THE LIVE EVENTS

As part of the program, you are invited to join Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, and special guest presenters for a virtual, live retreat.

Can’t make it to the live event? The retreat will be available for replay if you miss the livestream.

During the event, you will have a chance to meet many of your peers and build relationships within the community.

Opening Event Weekend
February 19–21, 2021*

Friday, February 19  8:00 PM – 9:30 PM  ET
Saturday, February 20  10:00 AM – 7:30 PM  ET
Sunday, February 21  10:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET

* All virtual event days will be recorded and available for replay in the learning management system.

“If every 8-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.”

—DALAI LAMA

Certificate of Completion

All participants who finish The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program will receive a certificate of completion from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Sounds True, and the Awareness Training Institute.


The Awareness Training Institute created The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program in partnership with the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC), which studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society. Based at the University of California, Berkeley, the GGSC is unique in its commitment to both science and practice: It not only sponsors groundbreaking scientific research but also helps people apply this research to their personal and professional lives.

While The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program does offer a certificate of completion and Continuing Education credits, please note that it does not offer any credits or a degree from the University of California.

applying to the program

Am I Qualified to Participate?
The basic criteria for enrolling in ATI’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program is a love for meditation, a regular meditation practice, previous experience in mindfulness or meditation, and a commitment to serving others. 

You are eligible to apply if you have: 

  • Practiced meditation for a minimum of two years and maintain a regular practice
  • Received a letter of recommendation from a meditation or spiritual teacher who knows you
  • A genuine interest in mindfulness meditation and a commitment to learn and grow
  • Completed or intend to complete the following two prerequisites:
    • Completed or will have completed by February 2023 the ATI Power of Awareness online course taught by Tara and Jack. You can purchase and take this online course through Sounds True here.
    • Complete a qualifying retreat either online or in person:
      • Online retreats must be selected from this list of approved online retreats. Check back or contact us for updates to this list.
    • In-person retreats must be a six-night, residential, silent, mindfulness meditation retreat in the style of Insight or Vipassana (excluding Goenka) meditation.
      • Retreats that most often will meet the prerequisite requirements will be offered by Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Community of Washington, Insight Meditation Society, Insight Retreat Center, Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, or Big Bear Retreat Center.
      • Retreats in other traditions and styles will not be accepted as fulfilling the prerequisite requirement; however, we will take them into account when considering your overall fitness for the program.

What Is Required to Receive Certification?
Students who successfully graduate from the program will have: 

  • fulfilled all prerequisites
  • completed all online course modules
  • participated fully in each aspect of the course offerings
  • regularly attended mentorship and Peer Group meetings
  • completed the Practicum requirements
  • passed a final exam
  • received final approval from their Mentor

Questions? We are here for you! 

Email us at admissions-mmtcp@soundstrue.com.

WHAT IS THE TUITION?

Admissions Tuition
$7,700 inclusive of a $50 deposit due when you submit your application

Affordable payment plan options will be available. Details will be forthcoming.

Tuition plans include: program components; access to the online Portal and communities; coursework; video, audio, and written lessons; admission to two live virtual events or livestream/on-demand access; monthly group Mentor sessions; 3 private Mentor sessions; and administrative support

What’s not included in tuition: required books from required or optional reading list (text books); additional private sessions with Mentor (can be purchased separately)

Is Financial Support Available?

The Awareness Training Institute and Sounds True are offering a limited number of partial scholarships based on true financial need and commitment to teaching in your community. Please do not apply for a scholarship unless you have true financial need. To apply for a scholarship:

Pay a refundable deposit due at the time of application
Submit your application and teacher recommendation.
Please check the box on your application where indicated to request a scholarship application. Only applicants who have completed the application in full and have been accepted to the program will be considered for a scholarship. The scholarship deadline is August 31, 2022.

Can I Get CEUs for This Training?

Yes. Continuing Education Units will be offered. More details will be announced at a later time. 

Important Dates
and Deadlines

Applications Due:
August 31, 2022

MMTCP begins:
February 21, 2023

The Power of Awareness registration deadlines (for those still needing to fulfill this prerequisite):

The Power of Awareness: Summer Session
Registration opens July 26, 2021
Course begins September 13, 2021

The Power of Awareness: Fall Session
Registration opens September 14, 2021
Course begins November 1, 2021

Register Now for The Power of Awareness

HOW DO I APPLY?

PAY YOUR DEPOSIT
Click on Apply Now to set up your application account and pay your deposit.  Your deposit is fully refundable if you are not accepted into the program or if you choose not to enroll. 

COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM
After you have paid your deposit, you will be taken to 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 program prerequisites. If you have not yet completed these prerequisites, please submit your application anyway. If accepted, you will have until February 2023 to complete them. 

UPLOAD A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
After you’ve completed the application, you will be directed to upload a letter of recommendation from a meditation or spiritual teacher or counselor. You can save your application and come back to upload your letter of recommendation at a later time if needed. 

IF ACCEPTED, ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM
Once your application is complete and has been reviewed, you will be contacted via email about the status of your application. You will be notified about your status within approximately two weeks of submitting your application. If accepted, you can auto-enroll:

    • Auto-Enroll Confirm where indicated on your application that, if accepted, you would like to be auto-enrolled. If you select this option, we will save your credit card securely on file and charge the first payment of your chosen payment plan to enroll you in the program and reserve your seat. 

If you are accepted into the program, you will receive information on how to begin the program, which will start in February 2023. 

This program is likely to sell out. Please apply as soon as possible. 

Applications are available beginning February 2022! 

Questions? We are here for you! 

Email us at admissions-mmtcp@soundstrue.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Program Questions:

The program officially begins with the opening retreat held February 2023. The Mentor Group calls and weekly curriculum will begin following the retreat. There will be one or two optional online orientation sessions and an introductory session online with guest faculty in January/February 2023 prior to the start of the program.

Each student will have their own working style, so the amount of time spent on the program will vary from person to person. Each week there will be a 30–45 minute video lesson as well as associated readings and journal entries. You will also have a monthly mentorship call and a monthly meeting with your practice group that will be 90–120 minutes. The program is designed to give you the depth and experience needed to become a well-trained meditation teacher while also working within your busy schedule. As with any program of this nature, you will get out of it what you put into it. Based on input from previous cohorts of students, we can estimate up to 2 hours per week plus your monthly mentorship and Peer Group calls. 

We share in your excitement for the start of the program and appreciate your desire to be prepared. Please start by fulfilling any prerequisites you may need before the start of the program in February 2023. In addition, continue with your daily practice and consider connecting with a teacher or Insight Meditation community in your area to deepen your practice.  If you haven’t done so already, we encourage students to read Tara Brach’s Radical Acceptance and Jack Kornfield’s The Wise Heart. Parts of these books will be on the required reading list during the program.

During the program, you will engage in:

  • Two live, virtual weekend events with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield—an integral part of your training, these four-day (Thursday evening–Sunday Noon) weekend events give you the chance to be present with Jack, Tara, special guest faculty, and many of your fellow students for further learning and connection. Events can be viewed via livestream or replayed.  
  • Online video and audio learning—an in-depth curriculum designed and taught by Tara and Jack.
  • Individual and group mentorship—mentorship sessions with highly qualified instructors to help address your personal questions and growth areas.
  • Group practice sessions—opportunities to connect with your peers for feedback and support.
  • Additional broadcasts with Jack, Tara, or special guest faculty—presented throughout the program, these additional online teachings from Tara, Jack, and special guest faculty will support your continued growth and development .
  • Practicum—During your second year, you will engage in a Practicum where you initiate mindfulness classes in your local area to share and demonstrate your growing skill set. During this time, you will be supported by monthly teachings and broadcasts, monthly mentoring, and Peer Group meetings.
  • Mindfulness techniques, including: body scans, mindful movement, concentration, inquiry, open awareness, heart meditations
  • Awareness as it relates to our body, feelings, emotions, and states of mind
  • The effects of meditation (research and statistics)
  • Skills and confidence in giving talks, conducting individual and small group sessions with students, and responding to questions
  • Origins of emotional suffering from a perspective of evolutionary psychology and teachings on understanding how to find deep healing, happiness, and freedom in our lives
  • Meditations to cultivate forgiveness, compassion, lovingkindness, joy, and peace
  • How to apply meditation to address physical pain, emotional challenges, trauma, relational difficulties, and interpersonal conflict
  • Bringing awareness to movement and engaging with a somatic experience of meditation
  • Allowing mindfulness and compassion to transform consciousness, leading us to actively engage with healing our earth’s environment as well as social injustice, racism, violence, and other expressions of suffering in our world
  • How to design and promote classes and workshops in order to create a community of dedicated learners
  • How to handle ethical issues in teaching and the student-teacher relationship

We are currently planning on offering this course again in 2023. Please look for registration to begin in spring of 2022. 

Jack and Tara’s vision in creating this program was to seed the world with qualified meditation teachers and leave this legacy for the world. We have received tremendous interest in the program, and we are fortunate to be able to meet that interest for qualified applicants only given the online format of the program. Since the first cohort of the program began in 2017, we have received a total of nearly 7,000 applications and have accepted 1,700 of those applicants to be students in either cohort 1 or cohort 2. The current cohort is 2,400 students strong with 70 countries represented. In February of 2022, we will be enrolling for the class of 2025 and anticipate 1,200–2,000 students will meet the criteria to enroll worldwide. It is exciting to see the diversity of students the online format will allow us to serve. Our new students and graduates are forming a remarkable worldwide professional community and network of teachers.

With that being said, we are absolutely committed to keeping the mentorship groups small and intimate. Each Mentor Group will be made up of six students and one highly qualified Mentor, allowing for an individualized and in-depth experience within the program. You will have the benefit of being part of that small professional learning community over the course of the two years  and also have access to the broader worldwide network to connect with. Truly, it is the best of both worlds.

This course will offer Continuing Education Units for mental health professionals and counselors. For a list of professions that accept these CE credits, visit this site. We will have final information on the number of approved credits later this year, however, we are happy to share that our live (first cohort of students) offering of this course was awarded 40+ CEUs. The CEU’s will be available for purchase for all students but will only apply in the USA. If you do purchase them, you can petition any non-USA entity to see if they will be accepted.

The digital certificate will be awarded through the Awareness Training Institute, Sounds True, and the Greater Good Science Center.  

The Greater Good Science Center is affiliated with and based at the University of California at Berkeley; however, the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program does not award any University of California credits or count toward any degree programs offered by the University of California system.

Charges will appear as from the Awareness Training Institute, which is Jack and Tara’s professional learning organization managed by Sounds True.

The International Mindfulness Teachers Association is a very young organization. Jack and Tara are on the board of this newly formed association.

MMTCP is certified by IMTA to meet most of their eligibility requirements. It does not meet all of the requirements, but I can be counted toward the requirements. Please reference https://imta.site-ym.com/page/accreditation to see the full requirements. Graduates who wish to be certified by IMTA after graduating from MMTCP will need to fulfill additional hours of teaching to receive the certification. The vast majority of requirements for IMTA are met by the MMTCP program.

Application and Enrollment: 

The deposit is fully refundable until you are accepted into the program and you enroll by initiating tuition payments. Once you choose to enroll or if you select to auto-enroll upon acceptance, the deposit becomes nonrefundable. If you are not accepted into the program, your deposit will be refunded in full.  

If you enroll in the program and wish to cancel, you must notify Sounds True in writing, for a full refund of tuition paid to date minus the deposit and applicable credit card and transaction fees.

Cancellation requests and tuition refund requests will not be accepted after the start of the program, except in cases of medical necessity or emergency. 

A refundable deposit of $50 is required to begin the application process. Once your deposit is received, you will be able to start your application. The deposit is fully refundable until you are accepted. Upon acceptance you will be automatically enrolled through the initiation of your selected payment plan. At that point, the deposit becomes nonrefundable. If you are not accepted into the program, your deposit will be refunded in full.   

The early-bird tuition is $7,700 through June 1, 2022. Payment plans include a three-month interest free option, a 12-month plan, and a 24-month plan.

Tuition plans include: program components; access to the online Portal and communities; coursework; video, audio, and written lessons; admission to two livestream/on-demand events; monthly group Mentor sessions; 3 private Mentor sessions; and administrative support.

Books from required or optional reading list (text books); additional private sessions with Mentor (can be purchased separately).

The Awareness Training Institute and Sounds True are offering a limited number of partial scholarships based on true financial need and commitment to teaching in your community. Please do not apply for a scholarship unless you have true financial need. To apply for a scholarship:

  • Pay a refundable deposit due at the time of application.
  • Submit your application and teacher recommendation.
  • Please check the box on your application where indicated to request a scholarship application. Only applicants who have completed the application in full and have been accepted to the program will be considered for a scholarship.
Congratulations on starting your application for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program!   Please return to your Regpack account and click on the “Log in” button in the upper right hand side of your screen. Please note, applicants have experienced challenges with Safari. Please consider logging in using Firefox or Chrome.  If you have any trouble accessing your account, please let us know at admissions-mmtcp@soundstrue.com.  We are happy to help.

The letter of recommendation can come from a teacher, coach, mentor, or therapist that you have worked with. We hope this flexibility offers you some options for consideration. The letter should provide a clear sense that you have worked with this person and that he/she believes you have the skills and character necessary to practice as a mindfulness meditation teacher.  Ideally, the letter would point to your qualities that best suit you for this role. Overall, the letter should express an endorsement of your preparedness to learn how to teach mindfulness meditation to others. Please ask the person writing the letter to include their contact information should we need to reach out to them to make our decision.

Yes, you can! The application and admissions process has been modified and updated since the previous enrollment periods. As a result, all applicants will need to complete the application process again. New policies, review and admissions procedures, and admissions requirements are articulated throughout the application, which will require your review and acknowledgment. 

Yes, you can!  However, you will need to submit a new application in 2024 when enrollment opens again, noting that you are applying on deferred acceptance. Tuition rates and policies are subject to change between cohorts, so we cannot guarantee that rates will be the same in the next round. You can only defer acceptance to the next enrollment cycle, after which you will need to reapply as a regular candidate. 

Teaching mindfulness requires self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills.  This does not mean that struggles with difficult emotions, addictions, or relationships are considered a “problem.” Life challenges can actually serve our maturing, understanding, and compassion for others. Since people often come to meditation for help with their suffering and struggles, the questions are aimed at gaining a sense of how aware and equipped each candidate will be in responding to the difficulties that arise in their own lives and that they will encounter among their students.

Mentorship Program:

The mentorship program consists of a monthly, 90-minute call with a group of 6 students and a highly qualified Mentor to collectively discuss program material and practice exercises together. It is a critical part of your training to become a teacher and will provide you with support and community as you move through the program. Participants will be with the same Mentor and the same small group of students for the duration of the program.

Each student will be assigned to a mentoring group with a highly qualified Mentor hand-selected by Jack and Tara. The Mentor Groups meet monthly via Zoom and will cover specific content, curriculum, and skill-building exercises. The Mentor’s role is to support you, in groups and individually, and to provide you with caring feedback to help foster your understanding and growth. Mentors act as teachers and guides to you throughout the program and will be observing your progress and offering feedback along the way. In your mentoring groups, all students will have to demonstrate core competencies such as skill in giving talks on mindfulness subjects, offering guided meditations, and answering student questions. All participants receive three 1:1 mentoring calls with their assigned Mentor over the course of the program. Additional 1:1 mentoring can be scheduled through your Mentor but is not included in the curriculum of this program.

Before the program begins, all enrolled students will be contacted with an opportunity to sign up for your mentorship group. You’ll pick from a list of Mentor Groups. You will enroll in a group with a Mentor you choose. Each group listing will include the Mentor and the days/time of the groups that will work for you on a monthly basis. Participants will come from all over the world, so calls will be offered at many times throughout the day in several different time zones. 

Yes. Mentor selection will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis once the Mentor Group enrollment opens in the fall of 2022. All of our Mentors are well-qualified mindfulness teachers who have been selected by Jack and Tara. If your preferred Mentor’s Groups fill up before you can enroll, please rest assured that all of the Mentors are top-notch and experts in their field. Part of the criteria for your participation as a future mindfulness teacher is having the flexibility and maturity to learn and grow within these parameters. Before the opening virtual event in February 2023, students will have the opportunity to view Mentor schedules and choose a monthly time and Mentor that is most likely to fit their schedule and needs for the following two years.

Prerequisites:

There are two prerequisites that admitted students will need to complete prior to the start of the program in February 2023. 

  1.     The Power of Awareness online course by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach

    If you have not completed this requirement and you are accepted on contingency, you will be sent information on how to complete the course before February 2023. 
  2.     One meditation retreat that meets the following criteria:
  • a minimum of 6 nights in residence
  • held in noble silence
  • taught in Vipassana or Insight Meditation (excluding Goenka) traditions

If there are any questions as to whether the retreat you are considering or have attended in the past meets the requirement, please list the retreat below. We are happy to review the details to ensure they meet the criteria.

Retreats that most often will meet the prerequisite requirements will be offered by Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Community of Washington, Insight Meditation Society, Insight Retreat Center, Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, or Big Bear Retreat Center.

If you have not completed a qualifying silent retreat and are unsure if you will be able to attend a retreat before the program begins in February 2023, please continue to submit your application. Highly qualified applicants with special circumstances may be accepted upon contingency and given an extension to complete the retreat requirement by January 2023. Please continue your application and let us know your circumstances.

Yes. Tara and Jack would like all students, regardless of their background, to participate in The Power of Awareness as it is an excellent example of the type of teaching you will be doing and provides a solid review of essential fundamentals. It is important that we keep the prerequisites consistent for all of our applicants, and we encourage even our most experienced participants in this program to take a beginner’s mindset and look at the teachings through a new lens. If you’re very familiar with the teachings, you are encouraged to approach the course from a pedagogical perspective and observe the way Jack and Tara are teaching the content. The prerequisites for this certification are intended to develop experience in the style of meditation that you will be teaching following the program.

Jack and Tara want to ensure that all of their students have experience in the kind of 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 the type of retreats they are asking you to attend, students first learn to quiet the mind with an anchor like the breath, and then expand their practice with a systematic training in mindful attention that includes breath, body, emotions, thoughts, and awareness. Vipassana retreats also include heart meditations—lovingkindness, forgiveness, compassion—that are very much part of this training. The silent retreats we approve also include individual and small group guidance, which gives a chance for students to be personally led and supported in developing their meditation practice.

We understand that given the global pandemic, it may be impossible for students who have not already attended a silent residential meditation retreat to do so at this time.

Many are looking for online retreats to satisfy the 6+ night silent retreat prerequisite for MMTCP.  Only online retreats pre-approved will be counted as qualifying MMTCP prerequisite retreats. We have been working with retreat centers to arrange and share online retreat options for applicants and students.  Not all online retreats will meet the criteria Jack and Tara have outlined, only those that are on the list. If you are interested in attending an online retreat, please read MMTCP Participant Guidelines for a Successful Online Retreat (for students).

If there are any questions as to whether the retreat you are considering (or have attended in the past) meets the requirement, please send us a description of the retreat, dates, number of days, teachers, and a website link to admissions-mmtcp@soundstrue.com. We are happy to review the details to ensure they meet the criteria.

Many retreats listed on applications do not meet this prerequisite criterion, including Goenka, MSBR, MBCT, MSC, Mindful Schools, corporate mindfulness seminars, or other training formats, including Tibetan Buddhism retreats, Thich Nhat Hanh retreats, Adyashanti retreats, Hatha Yoga retreats, Siddha Yoga retreats, Christian retreats, and Ridhwan School retreats, to name a few. While these retreats are undoubtedly valuable to your growth and practice, Jack and Tara want to be sure that everyone has also experienced a Vipassana/Insight, silent, residential retreat in the style of meditation that you will be learning to teach. That said, please list these other types of retreats in the appropriate section of your application as they will be taken into account to evaluate your readiness for the program.

No. Goenka retreats are taught in the style of vipassana; however, they are a specific style as taught by SN Goenka. 

 

Jack and Tara feel that Goenka retreats do not train people to work with emotions, awaken the heart, and be trauma-sensitive. Given a traumatized world, this excludes or endangers many people, especially BIPOC. They also exclude those not physically able in the demands of the schedule. Additionally, Goenka retreats will not give MMTCP students an experience that correlates with our values of DEIA and the essential inclusion of the feminine archetype.

 

If you have taken a retreat through a Goenka center, please include it on your application. It shows your meditation experience and adds to the strength of your application in the section for an additional, non-qualifying retreat experience. If your retreat experience has only been through Goenka retreat centers, to meet the MMTCP retreat prerequisite, you will need to participate in a qualifying retreat. Here is a list of qualifying online retreats to assist you.  

 

“Vipassana” means to see clearly. Also called Insight Meditation, Vipassana is a deep training in mindfulness that originates from the Buddhist teachings of Thailand Burma and Sri Lanka. Zen is the name for certain Mahayana Buddhist teachings of Japan, Korea, and China. It also teaches mindfulness and awakening through many methods including koans and dialogues with the Zen Master.

Thanks for asking. We’ve asked Jack and Tara this question, and here is their response:

While we both love and DEEPLY honor Thich Nhat Hanh as well as the retreats run by his community, we want to insure that MMTCP participants have been experienced in the kind of SILENT retreat that is grounded in the Vipassana (Insight Meditation) practices they will be teaching. This silent form of retreat builds a depth of concentration and mindfulness that can be particularly powerful and transformative.  

In the type of retreats we are asking you to attend, students first learn to quiet the mind with an anchor like the breath, and then expand their practice with a systematic training in mindful attention that includes breath, body, emotions, thoughts, and awareness. Vipassana retreats also include heart meditations—lovingkindness, forgiveness, compassion—that are very much part of this training. The silent retreats we approve also include individual and small group guidance which gives a chance for students to be personally led and supported in developing their meditation practice.

Thanks for asking. We’ve asked Jack and Tara this question, and here is their response:

We both very much respect and encourage people to do MBSR training. There are several key differences between MBSR and our training. One is pedagogy. While we offer recommended ways to organize introductions to meditation, we are not training people to teach a set protocol.  We supply teachings and practices, and then encourage trainees to bring their own style and strengths to shape how and what they teach in different formats and populations. Some may integrate mindfulness and compassion training into their psychotherapy practice, some may incorporate it into multicultural trainings in corporations, some may teach children in classrooms, some may do online courses, and so on. There’s also a difference in content. MBSR initially focused on pain and stress relief and on medical settings, though this has since been expanded.  

In our training, while we deal with pain and stress, we also bring a strong focus to working with emotions,  trauma, and relationships. Our course explores a range of meditations that awaken the heart—lovingkindness, forgiveness, compassion. We pay much attention to ethical behavior and emphasize the direct relationship between inner awakening and social activism and transformation. Finally, while secular and nonreligious, this program explicitly explores the spiritual dimensions of our being, and our full potential for spiritual realization.

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For more information contact admissions-mmtcp@soundstrue.com or call 800.333.9185

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