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Meditation Teacher Training in the Yarra Valley, Victoria
Training Dates
Training Overview
Facilitated by our expert team of mindfulness trainers, and currently offered over three separate training immersions (or modules), our meditation teacher training pathway is designed to provide you with the knowledge, experience and support to run your own meditation courses.
Module 1 graduates leave with the skills to be able to facilitate an 8-week mindfulness-based stillness meditation (MBSM) course.
Module 2 graduates leave with the skills to be able to facilitate a six-week Imagery and Contemplation course.
Module 3 is a follow-up course to module 1, and has been specifically tailored to help our module 1 graduates deepen and expand their own practice of MBSM, as well as their competencies in teaching this style of meditation.
Module 1 - Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation (MBSM)
This 4-night meditation teacher training retreat will enable you to deliver an eight-week mindfulness-based stillness meditation course from a facilitator’s manual. The course manual is included in the course fees.
The only entry criteria is your own established meditation practice.
A Certificate of Completion confirming you have completed 40 hours of face to face training, will also be provided at the conclusion of the module 1 course.
Topics Covered:
- Practice teaching and leading mindfulness based stillness meditation.
- Study the benefits of Mindfulness meditation for healing, personal development and spirituality.
- Gain an understanding of the strengths and limitations of the thinking mind and the causes of excessive thinking.
- Review the stress response, the relaxation response and their impact on health and healing.
- Receive guidelines for leading meditation using intention, gratitude and loving kindness.
- Examine the application of mindfulness to emotions like grief, anxiety and depression.
- Learn about the links between meditation, neuroscience and neuroplasticity.
- Experience the importance of ‘stillness’ and ‘spaciousness’.
This is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your own meditation practice and become fully trained to help others learn to meditate.
“I particularly benefited from the time spent in practice, from the compassion and knowledge shared by Paul, and also from his availability and openness… my understanding of meditation is now so much more complete.” – Marion, Meditation Teacher Training (Module 1) Graduate, March 2016.
Pricing:
Price starts from $1,990 per person (including GST), depending on your choice of accommodation; and covers all elements of the program, including delicious plant-based wholefood meals, snacks, teas and dandelion coffee. Optional extras include transport and purchases from our resource centre.
Please note: members receive 5% discount on second and subsequent retreat bookings.
Module 2 - Imagery and Contemplation
This 4-night meditation teacher training immersion, offers extended learning from Module 1 before moving into the teaching of ‘Imagery and Contemplation’ meditation techniques.
It will enable you to deliver a six-week Imagery and Contemplation meditation course, from a facilitator’s manual. Course manuals are included in the course fees. This Module will draw on the material from Part 2 of “Meditation – An In Depth Guide” by Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson.
Learning Objectives for Module 2:
- Connecting the content of Modules 1 & 2
- Looking at types of Meditation: Attentional (mindfulness), Intentional (imagery), Enquiry (contemplation)
- Extending your prior training of Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation into: -Perception, Limiting beliefs, Mindful attitudes and values
- Exploring the practice of RAIN as a model of self-compassion: Recognise, Allow, Investigate, Nourish
- From attentional meditation (mindfulness) to intentional meditation (meditation using imagery and affirmations.
- Definitions, Elements and Applications of Imagery
- Practice in teaching and leading Contemplation & Guided Imagery
- Study the benefits and goals of Contemplation and Guided imagery for healing, personal development and spirituality.
- An understanding of how the thinking-mind works in terms of the conscious and unconscious and the use of imagery for changing habits and beliefs.
- The use of Guided imagery for healing.
- The key components of Imagery – visualization, affirmation, generating feelings
- You will deliver specific imagery meditation “scripts” for: a) Healing Imagery b) “The Temple of Silence” Imagery c) “The Quiet place” Imagery d) Mindfulness-based Imagery for Pain Management
- Meditation using intention – you will deliver specific “scripts” for cultivating: a) Gratitude b) Compassion and c) Forgiveness.
- Appreciate how Contemplation can be used in the “search for meaning” and to gain insight.
- Learn how these same contemplation techniques can be used to meet the needs of modern problem solving, increasing creativity and productivity.
- Gain an understanding of the strengths and limitations of “positive thinking” and how to manage client safety when teaching contemplation and guided imagery
- We will also look at Mental Health considerations for Meditation Teachers.
- Practical aspects of teaching a group and marketing.
Pricing:
Price starts from $1,990 per person (including GST), depending on your choice of accommodation; and covers all elements of the program, including delicious plant-based wholefood meals, snacks, teas and dandelion coffee. Optional extras include transport and purchases from our resource centre.
Please note: members receive 5% discount on second and subsequent retreat bookings.
Module 3 - Extended MBSM
We’re very pleased to announce that we have extended our Meditation Teacher Training pathway to include a ‘Module 3’ follow up course, which has been developed exclusively for the graduates of our Module 1 mindfulness-based stillness meditation (MBSM) teacher training course.
Facilitated by Paul and Maia Bedson, this follow up has been specifically tailored for our module 1 graduates, to deepen and expand their personal MBSM practice, as well as their competencies in teaching this style of meditation.
Module 3 will include 30 hours of face-to-face training, broken down into the following areas of focus:
- Revision of Module 1 MBSM – ‘mindfulness of feelings’ and ‘mindfulness of thoughts and stillness’ in particular
- Small group sessions for meditation teaching practice
- De-briefing about your personal meditation practice and teaching experiences
- Periods to practice noble silence within the group setting
Extended Module 1 Topics:
- Meditation and neuroscience – positive neuroplasticity and the default mode network (DMN)
- A deeper understanding of the mechanism of mindfulness
- How MBSM facilitates healing
- Identity – meditation solves the old problem of mistaken identity – “who is meditating?
- Stress and the nature of suffering – physical, psychological, existential
- What to expect from meditation, and what not to expect. Do expectations help or hinder
- Focused and unfocused attention in MBSM
- Balancing effort and effortlessness in meditation practice
- Stillness and spaciousness in meditation
- Higher levels of consciousness – moving from separative, dualistic consciousness to unified consciousness
- Using intention and dedication to give structure to meditation
- The fruits of meditation: inner peace and causeless joy
- Mindfulness and non-duality: Advaita Vedanta, Zen and Mahayan
- Paul and Maia look forward to sharing this expansive experience, along with deeply nourishing meals, the warm company of like-minded individuals, and the peaceful, conducive environment of the Yarra Valley Living Centre.
Pricing:
Price starts from $990 per person (including GST), depending on your choice of accommodation; and covers all elements of the program, including delicious plant-based wholefood meals, snacks, freshly squeezed juices, teas and dandelion coffee. Optional extras include body therapy sessions during your stay, transport, and purchases from our resource centre.
Please note: financial members receive 5% discount on second and subsequent retreat bookings.
Accreditation
Completing both modules 1 and 2 of our Meditation Teacher Training program meets the training criteria for a provisional membership, and completing Modules 1, 2 & 3 satisfies the training criteria (110 hours of training) for full membership with the peak meditation teacher’s professional body, Meditation Association of Australia (formally ATMA).
Retreat Enquiry
To find out more or to register for our next retreat, call 1300 651 211 or email clientservices@gawler.org. Alternatively you can submit your booking request/enquiry using the form below and one of our friendly client services team members will be in touch within 24 hours.
