About the Teachers

The Mindfulness Standard is dedicated to providing teachers that have completed high level training programs that enhance competencies, but more importantly they are deep practitioners of meditation and embody those qualities in their personal and professional lives. They are dedicated to continuing growth in teaching mindfulness. The Mindfulness Standard has screened all of the teachers listed to ensure that they have completed the required training to achieve teaching competencies required for Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBI) programs. We have listed teachers from competent to highly advanced. To find a teacher in your location please use the search engine below.

Ethical Guidelines and Basic Standards for Teacher Training

The teacher-training path for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other Mindfulness Based Programs (MBP’s) are both rigorous and intensive. Teachers on the training path must have a personal practice that they continue to deepen over time. They must also be committed to completing specialized and intensive trainings that help support this precise and delicate process.
There are two main organizations which were formed by senior teachers to support standards of practice for the mindfulness field. These organizations have the mission to support standards of training and teaching ethics for the MBSR and MBI field. The Mindfulness Standard lists only teachers that have completed teacher training through training institutions affiliated with these organizations.
The highest-level teacher is a level 4.
*There may be subtle nuances between training intuition training levels.
To learn more about the Global Mindfulness Collaborative:
https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/global-collaborative
To learn more about the International Mindfulness Integrity Network (IMI):
http://iminetwork.org/background-imi-network/
To learn more about Good Practice Guidelines for Teacher MBSR:
https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/ideas/good-practice-guidelines-teaching-mbsr

Standards of Practice

Level 1 - Trained Teacher

  • Teacher has established their own practice
  • Foundational MBSR teacher trainings (120-200 hours)
  • Retreat Practice – minimum of 1 silent retreat

Level 2 - Trained Teacher

  • Continued dedication to personal meditation practice and retreats – minimum of 2 silent retreats
  • Completed mentoring or supervision
  • 120 additional hours of training
  • Taught at least 3 to 8 full courses depending on which training institution attended.

Level 3 - Advanced Teacher

  • Continued dedication to personal meditation practice and retreats
  • Training in scientific foundations and research of mindfulness
  • Assessment of teacher competencies by a senior teacher trainer

Level 4 - Senior Teacher

  • 5 years of teaching plus certified by validated training institution
  • 7 years of personal mindfulness practices
  • 5 years of education specific to scientific foundations and research of mindfulness
  • Taught a minimum of 15 MBSR classes
  • Attended 5 or more silent retreats
  • Ongoing mentorship with senior teacher trainers.