Becoming a Member

We gather once a month, usually on a Monday evening, 7-9pm EST, and these days over Zoom. During this time, we have a period of practice, followed by some kind of didactic or presentation or study session. There is time for discussion and we often break out in smaller groups.

We are also connected via a vibrant Google Group listserv where people ask questions, share resources and their experience.

Occasionally, we organize longer workshops for our professional development.

Membership Guidelines

Collaborative membership entails showing up—offering our presence and our skills, joining with others to maintain the standards of competence and integrity this work deserves. There are two types of membership: Associate and Full.

Associate Members

This is a way for an individual to get a sense of the Collaborative, and for the Collaborative to get a sense of an individual’s commitment and level of participation, It’s open to anyone who has completed a recognized MBSR teacher training program and can commit to being involved with the Collaborative as described above. Individuals who meet this requirement are welcome to begin attending meetings and to participate in the listserv.

Once you’ve been accepted as an associate member, you will be welcomed and receive an orientation about the collaborative’s history, mission, how we function as a group, and expectations of membership.

Full Members

To become a full member, an individual needs to:

• Complete Level 2 MBSR Teacher Training, such as the Teacher Advancement Intensive (offered by the Global Mindfulness Collaborative, include the Mindfulness Center at Brown, or the Teacher Development Intensive or Practice Teaching Intensive (formerly offered by the Center for Mindfulness of UMass). Exceptions to having completed Level 2 apply if you completed the the Practicum at Umass before March 2012, when the teaching path changed).

• Complete teaching four MBSR cycles (individuals who are not teaching MBSR may apply for membership, but they will not be listed on the website until they have completed four cycles).

• Lead practice periods and/or facilitate parts of a Collaborative meeting (this kind of involvement is important for becoming a member as well as remaining a member).

• Attend six meetings a year or demonstrate involvement in some other way ... such as attending special events, or serving on one of our committees: Alumni practice co-ordination, Social media, Web, Programming, Steering, Membership. (Again, this requirement is ongoing: in order to maintain membership one must maintain involvement in the collaborative functioning.)

• Bring a skill and share it with the group (movement, art, writing, diversity work, etc. This is valuable both as a way of getting to know members and to add to the richness and skill set of the collaborative

Highly encouraged:
• A minimum of one silent residential retreat of 5 days or more every 2 years.

Important Disclaimer
The Collaborative is not empowered to certify or endorse any teachers or programs, nor does it provide supervision on a formal basis. We are a professional community based on peer support, not an institution or guild. If you have questions about the credentials or supervision of any of the teachers involved in the Collaborative, please ask them directly, or contact the institutions where they trained.