Teacher Resources
On-Going Education, Supervision and Retreats
All MBSR Teachers gain from on-going professional development and the deepening of their own personal practice. This is true regardless of where people might be on their journey — well seasoned or new to teaching mindfulness.
There are many ways to do this. Although geography continues to be a determining factor, there are increasing on-line resources to support you in your growth as a practitioner and as a teacher.
Many of the well-established credentialing organizations provide on-going training programs for teachers, as well as scholarship opportunities. Sign up for their newsletters and stay informed about their programs.
Local to you and/or on-line, professional groups and communities might provide peer-to-peer supervision and mentoring. This is what we do for MBSR Teachers in the Greater New York region. Every so often, we do a deep dive into the study the MBSR curriculum, over an entire year. If you can’t find such a context near you, consider creating one!
Working with an MBSR supervisor / mentor is an invaluable experience, typically required for certification, but can also continue thereafter. Our sister site Mindfulness Meditation Live can help you locate a certified supervisor. Credentialing organizations usually also maintain a list of available supervisors.
Most teachers try to attend a longer silent meditation retreat on a regular basis, to deepen and refresh their practice. This might be in a secular or contemplative context. Such retreats are also required for certification, but many make this a personal ongoing practice. Retreat centers increasingly offer scholarships to make their programming more accessible. Opportunities for retreat also exist online.
Teacher Competencies
The MBI:TAC was first developed in 2008 in the context of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programs in the UK, by a team of researchers at the Universities of Bangor, Exeter and Oxford. It is now being used to review competence and adherence of other MBIs, and has been broadly adopted by a number of teaching institutions.
Publications of particular relevance
Reflections from Jon Kabat-Zinn
Seeds of a necessary global renaissance in the making
by Jon Kabat-Zinn, 2019
Too Early to Tell
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mindfulness, October 2017
Interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn: The Thousand-Year View
By Alan Senauke, Barbara Gates, Inquiring Mind, Spring 2014
Some Reflections on the Origins of MBSR, Skillful Means, and the Trouble with Maps
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Contemporary Buddhism, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2011
About Teaching MBSR
Teaching Mindfulness, A Practical Guide for Clinicians and Educators
(articles can be purchased individually)
by McCown, Donald, Reibel, Diane K., Micozzi, Marc S.
Resources for Teaching Mindfulness: an International Handbook
(articles can be purchased individually)
Editors: McCown, Donald, Reibel, Diane K., Micozzi, Marc S.
Britton, W.B. (2016). Scientific literacy as a foundational competency for teachers of mindfulness-based Interventions. In D. McCown et al. (Eds.), in Resources for teaching mindfulness (pp. 93-119). Switzerland: Springer International. (book listed above)
Doing no harm in mindfulness-based programs: Conceptual issues and empirical findings.
by Baer, R., Crane, C., Miller, E., Kuyken, W. Clinical Psychology Review, 2019
About the Buddhist underpinnings of MBSR
The Dharma of Modern Mindfulness: Discovering the Buddhist Teachings at the Heart of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
by Beth Ann Mulligan
Mindfulness: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Psychology
by Willem Kuyken and Christina Feldman
Buddhist Foundations of Mindfulness
Editors: Shonin, Edo, Van Gordon, William, Singh, Nirbhay N.
About Mindfulness, Belonging and Diversity
Mindful of Race
by Ruth King
The Inner Work of Racial Justice
by Rhonda V. Magee
Awakening together: the spiritual practice of inclusivity and community
by Larry Yang
Mindfulness Equity and Western Buddhism: Reaching People of Low Socioeconomic Status and People of Color.
by Blum, Harrison A. International Journal of Dharma Studies 2, no. 1 (December 31, 2014): 10.
About Mindfulness, trauma and adverse responses to meditation
Trauma sensitive mindfulness
by David Treleaven, 2018
Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness
talk by David Treleaven through the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education:
Public Talks by Dr. Willoughby Briton
About Mindfulness and Ethics
The Myth of McMindfulness
Bhikkhu Anālayo, Mindfulness, volume 11, pages 472–479 (2020)
“From the Mindfulness Revolution to the Mindfulness Wars,” book chapter in American Dharma, Buddhism beyond modernity by Ann Gleig, 2019
Read more articles in the Ethics section.
See more information about Standards of Practice.
Journal publications
Mindfulness is journal that publishes peer-reviewed papers examining the latest research findings and best practices in mindfulness. It explores the nature and foundations of mindfulness, its mechanisms of actions, and its use across cultures. In addition, the journal features papers that address issues involving the training of clinicians, institutional staff, teachers, parents, and industry personnel in mindful provision of services. Many papers are open access and free for all.