We estimate 2 - 4 hours a week for the 12 weeks of the course to complete the certification process. 

This course is a complement or an alternative to meditation teacher training programs and is not a competitor of such programs. As such, this makes the world of mindfulness meditation facilitation more accessible for experienced meditators without the large time and financial investment in meditation teacher training programs. 

The Facilitator Training course with toolkit focuses on: 

• The logistics and best practices of quickly starting up and sustaining an engaging workplace or community program
• Teaching you the skills of how to expertly lead live, guided meditations 
• Ensuring you know the key essentials to teach your participants
• Equipping you with a quick-start toolkit of recordings and templates
  

Interestingly, some of the most successful programs are not started as a formal ‘human resources’ or ‘health & wellness’ program and are started by anyone who is passionate about helping others and up to being a catalyst to get a program started. 

Every organization is unique, and it is always a good idea, at a minimum, to obtain an ‘OK’ from whatever group may be necessary, or least let them know what you plan to do. Sometimes all that is needed is asking the human resources department for permission to use a meeting room for the practice and keeping them informed along the way, and sometimes they wish to be more involved. You can get started just in your own team if that feels right. 

In other words, this does not need to be a ‘top-down’ program and can be very successful if you start small and grow this from a grassroots level. This approach builds trust amongst the employee community and lets you get comfortable as you grow the program.

After finishing the Training course, Facilitators will be able to: 

• Begin leading mindfulness meditation talks and sessions at their place of employment 
• For those who have their own business, such as coaches, yoga instructors, massage therapists, etc, add mindfulness to their service offerings 
• Start-up a side business offering mindfulness services to organizations

Facilitators all say that doing this compassion practice has brought great meaning to their lives. When they talk about their experience as a Facilitator, their joy is palpable. 

Facilitators also say it really helps them with their own personal practice – it helps them ‘up their own game’ by staying on top of their own personal practice and they love to continually learn and try new meditations. 

Overall, they feel a deep sense of purpose in their lives to help others. The time it takes to start leading others varies greatly, depending on the Facilitator’s situation. Some have already started facilitating even before they take the course, some start-up immediately and some may take months as they wait for the right circumstances and timing at their workplace or in their community.

There is quite a variety of people who become Facilitators. They are from all around the world, such as Canada, the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia. Many of them as employees within organizations and voluntarily lead sessions at work. Many are individuals offering this to their communities or clients, such as professional counselors, teachers, and yoga instructors. Many of them start leading at work, then branch out to offer this is a business of their own. 

It doesn’t matter what job you have. You can be a catalyst whether you are an analyst, administrative assistant, manager, counselor, educator, massage therapist or yoga instructor. 

Some have their own business offering mindfulness talks and workshops as a for-profit service.

This course does not qualify or permit Facilitators to teach the copyrighted courses. It is not a Train-the-Trainer program. This course and toolkit are solely to equip you personally as you lead others in mindfulness meditation. 

Certification provides you with specific evaluation and feedback in a very supportive way, so you know you are offering quality facilitation to your participants. It's about your credibility - people want to know that their Facilitator is properly trained and qualified. 

Facilitators working within an organization and those who are offering facilitation as a service find certification desirable. Those who are already offering facilitation as a service, in particular, feel the necessity to obtain certification. 

Without certification, you may still facilitate, but Mindful Leader cannot endorse your skillset without validation through the Certification Program.

Yes. We estimate it will take approximately 30 hours to complete the course and create the certification portfolio.

If for any reason, a student is not quite ready to be granted certification, we will work with you towards success. Generally, this means identifying where the student needs to improve and together deciding on what is achievable and by when. The idea here is to work towards success, not just deny someone certification.

This is the only time we will run this program in the first half of 2020. We plan to offer the training again in the fall.  

Certification is good for up to one year from the date of completion. There is an annual re-certification application and $300 fee. Recertification includes access to private groups, updated resources and special discounts on other Mindful Leader offerings.

After you successfully are granted your certification, you: 

• May indicate that you are a 'Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator by Mindful Leader' or ‘CMF’ in your profiles, signatures blocks, websites, etc. 
• Will receive an electronic certificate, showing that you are certified
• Listing on the Mindful Leader certified facilitator directory
  

We put a great deal of effort into packing incredible value into this program. We stand behind our work and unconditionally guarantee your satisfaction with your purchase. If you’re not 100% satisfied simply email us within 30 days of the course start date and we will give you a full refund.

The course does not teach how to practice mindfulness and/or meditation – to become a student, you must already have a personal mindfulness and/or meditation practice. 

Although it is challenging to quantify a minimum standard of personal qualities and experience as a prerequisite to the Facilitator Training course, the following is defined as the minimum requirement. It is understood that individuals' experience can vary greatly.

Eligibility Requirements A foundation of personal meditation and/or mindfulness experience. Such a foundation at a MINIMUM must include 2 of the following 4: 

• Successfully completed an introductory or higher-level mindfulness or meditation course
• Attended a day-long or multi-day in-person retreat
• Be part of a meditation community, attending community sittings regularly
• Have a committed & consistent personal mindfulness & meditation practice for 6 months or longer

You must agree to the following commitments: 

• I commit to fully embodying my daily mindfulness meditation practice.
• I commit to continuously learn about meditation and mindfulness, with an open beginner's mindset.
• I commit to humility and to be conscious of how my ego is showing up in my interactions.
• I commit to developing my ability to speak publicly in a confident compassionate, articulate and approachable manner. 
• I commit to a willingness to conduct sessions in a non-religious style, using universal language that is generally acceptable and inclusive.
• I commit to welcoming feedback and incorporating feedback into my continuous improvement.
  

We do not expect you to be a meditation expert before this program, but if your only experience is occasionally listening to a meditation app, it may not be sufficient for this program. Not sure you qualify? Apply and we will review your application where we will ask specifics regarding your background, if you are not approved you will not be charged. We encourage you to contact us to explore eligibility if you are unsure, as we can suggest ways to build your minimum skill set in order to enroll in this program. 

The first 6 weeks focus on the training course, and the second 6 weeks focus on the Certification phase.

The certification phase is about giving you lots of practice in leading live meditations. The requirements for the Certification Portfolio include:

1. Practicing leading live meditations, with your peer group and organizing a small group in your own life (whether at work or in your personal life).
2. Video recording one of your sessions and submitting it for review.
3. Writing a document that overviews your progress to date, and any challenges you are facing.
4. Completing a feedback survey regarding the program.

At the end of the program, your Certification Portfolio will be assessed and you will receive an email about your certification.

Your certification will be valid for one year, and there will be an annual re-certification, details to come.

This course is accredited by Mindful Leader. Our certifications are managed on the Accredible platform and are Open Badges 2.0 Certified.