March 24, 2025 • 23 mins
One of the most critical responsibilities of a mindfulness teacher is ensuring students feel safe and supported in their practice. But how can teachers guide mindfulness in a way that is trauma-sensitive and accessible to all?
In Part 4 of this four-part series, Mindfulness Exercises founder Sean Fargo explores the foundations of trauma-sensitive mindfulness, sharing key insights on how to create a safe, inclusive environment for all students. Sean also highlights the #1 success factor for long-term growth as a mindfulness teacher—community and teaching opportunities.
What You’ll Discover in This Episode:
✔ The importance of trauma-sensitive mindfulness and how to apply it
✔ Why mindfulness teachers must be aware of trauma triggers
✔ How to create a safe and supportive mindfulness environment
✔ How successful mindfulness teachers build long-term careers
✔ The role of community, mentorship, and ongoing learning in mindfulness teaching
Sean emphasizes that mindfulness teaching is not a solo journey—building a network of like-minded teachers and practitioners is key to growth, confidence, and lasting impact.
🌿 Thank you for joining this four-part series on teaching mindfulness!
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Want to become a certified mindfulness teacher? Explore our Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification to learn how to guide others in mindfulness-based practices.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Rinse takes your laundry and hand delivers it to
(00:02):
your door, expertly cleaned andfolded, so you could take the
time once spent folding andsorting and waiting to finally
pursue a whole new version ofyou.
Like tea time you.
Or this tea time you.
Or even this tea time you.
Did you hear about Dave?
Or even tea time, tea time, teatime you.
(00:24):
So update on Dave.
It's up to you.
We'll take the laundry.
Prince, it's time to be great.
SPEAKER_01 (00:30):
Hi everyone.
My name is Sean Fargo, founderof Mindfulness Exercises, former
Buddhist monk, and lead teacherfor our Mindfulness Meditation
Teacher certification.
Today is a special day becausewe're going to be wrapping up
our four-part series on theessential keys to teaching
(00:50):
mindfulness and leadingmeditations.
In the first three episodes ofthis series, we talked about the
essential qualities of amindfulness teacher, the
foundational layer of all goodmindfulness teachings, how to
overcome imposter syndrome andfeeling of unworthiness to teach
(01:13):
mindfulness or to leadmeditations.
We talked about how to introducemindfulness to people for the
first time.
We also talked about how to makemindfulness relevant to
different kinds of people.
And so all of these are, youknow, foundational layers and
keys to teaching mindfulnesswith integrity and confidence
(01:33):
and credibility.
Today's episode, the fourth ofthe four-part series, we're
going to be talking about how tomake sure that your mindfulness
teachings are trauma sensitive,so that we help keep people
safe, so that we're notre-triggering people by leading
them into, you know, dark, scaryplaces.
(01:56):
This is not about being focusedon trauma, but rather it's about
being sensitive to thepossibility of trauma, just to
help make sure that people feelsafe during the practice.
We're also going to be talkingabout key insights from
successful mindfulness teachersand what they say are the major
(02:17):
keys to their long-term success.
I've been around a lot ofstellar mindfulness teachers as
a Buddhist monk and at my timeat Spirit Rock Meditation Center
with Jack Cornfield and SharonSalzberg and Tara Brock and a
lot of the big names, andthere's a common thread that
(02:38):
they all have.
So I'll be talking about somekey insights around long-term
success in teaching mindfulness.
But I do want to emphasize thatteaching mindfulness is not
about just sharing techniques.
It's not this head-based,process-driven practice.
It's really about creating asafe, compassionate space for us
(03:02):
to feel safe enough to bepresent for what's here without
needing to judge it to be rightor wrong, but rather just
sensing into what's here,whether it's pleasant or not.
So let's get started with thisfourth installment on these key
aspects to teaching mindfulness.
(03:24):
Let's dive in.
So let's talk about the seventhkey aspect of teaching
mindfulness.
Simple trauma-sensitivemindfulness methods to ensure
safety.
So, learning about mymindfulness teachings in
healthcare, a well-regardednonprofit invited me to co-lead
a mindfulness meditation retreatfor urban teens in the rural
(03:47):
mountains, taking kids from thecity to the mountains to
meditate on retreat.
I thought it'd be a nicerelaxing time amidst the trees
and the birds.
But about 30 teens from nearbycities came, many of whom
brought their unresolved traumawith them.
(04:08):
Some teens suffered physicalabuse, recent loss of parents,
sexual abuse, severe depression,and our retreat staff had no
therapists, no counselors, nodoctors, no parents, just me and
a few other meditation teacherstasked with helping these teens
bring gentle awareness to theirexperience and to their bodies,
(04:32):
where trauma happens to live.
Trauma lives in our bodies.
And we were basically alone withthese teens for a few days.
And I felt super inadequate todeal with anything too intense.
So I quickly felt overwhelmed byfear.
(04:54):
I was the mindfulness expert forthe healthcare startup,
recording meditations alone frommy safe office.
But here I was the trauma noviceat this mountain teen retreat,
meditating with traumatizedteens with nowhere to go if
anyone needed serious help.
So how do I teach mindfulnessand meditation in a way that
(05:16):
won't re-trigger or overwhelmthese teens?
Unfortunately, my amazingmeditation co-teachers gave me
some invaluable tips.
I had to find language that wasgentle and encouraging.
I didn't want to force theseteens to do anything that they
didn't want to do.
I gave them some options orpractices that they could try.
(05:37):
I offered extra time for them toask questions or to share their
concerns, and I emphasizedself-compassion, tenderness,
softening of the body, invitinga sense of care and ease with
whatever was coming up.
Fortunately, no one ever felttoo overwhelmed or got
(05:57):
re-triggered, but I felt like Iwas walking on eggshells.
Driving home from thatexperience, I found myself
falling, purging tears and thefear that I had of accidentally
harming any of those teens withoverwhelming or re triggering
meditations.
I had to learn about traumasensitivity to better prepare
(06:21):
for the possibility of waking atiger from someone's past.
So that's how I learned theimportance of trauma
sensitivity.
Here's how you can use it today.
It's important to note thattrauma-sensitive mindfulness is
not the same thing astrauma-focused mindfulness.
Most of us are not therapistsand we focus on people's trauma,
(06:44):
but many of us are simplycompassionate people who want to
share mindfulness with othersand be sensitive to the
possibility of trauma in them.
So we might give people a headsup that mindfulness is not a
substitute for therapy, that wemay be doing practices that
(07:05):
bring gentle awareness tophysical sensations, and that if
it feels unsafe or overwhelming,they can back off and do
something else.
We can give people a few optionsfor practicing mindfulness.
We don't want to force anyone todo anything.
Can invite people to sense intoa safe part of their body or a
(07:27):
safe part of their experience.
I highly recommend readingTrauma Sensitive Mindfulness
from David Trelevin, who is afriend of mine in Mindfulness
Exercises, or reading Waking theTiger by Peter Levine on healing
trauma.
Or taking our own traumasensitive mindfulness trainings
at mindfulnessexercises.com.
(07:48):
It's also within our mindfulnessteacher certification program.
And so that we can help keep ourstudents safe within their
window of tolerance.
So that's how you can use traumasensitive mindfulness tips
today.
Now let's talk about the eighthkey aspect of teaching
mindfulness.
Insights from successfulmindfulness teachers on their
top ingredients for the successthat they've had in their
(08:11):
careers.
Here's how I learned it.
So when I started forming my ownbusiness to teach mindfulness
meditation, I relied on thecertifications and teaching
templates that I had picked upfrom my previous training to
increase my confidence andcredibility.
(08:32):
I created a website,mindfulnessexercises.com, and
showed that I was certified fromaccredited training programs,
and I used my new teachingtemplates as basic structures
and outlines to create my newpaid offerings.
I experimented asking newstudents and clients to pay in
different ways.
(08:53):
I asked people to pay bydonation.
I tried asking people to paywithin a very large pricing
window.
I offered premium prices forhigher tier offerings, and I
also offered scholarships topeople in need.
And they would tell me, youknow, what they can afford, why
they want this training, howthey would use it, what their
(09:14):
experience level is, etc.
And they all worked to differentvarying degrees, and different
people use those differentpricing models.
I also offered to teachmindfulness at large companies
for free, which I recommend forpeople starting out, in exchange
for feedback and assessmentdata, uh, statistics, survey
(09:37):
results, testimonials, photos ofme teaching that I could use for
marketing, referrals, andconsideration for paid contracts
over long periods of time ifthey liked me and if I was
helping them.
So this got my foot in the doorto working with several
well-known clients, bothindividuals and groups, online
(10:01):
and in person, and it added tothe popularity of my website.
But I was doing all of thisalone, uh, which really took a
toll.
I wasn't sure how much of thefeedback I received was genuine.
I didn't have a safe, vulnerableplace where I could try new
meditations or be creative withmy own teachings.
(10:24):
I wasn't maintaining a networkwith other mindfulness teachers
or wellness professionals.
I wasn't keeping up on thelatest trends, techniques, or
teaching opportunities.
I started practicing mindfulnessfrom the lens of a strategic
teacher.
Like, how can I use this toteach, rather than as a sincere
practitioner.
(10:45):
And my mental health starteddeclining, even though I was a
mindfulness teacher.
And then I remembered how mymindfulness teacher said that
they became successful, theysupported each other.
If you want to go fast, you cango alone.
But if you want to go far, gotogether.
(11:07):
Just like with mindfulnesspractice, where community is
everything, mindfulness teachingtakes a village.
The senior monks at mymonasteries would often gather
with each other, taking turns,sharing how their practice and
their teachings are going.
The senior teachers of SpiritRock Meditation Center would
(11:27):
often gather with each other,often taking turns, sharing how
their practice and teachings aregoing.
Also, they all said that that'stheir number one ingredient to
long-term growth and impact.
Community and teaching practiceopportunities.
(11:48):
It's a beautiful way ofdeveloping their own
mindfulness, enhancing theirability to help others,
inspiring each other withupdates and wins, receiving new
opportunities to teach with eachother and co-teaching with each
other in different settings.
So, with this in mind, I knewthat community would need to be
(12:09):
a big part of my own business atmindfulnessexercises.com.
So I invited thousands oflike-minded wellness
professionals to form virtualcommunity with me.
And so together we createdConnect, an online social
community where wellnessprofessionals can connect with
(12:29):
each other, find accountabilitybodies, and find mindfulness
teaching support andopportunities.
A community for supporting eachother and being able to find new
ways to teach and finding newopportunities to teach.
So we created teaching practiceopportunities and created a
(12:53):
formal recurring space on Zoomwhere people can practice
teaching mindfulness or leadingmeditations and receive
personalized feedback from asenior teacher and from each
other, as well as learning aboutthird-party teaching
opportunities.
We also created Wednesday QAsessions with me and a senior
(13:14):
teacher and other seniorteachers.
That includes live groupcoaching calls with me and our
team to deepen your mindfulness,talk about your mindfulness
teaching goals, and support yourability to teach mindfulness and
even help you with your businessendeavors.
We also created monthly callswith renowned mindfulness
(13:36):
teachers, people like GaborMate, Byron Cady, Richie
Davidson, Rick Hansen, JuddBrewer, David Trelevin, Susan
Kaiser Greenland, the world'stop teachers.
And we meet with them live everymonth and talk about teaching
mindfulness, and we get to askthem questions.
(13:57):
Inside our own community, my ownmindfulness teaching
opportunities increased as well,allowing me to teach more often
to more kinds of people, andallowed other people in our
community to do that as well.
The quality of my teachingsblossomed as a result, and I
learned where the edges of myunderstanding were and where my
(14:21):
blind spots were, and I wouldget a lot of great feedback.
Feedback about my teachings fromthe community was always
invaluable.
There were always new thingswhere we can learn from each
other if we're open to it.
Our mindfulness teachingcommunity have increased our
teaching abilities, ourprofessional networks, and most
(14:42):
importantly, our positive impactthat we have on others.
Our community happens to includepeople from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,the EPA, Dell Computers,
Canadian Olympic Teams, KaiserPermanente Healthcare, the
Veterans Department, DukeUniversity, Tesla, you name it,
(15:04):
which opened up a lot moremindfulness teaching
opportunities than I could haveever expected.
So that's how I learned thisimportant aspect of community
and teaching opportunities.
So for you, you can find anexisting mindfulness teaching
community, or you can start yourown.
(15:24):
You can ask local mindfulnessteachers in your area how they
connect with other mindfulnessteachers.
Introduce yourself at meditationcenters and wellness groups,
share your intentions, searchfor mindfulness-based book
clubs, sangas, or coachingprograms.
You can ask your localuniversity, college, or
community center.
(15:44):
You can start your own privateFacebook group or build a
website with the forum.
Or you can join our establishedmindfulness teaching community
in our mindfulness exercisesteacher certification program
where you can practice teaching,learn about new opportunities,
and ask anything you wantrelated to mindfulness,
(16:07):
mindfulness teaching, orbuilding your business.
You can connect with renownedwellness professionals like
Gabor Mate, Byron Cady, RickHansen, Meg James, Corey
Muscara, like seriously, all theworld's best teachers and learn
from them and interact withthem.
You can connect with renownedwellness professionals like
(16:29):
Susan Kaiser Greenland, MichaelTaft, Sarah May, Conway, Mark
Coleman, and many, many otherpeople, and also get lifetime
access to all of our workshoprecordings as well.
So that's how you can use thesetechniques and ingredients for
long-term success today.
Okay, so so far we've coveredsimple steps for increasing your
(16:52):
confidence and credibility,teaching mindfulness and
meditation.
We talked about the foundationof all good mindfulness
teachings, how to overcomeimposter syndrome, teaching
mindfulness and meditation,fundamentals for introducing
mindfulness to anyone, threetechniques to make mindfulness
practical and relevant, the toptemplates and credentials used
(17:12):
by reputable wellnessprofessionals, how to lead
guided meditations withauthenticity and creativity,
simple trauma-sensitivemindfulness methods for keeping
people safe, and what successfulmindfulness teachers say is
their number one ingredient forsuccess.
And I've shared all of theselessons from my own journey,
teaching mindfulness to peoplein prisons, family programs,
(17:36):
coaching programs, corporations,healthcare companies, retreat
centers, and even hadopportunities to support the US
government, Olympic teams, andmore.
And that's how you know thisprocess works.
And it'll work for you.
After all, meeting myself withcompassion helped me teach
(17:57):
others with compassion.
Shifting my mindset from fear toservice enabled me to take the
first step.
Focusing on simple experientialexercises allowed me to reach
anyone.
Listening to what people wantedmade my teachings more
impactful.
(18:17):
Using templates and credentialsblossomed my career and my
confidence.
When I found my voice, Iimpacted many more people with
my meditations.
Being sensitive to thepossibility of trauma made my
teachings more safe.
And practicing teaching in asupportive community fueled my
(18:40):
personal and professionalgrowth.
Can you see how knowing how toteach mindfulness can give you
the freedom to pursue thebusiness or the life you want?
Can you see how learning to usethese eight key aspects can
increase your influence, yourimpact, and even your income?
(19:02):
In short, can you see whyteaching mindfulness or knowing
how to help people be present,caring, and resilient is a skill
worth having.
And this skill may just be thebridge between where you are and
wherever you want to go.
It has been for me.
(19:23):
Great.
So now here's what I know.
Even if we had a full daytogether instead of just 90
minutes, it's going to be hard,almost impossible for me to give
you all the things that I couldgive you.
No matter how good anyone is,one short presentation isn't
going to change your life.
You need more than that.
(19:44):
And while everything I've givenyou today is valuable, it's just
the tip of the iceberg.
So that wraps up our four-partseries on the key aspects of
teaching mindfulness.
We've covered so much in thesefour episodes.
I invite you to listen to themmultiple times to help the
(20:05):
teachings kind of deepen andsink into your system a little
bit more.
I hope that you feel a littlebit more confident in teaching
mindfulness and leadingmeditations, helping ensure a
safe space for the people whoyou want to help.
I hope that these insights helpyou feel more prepared to
(20:29):
integrate them into yourprofessional role, whether
you're a therapist or a coach, acounselor, an entrepreneur, an
educator, or just a parentwanting to share these practices
with your kids.
I hope that you understand thatyou don't need to be perfect to
(20:49):
teach mindfulness.
You just need a sense of careand compassion and sincerity and
really just wanting to helpothers.
Not, you know, overstatingthings or claiming that you know
something that you don't, butrather just inviting others to
(21:11):
notice what they can notice andto bring a sense of gentleness
to the process and to go in babysteps.
So if you're ready to deepenyour journey even more, I invite
you to check out our MindfulnessMeditation Teacher certification
at mindfulness exercises.comslash certify, in which you can
(21:33):
certify to teach mindfulness inabout 80 hours of self-paced
personal meditation practice,self-paced study, and teaching
practice, where we help guideyou through all of these steps
we've been covering in theseepisodes, as well as a whole lot
more to help you uh integratemindfulness into your career in
(21:57):
helping others.
So thanks again for tuning in.
We need more mindfulnessteachers in the world.
People are looking for peoplelike you who look the way you
do, who sound the way you do,with the background that you
have.
So I do encourage you to reallystrongly consider teaching
(22:19):
mindfulness more and more inyour life as you deepen your own
practice.
So again, you can uh find us atmindfulnessercises.com.
Feel free to drop us a note,give us a call, you can schedule
a free call with me anytime todiscuss whether the mindfulness
teacher certification is rightfor you, and we'll talk about
(22:42):
it.
So thanks again for listening.
Please let us know what youthink of this series by writing
a review, leaving a comment or aquestion, and also just let us
know what you plan to use fromthese episodes in your own life.
What are you gonna try?
So thanks again for listening,and um hope to see you soon.
(23:07):
Thank you very much.
Rinse takes your laundry and hand delivers it to
(00:02):
your door, expertly cleaned andfolded, so you could take the
time once spent folding andsorting and waiting to finally
pursue a whole new version ofyou.
Like tea time you.
Or this tea time you.
Or even this tea time you.
Did you hear about Dave?
Or even tea time, tea time, teatime you.
(00:24):
So update on Dave.
It's up to you.
We'll take the laundry.
Prince, it's time to be great.
SPEAKER_01 (00:30):
Hi everyone.
My name is Sean Fargo, founderof Mindfulness Exercises, former
Buddhist monk, and lead teacherfor our Mindfulness Meditation
Teacher certification.
Today is a special day becausewe're going to be wrapping up
our four-part series on theessential keys to teaching
(00:50):
mindfulness and leadingmeditations.
In the first three episodes ofthis series, we talked about the
essential qualities of amindfulness teacher, the
foundational layer of all goodmindfulness teachings, how to
overcome imposter syndrome andfeeling of unworthiness to teach
(01:13):
mindfulness or to leadmeditations.
We talked about how to introducemindfulness to people for the
first time.
We also talked about how to makemindfulness relevant to
different kinds of people.
And so all of these are, youknow, foundational layers and
keys to teaching mindfulnesswith integrity and confidence
(01:33):
and credibility.
Today's episode, the fourth ofthe four-part series, we're
going to be talking about how tomake sure that your mindfulness
teachings are trauma sensitive,so that we help keep people
safe, so that we're notre-triggering people by leading
them into, you know, dark, scaryplaces.
(01:56):
This is not about being focusedon trauma, but rather it's about
being sensitive to thepossibility of trauma, just to
help make sure that people feelsafe during the practice.
We're also going to be talkingabout key insights from
successful mindfulness teachersand what they say are the major
(02:17):
keys to their long-term success.
I've been around a lot ofstellar mindfulness teachers as
a Buddhist monk and at my timeat Spirit Rock Meditation Center
with Jack Cornfield and SharonSalzberg and Tara Brock and a
lot of the big names, andthere's a common thread that
(02:38):
they all have.
So I'll be talking about somekey insights around long-term
success in teaching mindfulness.
But I do want to emphasize thatteaching mindfulness is not
about just sharing techniques.
It's not this head-based,process-driven practice.
It's really about creating asafe, compassionate space for us
(03:02):
to feel safe enough to bepresent for what's here without
needing to judge it to be rightor wrong, but rather just
sensing into what's here,whether it's pleasant or not.
So let's get started with thisfourth installment on these key
aspects to teaching mindfulness.
(03:24):
Let's dive in.
So let's talk about the seventhkey aspect of teaching
mindfulness.
Simple trauma-sensitivemindfulness methods to ensure
safety.
So, learning about mymindfulness teachings in
healthcare, a well-regardednonprofit invited me to co-lead
a mindfulness meditation retreatfor urban teens in the rural
(03:47):
mountains, taking kids from thecity to the mountains to
meditate on retreat.
I thought it'd be a nicerelaxing time amidst the trees
and the birds.
But about 30 teens from nearbycities came, many of whom
brought their unresolved traumawith them.
(04:08):
Some teens suffered physicalabuse, recent loss of parents,
sexual abuse, severe depression,and our retreat staff had no
therapists, no counselors, nodoctors, no parents, just me and
a few other meditation teacherstasked with helping these teens
bring gentle awareness to theirexperience and to their bodies,
(04:32):
where trauma happens to live.
Trauma lives in our bodies.
And we were basically alone withthese teens for a few days.
And I felt super inadequate todeal with anything too intense.
So I quickly felt overwhelmed byfear.
(04:54):
I was the mindfulness expert forthe healthcare startup,
recording meditations alone frommy safe office.
But here I was the trauma noviceat this mountain teen retreat,
meditating with traumatizedteens with nowhere to go if
anyone needed serious help.
So how do I teach mindfulnessand meditation in a way that
(05:16):
won't re-trigger or overwhelmthese teens?
Unfortunately, my amazingmeditation co-teachers gave me
some invaluable tips.
I had to find language that wasgentle and encouraging.
I didn't want to force theseteens to do anything that they
didn't want to do.
I gave them some options orpractices that they could try.
(05:37):
I offered extra time for them toask questions or to share their
concerns, and I emphasizedself-compassion, tenderness,
softening of the body, invitinga sense of care and ease with
whatever was coming up.
Fortunately, no one ever felttoo overwhelmed or got
(05:57):
re-triggered, but I felt like Iwas walking on eggshells.
Driving home from thatexperience, I found myself
falling, purging tears and thefear that I had of accidentally
harming any of those teens withoverwhelming or re triggering
meditations.
I had to learn about traumasensitivity to better prepare
(06:21):
for the possibility of waking atiger from someone's past.
So that's how I learned theimportance of trauma
sensitivity.
Here's how you can use it today.
It's important to note thattrauma-sensitive mindfulness is
not the same thing astrauma-focused mindfulness.
Most of us are not therapistsand we focus on people's trauma,
(06:44):
but many of us are simplycompassionate people who want to
share mindfulness with othersand be sensitive to the
possibility of trauma in them.
So we might give people a headsup that mindfulness is not a
substitute for therapy, that wemay be doing practices that
(07:05):
bring gentle awareness tophysical sensations, and that if
it feels unsafe or overwhelming,they can back off and do
something else.
We can give people a few optionsfor practicing mindfulness.
We don't want to force anyone todo anything.
Can invite people to sense intoa safe part of their body or a
(07:27):
safe part of their experience.
I highly recommend readingTrauma Sensitive Mindfulness
from David Trelevin, who is afriend of mine in Mindfulness
Exercises, or reading Waking theTiger by Peter Levine on healing
trauma.
Or taking our own traumasensitive mindfulness trainings
at mindfulnessexercises.com.
(07:48):
It's also within our mindfulnessteacher certification program.
And so that we can help keep ourstudents safe within their
window of tolerance.
So that's how you can use traumasensitive mindfulness tips
today.
Now let's talk about the eighthkey aspect of teaching
mindfulness.
Insights from successfulmindfulness teachers on their
top ingredients for the successthat they've had in their
(08:11):
careers.
Here's how I learned it.
So when I started forming my ownbusiness to teach mindfulness
meditation, I relied on thecertifications and teaching
templates that I had picked upfrom my previous training to
increase my confidence andcredibility.
(08:32):
I created a website,mindfulnessexercises.com, and
showed that I was certified fromaccredited training programs,
and I used my new teachingtemplates as basic structures
and outlines to create my newpaid offerings.
I experimented asking newstudents and clients to pay in
different ways.
(08:53):
I asked people to pay bydonation.
I tried asking people to paywithin a very large pricing
window.
I offered premium prices forhigher tier offerings, and I
also offered scholarships topeople in need.
And they would tell me, youknow, what they can afford, why
they want this training, howthey would use it, what their
(09:14):
experience level is, etc.
And they all worked to differentvarying degrees, and different
people use those differentpricing models.
I also offered to teachmindfulness at large companies
for free, which I recommend forpeople starting out, in exchange
for feedback and assessmentdata, uh, statistics, survey
(09:37):
results, testimonials, photos ofme teaching that I could use for
marketing, referrals, andconsideration for paid contracts
over long periods of time ifthey liked me and if I was
helping them.
So this got my foot in the doorto working with several
well-known clients, bothindividuals and groups, online
(10:01):
and in person, and it added tothe popularity of my website.
But I was doing all of thisalone, uh, which really took a
toll.
I wasn't sure how much of thefeedback I received was genuine.
I didn't have a safe, vulnerableplace where I could try new
meditations or be creative withmy own teachings.
(10:24):
I wasn't maintaining a networkwith other mindfulness teachers
or wellness professionals.
I wasn't keeping up on thelatest trends, techniques, or
teaching opportunities.
I started practicing mindfulnessfrom the lens of a strategic
teacher.
Like, how can I use this toteach, rather than as a sincere
practitioner.
(10:45):
And my mental health starteddeclining, even though I was a
mindfulness teacher.
And then I remembered how mymindfulness teacher said that
they became successful, theysupported each other.
If you want to go fast, you cango alone.
But if you want to go far, gotogether.
(11:07):
Just like with mindfulnesspractice, where community is
everything, mindfulness teachingtakes a village.
The senior monks at mymonasteries would often gather
with each other, taking turns,sharing how their practice and
their teachings are going.
The senior teachers of SpiritRock Meditation Center would
(11:27):
often gather with each other,often taking turns, sharing how
their practice and teachings aregoing.
Also, they all said that that'stheir number one ingredient to
long-term growth and impact.
Community and teaching practiceopportunities.
(11:48):
It's a beautiful way ofdeveloping their own
mindfulness, enhancing theirability to help others,
inspiring each other withupdates and wins, receiving new
opportunities to teach with eachother and co-teaching with each
other in different settings.
So, with this in mind, I knewthat community would need to be
(12:09):
a big part of my own business atmindfulnessexercises.com.
So I invited thousands oflike-minded wellness
professionals to form virtualcommunity with me.
And so together we createdConnect, an online social
community where wellnessprofessionals can connect with
(12:29):
each other, find accountabilitybodies, and find mindfulness
teaching support andopportunities.
A community for supporting eachother and being able to find new
ways to teach and finding newopportunities to teach.
So we created teaching practiceopportunities and created a
(12:53):
formal recurring space on Zoomwhere people can practice
teaching mindfulness or leadingmeditations and receive
personalized feedback from asenior teacher and from each
other, as well as learning aboutthird-party teaching
opportunities.
We also created Wednesday QAsessions with me and a senior
(13:14):
teacher and other seniorteachers.
That includes live groupcoaching calls with me and our
team to deepen your mindfulness,talk about your mindfulness
teaching goals, and support yourability to teach mindfulness and
even help you with your businessendeavors.
We also created monthly callswith renowned mindfulness
(13:36):
teachers, people like GaborMate, Byron Cady, Richie
Davidson, Rick Hansen, JuddBrewer, David Trelevin, Susan
Kaiser Greenland, the world'stop teachers.
And we meet with them live everymonth and talk about teaching
mindfulness, and we get to askthem questions.
(13:57):
Inside our own community, my ownmindfulness teaching
opportunities increased as well,allowing me to teach more often
to more kinds of people, andallowed other people in our
community to do that as well.
The quality of my teachingsblossomed as a result, and I
learned where the edges of myunderstanding were and where my
(14:21):
blind spots were, and I wouldget a lot of great feedback.
Feedback about my teachings fromthe community was always
invaluable.
There were always new thingswhere we can learn from each
other if we're open to it.
Our mindfulness teachingcommunity have increased our
teaching abilities, ourprofessional networks, and most
(14:42):
importantly, our positive impactthat we have on others.
Our community happens to includepeople from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,the EPA, Dell Computers,
Canadian Olympic Teams, KaiserPermanente Healthcare, the
Veterans Department, DukeUniversity, Tesla, you name it,
(15:04):
which opened up a lot moremindfulness teaching
opportunities than I could haveever expected.
So that's how I learned thisimportant aspect of community
and teaching opportunities.
So for you, you can find anexisting mindfulness teaching
community, or you can start yourown.
(15:24):
You can ask local mindfulnessteachers in your area how they
connect with other mindfulnessteachers.
Introduce yourself at meditationcenters and wellness groups,
share your intentions, searchfor mindfulness-based book
clubs, sangas, or coachingprograms.
You can ask your localuniversity, college, or
community center.
(15:44):
You can start your own privateFacebook group or build a
website with the forum.
Or you can join our establishedmindfulness teaching community
in our mindfulness exercisesteacher certification program
where you can practice teaching,learn about new opportunities,
and ask anything you wantrelated to mindfulness,
(16:07):
mindfulness teaching, orbuilding your business.
You can connect with renownedwellness professionals like
Gabor Mate, Byron Cady, RickHansen, Meg James, Corey
Muscara, like seriously, all theworld's best teachers and learn
from them and interact withthem.
You can connect with renownedwellness professionals like
(16:29):
Susan Kaiser Greenland, MichaelTaft, Sarah May, Conway, Mark
Coleman, and many, many otherpeople, and also get lifetime
access to all of our workshoprecordings as well.
So that's how you can use thesetechniques and ingredients for
long-term success today.
Okay, so so far we've coveredsimple steps for increasing your
(16:52):
confidence and credibility,teaching mindfulness and
meditation.
We talked about the foundationof all good mindfulness
teachings, how to overcomeimposter syndrome, teaching
mindfulness and meditation,fundamentals for introducing
mindfulness to anyone, threetechniques to make mindfulness
practical and relevant, the toptemplates and credentials used
(17:12):
by reputable wellnessprofessionals, how to lead
guided meditations withauthenticity and creativity,
simple trauma-sensitivemindfulness methods for keeping
people safe, and what successfulmindfulness teachers say is
their number one ingredient forsuccess.
And I've shared all of theselessons from my own journey,
teaching mindfulness to peoplein prisons, family programs,
(17:36):
coaching programs, corporations,healthcare companies, retreat
centers, and even hadopportunities to support the US
government, Olympic teams, andmore.
And that's how you know thisprocess works.
And it'll work for you.
After all, meeting myself withcompassion helped me teach
(17:57):
others with compassion.
Shifting my mindset from fear toservice enabled me to take the
first step.
Focusing on simple experientialexercises allowed me to reach
anyone.
Listening to what people wantedmade my teachings more
impactful.
(18:17):
Using templates and credentialsblossomed my career and my
confidence.
When I found my voice, Iimpacted many more people with
my meditations.
Being sensitive to thepossibility of trauma made my
teachings more safe.
And practicing teaching in asupportive community fueled my
(18:40):
personal and professionalgrowth.
Can you see how knowing how toteach mindfulness can give you
the freedom to pursue thebusiness or the life you want?
Can you see how learning to usethese eight key aspects can
increase your influence, yourimpact, and even your income?
(19:02):
In short, can you see whyteaching mindfulness or knowing
how to help people be present,caring, and resilient is a skill
worth having.
And this skill may just be thebridge between where you are and
wherever you want to go.
It has been for me.
(19:23):
Great.
So now here's what I know.
Even if we had a full daytogether instead of just 90
minutes, it's going to be hard,almost impossible for me to give
you all the things that I couldgive you.
No matter how good anyone is,one short presentation isn't
going to change your life.
You need more than that.
(19:44):
And while everything I've givenyou today is valuable, it's just
the tip of the iceberg.
So that wraps up our four-partseries on the key aspects of
teaching mindfulness.
We've covered so much in thesefour episodes.
I invite you to listen to themmultiple times to help the
(20:05):
teachings kind of deepen andsink into your system a little
bit more.
I hope that you feel a littlebit more confident in teaching
mindfulness and leadingmeditations, helping ensure a
safe space for the people whoyou want to help.
I hope that these insights helpyou feel more prepared to
(20:29):
integrate them into yourprofessional role, whether
you're a therapist or a coach, acounselor, an entrepreneur, an
educator, or just a parentwanting to share these practices
with your kids.
I hope that you understand thatyou don't need to be perfect to
(20:49):
teach mindfulness.
You just need a sense of careand compassion and sincerity and
really just wanting to helpothers.
Not, you know, overstatingthings or claiming that you know
something that you don't, butrather just inviting others to
(21:11):
notice what they can notice andto bring a sense of gentleness
to the process and to go in babysteps.
So if you're ready to deepenyour journey even more, I invite
you to check out our MindfulnessMeditation Teacher certification
at mindfulness exercises.comslash certify, in which you can
(21:33):
certify to teach mindfulness inabout 80 hours of self-paced
personal meditation practice,self-paced study, and teaching
practice, where we help guideyou through all of these steps
we've been covering in theseepisodes, as well as a whole lot
more to help you uh integratemindfulness into your career in
(21:57):
helping others.
So thanks again for tuning in.
We need more mindfulnessteachers in the world.
People are looking for peoplelike you who look the way you
do, who sound the way you do,with the background that you
have.
So I do encourage you to reallystrongly consider teaching
(22:19):
mindfulness more and more inyour life as you deepen your own
practice.
So again, you can uh find us atmindfulnessercises.com.
Feel free to drop us a note,give us a call, you can schedule
a free call with me anytime todiscuss whether the mindfulness
teacher certification is rightfor you, and we'll talk about
(22:42):
it.
So thanks again for listening.
Please let us know what youthink of this series by writing
a review, leaving a comment or aquestion, and also just let us
know what you plan to use fromthese episodes in your own life.
What are you gonna try?
So thanks again for listening,and um hope to see you soon.
(23:07):
Thank you very much.
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