96472 - Meditation Leader Training Program
Course Overview
Offered through Sage Institute.
Take the next step to share your passion with the world. Learn how to guide others on a transformational journey. Change the world through meditation and mindfulness. Become a Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Leader with our partnered course with the Sage Institute’s Meditation Leader Training Program.
You’ve experienced the life-changing tools of mindfulness and meditation in your own life. If you feel passionate about sharing these transformational tools and skills, join us in a powerful 9-month journey into meditation leadership.
The Meditation Leader Training Program is a comprehensive meditation teacher training program for experienced meditation practitioners to learn how to effectively and authentically teach others the transformative practices of meditation and mindfulness.
- History and science of Meditation
- Evidence-based psychological and physiological aspects of meditation practice
- Experiential knowledge of common practice styles such as Zen, Vipassana, MBSR, etc.
- Mindfulness practices and “mindfulness of mind” practices
- How to work with difficult emotions in meditation
- Issues of inclusivity, social change, and trauma-sensitivity
- Leadership skills such as consulting with students
- Teacher boundaries and ethics
- Group and interpersonal interaction both within the class and for leading meditation groups
Do you work in psychology, yoga, health and well-being? Are you a teacher, a university professor, a spiritual guide or minister in any tradition? Do you have a passion to share fundamental practices with students, clients and community? Are you an experienced practitioner? If so, this program is for you!
For Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teachers (RYTs), this training program qualifies for continuing education credits.
Practice and Study with Sean Tetsudo Murphy, Sensei
Sean Tetsudo Murphy is Executive Director, Lead Teacher, and co-founder of Sage Institute (along with Mirabai Starr). He has taught meditation and mindfulness, creative writing, and literature for more than 25 years at the University of New Mexico-Taos and many other venues. For six years, Sean served on the Board of Directors of Spiritual Directors International, a global ecumenical group of 6000 members, and has taught in numerous inter-faith settings.
Sean is a fully sanctioned Zen teacher (Sensei) in the American White Plum Zen Lineage. He has had over 35 years of formal Zen training, beginning under the direction of Taizan Maezumi Roshi of the Zen Center of Los Angeles and later with John Daido Loori Roshi of Zen Mountain Monastery. He now studies with Gerry Shishin Wick Roshi of the Great Mountain Zen Center From whom he received Dharma Transmission in 2019.
Sage Institute for Creativity, Consciousness, & Environment was founded in 2008 in Taos, New Mexico, by Sean Murphy and Mirabai Starr, teachers and authors. We are dedicated to education and leadership in the areas of meditation, mindfulness, and human consciousness. We believe that creative study and investigation in the realm of human consciousness, as well as creative thinking, problem-solving, and action, provide the best hope for dealing with the many crises currently besetting human society and the earth.
Our flagship Meditation Leader Training Program, launched in 2013, is one of the only programs directed by a fully sanctioned Zen teacher with the backing of a 2500-year old lineage of practice. Our graduates are deeply engaged in sharing meditation and mindfulness in the diverse range of their communities and networks. Graduates share these practices with K-12 and college students, massage and psychotherapy clients, yoga students, people in recovery, activists, immigrant and refugee communities, and many others.
Applicants should have 2 years of consistent mindfulness or meditation experience in a secular or non-secular practice. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. Our program is intended to be a transformational experience, for if the student is not truly and deeply on the path of transformation, how can they guide others?
However, this training is not intended to replace traditional spiritual practice modalities, or to produce spiritual leaders, but as in yoga training models, is intended to simply empower serious practitioners to share fundamental meditation and mindfulness skills with others.
UNM Staff, Faculty, and Retirees: This course is Tuition Remission eligible under Professional Development. For more information, visit the UNM Tuition Remission information page. To see UNM HR's Tuition Remission for eligibility and tax liabilities, click here
Acceptance into the program is required prior to registration. In order to apply, submit a Sage Institute MLTP Program Application.
Important: On the application form, select UNM Continuing Education from the referral drop down.
To learn more about the course or have application questions, please contact: Sage Institute at sagetaos@gmail.com or contact: 575-224-2343.
Additional Information
Sage Institute offers one of the only meditation teacher training programs developed and approved by Buddhist teachers from a 2500-year old lineage. Sean Tetsudo Murphy, lead teacher, worked closely with a variety of Buddhist and meditation experts to develop our unique curriculum. Sean is a formal Zen Sensei with over 30 years of Zen training and 25 years of experience teaching meditation to laypeople. Although we introduce our students to the prevailing meditative forms in the West such as Zen and Vipassana, our program has developed its own inclusive, secular approach to teaching meditation and mindfulness, suitable for students of any contemplative tradition.
96472 - 001
| $3,450.00 |
Acceptance into the program is required prior to registration. In order to apply, submit a Sage Institute MLTP Program Application.
Important: On the application form, select UNM Continuing Education from the referral drop down.
To learn more about the course or have application questions, please contact: Sage Institute at sagetaos@gmail.com or contact: 575-224-2343.
How is this program structured?
Don’t be fooled by programs claiming you’ll be an expert meditation teacher after only a few weeks or a month! Our program is designed to give adequate time for deeper concepts and skills to reveal themselves through consistent practice. This is a transformative training program and if you apply yourself, your outlook on life will look much different by the end of the program! (Read our testimonials if you’d like to hear more.)
Learn, study, and practice from the comfort of your own home! Our 9-month program is entirely online with both live components and self-paced modules. The program is divided into 2 semesters, with larger assignments due at the conclusion of each semester.
First Month Introductory Phase
At the start of the program, we launch our journey into meditation leadership with a month of live weekly Zoom classes (Wednesday evenings, 4pm-6:30pm MST). Each week will include meditation sessions centered around specific topics or techniques, program overview and details, Q&A/discussion time, and social connection with the group. Our classes are highly experiential and highly interactive. Thanks to our small class size, you’ll be able to receive personalized guidance and plenty of discussion. Students often remark on how moving it is to share deep questions and reflections with the group in such a close-knit way.
Biweekly Self-Paced Modules
After the introductory month, the self-study modules will launch. Every 2 weeks, you’ll complete a self-paced module with online written, audio, and/or video content, mindfulness assignments, online discussions, and practical homework. These modules will continue for the duration of the program.
Biweekly Live Online Classes
After the introductory month, we’ll switch to live Zoom classes every other week. Thus, every 2 weeks, alternating with the self-paced modules, you’ll meet with your trainee sangha and highly qualified teachers to learn, practice, and discuss. Although attendance at live classes is required, they will be recorded in case a student has to unavoidably miss an occasional session. They will remain available for later reference at any time. These classes will be held on Wednesday evenings, 4pm-6:30pm MST.
Monthly Book Study
Every month, you’ll read an assigned book on meditation, mindfulness, and/or the spiritual path at your own pace. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts and insights with the group at the end of the month.
Peer Group Meetings
Every 2-3 weeks, you’ll meet with a small peer group to share feedback, support, reflections, and discussions around the learning topics. You’ll also have the opportunity to practice leading meditation for your fellow trainees and answer student questions as a budding meditation-leader-in-training in a low-pressure environment.
Monthly Mentor Meetings
Every month, you’ll meet with your mentor to discuss your progress in the course, any challenges or insights, and receive direct personal guidance as it relates to your participation in the course, meditation, and your spiritual path.
Additional Assignments
By the end of the program, you’ll complete a final research project on a relevant topic of your choice, complete a practicum with Sage Institute teachers, record audio meditations, complete a service work component, compile resources for your local community, and participate in meditation retreats (if you haven’t already).
We estimate our program’s direct study and contact hours to be about 300 hours. Your individual time investment will vary depending on how fast your work through the materials. Personal meditation practice time and book reading time is not included in our general estimate.