Hi, I am on the track for the teacher certification. and wondering what are the qualified " teacher lead" silent retreat…? I found some religiously focused silent retreat such as through Vipassana Meditation Center. Are they qualify as the required silent retreat…?
Anything listed here qualifies:
https://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/training/retreats/
And, yes, vipassana centers are included.
https://zmm.mro.org/program/sesshin-dec-2017/
I am planning to attend this… I found this retreat via Hemera.org. It is teacher lead… Does this qualify…?
Yes, Kyoko, that looks similar to the other Zen Center’s programs we list
on the website. The main guidelines to bear in mind are: 1) silent retreat
2) led by a teacher 3) mindfulness-based 4) 5 days or 7 days minimum,
depending on which requirement you are seeking to meet.
Hello Eowyn,
I am wondering what are the requirements to lead a qualified retreat. I mean, there are crystal clear criteria related to the training qualifications to be able to teach MBSR Programs, but what about leading retreats ?
I have lead silent mindfulness retreats myself (I am a Certified MBSR Teacher), and as I was not sure about it, I always mentioned that the retreats I lead are not qualified retreat to become MBSR Teacher. So I am wondering if the guidelines are 1) silent retreat 2) led by a teacher 3) mindfulness-based 4) 5 days or 7 days minimum, what kind of teacher (with which specific training ?) has to lead so that the retreat can be taken into account.
Thanks for your help !
Thomas
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Hello, Thomas,
I’m here filling in for Éowyn while she is away. Thanks so much for your question. I’ve checked in with my mentors in Oasis. I learned that there is work currently underway for guidelines on retreats, and that information about this will be coming out soon. If you want to come back with a reminder about this question in a month or two, I think there will be more to say then.
All the best,
Margaret
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Hello Margaret,
Thank you very much for your answer. I am back as suggested for the reminder :)
Kind regards,
Thomas
Hello, Thomas,
The page in the CFM’s professional education section of our website that speaks to retreats is now including a list of both specific retreats and overall retreat centers to choose from. That page is here:
https://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/training/retreats/
Is your question about specific requirements in order to be listed as a qualified retreat or retreat center? I don’t think we have published anything more about that, other than what is on this page. But please do let me know if that is the intention behind your question.
One other page I can point you to that is published is our statement on principles and standards for those who train MBSR teachers. Alignment to these principles and standards would be part of what is needed, I believe.
https://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/training/principles--standards/
All the best,
Margaret
Hello Thomas, Can you reiterate your question for me? I cannot quite grock
it from the exchange you had with Margaret. If it’s about what retreats
qualify for Oasis prerequisites, the webpage she sent you a few months ago
has been updated and includes a complete list. As of Febraury 1st, retreat
and centers not listed there do not qualify. This simplifies things for all
of us, as, going forward, to know if a retreat qualifies, you need only
look at that page and see what centers and retreats are listed there. Kind
regards, Eowyn
Hello Eowyn,
If I try to summarize it, the question would be as follows :How can I teach a retreat which qualifies ? Are there established or clear pre-requisites in terms of training to teach a qualifying retreat ? (Like there are clear pre-requisites to teach the MBSR program, for example).
Kind regards,Thomas
Hello Margaret,
Sorry I did not see yet your kind answer.
Yes, my question is about the specific requirements in order to be listed as a qualified retreat, on top of the principles and standards.
Thank you for the link to the principles and standards. I guess that the MBSR “Teacher Trainer Consultation program” which is refered to in this list is the TT (Train-the-Trainer program), is it ?
Thank you very much !
Thomas
P.S : apologies if I am not clear, I am french and english is not my native language
Hi again Thomas,
Now I follow you. We have been looking very closely at the nature of
retreats taught outside of the meditation centers and retreats that we
recognize. In our own effort to get very clear, we have begun a process of
considering, deeply, the content and undergirding of what is being offered
by us and by others in the retreat format. And, for now, we have have made
the decision not to expand what we have on our website. So, for now, the
retreats and centers listed on our website are the ones that qualify, and
we are not accepting inquires from additional retreat centers or retreat
teachers at this time.
Kind regards,
Eowyn
Thank you very much for your clear answer.I understand it is temporary, and also that it is a big news for us in France (and probably in other countries), since the retreats which were considered as qualifying by the ADM in France are currently no longer qualifying, for now.Kind regards,Thomas
Dear Eowyn and colleagues,
Allow me to post a new question on this thread.
I am engaged on the Teacher Pathway and completed the MBSR Fundamentals last year. I recently moved to Sao Paulo and am looking at options to attend a second qualified retreat before applying for the Practice Teaching Intensive. The only possibilities I identified in Brazil seem to be the 10-day Goenka retreats. I recalled those retreats used to qualify, but do they still do? Or would you know of other options in Brazil or close-by? Financially, it would be very difficult for me to fly to the US or to Europe for a retreat unfortunately.
Many thanks for your advice,
Guillaume
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