There are a lot of mindfulness teacher training programmes out there. Why train with Breathworks?

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MASTER MINDFULNESS AND COMPASSION

“Learning to teach with Breathworks was the best thing I’ve ever done for my own mindfulness/compassion practice."

      - Breathworks Teacher in Training

The best way to learn something is to learn how to teach it. After all, for most of our waking life, the only teacher we have is ourselves! 

Benefit from the unique practice opportunity of studying and practising with deeply experienced trainers and fellow teachers in training. Our groups are capped at 9 teachers-in-training, meaning you can get a lot of practice teaching time, and one-to-one support from your trainers throughout training. Your small groups will also learn a great deal from each other throughout your training!

Since our teaching methods are experiential, rather than academic, you will easily be able to apply what you learn to your own mindfulness and meditation practices. We want you to learn how to teach not from just a conceptual understanding, but from your own deep experience of these skills.

A COMPASSIONATE APPROACH

A unique part of the Breathworks programme is the emphasis on compassion practice alongside mindfulness practices in our courses and on our teacher training. This is in contrast to approaches such as MBCT and MBSR, which tend to focus on the cognitive aspects of mindfulness practice. We want Breathworks teachers to be able to respond to their own suffering, and the suffering of others, with kindness. From this more spacious perspective of acceptance and kindliness, one is empowered to accept and respond, rather than react, to their difficulties. 

Without warmth and compassion, mindfulness practice is limited in how much change it can bring about. At Breathworks, we see mindfulness and kindness as essential to one another as the two wings of a bird. 

AN ACCESSIBLE COURSE

Our teacher training programme is available in three formats: fully online, blended learning (in-person & online) and in-person (for Advanced Teacher Training only). You will have access to our online learning platform with materials which can be accessed for a lifetime following the course.

EARN A RESPECTED QUALIFICATION

We are a founding member of the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (BAMBA). This is the closest thing that exists to a regulatory body for mindfulness training in the UK. There are a lot of low-quality teacher training programmes out there, and BAMBA acts as a stamp of approval that signals the highest quality programmes. 

Completing the Breathworks teacher training programme allows you to become a BAMBA-approved teacher as well, and to be listed on their website as a registered teacher so that those looking for mindfulness courses can contact you.

MEMBERSHIP AND TEACHING COMMUNITY

When you become a Breathworks teacher, you join a group of experienced teachers and trainers, and get the benefits of their wisdom, experience, and advice.

SPECIALISMS AND EXPERIENCE

Breathworks was established in 2001 and has become the international field leader in secular mindfulness training for pain management, long-term conditions, and stress.

Founded by expert trainers and practitioners Vidyamala Burch, Sona Fricker and Gary Hennessey, the Breathworks programmes are based on a century of mindfulness and meditation experience, as well as Vidyamala's own journey with pain and illness.

“One of the most important outcomes of mindfulness practice is the reconnecting of body and mind, The Breathworks approach brilliantly shows us how to develop that crucial connection and use it to cope with pain and illness."

    - Chade-Meng Tan, Jolly Good Fellow of Google

The Mindfulness for Health book, which accompanies the course, won first place in the 2014 British Medical Association Book Awards in the popular medicine category. 

It was also added to the Reading Well: Books on Prescription Scheme as a self-help resource recommended by doctors for chronic pain, and made available in libraries all over the UK.

In 2021, Breathworks founder Vidyamala Burch was awarded the title of OBE for her outstanding contribution in the UK and globally to the fields of pain management and wellbeing. And in 2018, she was awarded the honorary membership to the British Pain Society thanks to her extraordinary service to the field.

Breathworks courses have been the subject of numerous published papers, and many internal evaluations, and the efficacy of our approach has been demonstrated time and again. See our research page to find out more.

APPG MINDFUL NATION REPORT AND HEALTH STATISTICS

Following recent NICE recommendations (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and the findings of the 'APPG Mindful Nation Report 2015, there is currently a growing need for mindfulness teachers with the expertise to deliver high quality mindfulness programmes. 

Additionally with 15 million people in England alone suffering with a long-term condition, and 14 million people with chronic pain, there is a real need for effective low cost, long-term sustainable health management programmes such as those provided by our programmes.

 

AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

One of Breathworks' core values is inclusion, whereby everyone in our diverse training community is treated with respect, their voice heard and their experience valued. We ask all our trainees to uphold a  common commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

It has always been extremely important to Breathworks to remove as many barriers as possible to sharing mindfulness teaching. A third of all places on our trainings are supported with bursaries. If the cost of the programme is a barrier for you, you can find out more about how we can support you on the fees page.

MINDFUL MOVEMENT

Many people who develop a meditation practice find that some form of meditation in movement - whether that be walking meditation, qigong, tai chi, or something else - is an extremely helpful aspect of practice. It helps you to bridge the gap between sitting meditation and daily life, it develops an embodied awareness, and very simply feels good!

Breathworks has developed a set of mindful movements which, in addition to all this, are very supportive within the context of Mindfulness-Based Pain Management for those who, over months or years or pain or illness, may have become less mobile or even afraid of moving.

SUPPORT, MATERIALS, MENTORING, AND MORE

When you complete Breathworks teacher training, you get access to a trove of valuable resources. Many of these will be given to you on your teacher training event, in the form of a student manual (and access to its contents online) which includes advice, tips, and reminders on how to lead classes, guide meditations, enquire into students’ meditation practice, facilitate group discussions, and teach effectively.

This also contains detailed lesson plans for our two signature courses - the Mindfulness for Health course, for chronic pain and health condition, and the Mindfulness for Stress course, for stress, anxiety, and mental unrest. These lesson plans and other resources are invaluable, both in teaching these courses to others, and adapting them to teach other material as a mindfulness teacher.

SUPPORTING YOUR CAREER AS A MINDFULNESS TEACHER

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events: Breathworks runs several CPD events for our teachers/teachers in training every year, featuring the latest developments in mindfulness teaching and supporting topics such as therapy, neuroscience, pain management, how to market yourself as a teacher, etc.
• Teacher's Directory: get your own profile on our teacher's listing directory to reach students.
• Supervision: get matched with a supervisor to support your on your teaching journey post training.
• Online Community of Practice with dedicated trainee and teacher group, a source of continued support and connection with your fellow trainees.

AN AMAZING PROGRAMME

“The trainers provided us with lots of support… and to develop our own style of teaching. It was excellently handled - I’ve learned a lot.”

     - Qualified Breathworks Teacher

And of course, we think the best reason to start Breathworks Teacher Training is our incredible programme!

We have a very comprehensive and standardised teaching programme, so that you've got all the information and practice time you need to be an excellent teacher by the time you qualify. There are many stages of training, and a great deal of practice to build your confidence - you will also shadow an experienced teacher on a public course, run your own practice course, and much more! 

Find out more about the programme here.

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