About Breathworks Mindfulness Teacher Training

We have three prerequisites:

1. At least a year of mindfulness and meditation practice by the time you begin your Introductory Training event

2. You must have completed a Breathworks course within the two years prior to your first training event (to find out more about which courses qualify, download our detailed Guide to The Breathworks Teacher Training Programme.)

3. If you haven’t completed a meditation retreat, you can still begin the training, but before you get your accreditation as a meditation teacher, you will need to have completed a meditation retreat (5 days suggested length). This doesn’t necessarily need to be with Breathworks.

Online Orientation Workshop

To prepare for your Introductory Teacher Training Event, you will join an Online Orientation Workshop - a group video call with a Breathworks trainer to give you a welcome to Breathworks, an overview of the training process, and an exploration of how to work with your personal mentor through your training.

Preparation for Introductory Teacher Training Event

Before your training you will also have some preparatory reading to complete and videos to watch, as well as meditation diaries to complete for several weeks to review with your personal mentor. (Due to the time these diaries take to complete, we recommend that you book your Introductory event at least two months in advance). Find out more about what preparation is required in the Guide to The Breathworks Teacher Training Programme.

Introductory Teacher Training Event

There are three different formats that you can choose from to complete your introductory training:

• a 6-day residential course, which takes place at a retreat centre or similar location (on hold at the moment)
  
  
• two non-residential modules of 3-days each, held at one of our centres in Manchester or London
  
  
• A purely online format
  
  

The training itself will consist of extensive practice in:

• Teaching mindfulness
  
  
• Guiding meditations
  
  
• Conducting effective meditation enquiry
  
  
• Leading mindful movement sessions

As well as:

• A complete introduction to key Breathworks and MBPM (Mindfulness-Based Pain Management) concepts and the principles behind the courses
  
  
• An overview of the structure & content of Breathworks courses: Mindfulness for Health and Mindfulness for Stress
  
  
• Experiential workshops from our Breathworks Trainers in effective teaching methods
  
  
• Understanding the practice and benefits of mindful movement
  
  
• Furthering your understanding of mindfulness and compassion, and their applications for human suffering
  
  
• Deepening your personal mindfulness and meditation practice
  
  
• Learning to effectively communicate your understanding and experience to others in your teaching

The introductory training follows a programme that we’ve refined over many years to support rapid learning, but also to be spacious and nurturing of your personal mindfulness practice.

The development of skills stage consists of two sections, which can be completed after Introductory Training, any time before your practice course in the 5th and final stage of training.

Mindful Movement workshop

This mindful movement workshop is available as either a two-day in-person workshop or an online workshop running over three weeks. During this workshop you will focus on teaching and practising the mindful movements included in Breathworks courses.

These mindful movements were developed to be easily accessible for everyone and are not about flexibility, strength, or exercise. They were adapted from movements from yoga and qigong, and they are a powerful tool for grounding ourselves, developing mindfulness in movement, and learning to get in touch with the profound wisdom of our bodies.

Supporting a Course

This is an immensely valuable opportunity to deepen your confidence and experience by supporting a Breathworks course. You could support a course being taught at one of our centres in Manchester or London, one of our group online courses, or one offered by a local Breathworks teacher.

It will give you the opportunity to observe an experienced Breathworks teacher teaching the course, as well as to get familiar with the many practicalities of organising and running a course.

There is some preparatory reading and meditation diaries to complete before you attend your Advanced Training. Find out more about these in the Guide to the Breathworks Teacher Training Programme.

You can complete your Advanced Training as a 6-day residential course at a retreat centre somewhere in the UK (this format is currently on hold), in two 3-day non-residential modules in Manchester or London, or online.

Your Advanced Training event will take place in small groups with a Breathworks trainer, covering key concepts and practices in more depth, and practising the skills of a mindfulness teacher.

Trainees will further their understanding of mindfulness and compassion and their applications to human suffering, deepen their personal practice, and communicate their understanding and experience effectively to others.

You will work with the Breathworks Teaching Competencies as a guide to developing your good practice as a mindfulness teacher.

Upon completion of Advanced Teacher Training, students will run a Practice Course in order to apply the skills they've learned during their training. You can do this by running a practice course independently, or co-leading one with another trainee or accredited Breathworks teacher.

You will be supported in teaching by an experienced Breathworks supervisor. You’ll write a weekly reflective journal, feedback to your supervisor on your experiences, challenges and successes in teaching your course, and receive support and advice.