We are in the final week of a 12 month Mindfulness Teacher Training Course (MTTC) programme for 60 trainees.
During the year between May 2020 and May 2021, we explored a variety of mindfulness practices on the application of mindfulness, including mindfulness of breath, body, feeling tones, states of mind and the world around us. We offer a depth of teaching and an expansive vision.
www.mindfulnesstrainingcourse.org provides much information about the MTTC. See MTTC link on home page of this website. Registration with MTTC costs €200.00 for the year. Each month, we invite donations from the participants to support our daily life and the MTTC. Next training is the fourth training. We believe our mindfulness teacher training course might be one of the most affordable available worldwide.
Every month, we initiate themes around the core mindfulness practices. Zoom meetings include full sessions together, large groups, small groups and one one to ones with the teachers. The Course places much emphasis on a down-to-earth practical application of mindfulness, meditation and reflection. Formal practices include sitting, walking, standing and reclining. Practice also includes everything such as washing dishes, gardening, exercise, skills with communication and initiating mindfulness in a variety of settings.
Trainees contribute monthly a 250 word reflection on their experiences of specific practices for the teachers to respond to. We endorse direct experience and discourage theory. MTTC provides PDFs and resources available on www.anengagedlife.org. This is my website which includes a range of mindfulness practices, advice, tools and tips.
MTTC does not offer a prescriptive, institutional approach, such as learning to give an identical 8-week course with a specific form and language.
We encourage trainees to employ the teaching of mindfulness in creative ways using their knowledge, skills and expertise which they brought with them to the MTTC. Teachers apply mindfulness to meet the needs of others, including the general public, schools, employees, public servants, elderly citizens, health issues, animals, environment, people in the arts, professionals, social workers, the religious, mental health field, and more. Mindfulness has a role to support those suffering from domestic/sexual abuse, to businesses wishing to apply ethics, integrity and staff co-operation and in the helping professions.
The themes give participants an opportunity to develop mindfulness of the themes, reflect on them and apply in daily life. The best mindfulness teachers have a depth of experience in other fields which enhances their authority in the role of a mindfulness teacher. Any one of these themes or a selection has the potential to develop into a worthwhile course or approach for a Mindfulness teacher to offer. Trainees benefit when committed to a deep exploration/inquiry into one or more of the themes. Trainees develop their priorities in the exploration in the web of life. The themes were addressed from two primary perspectives – direct experience and application as a mindfulness teacher.
Here are the themes addressed month by month between May 2020 and May 2021 including info on our websites, blog, online talks and Youtube.
May 2020. What is Mindfulness? What are the benefits and limits of mindfulness? Dealing with stress at home and at work. Mindfulness practices for trainees.
June 2020. Mindfulness of the body. Working with tensions, anxiety, sickness and pain in the body. Mindfulness practices to develop health and well-being.
July 2020. Mindfulness of emotions. What are supportive emotions? What are the benefits and limits of living ‘from the heart.’ Working with trauma. What supports changing the view of a painful emotion? What dissolves the painful emotion? Mindfulness of three kinds of feeling tones/sensations – pleasant, unpleasant/painful and neither pleasant, nor unpleasant.
August 2020. Mindfulness of Views. Applying mindfulness to past, present and future, not just the present moment. Knowing wise views and unwise views. Employing mindfulness to stay steady with principles showing empathy, values and justice. Exploring differences between clarity of view and opinions.
September 2020. Mindfulness of Lifestyle. What do you spend your money on? Relationship to consumerism, ethics, environmental concerns Mindfulness of desires. Diet. Mindfulness of what the hand puts in the mouth and the consequences. Time outdoors. Mindfulness in nature for intimacy, renewal and connecting with organic life.
October 2020. Mindfulness of Responses. Intentions-actions-relationship to results. Listening/writing and responding. Is there dependency on results for peace of mind? Keeping one’s peace when facing blame and aggression. Mindfulness in challenging situations.
November 2020. Mindfulness of the Heart. Profound importance of love. Love is deeper than like and dislikes. Developing empathy, kindness and friendship with people, animals and the Earth. Working with impulses to argue or withdraw.
December 2020. Mindfulness in the Work Environment. Addressing problems in institutions, businesses, structures and pressures in the workplace. Willingness to question authority. Staying true to a principle. Sharing and empowering each other. The value of ethics and making them explicit. Service to people, creatures and the environment as the most noble form of action. The power of leadership to inspire others to act.
January 2021. Mindful Communication. Going deeper in a conversation. Mindfulness of words, tone of voice and clarity of expression. Abiding in calm while communicating. Practices in public speaking to small or large groups. Making every conversation a practice in communication. Developing skills to listen and respond to the needs of others.
February 2021. Mindfulness in Times of Crisis. Personal, social and global. What are the conditions for a crisis? What changes the conditions? What needs to develop to change the conditions? Are you empowered, overwhelmed or disinterested? Developing calm and clarity on a daily basis.
March 2021. Mindfulness in Action. Checking regularly motivations. Renewal of energy. What supports and hinders beneficial action. Knowing the importance of renunciation and the importance of cultivations to free up wise actions. The power of non-violent activism. Being clear about choices. Addressing daily addiction to mobile phone, tablet, computer and TV.
April to Early May 2021. Mindfulness of the Deep. Freedom from unsatisfactory influences from the past. Freedom to be. Freedom to act. Power of silence and stillness. Value of spiritual experiences. Knowing benefits and limits of secular/religious priorities. Stepping into the role of a Mindfulness Teacher. Comprehensive PDF provided. PDF includes advice on starting a group, developing a network, use of social media, considering costs/charges, preparing a talk/instructions, suggestions for offering six kinds of courses and more.
New MTTC starting in October 2021
Christopher Titmuss and Ulla Koenig will offer the next Mindfulness Teacher Training Course in October 2021. Kasper Meulesteen from Holland and Alexander von Gontard from Germany will assist.
There are places for 60 trainees. Currently (late April 2021) around 30 people have registered.
Here is brief background to the MTTC. Around 10 years ago, I started an online 12 month mindfulness training course. This ran for about five years with around 60 participants per year. In 2016, I wrote The Mindfulness Manual (published 2015), based on the Buddha’s teachings on mindfulness and drawing on the teaching of this course. The following year I began preparation for a mindfulness teacher training course.
In 2017, I launched the first MTTC to give a training so 60 participants can teach mindfulness. I held one training for 60 in the Pauenhof Buddhist Centre, near Dusseldorf, Germany and one training for 60 via the Tovana network in Israel.
Each training evolved through past experiences with mindfulness training and from the responses/feedback from the participants. I also wrote another book on mindfulness called The Spiritual Roots of Mindfulness (published in 2018). Mindfulness/meditation/reflection points to depths of realisations and liberating transformation. We include this vital area in the MTTC.
We use Zoom primarily for the training with the wish to hold three residential trainings at the start, middle and end, for around five days at the Pauenhof Centre, near Dusseldorf in Germany (if pandemic permits).
A handful of those in the current course are considering joining the October 2021 course to deepen further their experience.
Everybody is invited to apply to join the MTTC. You will see the registration form, details of the course and answers to common questions on the website.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Love
Christopher
It’s awesome that this article talked about intimacy, regeneration, and connection with organic life may all be found by practicing mindfulness in nature. I’m glad that you explain it thoroughly and now it makes more sense. You did a great job of explaining meditation teacher training.