MBSR Teacher Training vs. The Path Online Teacher Training
If you are thinking about joining a teacher training program, you may run across The Path’s meditation teacher training and wonder how it compares to MBSR. ” MBSR is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and this article is designed to help you sort out which program is best for you.
Although both offer online meditation teacher training programs, they are quite different. Below, we’ll give you an in-depth breakdown on the different approaches and also explain how you can decide which feels best for you:
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Before diving deeper into each style of teacher training, here are a few quick facts to know when comparing MBSR with The Path’s online meditation teacher training program:
Types of meditation taught: MBSR teaches mindfulness, focusing on mindfulness of the breath and body scans, while The Path teaches these mindfulness techniques and a variety of others, including Noting and compassion or “lovingkindness” meditations.
Time commitment: MBSR’s teacher training program takes 3-4 years to complete, while The Path’s teacher training program takes 3 months.
Foundations: MBSR’s program is secular, while The Path’s is based on Theravada Buddhism (the type of meditation the Buddha himself practiced and taught).
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was created by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center’s Stress Reduction Clinic in the 1970s. It is a secular, group program that teaches mindfulness as a health intervention, to improve or mitigate the effects of disease in the body. It was originally developed to help people with chronic illnesses, but today it is taught more generally to people wanting to understand how to cope with, and respond to, stress, illness, and pain using meditation and other mindfulness techniques.
Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as "moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness." According to the UMass Memorial Health Care Center for Mindfulness, “participants utilize mindfulness meditation, simple and gentle body movement, and group discussion of experience to begin to integrate this awareness into the challenges and adventures of everyday life.” The actual MBSR course for students with chronic health issues or people wanting to add mindfulness into their daily lives only takes two months, but becoming an MBSR teacher usually takes 3-4 years.
While there are many MBSR teacher training programs available around the world, one of the primary courses is run by Brown University. Regardless of which accredited institution is conducting the training, potential MBSR teachers must first complete a standard, 8-week MBSR course and then a five to seven day silent, teacher-led retreat. After this, a student can begin MBSR teacher training.
At the Mindfulness Center at Brown, for example, “The prerequisites can be completed within 3-4 months. Once you begin the professional training to become an MBSR teacher, the most common progression is 3-4 years.” Brown also recommends, “a minimum of six (6) months between your MBSR Foundations and Teacher Advancement Intensive (TAI) courses. During this time you can deepen practice, study, assimilate the learning from MBSR Foundations, take a second retreat, and offer the three required introductory programs prior to the TAI.”
If you are considering MBSR teacher training, here’s a quick summary on what you need to know:
MBSR is a mindfulness program, initially developed to help people deal with chronic illness and pain about 50 years ago
MBSR is a secular program, meaning it has no spiritual components
MBSR teacher training typically takes 3-4 years
The Path’s mindfulness meditation programs offer a combination of spirituality and science. The program specifically includes neuroscience, so students understand (and can then teach) how and why meditation affects the mind so profoundly. While The Path’s online Meditation Teacher Training covers the three different primary types of Buddhism taught and practiced around the world, the program is primarily based on Theravada Buddhism. The program is taught by founder and CEO Dina Kaplan, a certified meditation teacher and writer who leads meditations for individuals, groups, companies, conferences and festivals around the world.
Dina has studied and practiced dozens of meditation techniques, including Vipassana, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Vedic (or “mantra”) meditation, loving-kindness or (“metta”) meditation, and more. Dina writes about meditation for entrepreneurs for Forbes online and has written for the New York Times, Medium, Marie Claire, The Standard hotel group and many other publications and brands.
The Path also brings in additional teachers for the course..
The Path teaches two main types of meditation in its teacher training (more details are in the FAQ below!):
Mindfulness: Increases focus and releases stress by training the mind to focus on one thing.
Mindfulness of the Breathing Body: Focus on the breath.
Mindfulness of Sounds: Focusing on the natural sounds in our environment, with no judgement.
Mindfulness of Thoughts and Emotions: Focusing on the strings of thoughts that emerge when we sit, and our emotions, and helping us to realize that we are not our thoughts, and we are not our emotions.
Mindfulness of Body Sensations. Learn how to open your awareness to body sensations inch by inch, part by part and to do a ‘sweeping’ body scan as well.
Noting: What is most present for you at this moment, and how can we open our awareness to this, see if it passes, then notice what comes up for us next.
Combining techniques: Learn how and why and when to combine techniques, for yourself and your students.
Compassion: Learn to increase your compassion for yourself and others, so this comes to your mind naturally in months ahead! (Yes, this meditation really does change the chemistry in your mind.)
Since 2015, The Path has run a Meditation Teacher Training program focusing on traditional mindfulness from a Buddhist perspective. Students receive a certificate for Teaching Mindfulness and Compassion Meditation and are accredited to teach meditation around the world.
During 2020, The Path carefully transitioned its program into an online format to meet growing demand during the global pandemic AND improved it, layering in important elements to build community - establishing trust, connection and deep support among the group of students. The Path prides itself on creating kind, warm, and inspiring environments during each online meditation teacher training program.
This 12-week program gives students a deep understanding of the core aspects of Buddhist wisdom. The training also offers an incredible amount of practice guiding meditations, so students feel comfortable guiding a variety of mindfulness and compassion meditations the moment they graduate. In addition, students will:
Understand meditation from a neuroscience perspective, learning about the impact of meditation on the brain, which parts of the brain are affected by meditation and why meditation helps us live with more equanimity and happiness.
Develop the confidence, vocabulary, and presence to successfully lead others in meditation and help others to build a consistent meditation practice.
Practice leading meditations and receive constructive feedback so their guiding improves over time.
Find greater presence, balance, clarity, and expansiveness within themselves because they are meditating each day and have accountability to meditate each day (this is really powerful!).
The Path’s online teacher training program is for anyone who wants to learn to guide or teach meditation or deeply develop their own practice. Here are some key elements you should know.
Classes are taught live, with real, certified instructors who can answer questions, elaborate on a topic, and more.
Neuroscience topics are covered, providing context about how and why the brain responds so well to meditation and mindfulness, and how we can use this impact to bring more joy, stability, and calm into our lives.
A variety of mindfulness and compassion meditations are taught to give students the most comprehensive education to cater their practices to their own (and their future students’) specific needs.
Each class size is limited to ensure every student receives the level of attention and care they deserve.
In addition to full class time, students receive practical guiding experience each week in their “pods” (small groups of 4).
Community-building is an important focus of the course. Students leave not just with classmates, but friends and a peer group to support them on their journey as a meditator and meditation guide!
What is Theravada Buddhism, and why is it important in a meditation practice?
Theravada Buddhism is what the Buddha practiced and taught. “Theravada” means “the doctrine of the elders” and teaches us how to gain happiness, wisdom, peace, and more from within ourselves. Theravada Buddhism focuses on meditation as a means of achieving awakening (or enlightenment).
The Path’s meditation teacher training translates complex Buddhist wisdom into simple language so students can immediately incorporate it into their lives. There’s no need to be a Buddhist to take these classes (and Buddhism actually encourages critical thinking around lessons) - but Buddhist wisdom forms the foundation of the course and helps students find more peace, balance, and freedom in their lives. The Path also teaches neuroscience and other modern topics, blending the best of the old and the new to give students a complete understanding of how to teach and practice meditation.
From a neuroscience perspective, how is meditation helpful to improving mental health?
The connections between meditation practices and improved mental health outcomes are well documented in the scientific community and reinforce the power, wisdom and techniques The Path teaches. For example, Johns Hopkins University researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 47 well-designed meditation studies, where they found that mindfulness meditation can help ease psychological issues like anxiety, depression, and pain.
Meditation can also help you cope with the stresses of everyday life. A study published in 2014 demonstrated that people who completed a meditation exercise experienced fewer negative thoughts in response to viewing negative images (compared with those in a control group). When we think of how many images we consume every day between the news, social media, and more, we can see how this skill set can have immediate effects on day-to-day happiness.
Additionally, meditation has major physiological impacts. Meditation appears to decrease inflammation by decreasing the amount of cytokines (inflammatory chemicals produced as a part of a stress response). Additionally, practicing meditation may help you control or redirect the racing or runaway thoughts that often lead to insomnia. One small study showed that people who meditated stayed asleep longer and had improved insomnia severity.
What kinds of people should sign up for The Path’s online teacher training program?
If you feel like you could use a fresh dose of positivity, light, and energy after such a challenging and difficult year, you’re not alone. The Path’s students often find self-confidence, personal peace, and a renewed zest for life after completing their teacher training.
The Path’s course is for you if you want to begin your path towards becoming a meditation teacher. But other professional paths can benefit from mindfulness training as well. Skillfully and knowledgeably integrating meditation teaching into your work benefits yourself, your team, your interpersonal relationships, your work outputs, and so much more. For example, you might want to consider meditation teacher training if you are a:
Founder
Entrepreneur
Human Resources representative
Business executive
Teacher
Coach
Healthcare worker
Therapist
Manager of your home and family
The Path’s meditation teacher training is perfect if you want to further your own path, learn Buddhist wisdom, enjoy the benefits of consistent daily practice and join an inspiring, supportive community of meditators.
What specific meditation techniques does The Path teach in its online meditation teacher program?
The Path’s online teacher training focuses on Mindfulness and Compassion meditation, which are the two types of meditation students become certified to teach once they complete the training.
Each of these types of meditation contains a multitude of styles, techniques, and resources to that can be used in various situations to help alleviate stress, anxiety, and more, such as:
Mindfulness of Breath
Mindfulness of Sounds
Mindfulness of Thoughts and Emotions
Mindfulness of Body Sensations (Body Scan)
Walking Meditation
Lovingkindness Meditation
Opening to Life Meditation
Traditional Vipassana Meditation
Noting
We also teach how to analyze which situations call for specific techniques and how to combine these for truly customized meditations for any situation.
How much practice leading meditation will I get?
Plenty! One of the most constructive ways to build your skills as a meditation teacher and empathetic guide is to practice.
Students lead meditations every other week within small groups (which are called “pods” in the course). They also receive constructive feedback from their “podmates”, meaning each opportunity to guide creates a robust feedback cycle. When students are not guiding, they participate in this feedback cycle.
Additionally, students record and submit three meditations throughout the training. They receive detailed feedback from certified meditation teachers who serve as evaluators for the program.
How much interaction with my teachers will I get?
Because The Path’s online teacher training classes are small and live, students get a great deal of direct interaction with the head teacher. Additionally, each class has an assistant teacher who co-teaches lessons. All students are given opportunities to ask specific questions during class, and are welcome to email teachers with additional questions or concerns.
In addition to interaction with teachers, fostering community among students is a top priority at The Path. Students build a true sense of camaraderie throughout this experience and build friendships that last beyond it. Additionally, each student is added to a private social channel, where they can chat with both The Path’s team and each other.
What does a typical week’s schedule look like?
The Path’s training format was designed to easily blend into busy schedules for working professionals, and the majority of students have full-time jobs. There typically at least two cohorts at a time offered to accommodate students from different job schedules and time zones (students join from around the world).
Each week, students meet for a 1 hour and 45 minute class that covers a specific topic and meditation, as well as time for discussion. Pod groups meet after class each week to practice guiding meditations, dive deeper into that week’s curriculum, and more. Additionally, students are expected to meditate daily (25 minutes per day) and complete weekly readings.
What have previous students said about this program?
The Path’s teacher training graduates have gone on to teach meditation around the world. The program impacted their lives profoundly, both personally and professionally. Here are a few examples:
“I am more patient as a parent and more thoughtful as a leader. Mindfulness has helped me create peace within, which helped me to silence the world’s noise and think objectively.” — Leon Ford, Author / Speaker / Activist
“This is the best teacher training that I have taken for many reasons. It’s the most inclusive and supportive community and we learned many methods of practicing and teaching meditations. I feel ready to teach and to share this beautiful practice of kindness and compassion.” — Elise Benkard, Founder of Penelope's Stories
“Meditation Teacher Training has uplifted my spirit, transformed my practice and given me skills to teach meditation with clarity. Thank you for helping me gain confidence and find my voice as a meditation teacher.” — Peggy Andrews, Attorney & Candy Maker
You can read more about what former students of The Path’s online meditation teacher training have to say on the official page for their teacher training.
No matter which program you choose, enriching your meditation practice will have a positive impact on yourself, your body, and your relationships. There is true joy in sharing meditation with others in your neighborhood, family, and community – and also, of course, in building a career that improves the world around you.
If you have any questions about The Path or their online Meditation Teacher Training program you can contact The Path. Enjoy your journey towards becoming a meditation teacher!