At a Glance

This course is designed to deepen your appreciation of methods for connecting with your inner spiritual resources. The approach to this study and practice will be eclectic, drawing upon sources from Eastern and Western traditions. As you deepen your own inner life, it prepares you to better act as a guide, teacher, or mentor to others. The course culminates in a practical demonstration of your growing capacity to serve as a helper to other seekers. In the practicum, you will have the opportunity to teach and share your own personal version of meditation instruction with either a choice of mentoring 3 individuals for four weeks or creating and facilitating a workshop.

This course will not provide the student with the background to offer psychotherapy or other therapeutic counseling, which requires special training and state licensure. 

The Meditation Teacher Training  I April 3rd - June 25th, 2023

Applications are due by March 22nd, 2023

Use this link to apply.

 

Overview

Atlantic University has instituted a noncredit option for lifelong learners. Almost all of the courses at the university can be taken at the noncredit level (some restrictions apply). The Lifelong Learning program is a great option for those who do not wish to pursue a graduate degree or a formal certificate, but still want to participate in all that Atlantic University has to offer. And, the online format is great for those who cannot travel to Virginia Beach for on-campus programs. 

There are no prerequisite requirements for participation in Lifelong Learning courses and students will study with the same mentors as in the degree and certificate programs. Courses taken at the noncredit level do not have academic credit and are not transferable to the master’s degree program.

Upon the successful completion of each course, the student will be issued an official university Certificate of Completion. 

This course can transfer into the Spiritual Guidance Mentor Certificate program.  

Course Delivery

Courses at Atlantic University are delivered in an asynchronous online environment. Asynchronous learning happens on your schedule. While your course of study, instructor, or the program will provide materials for reading, lectures for viewing, assignments for completing, and exams for evaluation, you can access and satisfy these requirements on your own schedule, so long as you meet the expected deadlines. Common methods of asynchronous online learning include self-guided lesson modules, pre-recorded video content, virtual libraries, lecture notes, and online discussion boards or social media platforms.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:

◦ explain models for understanding soul growth and the role of meditation;

◦ experience and describe a personal meditation practice;

◦ experience, compare and contrast different methods for deepening the inner life;

◦ create a mentoring program or a meditation class, implement, and evaluate it;

◦ describe, explain, and teach meditation and the inner life as a leader and/or coach and mentor;

◦ be aware of and be able to access research and current work in the field of meditation.

Organization of the Course

This course is divided into two sections. The first five weeks are designed to help you acquire knowledge of basic meditation methods and provide you with the time to practice the methods yourself. The next seven weeks are designed to help you acquire knowledge and application of more "advanced" methods, but also to help structure your personal methods of mentoring and teaching meditation. You will also continue to practice meditation and gain new knowledge of the field. The last half of the class will require lots of time management and organizational skills as you plan for mentoring and teaching meditation, write papers, and finally complete your practicum.

Weekly topics include: 

Week 1: Foundations of Meditation 

Week 2: Mindfulness

Week 3: Thoughts, Stillness, and the Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation Technique

Week 4: Meditation on the Body, Transforming Pain, Affirmations, and Intentions 

Week 5: Contemplation, Inquiry, and the Spiritual

Week 6: Your Informal Presentation

Week 7: Feminine Perspectives of Meditation & 2nd Presentation

Week 8: Edgar Cayce on Meditation - Pt. 1

Week 9: Edgar Cayce on Meditation - Pt. 2 

Week 10: Chakras and Kundalini

Week 11: Meditation & Psychotherapy and Meditation Research

Week 12: You are a Teacher of Meditation & the Inner Life

We have 3 Zoom Gatherings, in Weeks 4,7, and 11. We do these meetings on Fridays at 7-8 pm EST. These are opportunities to connect and talk together about topics such as Meditation as World Service, Enlightenment, and Being a Spiritual Teacher. The Zoom Meetings are optional and will be recorded and uploaded to the Discussion Post for that week if you want to view them later.

Practicum

The final assignment for the course is focused on a practical demonstration of what you have learned and how you can be helpful to others. Naturally, this is an opportunity to try your hand at actually being a teacher of meditation. You will choose one of two approaches or "tracks" for completing this assignment.

Track Option 1: Mentoring

The first option is to find three individuals and work with each one of them for four weeks as a meditation trainer or coach. Most likely, you would meet once per week, with time for them to practice and journal between sessions. Face-to-face sessions are very strongly encouraged.

The point of the mentoring is for you to teach the person how to understand the nature of meditation and how to find a way to practice meditation that fits that person's needs and interests. The format will be to give informal instruction to the person when you are together AND to actually have a meditation session (or sessions) each time you are together. You can give the client some "homework" to prepare for the next session. That homework can be reading assignments that you create, or it can be exercised to try. Be creative and imaginative in your role as a mentor. You won't necessarily approach mentoring the three people in the same way.

You won't have had a chance to impart everything you know about meditation and the inner life, but these few sessions can be a great start for that individual. Or you may choose to continue after this course is over.

Track Option 2: Presenting a Workshop

The second option is to teach a workshop on how to meditate to a group. The optimal size is six to ten people. Most students in this course will probably find a way to gather some friends.

You will want to include:

1. a mixture of short lecture presentations with workshop activities that get your audience involved;
2. background material about the nature of the mind and the basic approaches to meditation;
3. an opportunity to clarify personal ideals and motivations;
4. some experiences with aids for attunement and methods for staying focused;
5. some homework for them to try in the days after the workshop.

 

Program Expectations

Meditation Teacher Trainees are:

• Held to the course deadlines for assignments;
• Required to read the required material and to respond to the topic assigned (versus digressing from the assigned topic);
• Required to complete practicums when assigned;
• Expected to write clearly using proper grammar and punctuation.

Meditation Teacher Trainees are not:

• Held to strict APA standards in formatting written assignments (but must cite sources properly);
• Required to take proctored exams.

At the discretion of the faculty member and the specific course being taught, some assignments may be identified in the course as optional for noncredit Dream Interpretation Certificate students. Faculty members may also elect to modify assignment requirements for noncredit Dream Interpretation Certificate students, such as word count or page count.

All grades for noncredit students are either Successfully Completed (SC) or Not Successfully Completed (NC). This grading criterion is used for all assignments and the final course grade.

Tuition

This personal journey of self-discovery will be one of the most valuable investments you will ever make. Earn a Certificate of Completion from an accredited university!

The Meditation Teacher course is $750 for 12-weeks of online instruction. 

Learn more about tuition and payment plans.