FAQs

program details

teaching intensives

The teaching intensives are the heart of our program and are a requirement for graduation. Connect, practice teaching, and get feedback with your cohort and direct access to the core faculty.

• intensives are 6 days, 5 nights
• practice teaching and leading
• get personalized, real-time feedback from peers and faculty
• integrate course material with in-depth sessions led by core faculty
• bond with your “small group” (mentor group)
• daily guided meditation practice led by core faculty

independent study between retreats

The program is broken down into 12 units for you to study and practice on your own, online in-between teaching intensives.

• Each unit contains resources for reading, watching, and listening, as well as meditations to practice.
• You’ll receive discussion questions to explore on your own and with your small group.
• Each unit has a reflection paper to write, as well as prompts for personal reflection on what you’re learning.

small group meetings

Each month, you’ll join other members of your small group and your core faculty mentor to ask questions, discuss, and dig deep into program content. Practice teaching and get real-time feedback from your peers and core faculty mentor. Small groups are held once per month online.

cohort-wide facilitated calls

This is a chance to discuss and digest the curriculum alongside core faculty as well as people in your cohort. Different faculty members lead the group calls each month. All cohort-wide calls are held online.

one-on-one coaching with core faculty

Unpack course content and get individualized meditation mentoring and support. Ask practical questions like, “How to get people to sign up for classes? Where am I going to teach?”, as well as more personal questions like, “What do I really care about? How can I deal with a challenging relationship? How can I bring these teachings to my community?”. Our mentors support you as a whole person – practically, professionally, and spiritually.

structured, regular meditation and practice groups

The expectation is that you have a meditation practice. We offer pre-recorded guided meditations for you to use that are relevant to the curriculum as you go through the course. There is also a regularly occurring guided online practice group for you to meditate with your peers, led by the faculty.

practicum

Create and teach six hours of mindfulness curriculum and get personalized feedback from your mentor. This can be a 6-hour day-long or split up into sections, along with 30 minutes of recorded teaching and a write-up.

tuition details

scholarships

We offer substantial scholarship opportunities. Scholarships may be requested based on self-reported need, and every request is considered. We also prioritize awarding scholarships to BIPOC individuals and to professionals who work within disenfranchised communities, thanks to a grant from the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation.

discounts

A $1,000 tuition discount is available for any individual who has staffed an Inward Bound Teen Retreat.

payment plans

Payment plans are available in two formats:

• two installments
• monthly payment plan

tuition covers:

• teaching intensives
• online curriculum
• 1:1 mentoring
• practicum supervision
• monthly small group meetings
• guidance for structured daily meditation

We are committed to training diverse leaders in the growing field of secular mindfulness who can serve a wide range of communities reflecting racial, gender, economic, and religious differences.