A meditation facilitator may not be what you think it is
Is there a difference between a meditation teacher and a meditation facilitator? You bet there is.
A meditation teacher has deep, extensive subject knowledge and directly instructs through lectures. A teacher is a ‘sage on the stage’, is able to teach many aspects of the practice with wisdom and respond to participant issues expertly.
A meditation facilitator exposes participants to the subject, and creates an opportunity for discussion and practice. A facilitator creates a trusting environment, and participants are encouraged to contribute to the conversation and learn from each other as well. A facilitator does not need to know all the answers.
Why this distinction matters
In recent years, there has been a tidal wave of people discovering the powerful effect of mindfulness meditation in their lives. Perhaps you are one of these people. You know the power of this life skill.
And perhaps you want to do some meaningful work in your life? And maybe you want to help others?
Although taking meditation teacher training would be a lovely endeavor, doing so is not practically within reach for most people. Most meditation teacher training programs take months or up to 15 years to complete, costing between $6,000-$8,000+. Most programs will make you a sage but won’t necessarily teach you how to successfully create a successful program for participants, nor how to introduce mindfulness in a secular, workplace-friendly and evidence-based manner. Meditation teacher training is a huge commitment which most people cannot fit into their lives, and it may not fulfill all the needs that you have.
But as a mindfulness and/or meditation practitioner, you can facilitate this practice for others. To become a meditation facilitator, here is what this might entail. A good facilitation course will teach you how to:
run a secular (non-spiritual, non-religious), workplace-friendly and evidence-based program).
lead in a trauma and neurodiversity-informed manner, to reduce risk to participants.
promote, coordinate and grow a program.
lead an entire session from the introductory lecture, to leading a live guided meditation, to dealing with questions from participants.
build trust.
authentically, compassionately and humbly share your experiences about mindfulness and meditation.
If you have a good, personal foundation in mindfulness and/or meditation
maybe becoming a meditation facilitator is in your future?
Becoming a meditation facilitator is much more within reach.
You don't have to quit your day job. You can enhance your life greatly by helping others discover this practice.
However, you want to do this right, and get some training under your belt. You want to be able to tell people that you have been properly trained and certified, too. Too often, passionate meditators start to lead others in meditation without proper training or really understanding what they are leading. This leads to misinformation and can put participants at risk.
If you are curious about becoming a facilitator, you are invited to explore The Calm Monkey's Facilitator Training course & Certification program, or contact me at Wendy@TheCalmMonkey.com.