200hr Buddhist Meditation Teacher Training
2024-2025 Registration is now closed
“Though we are only a few months in, I feel exactly what Lora predicted I would—changed. Not the same person from September. This isn’t hyperbole! The essence of this training is showing up in my day to day, moment by moment life.
The teachings are astounding in their beauty and simplicity, and yet of course, not easy to practice without the guidance of a true teacher who is living the teachings. And now through life’s challenges and joys, I am feeling the effects of the teachings. They are sticking to my heart “like fly paper”, and showing up again and again as I move through my life. It’s measurable. It’s tangible.
I have spent years WANTING to understand mindfulness. WANTING to want to meditate. And now it’s actually happening. And aside from the personal epiphanies (and heart excavations—another Lora-ism), I have SO much I want to share! I am sure fellow yoga teachers have shared in my experience of planning classes and searching for themes... stories... life lessons and life enhancing, meaningful content to offer students. I used to wrack my brain and search the internet! Now, my class “share” list is SO long...and it’s coming from this training and my own heart. I find myself trying to weave the teachings into phone calls with friends, my children, or anyone who will listen!!! Because everyone should understand what lies within each of us—and I think EVERYONE should take this course! ”
The program:
This course is an in-depth study of Buddhist philosophy, history, and meditation practices. It is the culmination of decades of devoted study from your lead instructor, and – following the hallmark of YSK training ethos – is unique in how it offers both breadth across all branches of Buddhism, and depth in the insistence on training through personal practice and direct experience. This is a rigorous program, but will deep reward. We are study no small thing; the path of liberation from suffering.
Buddhism was an oral tradition for much of its history, transmitted person to person, heart to heart. Some say that oral traditions are studied and learned even more deeply than written traditions, as the work needs to be committed to mind and heart to endure, to be passed on. Within Buddhism this creates a rich tapestry of teachings; anecdotes and parables. Numerical systems to support the memory of philosophical teachings, like the Three Jewels, Four Noble Truths, Five Hindrances to Meditation, Six Realms of Existence, Seven Factors of Awakening, Eightfold Path and so much more.
Buddhism was first and foremost a revolution, a countermovement to the rigid Vedic society in the subcontinent ~2500 years ago. Buddha’s teachings were explicitly for everyone; any caste, any class, any gender could join the scientific study of the mind, and the true nature of reality, in order to radically wake up. This is the invitation we continue today.
As Buddhism moved through the centuries, and moved to new lands the philosophy and practice shifted. The ways of studying, teaching and understanding Buddhism are as diverse and many other major world religions like Christianity, Hinduism, Islam. We’ll study the chronology and geography behind these shifts, and practice within each branch of Buddhism, so that trainees are supported in both respecting the diversity of approaches, and supported in finding the one or ones that resonate most with them.
Lastly, we will focus deeply on how to teach such a massive, and yet deeply simple practice. The Buddha’s original teachings were that you do not need some elaborate process to wake up, you do not need to be this class or that, do certain acts to pay penance. Anyone can wake up, right now, you just need to decide to. So how do we teach that? We’ll spend at least 200hrs figuring that out! And that will include dedicated commitment, practice, and structured reflections on our part, as we train. The program concludes with a teachers retreat, in the traditional style of “vassa,” taken by Buddha and those with him in study, during the 3 months of the rainy season.
This program includes quite a bit of pre-coursework, to build context prior to the first module. Therefore early registration is recommended.
Additionally space is strictly limited in this training, given depth of content.
Your Instructor:
I, Lora, initially found my way to Buddhism by reading Joseph Campbell’s work on comparative religion. Drawn to the way universal truths were communicated through the lens of Buddhism, I signed up for a 12 day silent meditation retreat at age 16. This led to a lifetime of deep study and practice, and in many ways this training feels like the culmination of my life’s work. This is far and beyond the deepest program I have ever dared to offer, and I can’t wait to explore this with you.
Through the years, I have studied with some of the major teachers of contemporary Buddhism across major lineages including monastic study in Bodh Gaya India directly under the venerable Sri Munindra (Theravada), as well as teachers of Mahayana/Zen, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, abbot of the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery, for study of Vajrayana/Tibetan. I spent extended periods of silent retreat immersion at both Insight Meditation Society, with founders Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and many other IMS trained teachers, and at Gaia House with Christopher Titmuss. I have taught yoga and mindfulness since 2006, and has been training teachers since 2015.
Schedule:
Each module will run Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm. This is a hybrid training, with participants in-studio, and virtual. In-person will be held at Yoga on the Vine. Participants are not required to attend in-person sessions. For those willing to travel, YOTV can share recommendations for lodging/home share.
This training will not include make-up sessions, and will not be available as a recording. Participants will need to make up the same module on a future training.
A few housing options are available for MV.
2024-2025 Schedule
All modules 11am-5pm, Sat and Sun
Module 1 : June 15-16, 2024
Module 2: August 24-25, 2024
Module 3: September 21-22, 2024
Module 4: November 16-17, 2024
Module 5: January 18-19, 2025
Module 6: February 22-23, 2025
Module 7: April 19-20, 2025
Module 8: Teachers Retreat, May 17-18, 2025 (on retreat location)
Pricing:
Pricing for our programs is standardized by the number of hours involved. Payment plans are always available.
Pricing includes residential retreat on final weekend: lodging and food
YSK programs are non-refundable, non-transferable.
$3800 in full. $800 discount for pay-in-full
If paying deposit, we’ll contact you to set up a payment plan that works for your needs.
All YSK programs are non-refundable, non-transferable
Showcasing Trainee’s Work
Midway through the program trainees create and deliver their own dharma talk based on the teachings that have most impacted them thus far. Below are some examples of these talks, delivered by the trainees themselves.
Each talk starts with a ~10 minute meditation.