Mindfulness and Compassion
Teacher Training
Mindfulness and Compassion Diploma 20th February 2027 - 19th November 2028
A comprehensive two-year teacher training program in mindfulness and compassion, led by renowned teachers Subhana Barzaghi and Jess Huon. Registration is open for the cohort starting in February 2027. Do you want to be supported in a learning environment to keep opening your discerning eyes of wisdom and unconditional heart and develop your capacity to share this with others?
This two year mindfulness and compassion teacher training intends to equip you for the tender and tumultuous times we are living through, offering a mindful groundedness amidst uncertainty.
Through empowering your knowledge, skills and awakening, you’ll learn how to embody these time-tested Buddhist teachings in a way that is fit to meet the needs and challenges of our changing world.
Who is The Mindfulness and Compassion Teacher Training for?
This program is for those who:
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Want to deepen their practice and understanding of the teachings, and continue their own journey of awakening
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Want to teach mindfulness and compassion aligned with the deep wisdom of the teachings of the Buddha in their current or future areas of work
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Would like to be part of a supportive community of dharma practitioners
Through this course you will develop an understanding of the principles and application of meditation practice, including mindfulness and the Boundless Heart qualities of loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity.
The teachers of the program will be Subhana Barzaghi and Jess Huon. Supported by the mentoring team of Suzie Brown and Sandi Middleton. Click on their name see their profile.
Subhana Barzaghi
Jess Huon
The three pillars of; Knowledge, Awakening and Skills form the basis of deepening one's practice and for becoming a mindfulness and compassion teacher. The program is designed to support you to develop all three within a framework of ethics based on the principles of non-harming, wise speech and skillful communication.
Knowledge
This will draw upon the traditional teachings of the Buddha on mindfulness and compassion as well as a contemporary understanding provided by mindfulness-based psychotherapy.
Awakening
To awaken to our own essential nature is an ongoing and integral part of becoming a mindfulness and compassion teacher.
Authentic teaching and interaction with others come from your own insight and embodiment of the teachings and your lived experience. It is by sharing from your direct experience that one radiates and inspires others to a life of mindfulness and loving-kindness.
Skills
This will provide insight into how to introduce various practices, how to language instructions and develop the skills needed for attunement, empathy and sensitivity in the teaching role. There will be practice opportunities and mentoring to develop the confidence to lead small groups.
Prerequisites:
The following prerequisites are required:
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Have an established regular meditation practice of a minimum of two years
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Have attended at least three 5 or 7 days meditation retreats in the style of Insight or Vipassana meditation.
See the prerequisite section below for more details on what is required to apply
Delivery mode
For the first workshop of each year physical attendance at the venue is required, for the other workshops attendance can be either face to face or live on Zoom. Ideally, we would like everyone to attend all weekend workshops face to face as we have found this creates a stronger sense of connection and community, and we appreciate that minimising long distance travel and cost offers advantages for some. However modules 1 & 5 are only offered for in person attendance.
Program structure
This is a two year program. Each year will comprise:
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4 weekend workshops face to face or via Zoom (non-residential).
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3 Small Group Mentoring sessions of 1.5 hours duration delivered on-line.
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3 Webinars of 2 hours duration delivered on-line.
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In addition, participants are required to attend at least one 5 to 7 day Insight Meditation retreat each year (price not included here) if they wish to qualify for the Diploma.
Please note If you are a heath professional 52 PD hours will be awarded each year.Cost: 8 quarterly payments of $750 ($300 each year)
Cost: Eight quarterly payments of $750 ($3,000 each year)
Location: Crows Nest Centre, 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest, Sydney
Times: 9am to 4.30 pm on Saturday and Sunday
Dates for the 2027 Workshops
Module 1 - 21-22 February
Module 2 - 15-16 May
Module 3 - 21-22 August
Module 4 - 20-21 November
Dates for the 2028 Workshops
Module 5 - 19-20 February
Module 6 - 20-21 May
Module 7 - 19-20 August
Module 8 - 18-19 November
Small group Mentoring Sessions
You will be meeting with the same small group throughout the year in a regular
time slot. You will be able to select from
the available dates and times.
Webinars
Will be held on Saturdays between 2 to 4pm. These will take place in: April-July-October
The Curriculum
Mindfulness Stream
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Understanding the theoretical, philosophical and practical aspects of mindfulness based on the Satipatthana Suta; mindfulness of body, feelings, mind states, dharma teachings
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The use of movement practices to engage the somatic experience
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Deepening your personal mindfulness practice and realisation
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Applying mindfulness in daily life to free oneself from habitual reactive tendencies
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Establishing familiarity with current research findings on the effects of mindfulness meditation
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Developing skills and confidence in leading individual and small group sessions and responding to questions
Boundless Heart Stream
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Training in the Boundless Heart qualities of; Loving-kindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity
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Understand the theoretical, philosophical and meditative practices of the Boundless Heart
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The role of compassion in healing emotional and psychological suffering
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Deepening and inquiring into your personal experience of the open heart
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Establish a familiarity with current research findings on the effects of mindfulness, self-compassion, joy and equanimity
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Models, meditations and mentoring to support teaching the Boundless Heart practices
The following prerequisites are required:
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Have an established regular meditation practice of a minimum of two years
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Have attended at least three 5 or 7 days meditation retreats in the style of Insight or Vipassana meditation
Other experiences that would support your application include:
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5 or 7 day Meditation retreats in other Buddhist traditions
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Have attended the 8 week MBSR program or MBSR teacher training
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Participated in Buddhist programs and training like: the 'Power of Awareness', 'Entering the Path', and 'the Compassion Mind Training'
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Other personal growth workshops, or psychotherapy training
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Currently involved in a teaching role in: health, yoga, fitness, group work, social work, conflict resolution, social activism and counselling
To apply for this training, please submit your application - Click here for the Application Form
For more information use the contact fields below
The Mindfulness and Compassion Teaching Diploma
On successful completion of the program and subject to meeting the qualification criteria a Diploma in Mindfulness and Compassion Teaching will be issued by the Insight Meditation Institute. The criteria for qualification include:
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Attendance is required for at least 75% of all Workshop modules, mentoring sessions and webinars.
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Any sessions missed are to be made up by use of notes, audio files and doing the experiential inquiry exercises.
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Attending at least one silent Insight Meditation retreat of 5 days or more per year, led by an Insight teacher recognised by the Institute (price of this is not included in the course fee).
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Deliver at least one guided meditation in your mentoring group each year for feedback and assessment.
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Issuing of a diploma is subject to the teachers being satisfied with the student's participation level, understanding, ethical standards and competency in applying the teachings.
Regarding Course Fees
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The course fee includes the weekend workshops, online group mentoring, online webinars, the course manual, and access to the on-line student portal resources.
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The course fee can be paid annually or by quarterly installments, missed modules need to be paid for in order to continue.
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If payment of the fee is proving difficult then please contact the lead teachers to discuss alternative arrangements.
A note from the teachers
We’re so excited to come together, crossing differing lineages, meeting in the Insight Tradition, to combine years of teaching on the ground and in different practice environments, working intimately with thousands of people between us.
We come with a shared intention to empower you to draw on these time-tested teachings, this beautiful human lineage - to step up and hone your skills, to benefit yourself and deepen your spheres of influence.
We’re offering this because we believe this matters in these times. We all each play a part in lessening suffering, in our own minds, and in those around us - where we come from matters- it ripples out. Each time one of us disrupts patterns of harm, personally, culturally, structurally, we are all changing the course of our shared human ship.
We’d love you to join us in the mindfulness and compassion teacher training to seed a deeper ‘waking up’, to foster the release of hearts and minds in times of division. And to continue to move the Dharma beyond the walls of the monasteries into the different arenas we are called to practice/work within.