Resources and FAQs for Participants

Please follow these steps:

1. Select “My Account” in the upper right hand corner of any page. You may need to log in. After logging in, select “My Courses”.

2. Select the course you are interested in.

3. Scroll down the page to the “Program Content” and access your content.

You can also review the video below for directions on accessing your Program Information.

Now and again, you may need to “refresh” the content to ensure you have the most recent information. Please follow these steps:

On a Windows/Linux computer

1. Hold down Ctrl and click the Reload button.
2. Or, Hold down Ctrl and press F5.

Mac OS:

1. Hold down ⌘ Cmd and ⇧ Shift key and then press R.
2. Or, hold ⇧ Shift and click the Reload button.

Note: The name in your MHI account will appear on your Certificate of Completion.

1. Select the “My Account” button on the upper right hand side of the MHI website.
2. Login into your account.
3. In the left hand menu select the “Account Details” button (third option from the bottom).
4. In the “Account Details” section, you can change the spelling of your name, change your email, and update password.
5. Click “Save Changes” when you are finished.

After registering for your course, please

1. Select the “My Account” button on the upper right hand side of the MHI website.
2. Login to your account. In the left hand menu select the “Orders” button (second option from the top).
3. Select the “PDF Invoice” button for the course you’d like an invoice for, and the invoice will automatically begin downloading to your computer.

Please note: Our system may take a few days to process your order before the invoice is available.

If your company or other payor needs an invoice before registering for a course, please contact hello@mindfulnessandhealthinstitute.org.

If you still have questions about a course after reading the description provided on the website, please register for an Information Session.

Have a question about a program you are considering? Schedule an Advising Session.

Payment plans are available for programs and can be found in your shopping cart. Add a program to your shopping cart and the options will be available under the Affirm and/or Afterpay options.

If you are unable to attend an information session due to scheduling conflicts or have an urgent matter, please email hello@mindfulnessandhealthinstitute.org. 

If you would like to discuss a program you are considering you can schedule a one-on-one Advising Session.

Orientations are a great opportunity to learn deeply about what to expect and what you can get out of attending your mindfulness class.

When you attend an Orientation, you will get to know if your mindfulness class is a good fit for you at this time. You will also have a chance to speak one-on-one with a teacher to discuss the class.

In the orientation for your class, you will:

• Learn about what mindfulness is and is not
• Experience key practices taught in your program
• Understand the Risks & Benefits

If you find the class is what you are looking for, after orientation and before the first class, you can request a refund.

Many programs, including MBSR and MBCT, are offered quarterly with start dates typically in January, April, July, and September.

Other programs may be offered quarterly or as interest demands. Retreats are offered throughout the year.

To get answers Schedule an Advising Session.

Having trouble finding a date for an advising session that works? Contact Us

Yes! All of our introductory mindfulness courses use a sliding scale payment system, so that participants can pay what they can afford. By providing tiers of payment options, MHI hopes to reduce financial barriers, foster inclusivity, increase accessibility, and increase program impact.

Early Bird discounts and payment plans for teacher training programs are available to support access to these trainings as well.

Thank you, 100% of donations go to fund programs and increase access to mindfulness courses. Please click here to donate to the Mindfulness and Health Foundation non-profit.

Donations help to make mindfulness accessible to a wide range of individuals, including, but not limited to:

• Economically challenged individuals
• Underrepresented populations
• Veterans
• The ill and their caregivers
• Those facing acute and chronic health issues
• Those who want to flourish and live with more ease
• Those in training to bring mindfulness back to their communities

Thank you for registering. The Zoom link is located in your MHI account on the course web page. You can access this by following these steps:

1. Select the “My Account” button on the upper right hand side of the MHI website.
2. Login to your account.
3. Select the green “My Courses” button at the top of the screen. You will be redirected to a page with a list of all courses you have registered for at MHI, including past, present, and future courses.
4. Select the appropriate course and scroll down to the bottom of the course web page until you find “Program Content”. Here you will find a session with the Zoom link for all training days.

MBSR, MBCT, Habit Change, Self-Compassion, and Interpersonal Relationship courses: Participation and group learning is an important aspect of each course. Each session builds upon what has been introduced before, which is why we encourage participants to attend all sessions. However, participants can miss up to two (2) sessions and still receive a Certificate of Completion.

Teacher Trainings: Participants in teacher training programs are expected to attend 100% of the classes.

Retreats: The expectation is that you attend the full retreat, as if it were in-person.

Each session builds upon what has been introduced before, which is why it is important to attend all the sessions. To protect the privacy and safety of the participants, courses are not recorded.

Generally, it is not possible to make up a missed class. In some circumstances, MBSR or MBCT participants who are unable to attend a scheduled class may make up the missed session by joining a class that is running concurrently at a different time within the same week, provided a class is available and with the instructor’s permission. Participants must request the instructor in advance if they plan to attend a different class as a make-up session.

To protect the privacy and safety of the participants, courses are not recorded.

Participants are given suggestions for personal practice toward the end of each class. This includes both recommended guided practices, and also ways to cultivate new habits of mindfulness in everyday life. Depending on the class, these range from 15-45 minutes of daily practice. Each session (except the first) includes a review of the previous week’s personal practice. You will have access to web resources, such as guided practices and/or written material, to support each class.

The All-Day class is an intensive 7.5 hour session that takes place on the Saturday or Sunday between weeks 5 and 6 or weeks 6 and 7. This day offers participants the opportunity to enhance the meditation practices learned in class and at home, along with new practices. Participants will spend this 7.5 hour class in silence, away from the usual demands and distractions of life, opening the possibility for new insights and perceptions through a kind, curious, non-judgment lens of awareness.

1. Select the “My Account” button on the upper right hand side of the MHI website.
2. Sign into your account.
3. Select the “My Profile” button.
4. On the left hand menu select the “Account Details” button.
5. Double check your name is spelled correctly in the “Display Name” field. If necessary, update your name to what you want shown on the certificate and click “Save Changes”.
6. Next, select “My Courses” in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. You will be redirected to a page with a list of all programs you are registered for, including all past, present, and future courses. 
7. Select the title of the program you would like to request a certificate for, and scroll down to the bottom of the page until you find “Program Content”. 
8. In order to request a certificate, all the sessions under “Program Content” need to be marked as complete. Sessions that are completed will have a green check mark next to the left of the session title. 
9. To mark a session complete, click on the session title, scroll down to the bottom of the webpage, and click “Mark Complete.” Then click “Back to Program” at the bottom of the session webpage, and continue checking that all sessions have been marked as completed. 
10. Once all sessions have been marked as complete in the MHI Platform, a Certificate of Completion link will appear as a new session at the bottom of “Program Content”. 
11. Click the Certificate of Completion session link, then click on the blue “Start Survey or Feedback” button and a question will appear asking: Would you like to receive a certificate of completion?
12. In the text box below this prompt, please simply write “Yes” and click on the blue “Finish Survey or Feedback” button. 
13. An email is automatically sent out to the instructor about your request. Once the instructor approves your certificate, there will be a “Download Certificate” button at the top of the program mainpage.

You may also review the video below to complete sessions, request a certificate, and download your certificate.

Participants continue to have ongoing access to the learning platform, even after completing the course. Participants are encouraged to visit the platform to access the course materials to support their practice and ongoing mindfulness journey. It is our intention to continue to make these materials available indefinitely, however, please be aware access to materials may change in the future based on technical or business conditions. 

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) are both evidence-based mindfulness programs that have been developed to help individuals manage stress and improve mental well-being. While they share similarities in their foundational principles (i.e., non-judging, patience, beginner’s mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, letting go, gratitude, and generosity), they have distinct differences in terms of their intended applications and approaches.

MBSR involves mindfulness meditation, body scan exercises, gentle yoga, and other techniques to promote self-awareness and stress reduction. It is often used as a general approach for people dealing with stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and various health-related issues. MBSR helps participants become more present in their daily lives, develop non-judgmental awareness, and manage difficult emotions. MBCT, on the other hand, is an adaptation of MBSR that specifically targets the prevention of relapses in individuals who have experienced recurrent episodes of depression and/or anxiety.

MBCT combines mindfulness practices from MBSR like mindfulness meditation, body scan exercises, and gentle yoga with elements of cognitive therapy such as cognitive restructuring. This program aims to help participants become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, particularly those that might contribute to depressive or anxiety symptoms, so that they may disengage from negative thought patterns and behaviors.

The 5-7 day retreats offered by MHI meet the requirements for most MBSR Teacher Training Certificate programs. Some certifying bodies accept two 3-day retreats in lieu of a 5-day retreat. Please check with your certifying body to confirm.

There are a number of differences between these two trainings, which are listed below. One unifying element of both programs is the focus on teacher competencies as identified in the MBI:TAC (Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teacher Assessment Criteria).

Training time: Training to Teach Introducing Mindfulness is a 10-day, 80-hour intensive training.

MBSR Teacher Training is a 2-5 year training program, depending on the training center. The number of courses for certification to teach MBSR vary from as few as 3 to as many as 7.

Training cost: Training to Teach Introducing Mindfulness is $2195.

MBSR Teacher Training can range from $7,000 to $15,000 or more, including training costs, retreat expenses, and other training materials. There are a number of MBSR Teacher Training programs and they vary in content, cost, pre- and co-requisites, and time commitment.

Length of program: Introducing Mindfulness is a series of three 1-hour classes.

MBSR is a series of eight 2.5-hour classes, not including an orientation day and an all-day retreat.

Audience: Training to Teach Introducing Mindfulness is for those who would like to introduce mindfulness into their work, organization, community or other settings where the full 8-week, 2.5 hour course may not be feasible. For example, it is suitable for those intending to introduce brief mindfulness sessions in general population contexts, workplaces, and educational settings, and for healthcare and mental health professionals planning to introduce mindfulness practices in clinical settings.

The MBSR Teacher Training is for individuals who wish to teach the MBSR curriculum, develop a more profound understanding of its principles and techniques, deepen their own practice, and gain mindfulness teaching skills to help others manage stress and enhance well-being.

Sessions begin with a guided meditation to help settle in and arrive fully. The session is a balance of didactic and experiential learning, and collaborative group work. Participants can anticipate engaging sessions with two 15 minute and one 45 minute breaks during the day. The timing of these breaks will vary, aligning with the content covered that day.

• Day 1: Introduction to Mindfulness, The theory of MBCT, the 50:50 practice, the MBI:TLC
• Day 2: Session 1 of the Introducing Mindfulness Program, Teachbacks
• Day 3: Session 2 of the Introducing Mindfulness Program, Teachbacks
• Day 4: Session 3 of the Introducing Mindfulness Program, Teachbacks, Group Skills
• Day 5: Inquiry & dialogue skill building
• Day 6: Personal Practice Intensive
• Day 7: Personal Practice Intensive
• Day 8: Teaching Introducing Mindfulness curriculum in groups
• Day 9: Practices for ‘drop ins’ etc.
• Day 10: Ethics, Implementation, Close

Participants are provided with training manuals, mindfulness exercises, and presentation templates.

• Provide introductory mindfulness presentations
• Facilitate 10-15 minute drop-in meditation sessions
• Lead the 3-session Introducing Mindfulness (IM) curriculum developed by Oxford Mindfulness Centre
• Understand how to provide ancillary tools and resources for a specific organization or audience (e.g., pre-program session, post-program session, drop-in sessions)

By the end of the training program, participants can expect to learn how to:

• Provide introductory mindfulness presentations
• Facilitate 10-15 minute drop-in meditation sessions
• Lead the 3-session Introducing Mindfulness (IM) curriculum developed by Oxford Mindfulness Centre
• Understand how to provide ancillary tools and resources for a specific organization or audience (e.g., pre-program session, post-program session, drop-in sessions)

Trainees that complete, with full attendance in all sessions, the Training to Teach Introducing Mindfulness course, will receive a Certificate of Completion from Mindfulness and Health Institute (MHI). 

Trainees that receive a Certificate of Completion may go on to complete Supervision of two offerings of Introducing Mindfulness. Once Supervision is completed, the Trainee may receive a Certificate to Teach Introducing Mindfulness and may be listed on the MHI teacher registry. The Oxford Mindfulness Foundation recognizes this MHI program and this collaboration allows trainees to be listed on its website as well. 

You are eligible to apply for the Certificate to Teach Introducing Mindfulness if you have:

1. Completed all of the attendance requirements of your training.
2. Taught two 3-session Introducing Mindfulness courses. 
3. Received 4 sessions of supervision. Supervision sessions are 30 mins in length.