Meditation Teachers Training Course
Course Curriculum
Make no mistake about it, although the MTTC's duration is only nine days, it is an intensive course and during this period, you will be exposed to a wide variety of practical, theoretical and philosophical teachings related to meditation.
- What is meditation? (dhyana yoga)? In the last few decades the term meditation has been overused and abused and has come to mean a lot of different things. We will redefine the term in the light of the authentic, classical Indian tradition of yoga.
- How to meditate? - in-depth study of the 12 points of meditation. This covers all basics such as how to sit, how to breathe, when and where is best to meditate, what to think of, what to concentrate on, and more.
- Why meditate? - theory of meditation.
- Raja Yoga - the mind, desires and quest for happiness. A clear, interactive explanation about the need for daily meditation practice and its benefits.
- Philosophy of Advaita Vedanta - a different perspective on meditation and its goal. Covers important concepts such as Brahman, Atma, Jagat, Maya, Avidya, Jnana, Upadhis, superimposition, etc.
- Obstacles to meditation - the process of meditation has been charted by the yoga scriptures and numerous masters for many centuries. The meditation aspirant should know about the common obstacles he will face in order to be better able to overcome them. There are outer and inner obstacles. Inner obstacles are physical, energetic, emotional and mental.
- Experiences of meditation - Similary the meditation student should be aware of the physical, astral and spiritual experiences which are likely to come as an outcome of daily practice. Although harmless, some of the experiences have frightened and distracted many a yogi.
- Sanskrit pronunciation - introduction to the basic phonemes (basic sounds) of the Sanskrit language and easy techniques to pronounce them properly.
- Mantras
- How they work - effects of sound on the mind.
- How to choose one's personal mantra - Different mantras fit different students' personalities and temperaments. There are several criteria to help one select "their" mantra.
- How to teach the mantras - a systematic way to present them to the students.
- Public speaking - most yoga and meditation teachers were never trained as public speakers. Public speaking is an art as well as a science. It takes a lifetime to perfect this skill but knowing the fundamentals sure helps a lot.
- General tips - how to find your own style; how to prepare for a lecture; how to clarify the subject matter in your own mind before the talk; several methods to overcome the fear of public speaking; how to connect with the audience; how to arrange the room for maximum impact.
- Methods and techniques - how to structure a talk; phases of a lecture; how to create an efficient outline; informational and inspirational lectures; using teaching aids in a lecture; dealing with questions; dealing with hecklers and other troublemakers; ad-libbing, etc.
- Pedagogy - learning how to teach. Every afternoon there will be workshops in which all students will be taught how to convey the teachings in the best way with a lot of practice and hands-on supervision.
- The three gunas - the three qualities of nature and how they relate to meditation and the whole yogic lifestyle.
- The yogic diet and meditation. Effects of different food items on the mind, according to their gunas.
- Raja Yoga theory
- The 8 limbs (ashtanga) of yoga.
- Samskaras, raga-dvesha, smritti, the subconscious, etc. Any meditator should have a thorough understanding of the functioning of his mind, including in the deep subconscious layers.
- Abstract meditation techniques from the vedanta tradition.
- Bhagavad Gita - Study of the sixth chapter of the Gita.
- Beginner's meditation course outline - you will be given an 8-class teaching outline, with plenty of explanations, which you can use to teach your students right away.
- Satsang - how to lead a satsang and build a spiritual community.
