How to Teach Meditation

Meditation can bring a sense of calm even after your practice ends, so it's a great way to help manage your stress levels. If you're passionate about meditation, you may want to share your practice with others by teaching it. To become a teacher, you'll need to build your own personal meditation practice and to expand your knowledge about meditation. You may not need a certification to teach meditation, but you might attract more students if you earn one.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Training to Teach Meditation

1. Meditate every day to develop a practice. Before you teach meditation, it’s important to hone your skills through a daily practice. Decide how long you can spend meditating daily, then establish a regular meditation time. This will help you build a solid foundation for your teaching goals.^[1]
   
   • For instance, you might meditate for 30 minutes every morning right after you wake up.
   • You might like using a free app like Insight Timer, Headspace, or Calm to help you develop a daily practice.
2. Attend workshops, classes, and retreats to expand your skills. You can learn meditation on your own, but studying under a teacher or mentor will deepen your knowledge. Look for workshops, classes, and retreats at meditation centers, yoga studios, Buddhist communities, new age shops, or online. Sign up for different types of educational opportunities so you can learn new skills, practice meditation, and figure out what resonates most with you.^[2]
   
   • If you have questions about meditation, bring them with you so you can ask your teacher. Take advantage of their knowledge!
3. Identify the age group and experience level you want to teach. When you first start teaching, you’ll likely teach beginners or children. You may need additional training if you want to teach at a master level. Consider who you want to teach before you start a certification program.^[3]
   
   • You may be able to teach students or children without any training if you’ve been meditating for a while.
4. Master the style of mediation you plan to teach. There are a lot of different types of meditation, some of which require more training than others. If you have a preferred style for your personal practice, choose that for your teaching path. Otherwise, compare each type and decide which works best for you. Here are the most common types of meditation:^[4]
   
   • Breath awareness is a basic form of meditation where you just focus on your breath.
   • Guided meditation is when an instructor leads the group through a meditation, which sometimes involves visualization.
   • Mantra meditation involves repeating a word to help maintain your focus.
   • Mindfulness meditation involves being present and aware in the present moment.
5. Earn a certification through a training program to boost your credibility. There’s no official certification for teaching meditation, but many training programs offer their own certification. Research programs in your area or look for a program online. Check out the program’s mission, classes offered, teaching staff, and student reviews. Then, review the Better Business Bureau rating for the organization and see if there are any news articles about it. Choose a well-respected program with a mission that reflects your core values.^[5]
   
   • You may be able to find training locally through a meditation center, Buddhist community, or yoga studio.
   • There is no accreditation agency for meditation classes, but you can use student reviews and reputation to help you pick a program.
6. Lead informal groups in meditation to get real world experience. You’ve probably heard that practice makes perfect, so look for opportunities to practice your teaching skills. Invite friends, relatives, and people you met at meditation classes to attend sessions hosted by you. Treat each session like a real meditation class.^[6]
   
   • For instance, you might set up a recurring meditation group for every Wednesday evening or Saturday morning. Invite people to your weekly event and lead the group like a class.
   • If you’re having trouble finding people to come to your meditation events, consider posting the invite online. You might even start a group on Meetup.com.

[Edit]Arranging a Meditation Space

1. Dedicate a space for your meditation classes. If you have space in your home, turn one of your rooms into a meditation classroom. You might also rent a space to teach your classes. Use this space primarily for meditation so it has a peaceful ambiance.^[7]
   • For instance, you might convert an extra bedroom or your garage into a meditation studio. If you're renting a space, choose a location that is quiet and easy to find.
2. Choose wall decorations and props that are calming. You want your students to feel relaxed and comfortable when they enter your meditation space. Depending on the type of meditation you plan to teach, you may also want to encourage feelings of zen or connectedness. Paint the room colors that are calming, like pale grey or light blue. Then, add wall art, statues, or other objects that evoke the look you want.^[8]
   
   • For instance, you might paint the room a light tan color. Then, you could hang photos of lush greenery around the space. In the front of the room, you may set up a table with a Buddha statue, incense, and fresh flowers.
3. Place cushions on the floor for seating so you'll be comfortable. Meditation studios typically use floor cushions for seating. Decide if you want small cushions or larger floor poufs. Then, arrange the cushions in rows facing toward the front of the room where you’ll be teaching.^[9]
   
   • You might ask students to bring their own meditation cushions if you don’t want to get your own.
4. Adjust the lighting up or down so it’s comforting to your students. Check with your students to find out what type of lighting they prefer in advance, if possible. Use low-lighting if your students are comfortable with it. This will reduce outside stimuli so they can focus on their meditation. You might choose to light some candles, if you desire.^[10]
   
   • If you can’t turn out the lights or your students prefer a well-lit room, you can still teach them meditation.
5. Light incense to set the mood if you like. You don’t need to use incense for meditation and may prefer to avoid it. However, lighting incense can help put you and your students in the mindset for meditation. Consider incorporating incense into your teaching practice. Choose scents you find relaxing.^[11]
   
   • Nag champa is a traditional scent, but you might try other scents, as well.
6. Set up a place to film your sessions if you want to post them online. Look through your camera lens to see how much space is visible on camera. Then, place your meditation cushion in the middle of the area so you’ll be in the center of the camera shot. Arrange any items you want to use to create ambiance around your meditation area.^[12]
   
   • For instance, you might lay a rug in front of your cushion and then place a Buddha statue, candles, and incense on the rug.
   • Alternatively, you might put large potted plants on either side of your meditation cushion and a line of tea light candles in front of it.

[Edit]Leading Students through Meditation

1. Teach breath awareness as the foundation for meditation. Breath awareness means focusing on your breath as you clear your mind. Tell your students to pay attention to their inhale and exhale. Explain that they should redirect their thoughts back to their breath if their mind wanders.^[13]
   • You might say, "Focus on your breath. Breathe in, breathe out. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath."
   • As an alternative, you might have students concentrate on a symbol, like a flame, waves, or rain. This can help them stay with their breath.
2. Incorporate a word or phrase if you're doing mantra meditation. A mantra can help students stay focused on their breath and may help them relax. Pick a word or phrase that's meaningful to you or your tradition. Instruct students to either say the mantra to themself or out loud.^[14]
   
   • You could say, "On your exhale, say 'Om.'"
   • If your practice is more modern, you might choose a mantra like "breathe" or "peace with every breath."
3. Instruct students to focus on their senses if you’re teaching mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness means being present in the moment. Ask your students to focus on what they can perceive with their senses of touch, sound, and smell. This will help them feel grounded in the moment, which is the goal of mindfulness meditation.^[15]
   
   • You might say, “Notice how your feet feel pressed together,” “Smell the incense as it floats through the air,” or “Pay attention to how your breath feels as it flows through your lungs.”
   • Your students likely won't see anything during the meditation since their eyes will be closed. If they have their eyes open, you may incorporate the sense of sight. Similarly, your students likely won't taste anything during their meditation.
4. Tell students not to fight their feelings during mindful meditation. Often, meditation allows people to feel deeply rooted emotions that they may not even realize were there. Teach your students that this is normal, and the best way to handle it is to just be with the emotion. Explain that acknowledging the feeling and accepting it may help them process it. Eventually, the feeling will resolve or dull on its own.^[16]
   
   • Fighting your emotions usually makes them harder to overcome. By letting their emotions be, your students may be able to process them.
   • You might say, “Don’t fight your emotions. Just be with them.”
5. Lead your students in a guided meditation for a structured practice. Write your guided meditation before your class or use a script provided by another meditation teacher, with permission. Practice the meditation on your own before you use it in class. During your class, give verbal instructions on what students should do during the meditation. You might choose to play background music, as well.^[17]
   
   • You might say something like, “Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Now, picture all of your worries turning to bubbles and floating away.”
   • If you might use words your students don’t know, define the words before you start the guided meditation.^[18]
   • You may want to record your meditation so you can provide it to students or post it online.
6. Record a meditation series to post online if you want to host digital classes. Use videos of your practice to attract new students or to substitute for in-person classes. Film your meditation classes or personal meditation sessions. Then, post the videos online where you advertise your services. Here are some places you might post:^[19]
   
   • Post your videos on your website.
   • Start a YouTube channel and post recordings of your meditation sessions.
   • Use Facebook Live to share your meditation sessions.
   • Try posting your meditations on an app, like Insight Timer.

[Edit]Advertising Your Classes

1. Create a web presence for your meditation business. If people can’t find you, it’ll be hard for you to attract students. Set up a website and social media pages for your meditation services. Include information on how students can contact you, your pricing, and promotion photos. If you have any videos, include them on your pages so it’s easy for students to find them.^[20]
   
   • You can use a service like Hootsuite or Postling to post on all of your social media accounts at once, if you like. You can even schedule posts in advance.
2. Make business cards to hand out to potential clients. Design your own business cards, visit a local printer, or order your cards online. Include your name, contact information, and a photo or design that represents your business. Leave your business cards at places like coffee shops, yoga studios, and new age shops. Additionally, hand out your cards to people you meet.^[21]
   
   • Consider having your cards designed by a local artist so they’re unique and eye-catching.
   • You can buy business cards online from a site like Vistaprint or Moo.
3. Ask friends and relatives to spread the word. Tell everyone you know that you’ve started teaching meditation classes. Offer to show them your skills in exchange for them telling others. Encourage them to post online, talk to their friends, and give your business card to people they think might be interested.^[22]
   
   • You could say, “I’ve just finished a training class to teach meditation, and I’m trying to recruit students. Would you be interested in a free session? All I ask is that you tell others if you like it.”
4. Post advertisements on social media. Through your business social media pages, buy ads to promote your services. When you set up your ad, choose your target demographic and the locations where you want your ad to appear. This way only prospective students will see your ad.^[23]
   
   • For instance, you might target your ad toward people who live in your area if you teach classes in person. On the other hand, you might set your ad to appear worldwide if you teach online.
5. Hang flyers in new age stores, schools, and coffee shops. Create a flyer that has an eye-catching photo that will get attention. Include your name, information about your teaching practices, and how students can contact you. Consider putting tabs with your information on them at the bottom so students can pull them off.
   
   • For instance, you might use a large photo of a lotus leaf or of you meditating.
   • Ask the owner or manager of the location before you hang up your flyer. Typically, you’re allowed to post flyers on bulletin boards in coffee shops, libraries, schools, and some shops.

[Edit]Tips

• Meditation, particularly loving-kindness meditation, can inspire positive thoughts.^[24]

[Edit]Related wikiHows

Teach Kids Relaxation Meditation

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-meditation-can-do-for-your-mind-mood-and-health-
2. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858
3. ↑ https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/teaching-meditation-to-children-and-beginners/
4. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858
5. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/how-to-choose-a-yoga-teacher-training-program
6. ↑ https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/teaching-meditation-to-children-and-beginners/
7. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-meditation-can-do-for-your-mind-mood-and-health-
8. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-meditation-can-do-for-your-mind-mood-and-health-
9. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-courage-be-present/201001/how-practice-mindfulness-meditation
10. ↑ http://nelrc.org/managingstress/pdfs/lessons/Guided%20Meditation%20Lesson%20Plan%20-%20Gimbel.pdf
11. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-courage-be-present/201001/how-practice-mindfulness-meditation
12. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-meditation-can-do-for-your-mind-mood-and-health-
13. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/teaching-grounded-meditation
14. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/teaching-grounded-meditation
15. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/teaching-grounded-meditation
16. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/teaching-grounded-meditation
17. ↑ http://nelrc.org/managingstress/pdfs/lessons/Guided%20Meditation%20Lesson%20Plan%20-%20Gimbel.pdf
18. ↑ http://nelrc.org/managingstress/pdfs/lessons/Guided%20Meditation%20Lesson%20Plan%20-%20Gimbel.pdf
19. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/lights-camera-yoga
20. ↑ https://chopra.com/articles/meditation-teachers-5-ways-to-begin-self-marketing
21. ↑ https://www.counseling.org/news/aca-blogs/aca-member-blogs/aca-member-blogs/2019/06/11/benefits-of-business-cards
22. ↑ https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/teaching-meditation-to-children-and-beginners/
23. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2018/01/23/small-business-marketing-101/#445192aa45ff
24. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156028/