Meditation is a popular form of mental and emotional self-help practiced by millions around the world. In order to meet the demands of the growing ranks of people seeking guidance on their meditative journey, more instructors are sorely needed. And to prepare these future stewards for spreading the ways of meditation, accredited online meditation courses are proving to be an invaluable resource.
Online meditation courses train participants to become meditation instructors at their own pace, and these five accredited programs are particularly notable:
- My Vinyasa Practice
- The Guided Meditation Framework
- Arhanta Yoga
- American Institute of Health Care Professionals
- Spirit Rock
Not long ago, meditation was an obscure ritual from faraway lands, shrouded in mystery and unapproachable for most. Today, meditation has found its way into a wide range of applications, including medicine, psychology, counseling, and even the corporate world. Keep reading to learn about those that are leading the way as a new generation of instructors, many of them trained by these five best accredited online meditation courses.
What Does it Mean for a Course to Have Accreditation?
Searching for an online meditation course can be a daunting task given the proliferation of sites with virtually all staking their claim to being the best instructor training resource on the internet. It is therefore important to properly evaluate each online meditation course before enrolling and paying for course tuition.
One way of vetting an online meditation course is by determining whether the school offering it is accredited by a reputable evaluating body. Accreditation is a process by which a third-party organization thoroughly evaluates a provider’s curriculum (in this case, training for would-be meditation instructors) and affirms that the offered programs meet certain standards.
The fact that an online meditation course has been accredited is an indication to prospective students that:
- Because it involves an intensive evaluation process, accreditation tells would-be students that the provider has made significant investments of resources in developing its online programs
- The provider offers quality online instruction for would-be meditation instructors
- The online curriculum being offered is recognized by relevant professions as properly preparing its students for proficiently practicing and leading in the meditative arts
While accreditation is not a guarantee that a particular online meditation course will be the perfect program for every applicant, it is an important factor to consider when determining how competing programs stack up against each other.
What Can Credits Be Used For?
For many people seeking to learn how to teach others the art of meditation, enrolling in an online meditation course is not only a way to put themselves on track to learn valuable new skills, but it can also help them satisfy continuing education requirements for their profession or field of practice, or bolster their qualifications in the eyes of current or prospective employers.
In many cases, accredited online courses award continuing education credits or units (also referred to as CEUs) upon successful completion of specific classes or an entire course, and these credits can be used to satisfy continuing education requirements for certain occupations that require them in order to maintain job licensing or active status.
There are a number of professions that have continuing education requirements, including most notably:
- Doctors and nurses
- Lawyers
- CPAs
- Real estate brokers and agents
- Financial advisors
Continuing education credits are most commonly awarded in CEUs (continuing education units), where one CEU constitutes 10 hours (600 minutes) of contact time with a qualified instructor in an organized educational or training setting, whether it be in-person or virtual. However, it should be noted that the format of continuing education (CE) credits can vary depending on the provider and the accrediting body. (Also, not every accredited online meditation program offers CEUs.)
As the idea behind continuing education is to ensure that certain professionals are up to date on new practices and technologies in their particular field, it should come as no surprise that many online meditation course offerings offer continuing education credits upon their completion, as meditation is becoming more widely accepted as an effective preventive and therapeutic measure for well-being.
What Professions Does Meditation Accreditation Benefit?
Completion of a program offered by an accredited online meditation course will enhance your knowledge of the meditative arts and prepare you to lead others in individual or group sessions. As the many benefits of meditation continue to be more widely recognized, a growing number of fields are embracing meditation as a restorative and therapeutic practice.
Here is a sampling of the growing number of professions that meditation accreditation benefits:
- Corporate headquarters and campuses (stress management programs and team-building)
- Drug and alcohol rehab centers (substance abuse recovery)
- Medical practitioners
- Mental health facilities and counseling centers
- Physical rehabilitation centers, including those for cardiovascular disease
- Psychologists and psychotherapists
- Wellness centers
As research continues to reveal more benefits that can be reaped from meditation, you can be sure that even more professions will join the ranks of those incorporating meditation into their regimen of activity, treatment, and therapy.
The 5 Best Accredited Online Meditation Courses
As meditation continues to grow in popularity, more people will seek to unlock its secrets and enjoy its many benefits. And to prepare the next wave of meditation instructors to guide these new followers on their exciting journey are reputable and accredited online meditation courses like these five programs:
1. My Vinyasa Practice
With two meditation certification courses online for people seeking to make a career from teaching or leading others in the meditative arts, My Vinyasa Practice’s online meditation programs are the perfect resources for students whose busy schedules necessitate flexibility in class scheduling and coursework.
Here is a breakdown of the two online meditation courses offered by My Vinyasa Practice:
- Level 1: Foundations in Meditation Certification – while this is technically an introductory course, with nine modules comprising over 30 separate lessons, this is a comprehensive program designed to provide immersive, broad-spectrum training in all the key aspects of meditation, including teaching techniques, student-instructor ethics, and business basics.
- Level 2: Advanced Meditation Certification – this advanced program builds upon the teachings of Level 1 and emphasizes more sophisticated techniques for future meditation instructors while providing a deeper understanding of mindfulness.
This program is accredited by Yoga Alliance, and each course level offers 75 CEUs upon completion
2. The Guided Meditation Framework
This online meditation program designed for “entrepreneurial empaths” is unique in that not only does it provide comprehensive training to prospective instructors, but it also prepares its graduates to serve as guided meditation facilitators who basically act as personal meditation navigators accompanying their pupils on their entire meditative journey.
Other highlights of this program include:
- One-on-one Q&A sessions with course instructors and program leaders
- Exclusive access to student workshops, weekly immersive meditation sessions, and an extensive library of guided meditation content
- Emphasis on guiding enrollees through the process of setting up and operating their own thriving practices
- Instilling and nurturing entrepreneurial confidence
- Access to a growing network of peers and professionals
This highly structured program features six primary modules broken down into dozens of lessons, each providing an in-depth study of:
- Meditation fundamentals
- Historical and theoretical principles
- Intensive business-oriented training
The Guided Meditation Framework’s online meditation course is accredited by the International Coach Federation and offers CEUs toward Continuing Coach Education credits.
3. Arhanta Yoga
The certified meditation teacher program offered by Arhanta Yoga is a straightforward, no-nonsense path to gaining specialized training in the meditative arts and preparing to teach others. The 50-hour online curriculum combines meditation theory and practices into an immersive package of dynamic lesson plans and on-demand supporting materials from the site’s extensive catalog of digital resources.
Topics that are covered by this online meditation course include:
- Theory and science of meditation
- Anatomical overview of various meditation postures
- Meditation history and traditions
- Differentiating the different styles of meditation
- Preparing meditation scripts
- Teaching methodologies
- Structuring a meditation class
Arhanta Yoga’s online certified meditation teacher program is accredited by Yoga Alliance, International Yoga Association, and International Yoga Federation, and completed coursework will count toward 50 CEUs with Yoga Alliance.
4. American Institute of Health Care Professionals
Of the five accredited online meditation courses on our list, the meditation instructor certification offered by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIHCP) has the strongest tilt toward professionals working in the medical and health care fields.
In fact, this online meditation program has stringent requirements for participants seeking to enroll, limiting applicants to the likes of:
- Licensed nurses, social workers, and therapists
- Practicing counselors and ordained ministers
- Corporate trainers
- Fitness professionals
- College graduates with degrees in psychology, human services, or a health-related field
AIHCP’s online meditation instructor program is an intensive curriculum comprising six required courses totaling 190 hours of education. These courses include:
- Relaxation Strategies (35 contact hours)
- Meditation Theory and Practice I (30 contact hours)
- Meditation Theory and Practice II (30 contact hours)
- Mindfulness Meditation: Theory and Practice (45 contact hours)
- Energy Focused & Spiritual Meditation (20 contact hours)
- Meditation & Mind Fitness (30 contact hours)
As a testament to AIHCP’s standing within health profession circles with respect to its meditation instructor program, it is a certified continuing education provider with a number of state nursing boards, including those for:
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
- A host of other states
5. Spirit Rock
Although Spirit Rock may be best known for its expansive retreat located in rural Northern California, it is also a reputable provider of online meditation courses geared toward professionals seeking to elevate their meditative practices with an eye toward sharing this knowledge with others, be it in a health care environment, a workplace, or community setting.
There are a number of online courses pertaining to meditation and mindfulness, including offerings that focus on:
- Unlocking the Four Foundations of Mindfulness to lessen suffering and attain peace, wisdom, and happiness through meditation
- How to use meditation to increase self-awareness and improve mental stability
- Develop mindfulness of breath to calm the mind
- Identify the factors that contribute to stress and those that lessen it
- Utilize mindfulness and meditation techniques to identify the origins of suffering
Spirit Rock’s online meditation courses are accredited by various organizations for their respective continuing education programs. These include:
- The American Psychological Association
- The California Board of Behavioral Sciences
- The California Board of Registered Nursing
- The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching
Depending on the particular offering (there are nearly 30 programs), completion of Spirit Rock online meditation courses can provide participants anywhere from 4 to 22 continuing education credits.
Final Thoughts
There was a time in the not too distant past when aspiring to become a meditation instructor probably meant booking a flight to the Far East and seeking tutelage under one of a handful of gurus.
Fortunately, high-level training is available online, and the chances are good that you can find the best fit for your personal schedule and meditative aspirations from one of the five accredited online meditation courses described above. The rest will be up to you.
Looking for courses on a beginner level?, Then check out this article on the best meditation courses online for beginners.
