Secular Mindfulness · Santa Monica, California, United States
InsightLA is a non-profit meditation center teaching the highest quality mindfulness and meditation practices, fully operating online and open for all.
InsightLA's Facilitator Training Program is run by InsightLA, the Santa Monica-based non-profit meditation center founded by senior Insight teachers including Trudy Goodman, who studied with Western Insight tradition luminaries (Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg) and was a longtime IMS and Spirit Rock community member before founding InsightLA. The center is one of the principal Insight meditation hubs in southern California and is IMTA-accredited (International Mindfulness Teachers Association). The Facilitator Training Program prepares graduates to facilitate meditation groups, lead introductory workshops, and hold space for ongoing sittings within InsightLA's program network. The training sits within the broader Insight meditation tradition (Theravada-rooted Vipassana as taught at IMS, Spirit Rock, and Gaia House) but is positioned at the facilitator level rather than the senior-teacher level. Graduates aren't authorized to lead silent residential retreats; they're authorized to facilitate weekly sittings, give introductory teachings, and hold the kind of community-level meditation infrastructure that Insight centers depend on. Curriculum draws from Insight tradition foundations (Anapana, Vipassana, metta, the Brahmaviharas, foundational Theravada teachings) alongside facilitation pedagogy: how to hold space for a sitting, give an introductory talk, work with new meditators, and recognize when a participant needs more experienced teacher support. The training is practice-intensive; trainees are expected to maintain daily personal practice and attend silent retreats during the program. Graduates emerge into InsightLA's facilitation network and the broader Insight community in southern California. The credential is recognized within Insight tradition centers and IMTA-aligned providers. Common post-graduation paths include facilitating weekly sittings at InsightLA, leading introductory workshops in clinical or community settings, and continuing toward more advanced Insight tradition teacher training (which is run separately at IMS, Spirit Rock, or by senior Insight teachers in longer multi-year programs).
Insight tradition foundations: Anapana (mindfulness of breath), Vipassana (insight meditation through body-scan and present-moment awareness), metta (loving-kindness), Brahmaviharas (the four immeasurables: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity), and foundational Theravada teachings including the Four Noble Truths, dependent origination, and the Three Marks of Existence. Facilitation pedagogy: how to lead a sitting, give an introductory dharma talk, hold inquiry with meditators, recognize emotional or trauma activation, and refer participants to more experienced teachers when appropriate. Practicum facilitation, where trainees lead segments of sittings under observation, is part of the program. Personal practice expectations include daily sitting and attendance at silent retreats during the training period. Reading draws on Insight tradition contemporary literature and selected Pali Canon material in translation.
Delivery is in person at InsightLA's Santa Monica center, with online supplementation as needed. The program runs across multiple modules combining intensive workshops, ongoing classes, silent retreat attendance, and supervised facilitation practicum at the center. Mentorship from senior InsightLA teachers continues throughout the training. Final assessment includes observed facilitation with feedback against IMTA standards.
Graduates receive Facilitator Training Program certification from InsightLA, recognized within IMTA and the broader Insight tradition community. The credential qualifies graduates to facilitate weekly sittings, lead introductory workshops, and hold community-level meditation space within InsightLA's network. Common post-graduation paths include facilitation roles at InsightLA, community meditation leadership in southern California, and continuing toward more advanced Insight teacher training separately.
Several years of personal Insight meditation practice, prior silent retreat experience, and engagement with InsightLA or comparable Insight community. Application and interview process. The program assumes established practitioners rather than serving as foundational meditation training; cohort size is small and entry is selective.
Compared with secular MBSR teacher training, InsightLA's facilitator training is rooted explicitly in Insight tradition lineage rather than secular-clinical framing. Compared with full Insight teacher training at IMS or Spirit Rock (multi-year, including residential retreat teaching authorization), this is facilitator-level rather than senior-teacher level. Compared with weekend mindfulness facilitator certificates, the program is multi-module, practice-intensive, and IMTA-accredited.
| Location | Santa Monica, California, United States |
| Country | United States |
| Tradition | Secular Mindfulness |
| Format | In-person |
| Accreditation | IMTA Accredited |