Karuna and Guest Teachers
September 2021 – Feb 2022
All classes are live, interactive, and online.
I loved this immersion and it changed my life. I didn’t know what to expect, but I learned so much about myself, deepened my practice, and met a community of friends that I always have. After utilizing the tools I received, I have become a more compassionate and patient person, with myself and others and finally found my heart’s longing. — Autumn R.
This 300-hour immersion is designed to amplify your practice and your life. With two-tracks (teacher training and personal growth), you can decide where you want to go on this journey. You can join from the comfort of your home or anywhere you are in the world, as all classes – including the opening retreat – are live and online.
The sessions are interactive – this is not a pre-recorded course. Real training. Real talk. Real people.
Teacher Training: If you’re looking to teach meditation, this intensive is designed to train and certify you as a meditation teacher that is well-qualified to teach live in-person or online classes, and/or guided recorded meditations. After eight-weeks of shoring up your personal practice, you’ll engage a special training and then you’ll start your practicum teaching meditation on Community Meditation. At the end of February, you will receive a 300-Hour certificate of completion and it is our intention to provide you a place to teach on Mind Oasis if you so choose. Out of the 16 students who completed the Immersion earlier this year, 10 teach on Community Meditation. Many started their immersive journey for personal growth, but found they love guiding others in meditation!
Personal Growth: If you simply want to reap the benefits of an intensive but aren’t sure if you want to become a teacher – this track is for you. You won’t have to decide for the first eight-weeks of the immersion, as both tracks will be engaged in the exact same activities up until this point. If at the end of the first eight-weeks you know that you don’t want to teach, then you will engage in attending classes taught by those in the Teacher Training and other classes offered on Mind Oasis rather than the practicum teaching opportunity via Community Meditation.
Note there is plenty of independent coursework to engage, including: a number of books to read and resources to engage along the way.
New this year! In order for there to be greater community between those who simply want to engage in personal growth, but don’t want to teach, there is an extra session for Teacher Trainees to engage that Personal Growth participants don’t need to attend.
My life is infinitely sweeter since investing my time, energy, and money in Mind Oasis’s Immersion. I have stretched and grown in immensely challenging and beautiful ways. I am able to show up for every living being in higher service than I ever have before. I have softened my edges and opened my heart to the beauty and pain of this world. The decision that initiated all of these changes was choosing to be a part of the immersion. If you feel called to take this leap of faith to learn, connect, and deepen your practice – please know if you answer the call you will not regret it!! — Sarah W.
This immersion is designed with you in mind! If you are a yoga instructor, counselor, or in a healing profession — this 300-hour immersion will take your practice and teachings to the next level. If you are interested in learning specific techniques to amplify and align your personal meditation practice and/or wish to share the practice of meditation with your clients and students — join us!
The Immersion is limited to 20 students. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come and first-serve basis and are due by July 15th. There are 2 discounted work study slots available – please inquire with Karuna directly (kelly at mindoasis.org). Should you not be accepted into the program – your registration fee is fully refundable. If you need a partial scholarship, please contact Karuna.
New This Year!
In an effort to make the Immersion less didactic and more interactive, we are adding in optional Master Classes each month. This will allow more spaciousness in our time together, which means that we’ll be able to break into smaller groups for discussion each time that we meet. This will allow you to get to know your classmates more intimately and will encourage a stronger Immersion community! Also new this year, is a once/month discussion of the required reading materials.
Homework Includes:
Daily meditation – six times/week
Engaging in dancing, yoga, or some other movement that appeals to you
Walking meditation
Journaling
Taking one day off each week to unplug and restore
Gazing at the sky
Required Reading:
How to Meditate – Pema Chodron
The Courage to Teach – Parker Palmer
Learning to Listen. Learning to Teach. – Jane Vella
The Mind Illuminated – Culadasa
Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body – Daniel Goleman & Richard Davidson
Love and Rage – Lama Rod
Other requirements:
A short presentation on something about meditation or a kind of meditation you wish to delve more deeply into!
One three-day solo meditation retreat
Teacher Training Track includes teaching one online class each week in months 4, 5, & 6
$3,200 Fee Includes:
300-Hour Certification
Bi-weekly Classes, Online Weekend Retreats
One:One meetings with Karuna
Free classes on Mind Oasis throughout duration of training
You are responsible for purchasing your own books (to accommodate your preference of e-books vs paperback vs hardcover, etc.).
The Immersion Consists of Two Modules
Module One: Establishing and Amplifying Your Personal Practice*
September//October//November//December
Topics Include: Preliminaries, Shamatha Meditation, Stages of Meditation; Ayurveda, Subtle Body, and Your Practice.
Module Two: Serving Yourself and Others
January//February
Topics Include: Creating safe spaces, Ethics and Meditation, and Trauma-Informed Methodology.
*Please note that for those who choose the teacher training track – in addition to your practicum – there will be plenty of instruction on developing courses, teaching online, and giving meditation instruction across the entire six-month. We’ll tweak this according to the group that signs up!
There will also be a social media//marketing workshop included for those interested in learning about self-promotion, etc.
Immersion Schedule
*(Times presented in Central Time Zone)
Kickoff Retreat Weekend – At your HOME!
September 10 – 12th
20 hours
Friday, 6-9pm
Saturday, 9am– Noon, 5-8pm
Sunday, 9am – Noon
Bi-weekly Monday Evening Classes
48 hours
September 27 – February 28th
6:30-8:30pm
How to Guide Meditation – TEACHER TRAINING TRACK
3 hour special session
1 November
6:00-9:00pm
Personal Practice
Minimum 20 minutes/day with one day off each week
56 hours
Weekly Practicum on Community Meditation – teaching, observing, or participating
24 hours
Personal Retreat
3 days/2 nights minimum
Presentation – Prep/Delivery
5 hours
Closing Ceremony Retreat – March 2022
20 hours
Friday, 6-9pm
Saturday, 9am– Noon, 5-8pm
Sunday, 9am – Noon
Reading Assignments
50 hours
Journaling, Community Chats, and Various Homework Assignments
26 hours
Guest Teachers Include:
Joseph Schwartz: Breath, Breathing, and the Nervous System
Michael Hewett: Energetic Body
Allison Joy: Intro to Ayurveda
Kelly Lindsey: Ethics and Meditation
Gina de la Chesnaye: Trauma-Informed Methodology
Master Classes (with more being announced)//Dates TBD:
Science of Meditation – Rosa Schnyer
Self-Compassion
Tonglen/LovingKindness
Zen
Mantra
Vipassana
Insight
Contemplative/Analytical
Social Media & Promotion in Wellness
Reserve Your Spot
Get last year’s pricing when you pay in full before July 1st!
If you need to set up a monthly payment plan, there is an option for that too.
Interested in learning more? Sign-up below for notifications.
This 300-hour immersion will be facilitated — with the help of many exceptional guest teachers — by Founder and Executive Director Karuna (Kelly Schwartz). Since January 2017, Karuna has amassed over 1500 hours of guiding meditations. She is a graduate of the 300-hour Dakini Meditative Teacher Training. In addition to a personal dedicated practice that includes many weeks in personal and group retreat, she has a one-month solo retreat under her belt. Despite the time spent on her cushion, Karuna is working with the vicissitudes of like just like everyone else. Her relatability and sense of humor are two reasons practitioners enjoy her guided meditations. It is her greatest desire to help all individuals amplify and align their life to live it to the fullest in each moment and each breath. When she isn’t working on Mind Oasis, you’ll find her on a trail in the Rocky Mountains hiking, running, or climbing with her amazing husband Joseph and beloved dogs: Stella Bean and Ruby Rose. When she isn’t on her own two wheels, you’ll find her riding her Indian Motorcycle: Snow Thunder.
