MINDFULNESS TEACHER SUPERVISION
What is Mindfulness Supervision?
Here is a definition by Cindy Cooper and Jody Mardula of the Mindfulness Network CIC.
A regular space that is contracted between supervisor and supervisee, which enables reflection on the supervisee’s mindfulness teaching practice and how this interfaces with their personal mindfulness practice and their life.
The process is dedicated to developing and deepening the growth, understanding and effectiveness of the supervisee’s application of mindfulness, both personally and in their working life.
On-going mindfulness supervision is an important part of the good practice requirements for teachers of mindfulness-based courses and provides an invaluable opportunity to reflect upon and inquire about your own mindfulness teaching and practice – how it impacts on your work; your everyday life.
We follow the UK standards as outlined by 
the British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA) guidance.
What happens in a session?
The sessions are a collaborative process with the intention to build a relationship between you and the supervisor that will foster an open and creative exploration of your personal practice and teaching. They may include;
- On-the-spot teaching practice and feedback.
- Inquiry around issues arising in your teaching.
- Discussion based on videoed sessions, or your personal meditation practice.
- Periods of meditation.
How to get the most from supervision
The initial 30 minutes session lays the foundations of you working together providing the opportunity…
- For you and the supervisor to get to know one another.
- To complete and understand the supervision contract.
- To explore how you both can best work together.
After this intital session you will determine the content of subsequent sessions, deciding what you would like to discuss and how to apply what you have learned.
Your supervisor may also want to add agenda items. They can help us see blind spots so sometimes the interesting parts of supervision are what we don’t wish to bring! Building trust between you allows you to work in a meaningful, honest and open way.
A supervisor is responsible for mentoring – offering guidance and support. This may include exploring your personal meditation practice and bringing the practice of teaching and inquiry into the sessions. The aim is to encourage investigative dialogue and exploration around the issues brought to or arising from the session.