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Sounds True: Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program

Sounds True with Jack Kornfield

An 18-month online mindfulness teacher certification led by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Covers core practices, the foundations of mindfulness, teaching skills, transformational applications, ethics, and cultural sensitivity. Includes a second-year teaching practicum in your local community. Jointly certified by the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center.

Certification: certificate of completion
Format: hybrid (self-paced and live online)
Skill level: intermediate, advanced
Career pathway: training

$7,400 $8,700

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Course program

The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program by Sounds True is an 18-month online training led by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, two of the most respected teachers of Western mindfulness. Co-presented with the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, it prepares graduates to bring mindfulness meditation into their workplaces, communities, and clinical practices.

The program is designed for adults committed to teaching mindfulness in real-world settings. The school names seven primary audiences: healthcare and mental-health professionals, yoga teachers and wellness practitioners, social workers and academic advisors, social activists and nonprofit leaders, holistic business and life coaches, executives and HR directors, and lifelong learners seeking spiritual depth. No formal prerequisite credential is required to apply.

The curriculum spans nine domains: core practices including body scans, concentration, and compassion meditation; the foundations of mindfulness covering body, feelings, emotions, and mind states; skill-building lessons for delivering talks, leading guided meditations, and facilitating groups; transformational applications for pain, trauma, addiction, and conflict; the ethics of teaching mindfulness; mindful movement; cultural sensitivity and DEIA practice; engaged spirituality addressing social justice and systemic racism; and cultivating inclusive community.

Students receive monthly video and audio teachings from Jack and Tara, alongside an exclusive podcast series and live Q&A sessions with guest faculty including Gabor Maté, Rhonda Magee, and Lama Rod Owens. Business-building resources help graduates design their own mindfulness courses and develop a teaching practice, while a dedicated cultural sensitivity training series threads racial awareness through the entire program.

The program is led by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Jack Kornfield, PhD, trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma, and India, is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Center, and holds a doctorate in clinical psychology. Tara Brach, PhD, has been teaching meditation since 1975 and is the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and author of Radical Acceptance.

The format is hybrid: monthly on-demand video and audio teachings combined with two special live virtual events, monthly mentor group calls, three individual mentor calls per student, and additional live Q&A sessions with guest faculty. Live sessions include breakout rooms and are recorded for later playback. The second year centers on a practicum in which students initiate mindfulness classes in their local area, with feedback from mentor groups.

Upon completion, graduates receive a certification jointly issued by the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. The credential is designed to instill trust with clients, employers, and organizations, and supports graduates in establishing mindfulness classes, workshops, and programs in their own communities.

Meet your teacher

Jack Kornfield

Jack Kornfield, PhD, trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma, and India, and has taught meditation worldwide since 1974. He co-founded the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Center, and holds a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Host reviews

Susan E.

Thank you for bringing Richard Schwartz HIMSELF to speak about IFS. Having read all his books, it makes sense to me that understanding of Self in spiritual terms is a breakthrough lens for everyone. To witness him, a scientist, courageously bring his hopeful understanding to a public forum is inspirational. look forward to each upcoming segment, and his ideas are a topic of discussion with others involved and not involved in the course.
Kathleen B.

This [The Way of Guardians and Grace] was a life-changing course. Caroline Myss's stories helped with understanding what she was trying to convey. If you're trying to better understand the importance of intuition, following light over dark, how to tell the difference between the two, and how it comes into play with your soul's journey, this is the course for you!
Shoshanna S.

I've never been so impacted by a book or teacher. I have spent the last fifty years as a spiritual seeker, having read many helpful and inspiring books and attended numerous retreats and workshops. This course [Living from a Place of Surrender] has helped bring me closer to my destination. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for Michael Singer’s wisdom and skill as a teacher, offering a mind-blowing yet understandable presentation of the Truth and how to live it.
Donna F.

I have been following the teachings of Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield for several years. I hold a great amount of respect for their wisdom and skillful teaching. This course is the next step for my personal development as a facilitator and teacher. The course [Power of Awareness] is easy to follow and interactive, making it possible for much self-reflection and meditation practice. This course is a skillfully crafted course for anyone interested in meditation.
Mazda J.

Rich meditation lessons for a busy life. I practice meditation almost every day, and I’ve found the Mindfulness Daily to be an enriching and rewarding experience. I’ve completed the 40 lessons many times, yet I continue to return to this practice from time to time.