Take the next step to share your passion with the world.
Learn how to guide others on a transformational journey.
Change the world through meditation and mindfulness.
Become a Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Leader with Sage Institute’s Meditation Leader Training Program
It’s increasingly clear that the human race is in need of a radical shift in consciousness if we are to transform this world from one of selfishness and exploitation into one of thriving interdependence and community. Thankfully, we have some of the best tools for growing human consciousness right at our fingertips: meditation and mindfulness practices.
You’ve experienced the life-changing tools of mindfulness and meditation in your own life. If you feel passionate about sharing these transformational tools and skills, join us in a powerful 9-month journey into meditation leadership.
Sage Institute’s Meditation Leader Training Program is a comprehensive meditation teacher training program for experienced meditation practitioners to learn how to effectively and authentically teach others the transformative practices of meditation and mindfulness. The program is 100% online (with both self-paced and live interactive Zoom classes) and accessible to trainees from all over the world.
Sage Institute offers one of the only meditation teacher training programs developed and approved by Buddhist teachers from a 2500-year old lineage. Sean Tetsudo Murphy, lead teacher, worked closely with a variety of Buddhist and meditation experts to develop our unique curriculum. Sean is a formal Zen Sensei with over 30 years of Zen training and 25 years of experience teaching meditation to laypeople. Although we introduce our students to the prevailing meditative forms in the West such as Zen and Vipassana, our program has developed its own inclusive, secular approach to teaching meditation and mindfulness, suitable for students of any contemplative tradition.
The next cohort starts early 2027 — Apply today!
Are you passionate about sharing meditation but experience self-consciousness or doubt about public speaking or being in a leadership role? Through direct guidance, mentorship, and peer support, you’ll learn the skills you need to authentically and confidently lead meditation for individuals or groups.
What You'll Receive
✅ Certification as a Sage Institute Meditation Leader Training Program graduate
✅ 14 Biweekly self-paced modules
✅ 14 Live 2.5-hour Zoom classes (Exact time TBA based on cohort needs)
✅ Peer group community meetings and support (sangha)
✅ Personal mentorship with qualified teachers
✅ Sample class curricula for graduate use
✅ Sample scripts for leading meditation
✅ Quarterly meetings with Sensei Sean
✅ Weekly forum discussions on class material
✅ Weekly mindfulness and mindfulness of mind exercises
✅ Marketing toolkit
✅ Personal review of your training requirements for certification
✅ Email access to teachers for any question at any time
✅ Collection of audio meditations
✅ Lifetime access to materials
✅ No annual dues needed
✅ University of New Mexico CEUs ($50 fee to obtain official credits) to submit to your licensing body, if applicable
Learn, Experience, Practice
Meditation Techniques Including Those Drawn from Zen, Vipassana (Insight), MBSR
How to Create Meditation Groups and Classes
Meditation and Mindfulness as the Basis for Creativity and Artistic Expression
Psychological and Physiological Effects of Meditation
Working with Students With Trauma and Difficult Experiences
Group/Interpersonal Interaction and Close Mentorship
Mindfulness Practices Including Mindfulness of Mind
Teacher Ethics, Boundaries, and Leadership Skills
Inclusivity and Social Change
Who is this program for?
Are you an experienced meditation practitioner? Do you work in psychology, yoga, health and well-being? Are you a teacher, a university professor, a spiritual guide or minister in any tradition? Do you have a passion to share fundamental practices with students, clients and community? If so, this program is for you!
Applicants must have 2 years of consistent meditation experience with acknowledged teachers from recognized contemplative tradition (including Buddhist, Yogic, Sufi, Christian, Interfaith, etc). Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. Our program is intended to be a transformational experience, for if the student is not truly and deeply on the path of transformation, how can they guide others?
However, this training is not intended to replace traditional spiritual practice modalities, or to produce spiritual leaders, but as in yoga training models, is intended to simply empower serious practitioners to share fundamental meditation and mindfulness skills with others.
For Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teachers (RYTs), this training program qualifies for continuing education credits.
Yoga Teachers and Movement Facilitators
Therapists, Social Workers, and Coaches
Teachers, Educators, and Facilitators
Spiritual Directors, Faith Leaders, and Clergy
Meet Your Lead Teacher
Practice and Study with Sean Tetsudo Murphy, Sensei
Sean Tetsudo Murphy is Executive Director, Lead Teacher, and co-founder of Sage Institute (along with Mirabai Starr). He has taught meditation and mindfulness, creative writing, and literature for more than 25 years at the University of New Mexico-Taos and many other venues. For six years, Sean served on the Board of Directors of Spiritual Directors International, a global ecumenical group of 6000 members, and has taught in numerous inter-faith settings.
Sean is a fully sanctioned Zen teacher (Sensei) in the American White Plum Zen Lineage. He has had over 35 years of formal Zen training, beginning under the direction of Taizan Maezumi Roshi of the Zen Center of Los Angeles and later with John Daido Loori Roshi of Zen Mountain Monastery. He now studies with Gerry Shishin Wick Roshi of the Great Mountain Zen Center From whom he received Dharma Transmission in 2019.
Additionally, Sean is an award-winning author and recipient of a 2018 National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship in Creative Writing. His book, One Bird One Stone (excerpt here) is a seminal account of contemporary Western Buddhist stories drawn from interviews with renowned Zen teachers and/or their students.
In 1986, Sean spent 9 months walking 3200 miles across the country with The Great Peace March for Nuclear Disarmament.
“I’ve dedicated my life for the last 25 years to teaching meditation and mindfulness to people of all faith backgrounds and age groups. Watching those who go on to become meditation leaders through our training program gives me hope for this suffering world as our graduates share these invaluable skills with others.”
To learn more, read Sean’s articles for Tricycle magazine, listen to some of Sean’s dharma talks on our YouTube channel, or visit www.murphyzen.com.
“Sean Murphy is a superbly gifted and completely authentic Zen teacher. He combines profound scholarship with a radical intimacy that can only come from profound practice.”
— Andrew Harvey, (author, Journey to Ladakh)
“Sean Murphy is one of the most gifted mindfulness and meditation teachers I have ever known — and I have known many! His decades of intensive practice and teaching combine with luminous intelligence, quirky humor and a kind heart to create a potent, robust and transformational space for his students to
connect with their own innate wisdom and compassion — a true treasure.”
— Mirabai Starr (author, Wild Mercy)
How is this program structured?
Don’t be fooled by programs claiming you’ll be an expert meditation teacher after only a few weeks or a month! Our program is designed to give adequate time for deeper concepts and skills to reveal themselves through consistent practice. This is a transformative training program and if you apply yourself, your outlook on life will look much different by the end of the program! (Read our testimonials if you’d like to hear more.)
Learn, study, and practice from the comfort of your own home! Our 9-month program is entirely online with both live components and self-paced modules. The program is divided into 2 semesters, with larger assignments due at the conclusion of each semester.
First Month Introductory Phase
At the start of the program, we launch our journey into meditation leadership with a month of live weekly Zoom classes (Exact time TBA based on cohort needs). Each week will include meditation sessions centered around specific topics or techniques, program overview and details, Q&A/discussion time, and social connection with the group. Our classes are highly experiential and highly interactive. Thanks to our small class size, you’ll be able to receive personalized guidance and plenty of discussion. Students often remark on how moving it is to share deep questions and reflections with the group in such a close-knit way.
Biweekly Self-Paced Modules
After the introductory month, the self-study modules will launch. Every 2 weeks, you’ll complete a self-paced module with online written, audio, and/or video content, mindfulness assignments, online discussions, and practical homework. These modules will continue for the duration of the program.
Biweekly Live Classes
After the introductory month, we’ll switch to live Zoom classes every other week. Thus, every 2 weeks, alternating with the self-paced modules, you’ll meet with your trainee sangha and highly qualified teachers to learn, practice, and discuss. Although attendance at live classes is required, they will be recorded in case a student has to unavoidably miss an occasional session. They will remain available for later reference at any time.
Monthly Book Study
Every month, you’ll read an assigned book on meditation, mindfulness, and/or the spiritual path at your own pace. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts and insights with the group at the end of the month.
Peer Group Meetings
Every 2-3 weeks, you’ll meet with a small peer group to share feedback, support, reflections, and discussions around the learning topics. You’ll also have the opportunity to practice leading meditation for your fellow trainees and answer student questions as a budding meditation-leader-in-training in a low-pressure environment.
Monthly Mentor Meetings
Every month, you’ll meet with your mentor to discuss your progress in the course, any challenges or insights, and receive direct personal guidance as it relates to your participation in the course, meditation, and your spiritual path.
Additional Assignments
By the end of the program, you’ll complete a final research project on a relevant topic of your choice, complete a practicum with Sage Institute teachers, record audio meditations, complete a service work component, compile resources for your local community, and participate in meditation retreats (if you haven’t already).
We estimate our program’s direct study and contact hours to be about 300 hours. Your individual time investment will vary depending on how fast your work through the materials. Personal meditation practice time and book reading time is not included in our general estimate.
What makes our program unique?
Sage Institute’s Meditation Leader Training Program
Individual contact with teachers, mentors and peers
Affordable, flexible payment plans, and scholarships
100% online, able to be completed from anywhere in the world
Small, accessible staff
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
Secular teachings and techniques with broad applications
Live classes with lively discussions and Q&A
Backed by a 2500-year old Buddhist lineage
Continuing Education credits available through University of New Mexico
Other Programs
High student count and lack of personal contact
Prohibitively expensive ($7000+)
Long in-person retreats and travel required
Impersonal
Profit as priority
Religious and dogmatic
Completely self-paced with no interaction
Lack of experience and advanced training
No CEUs available
Testimonials
“In the beginning, when I came into this program, I was doing it for myself and for my profession. What I recognized very quickly was the importance of my own practice in order to bring what I was learning into my work with others. In deepening my own practice with these teachings, I’ve now been able to offer what I’ve been learning in a much more effective way and from a place of experience. I’ve gotten so, so much from this program around how our practice becomes our experience, which then becomes our offering. I can really see how this program could be used in so many ways in so many different professions… I don’t know that I can think of a profession that couldn’t benefit from the meditation and mindfulness training that Sage offers!”
“I came to this training because, in the first place, I wanted to create a course at my university. I’m a professor in gender and women’s studies. A lot of the tools that we offer students are very useful (such as the writing center, the different kinds of tutoring, whatever the students need to be successful). But a lot of the time the challenges that students may have today are in our society and in our communities. Learning tools that help us facilitate meditation and mindfulness could be useful to decrease stress and anxiety, to be able to face challenging situations from a calmer place, and also to support their academic success, which is part of my profession.”
“I was surprised by the depth of the practice that I experienced this in this program, as well as the variety of different modalities that were incorporated — a lot of different experiences in order to access deeper aspects of ourselves. The program had a comfortable ease and flow; it was very organic.”
“The Sage training definitely had a positive impact on my personal practice since it gave me a solid base of evidence-based meditation techniques. Also, it gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in different meditation modalities. Due to the way the course is designed, I definitely gained more self-confidence to lead others. We learned not only to lead meditation sessions but also to play the role of a student in different scenarios. The “hands-on” element of the course’s program was very productive for my personal practice and leading others as well.”
“The program at Sage Institute was perfect. The combination of being exposed and experienced in a variety of meditative practices, combined with research, class work, supervision, and tutelage was superb. It permanently enriched my life.”
“The Sage Institute Meditation Leader Training Program touched every aspect of my life. I have no doubt that it will continue to shape interactions I have with myself and others.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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Experienced practitioners working in psychology, yoga, health and wellbeing, school and university teachers, spiritual guides or ministers from any tradition, and other experienced meditation practitioners who would like to share fundamental practice techniques with their students, clients, and community.
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At least two years of a consistent meditation practice from any contemplative tradition.
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Your time will vary depending on how fast you read and complete assignments. Past students have reported spending 5-8 hours per week on this program.
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The exact time will be determined on cohort needs. We will send out a poll as we approach the program start date.
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Yes, we offer flexible payment plans and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion scholarships. Please contact us to apply.
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The next cohort starts in spring 2027.
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Yes, if you complete the program requirements, you will receive a certificate from Sage Institute, backed by the authority of our 2500-year old lineage.
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The possibilities are endless! Students from this program have gone on to teach meditation in university classes, incorporate meditation into yoga classes, teach virtual meditation groups, incorporate meditation into their Spiritual Direction and/or therapy practices, offer classes at community and senior centers, and much more. Our program includes lessons on how to structure, price, and market your meditation classes.
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Yes, we have partnered with the University of New Mexico to offer continuing education credits. Please contact your licensing body to see if these can be accepted for your licensing or certification needs. An additional $50 fee is required to obtain CEUs.
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Please do not hesitate to contact us! Email us at breathe@sagetaos.com
Tuition: Sliding Scale Fee
Supporter Level Tuition: $4150
This tuition level is recommended for those who can afford extra generosity to help provide scholarship opportunities to others who are in need.
Standard Level Tuition: $3450
This is our “basic” tuition level. Payment plans are available.
Subsidized Level Tuition: $2750
This tuition level is recommended for those with limited financial means, scholarships and work-study agreements. Payment plans are available. Please make a note in the application if you would like to apply for this tuition level.
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Paid-in-full registration bonus: If you are approved and pay your full tuition in one payment before January 1, you’ll receive $100 off the tuition rate. Or, if you are approved and pay your full tuition in one payment before February 1, you’ll receive $50 off the tuition rate.
Early bird registration bonus: If you are accepted and pay your deposit before September 1st, you’ll receive $50 off the tuition rate.
The paid-in-full and early bird registration bonuses can be combined for a $150 total discount.
A deposit of $500 is due by December 1st. The remainder is due at the start of the program (unless a payment plan is made).
If you cancel one month before the program begins, you will receive your full deposit back. If you cancel after this date, you will not receive your $500 deposit back.
Please contact us to set up a payment plan (no extra charge) or apply for subsidized tuition. We offer scholarships based on financial need and to applicants from under-served and/or historically oppressed communities.
To make a payment online, click the “Make a Payment” button below. You can enter the amount you wish to pay on the next screen. Online payments are subject to online processing fees (please check the box to include this charge).
Or, mail a check or money order to Sage Institute, PO Box 1433, Taos NM 87557.
Tuition rates exclude the cost of monthly books, which may be purchased new/used or rented from the library, and any outside meditation retreats you participate in. All other required materials will be provided.
Additional financial terms apply for specific situations (eg. a trainee drops out halfway through the program). We will send the financial agreement before starting the program, or you can request to see this in advance by emailing us.
