200-Hour Meditation Teacher Training
The Lab of Meditation Method.
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training.
SIGN UP NOW for the October 2024 Cohort🌟💫✨
The Program
The Lab of Meditation Method is an intensive 14 weeks program, aiming to provide you with the necessary understanding, training, mentoring, and practical experience to invite mindfulness into your life, as a practitioner or as a guide for others.
In the Lab, through mindful practice, we become curious scientists, as we observe ourselves and our liberation, with curiosity and with compassionate care.
Who ↓
This program is thought for individuals wanting to build their personal practice, or for those wanting to guide others or work in businesses and mindfulness oriented organizations.
When ↓
This journey consists of 12 weeks of immersive evenings (Tuesday nights 5:30 pm-8:30 pm PST) plus 3 non-residential weekend retreats. THE COURSE IS HELD ONLINE ON ZOOM.
The next training will begin on October, 8th (Tuesday evenings 5:30 p.m .p.m. - 8:30 p.m. PT/ 8:30 pm.- 11:30 p.m. ET) ending on December, 17th plus January, 7th. There will also be 3 ZOOM weekend retreats.
The retreats run from 10:00 a.m. - to 3:00 p.m. PT (1 p.m. ET- 6 p.m. ET) on both Saturdays and Sundays. Dates for the weekend retreats are to be confirmed:
- 19th- 20th October 2024
- 2nd- 3rd November 2024
- 14th-15th December 2024

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN.

Where ↓
the COURSE is HELD ONLINE on Zoom, time zone indicated is Pacific Standard Time
How ↓
We think that a useful way to define this course is to identify some of its principles. We hope these principles can be useful for anyone entering the course as well as navigating it.
“Defining and reflecting upon principles helps identify what matters” Adrienne Maree Brown.
This course is a collaborative endeavor to learn, understand and practice meditation in an innovative way. This way encompasses an understanding of meditation that understands: • That a path of liberation from suffering is possible • Individual and collective liberation are interwoven • Racial and social equity and justice are integral parts of the path • Science can help us understand meditation • Science is not everything • Fun is a fundamental component to learn and thrive • Beauty matters • Connection is a biological imperative • Gummy bears are powerful meditation tools
This course is not perfect and it is a work in progress with contributions from faculty, alumni, social context, creativity and emergence
We are making an honest attempt to offer a new understanding and practice of mindfulness meditation.
We are aiming to create a network of engaged, socially responsible, trauma-informed, science-informed, culture respectful meditation practitioners and teachers
Everyone’s sense of dignity and safety is emphasized. Honest feedback is pursued to make sure that problems, doubts, discomfort, sense of unsafety is addressed in a way that is generative of care and of solutions
We spend time equally valuing meditation for individuals as well as for communities, social dynamics, and social context
We focus on meditation practice and explore it with curiosity
Place is important. It is important to name and acknowledge the history of the place we are based on. This course is based on Unceded and Occupied territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam Nations. We know the importance to do research, incorporate history, learn what the nations are doing and how to support them,
This script is inspired by adrienne maree brown’s book Emergent Strategy (2017) and by the work of Allied Media Project and their principles model.
We’re Accredited
The Lab of Meditation Method is accredited with the International Mindfulness Teachers Association.
​The International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA) is “a registered non-profit dedicated to the professionalization and standardization of the mindfulness field. As mindfulness rapidly enters many sectors of society - medicine, healthcare, psychology, education, business academia, social justice, judicial reform, and more - there has been a call for rigorous oversight and standardization.”
+ Graduation requirements
1) To be accepted into the course you will have to submit an application form and be approved.
Information that will be taken into consideration will be about experience and challenges with meditation, willingness to engage in daily practice, an alive interest in meditation and a commitment to learn, be vulnerable, an embrace a socially equitable, trauma-informed, science based approach.
2) To graduate in the Lab of Meditation method and receive a Meditation Teacher Certification from the Lab of Meditation (T-LOM), you will want to fulfill these requirements:
-Attend all weekday and weekend classes (if not present, listen to recordings on our learning platform, gather notes from meditation buddy, compile the reflection) questions)
-Guiding meditation preparation (20 hours) and meditation facilitation (15 hours)
-Group project (book-club)
-Daily meditation practice for the duration of the course (approx 90 days * 27 mins/day). Log your practice, have a meditation friend to keep you resourced and supported.
-Complete reflection questions after each module in manual Hiro feedback template (1x) and peer feedback template (4X)
(Graduation is at the discretion of our program director)
3) Additionally, you will be eligible for registration with the IMTA. In order for you to be eligible, they also require additional pre-requisites which are:
-A minimum 2 years of regular mindfulness meditation practice
-Attended at least 1 mindfulness meditation retreat of a minimum of 5 days with a qualified instructor.
-More than 1 retreat is highly recommended.
-Attended a mindfulness course like Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) or equivalent
Earn 200 CEC Credits
The Lab of Meditation Method is now an accredited course with The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. If you are a counselor or therapist registered with the association, attending the facilitator program of The Lab of Meditation will give you 200 CEC credits towards your continuing education.
2 Dimensional Training
“Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there cannot be outer change; without collective change, no change matters.”
— rev. angel Kyodo Williams
Read More ⟶
This is our Map of Meaning. It describes the territory that together, we will be visiting.
In The Lab of Meditation, we explore meditation as a form to transform oneself and as a way to access a new felt sense of being together. We interlace the understanding of traditional and spiritual practices, we dive deep into their scientific underpinning, and we commit to making these tools available to social change and racial and social justice.
In other words we zoom in, inside the brain and the body, and out, looking at systems of oppression and committing to understanding what liberation at large means.
Together we build a Map of Meaning, a bigger framework to integrate all the new things we will learn together.
The Lab of Meditation Teachers Training has 2 dimensions:
ZOOMING OUT- A focus on social and racial justice. The goal of meditation is to be with each other fully. And yet, how can we do that, when the world has us all assigned to boxes and power dynamics that keep us separated.
Together, in the words of rev. angel Kyodo Williams, "we seek the possibility for different ways to be with each other" (and in order to do this, we unfold topics around identity politics and talk about systems of oppression, exclusion, racism, whiteness, and investigate how, through meditation and a new way to understand it, we can contribute to dismantle these systems.
ZOOMING IN - A foundation in clinical psychology and science. We will expand upon principles borrowed from psychological schools of thought such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and more precisely Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Also, quite uniquely, we will integrate our study with the use of biofeedback and neurofeedback devices to demonstrate the positive impact of the practice. This is a quite unique feature of this program. Together we will concretely learn what it means to self-regulate, to activate the para-sympathetic vs. sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system and the space in-between.
WE SET UP OUR LAB IN THE LAB.
How? we will use clinical-grade sensors to measure heart rate, heart rate variability, brain activity, hand sweat and temperature, muscle tension, breathing and we will learn together how to make sense of this information so that it will make sense in our Map of Meaning.
Also, The Lab of Meditation Teachers Training is centered on community building practices. Together, we will share mindful group dinners, along with other diverse activities, including group meditations, forest baths, and connection via Facebook or SLACK groups.
Supervision and mentorship are provided by our main faculty member and the Lab of Meditation founder, Hiro Demichelis. Hiro will provide unwavering support and feedback for students, providing each student with verbal and written feedback.
Peer support will also be fostered through sharing practices during weekly classes, team building activities, and participation in classes taught by fellow students.
Field Work & Practicum
Fieldwork and practicum will prepare students to lead meditation with integrity and confidence.
Students are required to teach 35 hours of meditation (15 hours of active teaching, plus 20 hours of preparation: i.e.: individual study, class prep, script curation, etc.). Teaching hours will be obtained through volunteer teaching hours, acquired at work, at local yoga and/or meditation studios.
The Lab of Meditation also offers an opportunity for all our teacher-students to participate and gather teaching hours through:
1) the Lab of Meditation Outreach, our social justice project in partnership with Adler University. The Lab of Meditation Outreach program aims to bring mindfulness meditation to all community members, especially frontline workers and marginalized folx.
2) Instagram live meditations.
1= The Lab of Focus ⟶
**1 Introduction to The Lab
- The Map of Meaning
- Creating the Container
- Agreements
- Requirements
**2 Foundations of Mindfulness
- Key principles and practices
- Development and Nourishment of Personal Practice
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Framework.
3 The Historical Context of Modern Western Mindfulness
- History of Buddhism and the Historical Buddha
- The 4 Noble Truths
- the Noble Eightfold Path
- the Brahmaviharas
4 The Lab of Focus
- Mindfulness, Awareness, and Attention
- Attention and distraction
- the Spectrum of Attention
- Types of Meditation and Neural Systems
The Focus Weekend
- The Art and the Tools for Writing Scripts
- Foundations of Visualization Meditation (the 3 Meditations)
- The Practice of Teaching Meditation
- Neuroanatomical-appropriate language when teaching
2= The Lab of Joy⟶
5 The Lab of Joy
- The Neuroanatomy of Happy
- Applications of the Brahmaviharas
- The Science and Cultivation of Loving Kindness
6 The Lab Of Traumology 1
- Operational Definitions of Trauma
- Origins of Trauma and Sites of Shaping
- Neuroanatomical Markers of Trauma
7 The Lab Of Traumology 2
- Operational Definition of Resiliency
- Cycles of Activation and Deactivation and Mindfulness
- The Window of Mindfulness
- Trauma Informed Practice
8 The Lab Of Creativity
- The Path to Creativity
- The Research on Creativity
- The Practice of Creativity and Mindfulness
9 nbd
- The LAB TBD
The Joy Weekend
- Self-Compassion and Self-Care for Self and for Others :-)
- Gender Visibility, the Non-Binary and The Power of Inclusion in Meditation
- Racial Justice and Positive Emotions
3= The Lab of Calm ⟶
10 The Lab of Ethical Embodiment
- Ethical Compass and Cultural Competency
- The Five Precepts
- Embodying the Precepts
11 The Lab of the Neuroanatomy of Meditation 101
- the Human Brain
- The Wonder of Interconnectedness
- Functional Areas of the Brain
- Brain cycles in meditation
12 The Lab of the Neuroanatomy of Meditation 102
- Social Justice and Neuroanatomy
- Structural and Functional changes in the Brain
The Calm Weekend
- Calm & The Inner Workings of Slowing down.
- Understanding the Vagus Nerve and its connection with The Core Brain and the deeper Visceral Organs.
- The Poly-vagal theory
- The Business of Teaching Meditation
**+ The Lab of Meditation Outreach
- Guidelines, implementation and coordination of Projects
About Our Founder
Hiro holds a Doctoral Degree in Political Sciences and Sociology (Universita’ Statale di Milano, Italy); a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and a Master of Science in Positive Psychology. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor at her private practice, the Vancouver Brain Lab, in Vancouver, Canada.
Hiroko started practicing in 1993 under the guidance of Buddhist teacher Davide Cova, in Italy. She has sustained a Mindfulness practice since then. She has attended several retreats and trainings in Europe and North America.
She has studied under the guidance of several teachers, among which dr. Rick Hanson, Pascal Auclair, Michele McDonald, rev. angel Kyodo Williams and many others.
She has completed the Rebirthing Breathwork Teacher Training program with Leonard Orr and has facilitated individual and Breathwork sessions.
She was the co-founder of Moment Meditation, Canada’s first modern meditation members club in Downtown Vancouver. She served as content director for Moment, curating workshops, classes, scripts, and trainings for the studio teacher, until the studio closed in 2017.
She has taught meditation in corporative environments, to groups and to individuals in her clinical practice.
Some of the brands she has worked for are: Lululemon, Lululemon Lab, Arc’xteryx, Sage, Hootsuite, Vega, Kit and Ace, Lawson Lundell Law, DDB, Four Seasons, Coast Mental Health, UBC Alumni.
Hiro is currently serving as a consultant and a facilitator for the United Nations Foundation and their program Peace on Purpose, offered in collaboration with Lululemon for humanitarian workers and staff in Mali, Ecuador, Venezuela and Ghana, and all over the world.
Testimonials
“A beautiful offering in today’s climate society. What I really appreciated was the real acknowledgement of Western science and Eastern philosophy.
A fresh fact about this course: you will fall in love with the people around you, with hiro, and maybe with yourself”.
Tessy Sloane
Mom, Word artist, Global Recruiter, Meditation Teacher at Chapter Two meditation.
“I had the amazing honour to be in the 200 hours course. It was an impactful and transformative course, for the main reason of merging mindfulness and science, and positive psychology and neuroscience, and social justice. Now I have all this information and this new found knowledge and wisdom that I am able to offer in my practice . I feel well equipped ”
Dora Kamau
Mental health visionary, self-care advocate , Mindfulness Teacher at Headspace
Meet your Instructors
Hiro Demichelis ⟶
Registered Clinical Counsellor, Meditation Teacher.
Pronouns she/they
Hiro holds a Doctoral Degree in Political Sciences and Sociology (Universita’ Statale di Milano, Italy); a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and a Master of Science in Positive Psychology. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor at her private practice, the Vancouver Brain Lab, in Vancouver, Canada.
Hiroko started practicing in 1993 under the guidance of Buddhist teacher Davide Cova, in Italy. She has sustained a Mindfulness, daily, individual practice since then. She has attended several retreats and trainings in Europe and North America.
She has studied under the guidance of teacher dr. Rick Hanson, Pascal Auclair, Michele McDonald (Vipassana retreat) at the Asian Center at the University of British Columbia.
She has completed the Rebirthing Breathwork Teacher Training program and has facilitated individual and Breathwork sessions.
She is the co-founder of Moment Meditation, Canada’s first modern meditation members club in Downtown Vancouver. She served as content director for Moment, curating workshops, classes, scripts, and trainings for the studio teacher, until the studio closed in 2017.
She has taught meditation in corporative environments, to groups and to individuals in her clinical practice. She taught regularly at Moment, since its opening in October 2016 until its closure in October 2018
Chastity Davis ⟶
Heart-Centered Leader. Consultant, public speaker, educator.
Pronouns she/her.
Chastity Davis is a mixed heritage woman of First Nations and European descent. She is a proud member of the Tla’amin Nation, located in Powell River just off the beautiful Sunshine Coast of BC.
Chastity strives to keep her sacred First Nations culture, traditions, and values incorporated into her modern day life. She feels it is her life purpose to facilitate the building of bridges between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people and has dedicated her professional and personal life to do so.
Chastity is sole proprietor to her own consulting business, Chastity Davis Consulting and has been a successful entrepreneur for 8+ years. She is the Chair of the Ministers Advisory Council on Aboriginal Women, Chair of Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s Indigenous Council, and past director for the Minerva Foundation.
Chastity co-founded the Professional Aboriginal Women’s Network and is currently serving as Co-Chair for this important network. Chastity will be completing her MA in International and Intercultural Communications in 2019, has a BA in Professional Communications and a Diploma in Marketing Management and Professional Sales. Chastity is also a Registered Yoga Teacher;
Chastity weaves in Indigenous knowledge with the ancient wisdom of yoga and brings her practice to Indigenous and non-Indigenous women across BC.
Chastity received two awards in 2017 for her business, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Outstanding Business Achievement (BC Aboriginal Business Awards) and 40 Under 40, Business in Vancouver. Chastity has spoken at several international, national, and local events on the importance of building bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Dora Kamau ⟶
self-care and wellness artist, meditation teacher & mindfulness facilitator
Pronouns: she/her
As a 200 hr meditation teacher and wellness artist, Dora Kamau, uses meditation as a tool to awaken individuals to the true experience of who they are. Impenetrable and unshaken by the qualms of life, Dora utilizes her own lived experience to guide and host in-person and online gatherings for women to connect through intentional conversations. Aside from meditation, Dora is a registered psychiatric nurse that integrates holistic, trauma-informed practices for women living with substance dependence and mental illness in Vancouver, BC.
Dora is a featured meditation teacher on Insight Timer, and a Full time Teacher at Headspace (congrats Dora!)
Cicely Blaine ⟶
Consultant, facilitator, writer and artist.
Pronouns they/them
they are one of Vancouver’s fifty most influential people of 2018, as awarded by Vancouver Magazine for their work as a co-founder of Black Lives Matter - Vancouver, Canada’s second Black Lives Matter chapter. They were also a winner of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Youth Leadership Award in Social Movement Building for their commitment to Black liberation and LGBTQ+ activism.
In 2017, Cicely Belle was listed as one of CBC’s 150 Black Womxn Making Change in Canada and in 2019 they became one of BC Business’s 30 under 30 business leaders as well as a finalist for the Canadian LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Cicely Belle’s first book debuts in 2020 with Arsenal Pulp Press and VS Books.
They are the founder of Stratagem conference, and editorial director of magazine Ripple of Change. They recently published their first book, Burning Sugar.
Jessie Nelson ⟶
Inclusive Leadership Consultant.
Pronouns they/them
Jessie is the founder of the consulting firm Kith and Common. KITH+common was born from and inspired by its essential purpose; to create space for others to be as they are, without shame.
KITH is a pillar for all things community specializing in business development strategies and community engagement approaches, all from an overarching lens of diversity and inclusion planning and integration.
KITH offers inclusion consulting, customized content and training creation, and group facilitations. Jessie will work with you and your organization to bring inclusive practices and insights to your internal culture in order to help create space for the diversity that exists to grow, flourish and impact change for both your organization and the communities you reach.
They believe in creating space for all people to come as they are. KITH is in the work of inclusion to create space for all people to express their diversity and find power in sharing their unique lived experience.
Autumn Grant and Jonathan Dododza + Flo + Iris ⟶
*JONATHAN (he, him): MINDFUL ARTIST AND COMMUNITY CONNECTOR + AUTUMN (she/her):IS A MOTHER, A MINDSET COACH, AND MEDITATION GUIDE.
JONATHAN AND Autumn are THE CO-FOUNDERs OF FLO MEDITATION + WELLNESS
JONATHAN'S FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF IS THAT EVERYONE HAS THE ABILITY TO INCORPORATEMINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION INTO THEIR LIVES. SINCE MOVING TO HALIFAX TWO YEARSAGO, JONATHAN HAS BEEN ABLE TO USE HIS CREATIVE ENERGY, AND PASSION FORCOMMUNITY TO OPEN FLO, HALIFAX’S FIRST MODERN MINDFULNESS STUDIO.
AUTUMN IS on a MISSION TO BUILD AHAPPIER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE CONNECTED SOCIETY THROUGH MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION
Melissa Appleton ⟶
Yoga, Meditation and Creative Living Teacher Pronouns she/her
Melissa is a Buddhist Chaplain, member of Upaya Zen Centre, student of Roshi Joan Halifax and lay-ordained in the Soto Zen Prajna Mountain Order. She also practices with Norman Fischer from Everyday Zen, and is a keen student of Stephen Batchelor. Chaplaincy guides Melissa to consider how one might come along-side the ways people suffer, while supporting the restoration of goodness in bodies, hearts/minds, and the world. Her current work explores The Domestic Monastery, community life, ritual/ceremony, cultural anxiety, trauma, addiction, consumption of information technology, time, and the greater impact on the future of our world. How does self-care and spiritual formation serve as a collective 'we care' ultimately unfolding our greatest aspirations for parenting, partnership, intimacy, ecological connection, meaningful work, and influence on generations moving forward. Melissa is a yoga and meditation teacher with a clear and well-trained trauma informed lens. Her movement practice has been transforming for over 25 years and in recent years is most inspired by creative mover Suniti Dernovsek. She teaches locally and specializes in workshops and retreats in Canada and Internationally. Most recently Melissa accepted a position as Chaplain in Residence with Third Space Charity and Counselling to support UBC students and graduate Interns from the Masters of Social Work and Clinical Counselling Program. In 2021 they will spearhead the first Compassionate Engagement Program in the Okanagan for front-line workers, community leaders and philanthropists. As you might have guessed, she loves the art of collaboration and has the honour of working with amazing community leaders, Buddhist Practitioners, Clinical Counsellors, Yoga & Movement Specialists, and Wilderness Guides. Much of Melissa's courage to keep going was instilled though her great friendship and collaborative years with Michael Stone. You can read more about her history and offerings on her website
Melissa is married, has three teens, a big black lab and a home tucked into the woods with chores that are never complete. I used to work as a Music & Recreation Therapist, Addiction Counsellor, and Executive Director of ENSO Society, but then everything changed. Everything is still shifting and moving today.
Colin Pal ⟶
Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher, Culture Specialist
Pronouns he/him
Colin is on a mission to change the world by transforming workplace culture. He believes that if we turn the spaces where people spend most of their waking hours into an incubator of transformation and growth, we can unleash the human race’s potential for infinite possibilities and a profound level of happiness.
His journey here started after spending 7 years training as a Buddhist monk. He aspired to bring the practices and tools of mindfulness and meditation into the world where it was needed most. Right now, that place is here in boardrooms, offices, and workplace environments.
Michaela McCormick ⟶
Meditation teacher, trainer and social activist
pronouns she/her
Michaela McCormick has been a practicing Buddhist and meditator since 2001 coming out of the Shambhala tradition. She is a student of Rev.angel Kyodo williams, among others. As a teacher, she draws from many wisdom traditions. She leads Queer Dharma in Portland, OR, and workshops on white awareness, anti-racism, patriarchy, and social liberation. She is a long-time activist focused on racial and economic justice, currently working in the Poor People's Campaign. For 25 years she worked as a teacher, trainer, and practitioner of conflict resolution and public dialogue. She has written two memoirs and now writes poetry and essays on social and spiritual themes.
Marcela Washington ⟶
meditation guide, joy-centered Black feminist, vitality visionary, and seeker of a universal love language.
Pronouns she/her
I am a playful maturing woman, 36 years married, mother of two “adulties, and the love child nurtured by a remarkable mother who tenderly and selflessly raised me up alongside 6 siblings.
My desire is to live in communion with the earth as a creature unbothered, profoundly interconnected to human beings who believe in and are guided by human dignity principles.
I am a gentle spirit yet powerfully activated by the desire to heal and compassionately care for self and collective.
I know myself as a hummingbird.
Flory Huang ⟶
CREATOR, GUIDE AND FACILITATOR, CERTIFIED AS A PROFESSIONAL MINDFULNESS TEACHER, RESTORATIVE YOGA TEACHER,CONSCIOUS ENERGY MEDICINE WORKER AND FORMER PERSONAL TRAINING COACH.
Pronouns she/her
FLORY (SHE, HER) IS A DEEP FEELER, SEEKER AND SEER WITH DIVERSE EXPERIENCES AND SKILL SETS THATENABLE HER TO CREATE CONTAINERS FOR DEEP INQUIRY, HEALING AND TRANSFORMATIONBOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND IN GROUP.
HER CURRENT WORK THROUGH THE RESTED REVOLUTION HONORS AND ILLUMINATES INNERALCHEMY AS A PATHWAY FOR COMMUNITY CARE AND LIBERATION. SHE OFFERS PEOPLESUPPORT AND SELF HEALING RESOURCES AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF HUMAN AND QUANTUMSCIENCES X THE UNIQUE ART OF YOU. SHE FACILITATES THE REMEMBERING OF SELFTHROUGH ALL OUR BODIES: FROM THE MOST DENSE PHYSICAL PLANE THROUGH TO THE UNSEENAND IMMEASURABLE.
AS A FORMER CORPORATE EMPLOYEE AND PREVIOUSLY-SUBSCRIBED-HUSTLER FOR A DECADE,SHE HAS ARRIVED TO ACTIVELY REJECTING EXHAUSTION AND BURNOUT AS MARKERS— ANDCOSTS— OF SUCCESS AND THRIVING. HER OWN DECOLONIZATION AND DECONDITIONING FROMSYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION ARE ONGOING.
FLORY IS A SECOND GENERATION SETTLER OF TAIWANESE AND DUTCH ANCESTRY. BORN ONUNCEDED, ANCESTRAL AND TRADITIONAL TONGVA TERRITORY, SHE IS ALSO A SETTLERCONTINUALLY LEARNING AS AN UNINVITED GUEST ON MUSQUEAM, SQUAMISH, AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH LANDS ON THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST.
Davide Cova ⟶
Meditation teacher, Yoga Teacher, Spiritual mentor and Counsellor, Founder of Dorje Ling Center.
Pronouns he/him
Davide Cova (1968, Milan) transmits psychology, philosophy and above all else Buddhist introspective meditation in its multiple formats and in a secular key to various Centers and Institutions. For ten years he was a student of the Venerable Lama Geshe Ciampa Gyatso, who left his body in December 2007. He attended and completed the seven-year full-time course 'Masters Program in Buddhist Studies' at the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia , and was a Buddhist monk for three years. At the end of the Masters Program he made a four-month pilgrimage to Buddhist sites in India and to Christian sites in the Middle East. On his return he was in individual and isolated meditation retreat for 16 months. His training in the Mahayana Buddhist field continues under the guidance of the entourage of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, namely the Venerable Dagri Rinpoche, the Venerable Kensur Jhado Rinpoche, the Venerable Dagyab Rinpoce, the Venerable Tich Naht Hahn and certainly the Dalai Lama himself.
He also trained in Berlin as a teacher of Classical Hatha-Yoga in accordance with Patañjali's Yoga Sutras and has been teaching it since 1995 in multiple locations. He trained as a Biosystemic Counselor at the Italian School of Biosystems in Rome, with Prof. Dr. Jérome Liss and deepened his training with Prof. Dr. Paul Rebillot, founder of the Gestalt Institute of San Francisco. Graduated in Political Philosophy from the University of Milan and post-graduate specialization in 'Conflict Resolution and Transformation' at the School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vermont (USA) and at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies. , Pisa. He served as a political analyst at the UN offices in New York (DPA) and Copenhagen (UNDP).
It offers sessions of Spiritual Mentoring, Deep Listening and Self Realization with psycho-corporeal, group or individual mediation, integrating the psychology of the Dharma with the transpersonal and humanistic one, integrating the stimulation of the meridians, of the conscience plexuses with psychogenealogy. He has conceived and conducts courses, seminars and retreats on Buddhist mental transformation in a secular and Western key, and participates as a speaker at conferences and lectures on this topic. He founded the “Dorje-Ling Center for the Practice and Interdisciplinary Study of Awareness” in the Umbrian countryside, where he offers courses, seminars and retreats on Buddhist mental transformation in the light of neuroscience, quantum physics and transpersonal humanistic psychology.
FaQ
+ when is the next training?
This journey consists of 12 weeks of immersive evenings (Tuesday nights 5:30 pm-8:30 pm PST) plus 3 non-residential weekend retreats. THE COURSE IS HELD ONLINE ON ZOOM.
The next training will begin on October, 8th (Tuesday evenings 5:30 p.m .p.m. - 8:30 p.m. PT/ 8:30 pm.- 11:30 p.m. ET) ending on December, 17th plus January, 7th. There will also be 3 ZOOM weekend retreats.
The retreats run from 10:00 a.m. - to 3:00 p.m. PT (1 p.m. ET- 6 p.m. ET) on both Saturdays and Sundays. Dates for the weekend retreats are to be confirmed:
- 19th- 20th October
- 2nd- 3rd November
- 14th-15th December

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN.

+ where is the training?
THIS COURSE IS HELD ONLINE
+ how big the group?
Cohorts are capped at 25 students
+ what is the cost of the training?
The total course tuition is $3,900 CAD (plus GST if applicable, that means if you pay taxes in Canada). Payments are available in 6 months installments (650CAD x 6 or in 3 months installments (1300 x 3).
With one payment in full, you get a 100 CAD discount+ total= $3,800 CAD (plus GST)
Once your application has been received and accepted, you can either pay in full or choose a payment in installments.
If you are interested in taking your spot, please know that we are only accepting a limited number of students (the number of students is capped at 25). After signing up, and accepting your spot, you will still have two weeks to decide if the course work for you.
Accepting to be part of the cohort means that you commit to being a part of it. After the first two weeks, we can not offer a refund and you are still responsible for completing your payments until paid in full.
+ what is the refund policy?
If you are interested in taking your spot, please know that we are only accepting a limited number of students (the number of students is capped at 25). After signing up, and accepting your spot, you will still have two weeks to decide if the course work for you.
Accepting to be part of the cohort means that you commit to being a part of it. After the first two weeks, we can not offer a refund and you are still responsible for completing your payments until paid in full.
+ do you offer scholarships?
It is my response-ability, as a white settler in Canada, to do my part in paying reparations, trying to contribute, how I can, to create a better, more equitable future. In order to do my part in redistributing privilege, opportunities, power, and lowering the barriers, I do my best to offer 2 scholarships for reduced rates to BIPOC, folks in the LGBTQ2S+ community and other marginalized identities. THIS IS THE APPLICATION FORM TO A SCHOLARSHIP.
Scholarships range from 10% to 40% discount. Needs are assessed with an interview.
+ is this training accredited with the International Mindfulness Teachers’ Association IMTA?
We are a certified 200-hour Mindfulness Teachers Program with the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA.org). If you are interested in becoming certified with the IMTA there are additional requirements that you will need to complete for them to certify you, but our training is one of them. You can find more information here additionally to the completion of our requirements, you will want to fulfill these requirements:
-Attend all weekday and weekend classes (if not present, please know all the material is uploaded in a learning platform called Thinkific, so all the recording will be available within a few days. Please listen to recordings, gather notes from meditation buddy, compile the reflection) -Guiding meditation preparation (20 hours) and meditation facilitation (15 hours) -Group project (book-club) -Daily meditation practice for the duration of the course (approx 90 days * 27 mins/day). Log your practice, have a meditation friend to keep you resourced and supported. -Complete reflection questions after each module in manual Hiro feedback template (2x) and peer feedback template (4X)
Additionally, you will be eligible for registration with the IMTA. https://www.imta.org/? The IMTA also requires additional pre-requisites which are:
A minimum 2 years of regular mindfulness meditation practice Attended at least 1 mindfulness meditation retreat of a minimum of 5 days with a qualified instructor. More than 1 retreat is highly recommended. Attended a mindfulness course like Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) or equivalent
+ does this training count towards Continuing Education Credits with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association?
Yes, as of 2019 the Lab of Meditation 200-hour Meditation Teacher Training is an approved course with the CCPA, and students can earn 200 CEC upon completion.
+ what is the teaching modality?
THIS COURSE WILL BE HELD ONLINE
+ how is the social justice component integrated?
The social justice component is the most fundamental pillar of our training. Our belief can be summarized as a quote by rev. angel Kyodo Williams, who says,
**"Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there cannot be outer change, without collective change, no change matters." **
We engage in meditation as a form to commit to inner change and liberation. We invite the recognition that to change collectively and aim towards the dismantling of systems of oppression, we have start from the meditation pillow.
Our meditation framework is based on embodiment, nervous system resourcing, compassion, active engagement.
Look at the website under Module 7 to find more details guidelines.
With regard to weekly time commitment, we suggest that the course will take on average about 7-10 hours each week. That includes 3 hours in class, a daily personal meditation practice, and a few other reflections and self-study exercises that you will be required to complete.
+ What is the weekly time commitment of the training?
With regard to weekly time commitment, we suggest that the course will take on average about 7-10 hours each week. That includes 3 hours in class, a daily personal meditation practice, and a few other reflections and self-study exercises that you will be required to complete.
+ what happens if I miss a class?
Most of the content, including manual, powerpoints, notes and lecture recordings will be uploaded on an e-learning platform (Thinkific). With regards to missed classes, we hold our students accountable for content missed and so we will ask you to review the material in your manual, review the recording of the class and complete the reflection questions at the end of every lecture. Other homework might entails short essays, and writing and recording meditation scripts.
+ how do the 200 hours get accumulated?
There are approximately
- 110 teaching hours come through live lectures and online content.
- as part of the training, students are also required to commit to a daily meditation practice (27 minutes daily) which is also calculated into the learning and reflection process.
- students have to complete 35 hours of preparation and guiding time during the training in alignment with the IMTA's teacher training requirements
- and the final portion of the 200 hours is made up of a group project with peers.
+ if I can't get to Vancouver, can the weekend retreats be done through ZOOM?
THIS COURSE WILL BE HELD ONLINE
+ to be certified with IMTA it looks like a 5 day retreat would be needed, is this part of the training?
Completion of the Lab of Meditation and the IMTA certification are two separate, and yet complementary things. You will need a certified course like the Lab of Meditation to fulfill some of the requirements for IMTA. Other requirements can be checked here and for example are additional guiding hours, personal practice, and retreats.
+ what would be the benefit of taking this course over a program certification like MSC (Mindful Self Compassion) or MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction?
These are all great courses. One of the reason you might truly find our course interesting, is if you are interested in the science and psychology of meditation and how we can use that lens to become better mindfulness and meditation teachers. Our program is a unique exploration of physiology, neurobiology, and biofeedback, so very much anchored in science, while understanding the root of suffering, honoring the traditional roots of Buddhist meditation. Hiro Demichelis, founder and main teacher of the Lab of Meditation is also a psychotherapist, with a Masters in Positive Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Sociology. She has designed a program that leads us from the individual to the collective structures as a whole. We take a deep dive into social and racial justice and how through engaged practice and awareness we can create a more just world for all. Also, our course is Canada’s only IMTA certified training.
+ what will I get when I graduate?
Upon graduation, in addition to the skills and training you will carry with you (the most IMPORTANT part, really :-), you will receive a certification of completion from the Lab of Meditation.
Also, we are a certified 200-hour Mindfulness Teachers Program with the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA.org). If you are interested in becoming certified with the IMTA there are additional requirements that you will need to complete, but our training is one of them. You can find more information here
The Delicious Heart Retreat.
to foster Softness, Love and Belonging
Dates to be confirmed
(get on the waitlist if interested)
Dates: tbc
Time: 7:30am-6pm PT
Investment: tbc
Location: Zoomiverse or tbc
Mark your calendar to join hiro for a week of heart-centered meditation.
Please note: This retreat is accepted by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA) as a part of their requirements/credentials for Certified Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level.
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Institutional Partners
Peace on Purpose
Peace on Purpose is a partnership between the United Nations Foundation and Lululemon that provides humanitarian and development workers with mindfulness tools designed to support their own well-being—so that they can continue to care for others. These simple and evidence-based practices equip people responding to the world’s biggest challenges with resources to respond to adversity, uncertainty, and rapid change.