NOTE: I added some updates to this post since I graduated from the training.
I’m about 80 percent through the Inner Illumination Meditation Teacher Training with Shawn J. Moore through Sankofa of Yoga. [Update: I graduated from the program in July 2024.] This training has been a fabulous journey! I’m learning so much from the practices, classes, readings, assignments, and small group work.
I met Shawn at a retreat with Tracee Stanley in Summer 2023. (The photo is from that experience.) His sound baths and meditation sessions were absolutely transporting!
So, I subscribed to his newsletter and attended a few of his online experiences. (You can subscribe to his newsletter at the bottom of his page, located here.)
My Meditation Background
Tea and mindfulness have long been intertwined for me. My Virtual Tea Table and Rest Kits for Tea Lovers, for example, have included mindfulness and even short meditations at times. The tea and meditation realm was introduced to me several years ago thanks to the incredible offerings of Sooz Hammond of Being Tea. [Update: In fact, everyone in my meditation cohort brought an object for a community altar we set up during our graduation weekend. In homage to Sooz, I brought an object she gave me.]
As for meditation more broadly, I had a sporadic meditation practice for decades. Then, I started a consistent practice in 2020. A few years later, I completed the Power of Awareness with Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Konda Mason, and Devin Berry.
I was getting deeper into my meditation practice and thinking about how I could open myself up to even more possibilities. When I saw that Shawn was starting another cohort of his meditation teacher training, I knew–I just KNEW–this was for me. And, I was right!
Why I Meditate
I meditate to experience my true self and the universe–to fully and deeply know we are one.
Along this journey, I have been encouraged to continue by the many benefits meditation has brought me. I’ve experienced deeper relaxation, more gratitude, more joy, and more empathy–on the cushion and in my daily life. My practice has also supported me through some very difficult times, teaching me how to be with and “metabolize” my pain and suffering.
After Meditation Teacher Training
As I integrate the fruits of my meditation teacher training into my practice, I know it’s going to enrich my tea-related offerings. I already have a few ideas I’m really excited about launching, including a September Meditation and Gratitude Series. I would also like to offer some experiences that include and some that don’t necessarily include tea. For now, I don’t know what that means about calling my website and social media accounts Tea Infusiast. I’m sitting with that question right now and trust I will see the path forward when it’s time.
At the moment, I’m particularly excited about the culmination of this training–two days in July person with Shawn and my cohort. We’ll practice together. Additionally, all the graduating students will offer a free class to the Sankofa of Yoga community. It’ll also be bittersweet since after the class ends I won’t be meeting regularly online with Shawn, my cohort, and my wonderful sangha.
[Update: It was a fantastic culminating weekend! And, Dr. Tamisha Ponder, co-owner of Sankofa, even incorporated mindful tea into our closing ceremony. I’ve add a photo of my certificate of completion and another of me sitting on a cushion about to teach my graduation class. I was so happy, as you can see.]
Do you have a regular meditation practice? Is it related to tea, separate, or does it include both?