Individual Paths, Collective Support:

A 6-month MMTCP Alumni Journey (Cohort II)

Sept 2025-Feb 2026

Why Cohort II?

The pilot cohort of "Individual Paths: Collective Support" (March-July 2025) provided MMTCP alumni with monthly 1:1 sessions and small group sangha gatherings to deepen their practice.

Anonymous survey feedback confirmed that the combination of 1:1 mentorship and sangha support was particularly powerful:

  • "Our 1:1 sessions have been somewhat life-changing. I love how themes and throughlines in a session always arise and it ends up being this cohesive lesson for me. I get so much out of both the more spiritual and practical elements of our conversations. What you offer in our 1:1s has been incredibly resonant and apt, inspirational and thought-provoking, and has really been a compass on the journey for me!"

  • "I really like hearing where fellow MMTCP alumni are at. I love that feeling of continued parallel paths, like here we are, having pursued and accomplished this same thing, sharing some similar aspirations, and we get to stay connected and grow together. It's lovely just knowing what's capturing their attention these days."

  • "Your skillfulness and wisdom, along with your ability to so succinctly mirror back to me has been beautiful and sacred. I deeply appreciate this, as it allows me to respond to life and my inner landscape with more compassion, clarity & kindness."

  • “I enjoy the guided meditations. I also enjoy hearing how others are doing in their personal practice as well as struggles they may be having in terms of personal practice, the daily integration of mindfulness, or various areas of teaching.”

Survey data also revealed areas for improvement:

  1. More flexible participation options to make the program more accessible

  2. Longer sangha sessions—there’s so much to discuss and share!

  3. A request to change the weekday time to the evening so that it does not conflict with the workday

  4. Optional “homework” to do between sessions

Round II incorporates this thoughtful feedback: Read on to learn more.

*Note: Due to Alison’s other professional responsibilities in 2026, after Round II of “Individual Paths, Collective Support” the program will likely not be offered again until late 2026 or 2027.

“Individual Paths, Collective Support” Cohort II Information

After graduation from MMTCP, continue to grow as a teacher-practitioner by:

1. Meeting with a supportive monthly sangha guided by Alison

2. Connecting 1:1 with Alison for tailored mentorship, support, and guidance

Who can participate:

“Individual Paths, Collective Support: Round II” is open to MMTCP graduates from the past four cohorts, regardless of whether or not you were one of Alison’s mentees and regardless of whether or not you are currently teaching.

Cohort II will cover new content that was not covered in Cohort I, so Cohort I sangha members are welcome to participate in Cohort II.

Connect with Alison for 1:1 mentoring at a frequency that works for you

For many teacher-practitioners, periodic 1:1 mentoring is key to continued growth and development. The first component will be hourlong mentoring sessions with me. There are two options for 1:1s:

  • Meeting each month for a total of six 1:1 sessions

  • Meeting three times during the six months: before the first sangha session, midway through, and at the end

In August, you'll receive a scheduling link to book your sessions.

In each 60-minute 1:1, we'll explore your reflections and questions about teaching and practice "on and off the cushion" from a mindfulness and compassion cultivation standpoint. You might choose to spend multiple sessions doing a deep dive into a particular area or change topics from session to session.

For example, you might spend all sessions on teaching-related questions, or explore forgiveness in one session, ways to enliven your personal practice in the next, and curriculum development in another.

Our time together will generally follow this structure:

  • A few minutes of sitting together as a way of arriving

  • Checking in on how you're doing, in this moment and in life more broadly

  • Touching base: Which topics feel most important to discuss today?

  • Discussing and exploring them through conversation, guided inquiry (somatic inquiry, light-touch Parts work, variations of RAIN, journaling prompts, Buddhist psychology practices), or collaborative planning. If you'd like thought partnership on an upcoming course, I can share my screen and take notes as we brainstorm. Optional "homework" between sessions is also available if that appeals to you!

  • Closing check out: What are you taking away? Next steps?

You may want to take notes during the 1:1s, so I encourage you to bring a journal and pen. You're also welcome to record the session if revisiting it later would be helpful.

My hope is that you leave our 1:1 time together feeling uplifted and empowered to take any next steps we've discussed.

2. Meet with a supportive MMTCP alumni sangha, once a month for six months (The first Cohort was five months)

The communal complement to our 1:1 time together will be *one* sangha session per month facilitated by me.

  • I will offer two sanghas each month, one that meets on Sundays from 2-3:30 pm ET and one that meets on the third Thursday of each month from 7-8:30 pm ET. Each will have a bathroom/stretch break partway through, and you’re welcome to eat and drink during the sessions. During registration, you will be asked to choose which day of the week works best for you: Sunday, Thursday, or availability for either. In August, you will receive an email with your sangha assignment: Sunday or Thursday.

  • Your group will meet for the first time in September 2025.

    • Thursday 2025 group dates (third Thursday of the month, 7-8:30 pm ET): September 18, October 16, November 20, December 18, January 15, February 19

    • Sunday 2025 group dates (third Sunday of the month, 2-3:30 pm ET): September 21, October 19, November 16, December 21, January 18, February 15

  • Optional “office hours” immediately after each session (30 min): If you have additional questions and/or reflections after our 90 minutes together, feel free to stay on with Alison for up to 30 minutes after each sangha session to continue the conversation.

  • Recordings: Sangha sessions will be recorded and each recording will be shared soon after each session. However, the power of in-real-time sangha is invaluable: please plan to attend at least 4 of the 6 sessions.

  • Monthly emails: An email will arrive in your inbox each month with a reminder about your upcoming sangha session, notes on practice and teaching, and (of course!) an inspirational quote or poem. You will also receive a follow-up email containing the recording, any announcements…and another quote or poem :).

Each sangha session will have its own theme and include these elements:

We'll begin by sitting together—I'll offer some guidance beforehand—followed by check-ins. The rest of the session time will include a combination of the following:

  • Self-reflection as a teacher-practitioner: Through guided inquiry, journaling, and discussion, you’ll deepen your understanding of yourself as a practitioner and teacher.

  • Teaching scenario exploration: Through small group (in breakout rooms), whole group conversations, and optional role plays, we'll explore possible ways to navigate specific situations that arise while teaching. For the most part, these scenarios will come from sangha members—from teaching scenarios that you’ve experienced and wondered about.

  • Expanded practice experimentation: We’ll experiment with mindfulness and compassion cultivation techniques that extend beyond the MMTCP curriculum.

  • Strengthening your understanding of the Buddhist concepts, teachings, and practices that underly the MMTCP curriculum: For example, what role do tilakhhana (the three marks of existence, also known as the three characteristics of human experience) play in the practice and teaching of mindfulness? Learning more about MMTCP’s Buddhist underpinnings of mindfulness strengthens both practice and teaching—and it’s endlessly fascinating!

  • Optional practice- and teaching-related “homework” to complete between sessions: It will truly be optional :)!

My hope is that you leave each session with an embodied sense that you are part of a global sangha of teacher-practitioners—and that you have new insights, inquiries, and practices to explore until we meet again.

Registration and Pricing

Below you will see that there are two options for participation in Round II of Individual Paths, Collective Support: An MMTCP Alumni Journey.

Option A includes monthly 1:1s, six in total.

Option B includes every-other-month 1:1s, three in total.

For each Option, you can choose between three rate options: Sustainer, Giver, and Base. Please choose the registration link that makes sense for you and your financial circumstances. You also have the choice to pay in full or to pay an initial installment (the first of two equal installments).

PARTICIPATION OPTION A:

CONNECT IN SANGHA & 1:1 EVERY MONTH

Six monthly sangha sessions, six 1:1 sessions, monthly emails

  • The Sustainer Rate for 6 sangha sessions / 6 1:1 sessions reflects the actual cost of participating: $ USD total

    Register here to pay the Sustainer Rate in full () OR register here to pay the first of two installments ().

  • The Giver Rate for 6 sangha sessions / 6 1:1 sessions covers the cost of your participation and generously supports the participation of those who are paying the Base Rate: total.

    Register here to pay the Sustainer Rate in full () OR register here to pay the first of two installments ().

  • If the Sustainer Rate is not financially possible for you 6 sangha sessions / 6 1:1 sessions, please participate at the Base Rate:

    Register here to pay the Sustainer Rate in full () OR register here to pay the first of two installments ().

    Note: If you opt for two installments, second installments will be due in mid-November—you will receive a reminder email in early November that contains the second installment payment link.

PARTICIPATION OPTION B:

CONNECT IN SANGHA EVERY MONTH & 1:1 EVERY *OTHER* MONTH

Six monthly sangha sessions, three 1:1 sessions, monthly emails

  • The Sustainer Rate for 6 sangha sessions / 6 1:1 sessions reflects the actual cost of participating: $ USD total

    Register here to pay the Sustainer Rate in full () OR register here to pay the first of two installments ().

  • The Giver Rate for 6 sangha sessions / 6 1:1 sessions covers the cost of your participation and generously supports the participation of those who are paying the Base Rate: total.

    Register here to pay the Sustainer Rate in full () OR register here to pay the first of two installments ().

  • If the Sustainer Rate is not financially possible for you 6 sangha sessions / 6 1:1 sessions, please participate at the Base Rate:

    Register here to pay the Sustainer Rate in full () OR register here to pay the first of two installments ().

    Note: If you opt for two installments, second installments will be due in mid-November—you will receive a reminder email in early November that contains the second installment payment link.

If you would like to participate in Option 2 but the Base rate is more than what your financial circumstances allow, please email me to discuss possibilities.

A poem in the spirit of “Individual Paths, Collective Support”

“Belonging”

by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

And if it’s true we are alone,

we are alone together,

the way blades of grass are alone,

but exist as a field.

Sometimes I feel it,

the green fuse that ignites us,

the wild thrum that unites us,

an inner hum that reminds us of our shared humanity.

Just as thirty-five trillion red blood cells join in one body to become one blood.

Just as one hundred thirty-six thousand notes make up one symphony.

Alone as we are, our small voices weave into the one big conversation.

Our actions are essential to the one infinite story of what it is to be alive.

When we feel alone,

we belong to the grand communion of those who sometimes feel alone— we are the dust,

the dust that hopes,

a rising of dust,

a thrill of dust,

the dust that dances in the light with all other dust,

the dust that makes the world.

To aloneness, to togetherness, and to endings and beginnings full of sangha and support!

Excited for an updated and revamped Round II!

Please email me with questions: alison@twowingsmindfulness.com