2. Meet with a supportive MMTCP alumni sangha once a month—and engage in a six-month curriculum together

Monthly sangha sessions complement our 1:1 work. In this cohort, we’ll engage in the following curriculum together that addresses the interwoven strands of personal practice and teaching. The topics have been chosen based on widespread interests and queries from MMTCP Alumni.

As some of you know, Alison is an adult learning and development nerd, so the sessions will be grounded in key adult learning and development principles. Alison will introduce these principles in Session 1.

Session 1—Here, Now: The Current State (and Future!) of your Personal Practice

• In addition to initial community building, we’ll explore diverse perspectives on personal practice, which is key to our journey together. You’ll be invited to complete a personal practice reflection process that includes space and time for both individual and group reflection. Personal practice can include formal meditation practice, informal practice, interpersonal practice, and beyond. Not to worry: there’s no expectation that your personal practice consists of x or y! This is a curiosity-filled, judgment-free zone. As the Buddha reminds us in the Acrobat Sutta (SN 47.19), tending to our own practice is foundational to how we most skillfully serve others, and returning to that truth is key to the teaching journey.

Session 2—Navigating Emotions: The Heart of the Path

• In this session, we’ll dive more deeply (beyond MMTCP content) into the nature of emotions, especially challenging emotions, and how we can concretely apply these insights to our own lives, practice, and teaching. We will explore questions, misconceptions, and case studies on the topic of mindfulness of emotions that come from you, your practice and teaching experiences, and Alison’s experiences as a teacher, mentor, and practitioner. By the end of this session, you will have a more nuanced understanding of mindfulness of emotions and feel more confident responding to questions. This session will also incorporate some key concepts from Nonviolent Communication.

Session 3—Holding Space: A Facilitation Framework

• In this session, we’ll reflect on what it means to “hold space” through the lens of a multi-dimensional facilitation framework, grounded in adult learning and development principles. After we unpack the framework together, this session will invite introspection, discussion, and brainstorming on a wide variety of “holding space” scenarios that can and do arise in mindfulness spaces. You’ll leave with greater awareness of your strengths and areas for growth as a facilitator, and 1-2 facilitation tenets from the framework that you’re excited to bring greater intentionality to moving forward.

Session 4—To be determined in light of themes that have been arising in sangha and in 1:1s the first half of the Cohort

• This session will be shaped by themes emerging from the first half of our time together so that the curriculum is as responsive to your needs and interests as possible.

Session 5—Choose Your Own Adventure: A Guided Planning Session

• This second-to-last session will focus on tailored “Choose Your Own Adventure” project planning about an aspect of your teaching and/or practice, with guidance and a template from Alison as well as support from your sangha members.

Session 6—Closing Gathering: Your Questions, Our Reflections

• Prior to the closing session, you’ll have the chance to submit questions that are top of mind for you about teaching and practice, which we’ll discuss as a group. We’ll also engage in a series of closing rituals to meaningfully cap off the end of our 6-month journey together.

Each sangha session will 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 may 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 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.

Sangha scheduling options

• Beginning in May 2026, I will offer two sanghas each month: Wednesday midday and Wednesday evening groups (all times of day refer to Eastern Time). In addition to the optional office hours offered separately once a month (see below), optional office hours will also be offered immediately following each session, if you have additional questions and/or reflections—feel free to stay on after each sangha session to continue the conversation with Alison for up to 30 minutes.

  • [1 spot remaining] Wednesday midday group dates (2-3:45 pm ET + optional office hours 3:45-4:15 pm ET):

    • May 27, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16, October 21

  • Wednesday evening group dates (third Wednesday of the month, 7-8:45 pm ET + optional office hours 8:45-9:15 pm ET):

    • May 27, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16, October 21

  During registration, you will be asked to choose which time works best for you: Wednesday midday, Wednesday evening, or availability for both—please select as many as work for you. In the coming weeks, you will receive an email with your sangha assignment.

Logistics

• Each group will consist of 5-6 sangha members.

• Each session will have a bathroom/stretch break partway through, and you’re welcome to eat and drink during the sessions.

• 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. After each sangha session, you will receive a follow-up email containing the recording, any announcements…and another quote or poem :). The follow-up email will also include optional practice- and teaching-related “homework” to complete between sessions—truly 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.

3. Drop in for optional Office Hours once a month, halfway between sangha sessions.

Have a question that you want to discuss and you don’t feel like waiting until the next sangha session? Just want to hang out on Zoom with Alison and other sangha members?

Each month, halfway between sangha sessions, feel free to drop in for Office Hours on Zoom.

One session will be offered each month on a weekday, in the middle of the day (Eastern Time). Office Hours will be recorded and recordings will be emailed out to all Cohort members.

You’ll receive the dates for Office Hours in your welcome email.

4. Buddy up with 1-2 other sangha members once a month, if you’d like!

If you would like to connect with 1-2 other sangha members once a month for 30-45 minutes for a monthly check-in about teaching and practice, you’ll have the option of doing so, and you’ll receive logistical details about it early on in the program.

These sessions will provide the opportunity to touch base with a peer. Alison will provide a template for a recommended session flow to help structure your time together.

If you have specific questions about Cohort III and/or want to connect with me for a 20-minute Zoom chat to discern if it’s the right fit for you, please reach out!