Over the last several decades mindfulness has gained a strong reputation for serving individuals who identify with their suffering. But in recent years, as the interest in mindfulness has grown, more and more people have been attracted to these practices for their potential to improve performance as well as enhance overall quality of life.
The mPEAK Coach Training Intensive is for mindfulness teachers who are interested in expanding the scope of their offerings to work with athletes, executives, leaders, musicians, dancers, law enforcement, first responders and anyone who sets big goals and pushes themselves towards excellence.
Participants will use this immersive experience to explore the themes, rationales, intentions, and coaching skills that form the foundations of the mPEAK program. Additionally, participants will reflect on their ability to present these foundational elements with integrity, and the core competencies for becoming an effective and skillful mPEAK coach. The course will consist of experiential exercises and didactic discussions, as well as partner and group work that embodies the foundational attitudes of the mindful performer.
It is widely acknowledged within the field that the teaching of mindfulness and compassion arises out of the personal practice of them. Thus, training courses include substantial periods of personal practice of mindfulness meditation and compassion to help develop the personal and professional resource of these human qualities. An analogy might be that the swimming coach would have to be an excellent swimmer, or a violin teacher would actually be a skilled violinist. Therefore in the field of mindfulness and compassion, the teacher must have a well-developed and substantial experiential grounding in these practices, which is partially supported through meditative practice and exercises during the training.
Review the full mPEAK Coach Training Pathway
Objectives
Building on a previously established foundation of mindfulness, the mPEAK Coach Training Intensive course will equip coaches to::
- Describe mindfulness in a performance related context
- Demonstrate performance based variations of traditional MBSR guided practices
- Articulate 7 Foundational Attitudes of the Mindful Performer
- Discuss relevant neuroscience research
- Explain the 4 Pillars of mPEAK
- Apply coaching psychology skills to existing inquiry skills (Action & Integration)
Participant Guidelines
- Previous participation in mPEAK 3-Day Intensive + 6 week virtual follow up
(If you have not attended the mPEAK 3-day Intensive, see the workshop page.) - Previous participation in an introductory mindfulness course of any kind, including mPEAK (8-week course or 3-Day Intensive), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) or UCLA Mindful Awareness Training (MAT).
- Ongoing, daily, sitting mindfulness meditation practice for at least one year
- Professional experience as a mindfulness teacher or in a performance related context (Athletic Coach, Sports Psychologist, Personal Trainer, Leadership or Executive Coach, Yoga Instructor, Music, Dance or Art Teacher)
Required Application Form
Upon submission of your registration, you will be required to fill out an online mPEAK Coach Training Intensive Application. The link to the application form will be included in your confirmation email.
Your application for this training will not be taken under consideration until the application form has been received via email. Should your qualifications not be accepted for admittance, a full refund will be granted.
Lead Trainer
Pete Kirchmer is a Life Coach, Mindful Movement Instructor and Meditation Teacher in Encinitas, CA. Pete is the mPEAK Program Director and a lead teacher in the mPEAK program. As the founder of Mindfulness Based Health, he specializes in helping his clients apply the practice of mindfulness to making healthy lifestyle changes as well as improving performance in both work and life. Pete has completed the foundational training as a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher through the University of Massachusetts Oasis Institute, holds a BS in Exercise Physiology, and is a Certified Professional Life Coach through the Coaches Training institute, Center for Applied Positive Psychology and Wellcoaches. Pete is also a Master Trainer for efi Sports Medicine and certified STOTT Pilates Instructor. He is a lifetime learner and an active member of the International Coach Federation and the Harvard Institute of Coaching. Currently Pete has a private coaching practice in Encinitas, is a regular presenter at Rancho La Puerta, a world-class wellness resort in Tecate, Mexico and is on the board of directors for the Encinitas Mindfulness Community.
Cultural and Linguistic Competency Statement
This activity is in compliance with California Assembly Bill 1195 which requires continuing medical education activities with patient care components to include curriculum in the subjects of cultural and linguistic competency. Cultural competency is defined as a set of integrated attitudes, knowledge, and skills that enables health care professionals or organizations to care effectively for patients from diverse cultures, groups, and communities. Linguistic competency is defined as the ability of a physician or surgeon to provide patients who do not speak English or who have limited ability to speak English, direct communication in the patient’s primary language. Cultural and linguistic competency was incorporated into the planning of this activity. Additional resources can be found on the UC San Diego CME website.
Disclosure
It is the policy of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor. All persons involved in the selection, development and presentation of content are required to disclose any real or apparent conflicts of interest. All conflicts of interest will be resolved prior to an educational activity being delivered to learners through one of the following mechanisms: 1) altering the financial relationship with the commercial interest, 2) altering the individual’s control over the CE content about the products or services of the commercial interest, and/or 3) validating the activity content through independent peer review. All persons are also required to disclose any discussions of off label/unapproved uses of drugs or devices. Persons who refuse or fail to disclose will be disqualified from participating in the activity.
Tentative Schedule
- Monday & Tuesday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
- Wednesday, 8:00am - 12:00pm
- 4-Week virtual Follow up sessions, Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00pm PT (starting the following week)
Recommended Reading
- Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson
- Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement: Mental Training for Athletes and Coaches by Keith A. Kaufman, Carol R. Glass, Timothy R. Pineau
- Mindfulness for Student Athletes: A Workbook to Help Teens Reduce Stress and Enhance Performance by Gina M. Biegel MA LMFT and Todd H. Corbin CPC
- A Still Quiet Place for Athletes: Mindfulness Skills for Achieving Peak Performance and Finding Flow in Sports and Life by Amy Saltzman MD
- The Power of Mindfulness: Mindfulness Meditation Training in Sport (MMTS) by Amy Baltzell and Joshua Summers
- Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson and Malcolm Gladwell
- Mindfulness and Performance (current perspective in social and behavioral sciences) edited by Amy Baltzell; chapter 9 is devoted to mPEAK
- Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges by Steven M. Southwick
- The Mindful Athlete: Secrets of Pure Performance by George Mumford
- The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being by Daniel J. Siegel
- The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance by Steven Kotler
- Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence by Rick Hanson
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion by Christopher Germer
Frequently Asked Questions
- What should I expect regarding the format of the training?
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This training is taught in an intensive experiential format, which means there is a great deal of mindfulness practice embedded in the training, and we want to reiterate that now so you are not surprised when you get here.
- What should I read prior to arriving?
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Check the Recommended Reading of the specific training you are registered to attend.
Partial Payments
Partial payments are acceptable; however a non-refundable and non-transferable minimum deposit is due upon registration.
Please be aware that the early-bird rate is available for all participants who register and pay their balance in full by the early-bird deadline (see registration information above). All early-bird rate participants who have a remaining balance on or after the early-bird deadline will have their fees automatically adjusted to the General Session Rate.
All remaining balances must be paid in full 30 days prior to the start of the training or your registration will be cancelled for non-payment and you will not be permitted to attend.
Cancellation Policy
A refund (minus your $100 non-refundable and non-transferable deposit) will be made for cancellations submitted in writing 30 days prior to the training. No refunds will be allowed after that date.
In the unlikely event that the course is cancelled, UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is responsible only for a full refund of the registration fee and not for transportation, hotel accommodations or any miscellaneous expenses.
