My name is Mamata Misra. I am certified to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) both In Person and Live Online and have been teaching various mindfulness classes since 2016. I have been trained to teach MBSR by the UMASS Center For Mindfulness, Mindfulness Center at Brown University, and East Coast Mindfulness. I have lived in Austin, Texas since 1974, where I have worked as a software engineer for 16 years, a peer counselor and advocate for victims and survivors of family violence, a community educator, and a director of a non-profit for 12 years. Now, in the third stage of my life, I practice mindfulness and teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other mindfulness classes. I currently teach MBSR in Fall and Spring and continue to attend long silent mindfulness retreats, courses for teacher advancement, and stay committed to my personal practice.
My teaching aligns with the following ethos:
My Continuing Learning Path:
2024
Emptiness: A yearlong Study Program on "Seeing That Frees" with Tuere Sala and Brian Lesage
Insight, Awareness, and the Nine Bodies of Consciousness: An in-person residential retreat (8 days) with Phillip Moffitt and Tuere Sala, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (planned June 7-14, 2024)
2023
Concentration and Awareness: An in-person residential retreat for experienced students (18 days) with Guy Armstrong and Sally Armstrong, and other teachers at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (July 5-23, 2023)
Antidote to Shame: An online workshop (6 hours) with Christopher Germer, Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (November 2023)
2021
Concentration and Awareness: An in-person residential retreat for experienced students (18 days) with Guy Armstrong, Phillip Moffit, and other teachers at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (August 2021)
Compassionate Action: the Fierce Heart in Challenging Times, Daylong retreat with Sharon Salzberg, Online with Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. (March 6, 2021)
2020
Mindfulness as a Love Affair with Life: Catalyzing Wisdom, Healing, and Transformation in a time of COVID-19, 4 sessions with Jon Kabat-Zinn and the world-wide family of MBSR teachers, Online with Center for Mindfulness, Ireland
5-day Online Winter Solstice Insight Meditation Retreat with Donald Rothberg and other teachers, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (December 2020)
5-weeks (72 hours) of Train to Teach MBSR Live Online course and Certification to teach MBSR Live Online, East Coast Mindfulness (April-May 2020)
Completion of MBSR Teacher Assessment and Certification with Mindfulness Center at Brown University (April 2020)
2019
Completion of MBSR Teacher - Training Level 2 with Mindfulness Center at Brown with 10 mentorship sessions with Bob Stahl (Fall 2019)
7-day residential Insight Meditation Retreat: Grief, Joy, and Awakening with David Chernikoff, held in Shambala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lake, CO (July 24-30, 2019)
2018
8-day residential MBSR in Mind-Body Medicine with UMass Center for Mindfulness, held in Rhinebeck, NY (2018)
2017
Qualified to teach MBSR and started teaching 8-week MBSR classes 3 times a year.
8-day residential MBSR Practice Teaching Intensive with UMass Center for Mindfulness, held in Petaluma, CA (March 2017)
10-day residential Summer Insight Retreat with Joseph Goldstein, Kamala Masters, and other teachers at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (July 2017)
2016
Qualified to teach short mindfulness programs and started teaching introductory mindfulness classes and leading practice sessions for meditators.
9-day residential MBSR Practicum with UMass Center for Mindfulness, held in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Spring 2016)
8-week MBSR as observer/participant with Geeta Cowlagi, Joyful Living, Austin, TX (Summer 2016)
5-day residential Mindful Way Retreat with Beth Mulligan and Jon Aaron at Copper Beech Institute, West Hartford, Connecticut (Fall 2016)
2015
10-day residential Fall Insight Retreat with Jack Kornfield, Trudy Goodman, and other teachers at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (October 2015)
Personal Radiant Heart Qigong practice started
2014
8-week MBSR training with Geeta Cowlagi, Joyful Living, Austin, TX (Fall 2014)
2007
Personal meditation practice started
1995
Personal yoga practice started in Bihar School of Yoga tradition
1989
Self-study of Vedantic texts started. Started attending discourses and retreats by various Vedanta teachers
My teaching aligns with the following ethos:
- Do no harm.
- Recognize the inherent wholeness in each human being, complete as they are.
- Understand that knowledge and wisdom reside in the body as well as in the mind and cognition.
- Foster a presence and stance of inclusivity and welcome.
My Continuing Learning Path:
2024
Emptiness: A yearlong Study Program on "Seeing That Frees" with Tuere Sala and Brian Lesage
Insight, Awareness, and the Nine Bodies of Consciousness: An in-person residential retreat (8 days) with Phillip Moffitt and Tuere Sala, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (planned June 7-14, 2024)
2023
Concentration and Awareness: An in-person residential retreat for experienced students (18 days) with Guy Armstrong and Sally Armstrong, and other teachers at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (July 5-23, 2023)
Antidote to Shame: An online workshop (6 hours) with Christopher Germer, Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (November 2023)
2021
Concentration and Awareness: An in-person residential retreat for experienced students (18 days) with Guy Armstrong, Phillip Moffit, and other teachers at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (August 2021)
Compassionate Action: the Fierce Heart in Challenging Times, Daylong retreat with Sharon Salzberg, Online with Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. (March 6, 2021)
2020
Mindfulness as a Love Affair with Life: Catalyzing Wisdom, Healing, and Transformation in a time of COVID-19, 4 sessions with Jon Kabat-Zinn and the world-wide family of MBSR teachers, Online with Center for Mindfulness, Ireland
5-day Online Winter Solstice Insight Meditation Retreat with Donald Rothberg and other teachers, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (December 2020)
5-weeks (72 hours) of Train to Teach MBSR Live Online course and Certification to teach MBSR Live Online, East Coast Mindfulness (April-May 2020)
Completion of MBSR Teacher Assessment and Certification with Mindfulness Center at Brown University (April 2020)
2019
Completion of MBSR Teacher - Training Level 2 with Mindfulness Center at Brown with 10 mentorship sessions with Bob Stahl (Fall 2019)
7-day residential Insight Meditation Retreat: Grief, Joy, and Awakening with David Chernikoff, held in Shambala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lake, CO (July 24-30, 2019)
2018
8-day residential MBSR in Mind-Body Medicine with UMass Center for Mindfulness, held in Rhinebeck, NY (2018)
2017
Qualified to teach MBSR and started teaching 8-week MBSR classes 3 times a year.
8-day residential MBSR Practice Teaching Intensive with UMass Center for Mindfulness, held in Petaluma, CA (March 2017)
10-day residential Summer Insight Retreat with Joseph Goldstein, Kamala Masters, and other teachers at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (July 2017)
2016
Qualified to teach short mindfulness programs and started teaching introductory mindfulness classes and leading practice sessions for meditators.
9-day residential MBSR Practicum with UMass Center for Mindfulness, held in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Spring 2016)
8-week MBSR as observer/participant with Geeta Cowlagi, Joyful Living, Austin, TX (Summer 2016)
5-day residential Mindful Way Retreat with Beth Mulligan and Jon Aaron at Copper Beech Institute, West Hartford, Connecticut (Fall 2016)
2015
10-day residential Fall Insight Retreat with Jack Kornfield, Trudy Goodman, and other teachers at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA (October 2015)
Personal Radiant Heart Qigong practice started
2014
8-week MBSR training with Geeta Cowlagi, Joyful Living, Austin, TX (Fall 2014)
2007
Personal meditation practice started
1995
Personal yoga practice started in Bihar School of Yoga tradition
1989
Self-study of Vedantic texts started. Started attending discourses and retreats by various Vedanta teachers
