About Certification
Enroll in the 250-Hour iRest Certification Program
Develop Unparalleled Expertise. Transform Lives.
Sign up today for $1,900.00 USD or installments from $171.49 USD/mo
The Opportunity
The iRest Teacher Certification Program offers you in depth study and a chance for personal mentorship so that you can expertly navigate and embody the iRest teachings in a way that is truly transformational, for yourself and the people you work with. You’ll move into the highest level of skillfulness and professionalism, and expand your career—whether you are teaching iRest to individuals or groups, or integrating the practice into your work.
This 250-hour program is designed for the dedicated student who wants to confidently bring the life-changing qualities of iRest into the world. Students will receive personal guidance from a seasoned iRest Certification Mentor selected for you based on their capacity to meet your unique interests and teaching needs.
You’ll join a community of other certification students who share your commitment to personal well-being, and the wellbeing of the people they serve. Throughout the Certification Program, students have the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from each other, providing a rich context of individual and group learning.
In this comprehensive program that has been certifying highly skilled iRest teachers since 2006, you will:
- Become a confident expert in iRest, access your authentic voice, and cultivate the wisdom of a master teacher
- Move your career forward by offering a level of expertise, skillfulness, and professionalism that will allow you to stand apart from the crowd
- Receive ongoing and supportive one-on-one mentorship with personalized guidance from a seasoned expert mentor for the duration of your study
- Enjoy a professional affiliation as a certified teacher in a form of meditation that has a proven track record in changing people’s lives
- Become an expert in a form of meditation that is nonsecular, cross-culturally relevant, and applicable and accessible to a diverse range of communities and needs
- Be a part of a community that shares a commitment to high ethical standards of conduct, and that values this as an essential component to being positive agents of change in the world
- Share the form of yoga nidra meditation that has been at the forefront of modernizing Yoga Nidra for decades, and that is a leader in the meditation community
What the Program Entails
The iRest Teacher Certification Program allows for a deep dive into learning the material over an extended period of time, allowing for integration that ensures expertise. You’ll learn through:
Self-Study: Work with your mentor to create a schedule that is realistic and fits in with the demands of your life to complete the certification assignments within the required two-year time frame.
One-on-One Mentorship: Meet with your mentor throughout your certification studies and receive individualized guidance that is relevant to your unique teaching needs and interests.
Community Events and Learning: Get inspired, meet study partners and benefit from a range of perspectives by gathering in community! Opportunities include Certification Group Mentoring and Orientation Sessions, monthly livestream Teacher Community Meetings, and a choice of either livestream or in-person retreats.
Requirements for entry into Certification
Successful completion of the Level 1 iRest Training
Requirements for completion of Certification
Requirements to become a Certified iRest Teacher include the successful completion of the following:
- iRest Level 2 Training (30 hours)
- One iRest Immersion or 'short' iRest Retreat (15-18 hours)
- One 'long' iRest Retreat (24 hours)
- Certification self-study assignments (200 hours):
- Recordings of delivery of group and individual iRest sessions
- Teaching journals of group and dyad sessions
- Personal reflection journals
- ‘Open-book’ comprehensive learning reviews
- Reading assignments and reflections from the Required Reading List
- Ongoing, dedicated personal iRest practice
- Four to five one-on-one sessions with your Certification Mentor, plus ongoing correspondence (4-8+ hours)
- This includes your Mentor’s review of all assignments, constructive discussion around themes and questions that are unique for each student, individualized feedback and follow-up, and logistical support
- Optional: Group Mentoring and Orientation Sessions (4 hours)
Commitment to Ethical Conduct
Each teacher must adhere to iRest Institute’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct Policy and the Scope of Practice to maintain their status as a Certified iRest Teacher. iRest Institute is committed to supporting ethical conduct, and has structures in place to process issues or grievances via a dedicated and independent Ethics Committee.
The Journey
Each student works with their mentor to establish a timeline that is both realistic and individually tailored for the student. The following certification sample journey covers a span of 15 months, however, each student has up to two years from enrollment in certification to complete all required material. At the start of certification, each student works with their mentor to establish a timeline and organization of work that is realistic and doable.
Resources
Students are supported throughout their journey in the certification program to ensure successful completion and an exceptional learning experience.
Teacher Community, Group Mentorship, and Ongoing Support
There are opportunities built into the iRest Teacher Certification Program to ensure that students can engage with their fellow students and teachers, receive group mentorship, and receive ongoing support. This includes:
- Group Mentoring and Orientation Sessions are exclusively available to new certification students. These sessions are typically offered as a series of three livestream meetings led by a senior iRest trainer and they provide new students with guidance and inspiration on how to get started, strategies for success, and a chance to meet with your peers and create study partners or groups.
- Livestream Teacher Community meetings allow iRest Teachers to gather and learn from a senior iRest trainer, ask questions, participate in lively discussion and to benefit from a short iRest practice. This is an opportunity for the community of teachers to come together and provides a context for you to discuss your questions and experiences that emerge as you bring iRest into the world.
- Support your continued learning by becoming a Teachers Community Network (TCN) member. Your membership includes a wealth of resources and an associated Facebook page for our online community of iRest teachers of all levels. You can also schedule additional meetings with a certification mentor should you desire additional sessions (additional fees apply for TCN membership and additional mentoring outside of your certification work).
About the Certification Individual Mentorship Program
iRest Institute recognizes that personal, individualized mentoring is essential to support a depth of understanding, skillfulness and confidence for which professional-level, certified iRest teachers are known.
Mentorship ensures that the study and conversations are personally and professionally relevant to each student, and that each student has their own trajectory to becoming a certified teacher. Each student enrolled in the iRest Teacher Certification Program is matched with their own mentor, with whom they will have an ongoing, one-on-one relationship for the duration of certification study. This is the person who will be pivotal in supporting you to move through each phase of certification and who will review your assignments and meet with you for constructive feedback.
Each mentor was selected for their depth of understanding, skillfulness, and wisdom gleaned in decades-long experience in iRest study and teaching.
Mentorship allows the iRest Teacher Certification Program to accommodate a range of diverse learning styles and needs. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to explore how your unique needs can be best supported.
Our Certified Teachers
Join a community of over 500 certified iRest teachers around the world—including the United States, Canada, Netherlands, UK, Sweden, Australia, Italy, Belgium, New Zealand, Germany, Chile, Singapore, Finland, Iceland, India, and Greenland, all teaching in a range of languages! Certified teachers work with a range of populations, including veterans, those experiencing homelessness, those with PTSD and trauma, those experiencing chronic pain, children and educators, first responders and healthcare workers, corporate employees, and so much more.
Science-Based, Research-Backed, and Used by the U.S. Military
iRest has been clinically proven through scientific trials to treat chronic pain, sleep problems, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more. To date, there are 15 completed and active research studies and papers proving the efficacy of iRest for populations including, but not limited to, older adults, the homeless, the military community, college students, educators, and more.
Based on current studies with iRest in the military, the Defense Centers of Excellence has approved iRest as a complementary and alternative medicine warranting continuing research for its use in the treatment of PTSD. In addition, the U.S. Army Surgeon General has listed Yoga Nidra (based on research with iRest) as a tier 1 approach for addressing pain management in military care.
Research on iRest has been conducted at: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, University of Missouri, California Institute of Integral Studies, Adelphi University, Boise State University, John F. Kennedy University, John Hopkins Bayview Brain Injury Clinic, Evergreen College, Institute of Noetic Sciences, and more.
Meet our Certification Supervisors / Mentors
iRest Certification Mentors have been specially selected for their exceptional depth of knowledge, decades of experience and unwavering capacity to meet each student’s unique needs with wisdom and support. Mentors work from various parts of the world, particularly in North America, Australia, and Europe. Our certification mentors are dedicated and inspired, with many having served in this role for over 15 years, and they all generously share their wisdom as expert and embodied iRest teachers.
Tuition
Tuition includes the provision, review, and mentorship of the certification assignments, as well as supplemental programs such as Group Mentoring and Orientation Sessions, and all administrative fees. The certification fee does not cover the Level 2 Training, retreats, or the cost of required reading materials. Students have two years to complete their certification journey upon registration. Extensions are available for an additional fee.
Students can enroll in the iRest Teacher Certification Program any time after completing iRest Level 1 Training. Retreats and trainings completed before certification enrollment can be applied as completed requirements.
In the iRest Teacher Certification Program, you will receive:
- Personalized Mentorship to meet your unique teaching needs and interests
- 250+ hour Program
- In-depth training in both Western perspectives of neuroscience and psychology, and the nondual teachings that inform iRest
- Non-secular teachings that are accessible to all
- Access to iRest-specific research to inform yourself and those you work with
- Transparent pricing
- Flexible finance plans
- Option to apply for partial scholarships
Certification Program Fee
$1,900.00 USD
or
installments from $171.49 USD/mo
FREE Bonus Material!
Advanced Studies Course: iRest Co-Meditation Dyads ($239.00 USD value)
Enrich your understanding of this transformational practice and enhance your skillful application of dyadic inquiry and facilitation. Refine and expand your dyadic skill set, and observe a variety of dyad demonstrations engaging new material and key concepts. In this six-hour program, you will:
- Identify common challenges and blind spots that you may encounter as a facilitator
- Learn specific techniques that support integrative healing and foster a deeper understanding of essential nature
- Learn new skills and build out existing ones, including anthropomorphization, voice dialogue with messengers, and continuums, to expertly support dyadic inquiry
- Develop the necessary skills of tracking and pacing
- Explore the new perspective of the Five Acts of Consciousness as a model for Co-Meditation Dyads
- and much more!
iRest Webinar: 10 Steps to Creating an iRest Workshop ($19.99 USD value)
It can be challenging to take the next step and begin teaching iRest to groups and individuals. This webinar is designed to make that next step a little easier. What you'll learn:
- The 10 essential steps to creating an iRest workshop
- How to develop the perfect theme for your workshop
- The 5 W's for strategic planning
- How to optimize attendance
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I have questions about iRest Certification?
For certification questions, email certification@irest.org
How do I enroll and pay?
After attending an iRest Level 1 or Level 2 Training, you may enroll and pay the full certification fee as long as it has been no longer than 24 months after attending an iRest Training, Immersion, or Retreat.
How long will it take to complete iRest Certification?
Students have 24 months from the time of enrollment to complete the iRest Teacher Certification program. If additional time is required, additional costs apply.
Does enrolling in iRest Certification ensure that I will become a Certified iRest Teacher?
iRest certification is a professional designation for which students are required to meet a minimum standard. If the minimum requirements are not met during the initial 24 months, the student may be asked to complete additional studies and participate in supplementary supervision. Additional costs will apply.
What’s the difference between an iRest Level 1 and Level 2 Teacher, and a Certified iRest Teacher?
While iRest Level 1 and Level 2 teachers are trained and able to teach iRest to groups and in one-on-one sessions, there is a great degree of skill, knowledge, and experience available through the completion of the iRest Teacher Certification Program. It is more than just the next level beyond the iRest Level 2 Training, as it supports a much deeper and personal integration of the iRest practices into daily life and an ease of teaching the iRest protocol that naturally comes from independent and supervised study and practice.
Sign up today for $1,900 USD or installments from $171.49 USD/mo