ABOUT EQUILIBRIUM
Equilibrium is dedicated to offering evidence-based mindfulness programs to help individuals and organizations cultivate resilience, well-being, and connection.
equilibrium’s mission
Our mission is to deliver evidence-based mindfulness programs and foster community with the intention to alleviate suffering, by enabling both individuals and organizations to approach challenges through building emotional skills and capacity, leading to enhanced well-being and quality of life.
Our team of highly qualified instructors, with extensive experience in health care, business, and education, provides a variety of online and in-person courses, including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, and Mindful Self Compassion as well as customized programs for organizations.
“I believe that under the right conditions we are able to transform the way that we relate to our lives. We have the capacity to learn how to live fully in each moment and find a skilful way to be able to encounter those moments, the beautiful and the challenging ones. ”
Colleen Camenisch, equilibrium founder.
Meet our Teachers
Equilibrium’s teaching staff is dedicated to providing outstanding programming. We each have strong professional backgrounds which support our ability to teach, but more importantly we are deep practitioners of meditation and embody those qualities in our personal and professional life. All equilibrium facilitators have completed training through the UMASS Center for Mindfulness, and are continually dedicated to their own personal development to better understand our own blind spots and privileges so that we can offer inclusive and safe environments. To find out more about us please view our bios below.
Remembering Dr. Bill Kuechler, PhD
Our dear colleague Bill Kuechler passed away March of 2022. As a meditator for over twenty years, Bill was instrumental in bringing a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program to UNR several years ago and in the leadership of equilibrium-MBSR. He worked with Professor Yvonne Stedham to develop a course in Mindful Leadership that was an elective in the MBA program. The course, combines current thinking on leadership with the practice and hard-science basis of mindfulness has been extremely successful, and has given rise to a shorter seminar course covering the same topics, but geared to industry. Bill’s contributions will live on through the work of equilibrium.
Standards of Practice
The teacher-training path for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction is both rigorous and intensive. Teachers on the training path must have a personal practice that they continue to deepen over time. They must also be committed to completing specialized and intensive trainings that help support this precise and delicate process. The phases of training are outlined below. To learn more about the standards of practice click here: Good Practice Guidelines
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Beginning your own personal practice with mindfulness
Attend an 8-week class
Attend a 5 to 7-day silent retreat in a mindfulness tradition such as a Vipassana.
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Two 5 to 7-day silent retreats completed
Practicum – This is offered as a 9-day intensive practicum or an 8-week practicum.
Teacher Development Intensive – This is an 8-day intensive teacher-training program.
Mind-Body 7-day program in this phase.
After completion of the second phase a teacher can start to teach MBSR classes
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The third phase requires a 5 to 7-day silent retreat.
Supervision – This is the process of working with a senior teacher who can provide specific feedback relating to the 8-week course, content, curriculum and teacher competencies.
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Certification – During the certification process a portfolio is developed that includes all of the guided meditations, a video of the instructor leading meditation, giving didactic teaching, and doing inquiry with the participants. This portfolio also includes the workbook and class materials, student evaluation of the teachers, and letters of recommendation from professional colleagues and a mentor.
