MahaSati Empty Essence of Mind Awareness Training is a long-term study-practice training led by Heather Sundberg for national and international intermediate/experienced practitioners with more than 5 years in Buddhist practice and more than 35 cumulative days of silent retreat (in any Buddhist tradition), who have a connection with Heather through sitting retreat with her or attending events with her.
The Two Year Training 2024 – 2025
- Individualized Training, which is Psychologically Mature and Embodied
- Ongoing teachings, Study, Meditation, Daily Life Practice Support with a Committed Teacher
- Accessing Pure Awareness/Empty Essence of Mind
- Familiarizing and Stabilizing Essence of Mind
- Option for Additional 2 Year Advanced Training
The Format
- Modules of Recordings and At Home Practices
- Monthly Individual Sessions with Heather
- Intimate Group of Experienced Practitioners
- Live Zoom Events
- Online Small Groups
- MahaSati Manual
- Annual Retreat
Main Teaching and Practice Themes
This training is grounded in and influenced by the teachings and practices out of the Thai Forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism.
- Mindfulness of the Body and Nervous System
- Deepening Concentration
- Accessing and Deepening Pure Awareness (MahaSati)
- Three Characteristics
- Untangling and Releasing Defilements
- Three Subtle Characteristics: Emptiness, Suchness, Atammayata
- Dependent Origination
- Heart Practice
- Energy Practice
Apply for the 2024 – 2025 Training
- Application Window is February 15, 2023 thru November 20, 2023.
- Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the program fills at 20 – 25 participants. You are encouraged to apply early.
- The other current trainings in progress began in 2016, 2020, and 2022.
Links for Public MahaSati Talks
If you find yourself called to deepening your practice in a committed way and developing a relationship with Heather, please check out the About MahaSati Training pages and then email her at heather<at>heathersundberg.com. She can send you an application or schedule a time to have an individual session so you can connect and she can provide you with more information.
“I’m so glad I joined the MahaSati training program with Heather! Not only is she a wonderful teacher who really takes great care transmitting the teachings and respecting the Thai Forest lineage, but she’s a genuinely caring person who really wants to make sure you succeed and understand the material. I’ve found the individual sessions, small groups, and larger group support to be invaluable as well, all of which has been wonderfully incorporated into the rest of the program. The program itself doesn’t move so fast that it requires a significant commitment from your life, but also gives you plenty to explore so you feel like there’s great value. You’ll have plenty to learn and play with! That being said, I think the most valuable aspect of this training program has been the way MahaSati weaves so many areas of practice together, along with the awareness practices that make it so unique. It’s a vast terrain that has the depth and mileage to support both deeper phases of practice like on retreat, and more supportive and relaxed phases of practice like in daily life.”~ Nathaniel, AR
