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Graduate Spotlight: I.V. on Finding Confidence, Community, and Her Own Flavor as a Mindfulness Teacher
- EMI Faculty
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Engaged Mindfulness Institute Teacher Training Graduate
I.V. came to the Engaged Mindfulness Institute teacher training not as a beginner, but as someone already doing the work — teaching mindfulness in Charlotte's school system and serving as both a teacher and operations manager at the Charlotte Center for Mindfulness. But even with that experience, she knew something was missing.
"I was looking to enhance my own practice," she shares. "I worked for Charlotte Center for Mindfulness, and even before that I was teaching mindfulness in the school system here in Charlotte. While it was all going great, I just felt like there was more I could learn — more tools I could have in my toolbox when working with people of all ages who come from different backgrounds, different histories when it comes to trauma and demographics."
A Practice in Need of Roots
Before the training, I.V. was candid about her personal practice: it was inconsistent, and she often felt lost sitting on her own. The deep, meaningful sits seemed to come only in community — in retreats, in group settings — but alone, the practice felt elusive.
"I only was able to have really useful practices when I was in community with others and sitting with others. Before the training, I really struggled transparently when it came to sitting on my own."
That honesty — with herself and with others — would become one of the defining threads of her experience in the program.
The Wisdom of Many Teachers
What transformed I.V.'s practice wasn't any single lesson, but an accumulation of voices, perspectives, and wisdom shared throughout the training. She describes program founder Fleet as someone who brings deep knowledge and a genuine commitment to doing the practices correctly — not just casually.
"Fleet is very adamant about making sure that we're doing the practices well and correctly. Having him share his wisdom was so useful."
Among the guest teachers, several stood out. Rhonda McGee's work on bringing mindfulness into the Black community resonated deeply with I.V.'s own mission. "That is what I'm desiring to do and what I've been doing. The more knowledge and tools I have when working with those who are descendants of slavery — it's just so impactful."
Sharon Salzberg's teachings on compassion and the hindrances also left a mark. "Learning about the hindrances really helped me to feel like — it is okay to not always have a successful sit." That permission to be imperfect in practice was quietly liberating.
Dispelling Impostor Syndrome
Coming into the program, I.V. carried a burden familiar to many new teachers: impostor syndrome.
"Who am I to share these practices when I sometimes struggle in my own personal practice?"
The answer came through the training itself — and through hearing teachers, accomplished and celebrated, openly acknowledge that every teacher has their own flavor. Their own way of bringing the practice alive.
"Hearing that has really supported me. And what has helped me in my own practice is knowing that the wisdom we gain from our own practice is what fortifies us when it comes to leading sessions and teaching others."
That insight led to a commitment: she began sitting every single day. Then morning and night. Then throughout the day as needed.
"Starting to consistently sit and nurture my own personal practice really impacted my confidence. That's where I appreciate Fleet and Vida and Julie being adamant about us having our own personal practice — we could learn all this information, and that's nice, but it means nothing if we are not practicing ourselves."
Learning Online, Learning Together
As someone who hadn't experienced online learning before the pandemic era, I.V. approached the virtual format with uncertainty. What she found surprised her.
"I appreciated being in a Zoom room with people who were all over the country — and even one person who was in India — and having all of this knowledge shared from people who have lived completely different lives than I have. It was just so beautiful for us to all be together."
The asynchronous lessons, which she likened to watching a thoughtful YouTube interview, allowed her to pause, reflect, take notes, and return at her own pace. The small group cohort meetings, held every other week, became the space where impostor syndrome continued to dissolve — through practice, feedback, and the gentle mirror of community.
"A lot of times I didn't think I was showing up the best, and then I would get all this feedback that it was great. And I was like — oh, there's the negativity bias, as we talk about in the neuroscience of the program."
The final in-person retreat brought it all home. "It felt like a family reunion. I've known these people for a very long time — and now we're all here, and I can see their whole body, not just chest and up."
The Work She's Doing Now
Today, I.V. teaches mindfulness for organizations including the NAACP and a cohort of restorative justice lawyers. But at the heart of her weekly work is a group of Black women — all descendants of slavery — whom she guides through the practice of meeting stillness.
"Supporting these women in being still and getting comfortable being still and meeting themselves has been a beautifully interesting journey. There was once a time when that just wasn't allowed. And so supporting them in finding stillness — it's everything."
She draws on two tools from the training in particular: the neuroscience of mindfulness, which she finds opens doors for skeptical participants ("they're like, oh, this really can impact my life — so yes, I will commit"), and the concept of ground, path, fruition as a framework for structuring her sessions.
"I used to get overwhelmed with ideas and struggle with consolidating them. Learning ground, path, fruition has been so useful when it comes to the weekly sessions I hold."
On the Community, the Program Draws In
When asked what she would tell someone considering the program, I.V. keeps coming back to the people.
"It is so amazing to connect with each member of my cohort. They're all doing such beautiful, restorative work. Just connecting with them has given me hope and has ignited my passion — knowing that there are a number of us out here wanting to do good work."
She appreciates the program's smaller size, which creates the intimacy for real relationships to form. "I can really call my cohort members my friends, and I don't use that word lightly. It's been very, very beautiful to connect with like-minded individuals who are all trying to create change in a world that so desperately needs it."
I.V. is a teacher and operations manager at the Charlotte Center for Mindfulness in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a graduate of the Engaged Mindfulness Institute Teacher Training Program.
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