HTIA Associate Instructor Training

Total Training 105 hours

Total Number of Live Training Hours Needed:  105

In short, these training hours must consist of:

a. 35 hours of Healing Tao Basics taught by any Associate or Instructor, to learn "how to practice" Inner Smile, Six Healing Sounds, Microcosmic Orbit, plus supportive qigong.

b. 35 hours of other subjects taught by an Instructor that must include Fusion 1. (Note: Associate Instructors may NOT teach Fusion, but we want you to know where this system is headed).

c. 35 hours of Healing Tao Basics again with a Senior Instructor, to focus on "how to teach" those practices.   

These training hours can come from any combination of live retreats, workshops, private lessons, or weekly classes that are taught by the appropriate level of Instructor.  Taped instruction is not applicable.  Five day summer retreat weeks are counted as 35 hours and weekend workshops are counted as 14 hours.  Detailed steps for navigating the certification process are listed below.

Steps to become an Associate Instructor:

1. Prerequisite Courses:  First take 35 hours of Healing Tao Basics and 35 hours of other courses that must include Fusion of Five Elements level 1.

2. Training Resume:  As you accumulate hours, please keep a record (either handwritten or electronic spreadsheet) of the classes taken.  Each entry of the record should list: 
                        a) the name of the class, 
                        b) the date & location where the class was taken, 
                        c) the instructor who taught the class,
                        d) the number of hours of training for the class.

3.  1 year practice time:  After a span of 1 year of practice time, you may begin the certification process. Senior Instructor may shorten this for some qualified students.

4.  Letter of Intention:  Write a letter of intention, explaining why you want to become an instructor (1 page).

5.  Letter of Recommendation:  Get a short letter of recommendation from a Healing Tao instructor to a Senior that says that you would make a good instructor. Or have the instructor contact the Senior teaching the final 35 hours with oral recommendation.

6.  Initiate Certification Process:  Begin taking the remaining 35 hours of Healing Tao Basics.  As you near the end of these hours, please submit your letter of intention, and training record to a Senior Instructor. Schedule a test with the Senior Instructor.

7.  Certification Test:  Pay a $50 testing fee  and take the test.  The testing fee goes to the instructors proctoring the test.  The test is an oral examination.  The test must be administered by (at least) one Senior Instructor and if possible one other Instructor.

8.  Completion of Test:  If you do not pass the test, you will be given direction as to what you need to fix, and when you can test again.  Typically the wait time will be 3-6 months, but this depends on the instructors proctoring the test.  If you do pass the test, you will then need to pay an additional $25  to the HTIA for Certificate processing.  You will receive an official HTIA certificate for Associate Instructor.  It will be mailed to your home address if not completed by the time you leave your respective class.

9.  Sign an Ethics form:  The ethics form lists the ethical and moral behavior that the HTIA expects its instructors to follow in regard to how instructors interact with students.  We request that you sign this upon completion of testing.  Instructors are expected to act in a professional manner, both in teaching and in conduct, and to avoid any kind of physical, verbal, or sexual abuse in their teacher-student interactions. Even if you for some reason do not sign the form, all HTIA members are liable to enforce it as part of our bylaws.

10. Join HTIA:  To finalize your membership into the HTIA, i.e. Healing Tao Instructors Association, we ask that you go online to www.healing-tao.org to sign up and start paying your yearly ongoing dues to the HTIA (currently $45 for USA and Canada, $25 for all other countries).

We expect all Associate Instructors to continue developing themselves!  In particular, we expect that within two years all Associate Instructors will upgrade their classification to Instructor.  At the very least, we expect continuing education of at least 14 hours every two years (one weekend workshop).  If continuing education requirements are not met, you may be dropped off the active list of instructors.

Information about the Test:

You will be expected to demonstrate your knowledge of the Inner Smile meditation, the Six Healing Sounds seated qigong practice, and the Microcosmic Orbit meditation.  You will also be expected to give some guided meditations.

In particular:

1.  With the Inner Smile meditation, you should be precise about the 3 lines through the body.  Order, sequencing, and ability to convey a “felt quality” to those you are instructing are all crucial elements of your meditation.
2.  With the Six Healing Sounds seated qigong, the ability to correctly instruct the movements, as well as the general knowledge of the five elements will be tested, including their medical benefits.
3. With the Microcosmic Orbit meditation, you should be able to identify the points of the microcosmic orbit, and identify them in proper order for the meditation.  Note:  There are many different versions of the Microcosmic Orbit meditation.  For testing purposes, the instructors are looking for a replication of the microcosmic orbit in Healing Tao books or the methods taught by the Senior testing you (if they are your teacher)..

Due to length of time in courses, not everything about these topics can be covered purely through the coursework.  It is expected that you read and study the relevant material in the Healing Tao books, and be prepared to answer questions not necessarily taught specifically in your coursework.  Questions that may arise in testing are not limited to what was covered in your coursework.

Your studies for this test should include the books:

1. Taoist Ways to Transform Stress Into Vitality
2. Healing Light of the Tao (Chapters 1-7)**

**Note:  This book has the alternate title “Awaken Healing Light of the Tao”.  Also, instead of this book, you may use the older book “Awaken Healing Energy of the Tao” (whole book)