Information for IMS Teachers

Welcome to the new IMS Teacher Information page!

Gathered here you can find communications from our Guiding Teachers, as well as information concerning policies and practices. Please feel free to share the link to this page with your full co-teachers. It is, however, not intended for assistants, trainees and movement teachers.

A message from Inger Forland, Executive Director:

Dear friends,

It is our great honor and delight to support you and your teams before, during, and after your retreat at IMS. We hope you will find this page a useful resource for keeping track of all the documents and bits of information you may need.

Please always feel invited to help us do and be better: we welcome your feedback and ideas.

Until soon,
Inger

A message from Christine P Marshall, Program Director:

Dear teachers,
  • Should you have to cancel from a retreat you are scheduled to lead, at either the Retreat Center or the Forest Refuge, notify me as quickly as possible. It can be quite challenging to find a replacement teacher, especially on short notice.
  • Please also let me know of any changes to your teaching team, so that we can update all of our materials and website postings to accurately reflect your current team.
  • Remember that teachers new to IMS need to be approved by the Guiding Teachers first.

With kindness & respect,
Christine

A message from Kyle Taylor, Retreat Operations Director:

Dear teachers,

My team and I are looking forward to welcoming and supporting you during your stay at IMS. If there is anything we can do for you ahead of time, simply let us know. 

A few things it will be helpful to keep in mind:
  • Please review the teacher contract so you can sign it upon arrival. The contract is signed once each year that you are teaching. IMS’s harassment policy is available for your review as well.  Links to these documents are below.

  • Book your travels early and let us know your arrival & departure details. More travel information can be found in the links below.
  • We will make arrangements for your airport pick-up and drop-off. Coordinate your arrival & departure times when possible so we can pick you up together!
  • Assistants and movement teachers make their own arrangements (and don’t have access to this page).
  • If you have any discretionary yogis or teacher guests for your retreat, make sure the lead teacher is aware and let us know as soon as possible so we can check for space. Each teaching team has a total of 5 spaces, due four weeks prior to opening.
  • It is most helpful for us if we can finalize certain details ahead of time. When the time comes for us to reach out with our questions, please be as prompt and responsive as possible. Many thanks in advance!

With appreciation and care,
Kyle

Our commitment to inclusion

In offering a spiritual refuge for awakening, IMS is committed to cultivating a community that reflects the diversity of our society and our world. We believe that all members benefit from diversity, as a wide range of human experiences and viewpoints broadens and enriches the understanding of all. We seek to promote the inclusion and participation of people of diverse identities, including those of all races, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, classes, body types, religions, abilities, and ages, that all may feel welcome, safe and respected within this community.

As you begin to think about who you would like to invite to teach with you, please keep the diversity of your team in mind. As you undoubtedly know, diversity of all kinds can greatly enrich what a teaching team has to offer to yogis. 

Diversity & Inclusion at IMS

To learn more about IMS’s diversity efforts, view our “Diversity and the Dharma” video series here.

Quick access to important information:

Contacts

Carey Kasky – FR Manager
Any questions related to teaching at the FR
978-355-2063 x 11 / careyk@dharma.org

Christine P Marshall – Program Director
Any questions & changes related to program schedule & teaching teams at both centers
978-355-4378 x 170 / christinem@dharma.org

Diane Croft – RC Registrar
RC yogi lists & numbers, discretionary slots
978-355-4378 x 180 / dianec@dharma.org

Ebony Chinn – RC Retreat Operations Manager
All RC retreat details
978-355-4378 x 120 / ebonyc@dharma.org

Inger Forland – Executive Director
978-355-4378 x 235 / ingerf@dharma.org

Kyle Taylor– Retreat Operations Director
Any questions or feedback for either center, including housing and travel
978-355-4378 x 220 / kylet@dharma.org

 

Teaching at IMS’s Forest Refuge

Information about teaching at Forest Refuge can be found here. Also feel welcome to contact Carey Kasky, the FR Manager, at 978-355-2063 x 11 / careyk@dharma.org.

Teaching at IMS’s Retreat Center

Information about the duties of each category, lead teacher, teacher, assistant, movement are explained here . It is especially important to remember that Guiding Teacher approval is needed for any teacher new to IMS, as well as for any teacher new to a teaching category. 

If you have any questions, please contact Christine P Marshall, 978-355-4378 x 170 / christinem@dharma.org

Teacher listing sequence

Traditionally, teachers have been listed in the retreat descriptions by seniority. But more and more, teachers are considering how the listing will be perceived by our increasingly diverse community. In light of this, the Guiding Teachers have agreed that the lead teacher of the retreat can decide whether to list teachers by seniority, alphabetical by first or last name, or in some other way. The sequence can also reflect when one teacher has taken on extra duties for the team, like coordination. 

Teacher Code of Ethics

IMS’s teachers recognize that the foundation of spiritual life rests upon our mindful and caring relationship to all the lives and life around us. In the absence of the monastic vows and customs adhered to in the Early Buddhist traditions of Asia, IMS’s Guiding Teachers established a set of clear Western guidelines that help ensure the wisest ethical conduct possible. Based on the five lay training precepts, these principles have been expanded to make them explicitly appropriate in our role as teachers of the Dharma in our specific cultural setting. Read IMS’s Teacher Code of Ethics here.

Offering Continuing Education Credits (CEs)

IMS offers Continuing Education credits (CEs; also sometimes called Continuing Education Units or CEUs) for some of its Retreat Center and Forest Refuge courses. We do this as a service to our yogis who are psychologists, social workers or nurses.  

Teachers of courses offering CEs for psychologists must have an advanced degree in psychology, mental health, social work, or a related field, and/or extensive experience in one of those fields. Licensure is not required. For more information about offering CEs for your course, contact Christine Marshall at ext 170.

Teachers coming on retreat at IMS

IMS offers a teacher rate for those who would like to have retreat time at IMS. To request this rate, go to this page. We encourage you to register early as most of our retreats fill and have wait lists. Then simply contact our registration offices and let us know you would like to have the teacher rate for your retreat.
Forest Refuge – fr@dharma.org
Retreat Center – registration@dharma.org