Personal Enrichment Through a Contemplative Education
Explore the benefits of contemplative education and meditation practice at the “birthplace of the modern mindfulness movement.”
Established to provide a contemplative education that finds deeper meaning in academic and artistic work, Naropa University continues to be a place where students can study Buddhism and other Eastern and Western religions, as well as science, psychology, writing, and the arts, while also receiving training in meditation and contemplation.
Nurturing a lifelong joy in learning, Naropa offers personal enrichment programs with a focus on meditation, mindfulness, contemplation, and Buddhist practices for transpersonal growth, personal awareness and development, spiritual wisdom, and career enhancement.
Benefits of Mindfulness
Naropa’s personal enrichment programs are a much more affordable way to get the Naropa experience without the financial and time commitment of a full academic degree program. In addition to lower costs of attendance, Naropa often offers discounts and scholarships for personal enrichment programs.
Who should participate in personal enrichment?
- Students interested in personal and spiritual growth through Buddhism and mindfulness practices
- Professionals seeking to incorporate meditation, mindfulness, and contemplation into their work and lives
- Alumni who want to stay engaged with the Naropa community and continue their contemplative education
Naropa University welcomes personal enrichment participants with disabilities. If you have questions about accessibility or require disability accommodations, please contact Naropa’s Office of Accessibility.
Why Mindfulness?
10X
10X More Focused
50%
Immunity Boost
65%
Increased Wellbeing
You are Ready.
Discover how to integrate mindfulness, meditation, and contemplation into your personal and daily life with Naropa University’s
personal enrichment programs.
Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education
An international resource and hub for educators, the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education promotes the ongoing study, dissemination, and development of contemplative education to expand knowledge and experience. CACE offers a variety of events and trainings that explore various topics and disciplines in contemplative education, including contemplative arts, classroom practices, community engagement practices, student and faculty workshops, mindfulness and compassion trainings, and more. Focused on foundations in mindfulness and contemplative education, these personal enrichment events are designed for the Naropa community and the public to illuminate the broad range of an inclusive, contemplative community.
Joanna Macy Center at Naropa
The Joanna Macy Center (JMC) at Naropa seeks to advance the vision and legacy of Dr. Joanna Macy’s work to empower present and future generations in building a more resilient world that works for everyone. The Center focuses on three specific areas:
- Joanna Macy’s root teachings known as The Work That Reconnects
- Liberation Buddhist scholarship
- Nuclear Guardianship
Through personal enrichment events and training, JMC creates opportunities for Naropa University, the local community, and the greater world to research Joanna Macy’s theories on the confluence of Buddhist teachings and general systems and the resulting social impact.
Online Learning Courses
Participate in meditation, contemplation, and Buddhist teachings from the comfort of your home anywhere in the world and on your own schedule.
Mindfulness: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and How to Practice It is a free online course from Naropa University and The Awake Network with four introductory lectures that explore the relationship between the secular mindfulness movement and the Buddhist traditions of mindfulness, as well as mindfulness practices that can be integrated into your daily life. The online course also offers simple explanations of and instruction on the mindful practices of wisdom, insight, and calm abiding.
The Three Turnings of the Wheel delivers four six-week courses designed to spark insight and encourage greater self-awareness by bringing together deep study with contemplation and meditation in the Buddhist tradition of compassion practice and training the mind. The online series will help you discover the foundation of mindfulness for a deeper, more complete understanding of the historical roots and central pillars of the Buddhist tradition.
Degrees for Personal Enrichment
Develop yourself spiritually while earning a graduate degree. Naropa’s academic programs offer a variety of opportunities for personal enrichment through meditation, mindfulness, and contemplation in an academic setting. In particular, you may be interested in our Master of Arts in Yoga Studies, Master of Divinity, or Master of Arts in Buddhism-Informed Contemplative Counseling.
