Community Practice Day
Roots and Branches: 50 Years of Contemplative Practice
October 15, 2024 @ 8:30 AM–4:30 PM // Nalanda Campus
Join us on October 15 for Community Practice Day—a day when classes and meetings are not held, and when we gather together in virtual and in-person community. For our Fall 2024 Community Practice Day the theme is, Roots and Branches.
Fifty years of practice. Fifty years of growth. Join us for this special 50th anniversary Practice Day. Explore the roots of our contemplative practices with some of Naropa’s founding faculty. And enjoy the numerous ways mindfulness, presence and compassion have flourished and continue to enliven us today.
Morning Community Time
8:30–8:55 AM Communi-Tea and Morning Refreshments
Location: Nalanda Atrium (south entrance)
8:15–8:55 AM Queer Collective Breakfast
All are welcome!
Location: 2nd floor – north cafe.
Roots & Branches: 50 Years of Contemplative Practice
Zoom Link: https://naropa.zoom.us/j/91734825933
9:00–9:10 AM Opening Shrine, Welcoming & Introduction: Charlotte Rotterdam
9:10–10:00 AM
Carrying a Teaspoon of Water through Empty Space
A classroom exercise by Barbara Dilley
Location: Nalanda Events Center and Online
Inspired by instructions on meditation practice by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, we explore balancing our attention to the water in the spoon with awareness of the space we are moving through. This is a kinesthetic sensation of joining body mind.
Barbara Dilley, BA, Mt. Holyoke College, ‘60, trained and performed dance in New York City (1960-1975) with Merce Cunningham Dance Co., Yvonne Rainer, and the Grand Union. In 1974 she taught at the first summer of Naropa University and was invited to design the Dance/Movement Studies Program. She served as President (1985–1993) and retired in 2015. This Very Moment ~ teaching thinking dancing, was published by Naropa University Press in 2015.
10:15–11:05 AM
The Root: Meditation Practice with Judy Lief
Location: Nalanda Events Center and Online
“The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will. … An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence.” ― Willam James
“Meditation is based on both mindfulness and awareness. Through shamatha, or mindfulness practice, you develop concentration and one-pointedness, and with vipashyana, or awareness practice, you develop expansiveness, relaxation, and a wider view.” — Chogyam Trungpa
Meditation practice is at the heart of Naropa education. It not only cultivates mental focus and attention, but it also heightens awareness. Meditation practice is simple and direct. It is a way to train your mind and cultivate friendship for yourself and others. It provides a strong foundation for study, creativity, and effective action.
This workshop is an exploration of this key Naropa contemplative practice.
Judy Lief has a long association with Naropa, and held many roles here, including serving as the Dean of Naropa Institute from 1980-85. She trained directly with Naropa’s founder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and is a highly regarded Buddhist teacher. Judy leads retreats and workshops throughout the world as well as presenting online teachings. Her podcast, “Dharma Glimpses,” has subscribers in over 14 countries.
11:20 AM–12:10 PM
Mudra Space Awareness with Lee Worley
Location: Nalanda Events Center and Online
Originally created by Chögyam Trungpa as a series of exercises designed for the training of performers, Mudra Space Awareness today serves as a ground for many situations and ways of handling our world. Artists, activists, therapists and teachers, for example, have found that this practice has enhanced their presence, confidence and awareness, becoming the ground for their work on themselves and with their communities. We will taste some of the preliminary practices together.
Lee Worley was a founding faculty member of Naropa U. She served as the Chair of Theater Studies and as a member of the InterArts Department and the MA in Contemplative Education. She is a holder of the Mudra Space Awareness lineage and currently offers her work with the Mudra exercises in conjunction with both performance practices and Buddhist Studies.
Lunch on your own or with friends and colleagues!
Social Justice Scholars Lunch
- Engage in meaningful conversations with peers who share your commitment to social equity
- Explore how others are using their academic journey to contribute to a more just society
- Make connections with people who get it
As space is limited, we are requiring applications.
Location: Nalanda 9235
If you have any questions, please contact Jamelah Zidan – jamelah.zidan@naropa.edu
You will be informed of your acceptance for this year’s lunch by October 11.
In-Person Offerings: 1:45–3:00 PM
The Legacy of Naropa’s Founder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche: A Heart Circle
With Judy Lief, Valerie Lorig & Karen Kissel Wegela
Location: Dojo
Join us for a heartful conversation on the lineage and legacy of Naropa’s founder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Offered in a space of respect and openness, this Circle invites us to explore the living questions that inform our present and inspire our future as a vibrant, wakeful and compassionate community.
Judy Lief has a long association with Naropa, and held many roles here, including serving as the Dean of Naropa Institute from 1980-85. She trained directly with Naropa’s founder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and is a highly regarded Buddhist teacher. Judy leads retreats and workshops throughout the world as well as presenting online teachings. Her podcast, “Dharma Glimpses,” has subscribers in over 14 countries.
Valerie Lorig, MEd, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor at Auspicious Coincidence Counseling and a faculty instructor at Naropa University in the BA Psychology program. A Buddhist practitioner, she attended the first Naropa Institute in the summer of 1974 and continued to study with the founder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, for 14 years.
Karen Kissel Wegela, PhD, is a psychologist and long-time Buddhist practitioner. She has been core faculty in the Buddhism-Informed Contemplative Counseling concentration of the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling department since 1980 and is the author of a number of books on the integration of Buddhism and psychotherapy.
Contemplative Nature Walk: Ordinary Wonder with Candace Walworth
Location: Meet on the Arapahoe campus under the Sycamore Tree between the Ginsberg Library and the Lincoln Building.
This workshop opens with an experiential exercise from The Work that Reconnects in honor of its root teacher, Joanna Macy. We then embark on solo contemplative nature walks, tuning into our sense perceptions, inviting our curiosity and intuition to take the lead. After the walk, we’ll reconvene to share what we noticed, listening for insights and awareness of patterns that connect.
Candace Walworth is a professor of Interdisciplinary Studies/Peace Studies who has been designing and facilitating learning communities that inspire and support personal discovery, dialogue and deliberation, creativity, service, and engaged scholarship at Naropa for the last 33 years. As a student of the late Zen teacher, Joko Beck, she embraces a path of ordinary wonder in everyday life. She also facilitates the Work that Reconnects and frequently enjoys the nourishment of contemplative nature walks.
Roots, Branches, & Leaves: The Way of Tea at Naropa - NALANDA session
Peace Through a Bowl of Tea With Sarah Richards-Graba and Rev. Bu Nan Brown
Location: Nalanda Cafe
Reserve your spot! Please note there is a 15-person limit per session. Please be sure to book for the NALANDA session.
The Way of Tea at Naropa Tea House on ARAPAHOE Campus with Andrea Becker and Chad Corbin
Location: Naropa Tea House on Arapahoe Campus
Please join Chadō practitioners Andrea Becker and Chad Corbin for a bowl of tea in the historic Naropa Tea House. Small groups of guests will enjoy a sweet and a bowl of matcha prepared in the Urasenke style.
Slam Poetry – with Lorenzo González
Location: Nalanda Classroom 9190
Join us for an electrifying Slam Poetry workshop where words ignite, emotions soar, and voices resonate. Dive into the art of spoken-word expression. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or a curious newcomer, this interactive session offers a supportive space to craft, refine, and share your truth. In this workshop you will craft a compelling verse and master its delivery. Unleash your creativity and find your unique voice in a dynamic community of poet-performers. Come discover the magic of Slam Poetry and let your words reverberate with passion and purpose.
Lorenzo González, most recently played Padre Tomás in Miracle at Tepeyac with Denver’s Su Teatro and directed Noche Mística an original Spanish-language theater project devised with local Latinx creatives through VOICES in Carbondale, CO and performed at The Arts College at Willits (TACAW). Lorenzo has been a theatre performer, director and educator for the last thirty years. Among the many theatres he has worked at are: Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre; RED CAT at Disney Hall; The Oregon Shakespeare Festival for six seasons; San Jose Repertory Theatre; Seattle Repertory Theatre; Arizona Theatre Co.; Tacoma Actors Guild; El Teatro Campesino; Colorado Shakespeare Festival; Los Angeles’ Independent Shakespeare Company. He is an Associate Artist with El Centro Su Teatro of Denver, and Director of Performance Programs at Naropa University where he also served as chair of the BFA in Theater and MFA in Theater: Contemporary Performance. He received his MFA from the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Delaware.
Authentic Buddhist Compassion with Khenpo Daji Tudeng
Location: Nalanda Classroom 9248
Join us for a special “Practice Day” offering at Naropa University with Khenpo Daji Tudeng, a teacher in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Khenpo Daji will speak on authentic Buddhist compassion and lead us in a compassion practice.
Khenpo Daji is a monk in the Nyingma tradition. He holds the Jonang Kalachakra and is a close student of HH Sakya Trinzin. His home monastery is a Dzogchen monastery in Kham, Eastern Tibet. Khenpo graduated from Naropa University and was a colleague of Nalandabodhi teacher, Acharya Lama Tenpa. He is currently teaching in prisons and military bases all over the state.
Online Offering: 1:45–3:00 PM
Authentic Buddhist Compassion with Khenpo Daji Tudeng
ZOOM LINK: https://naropa.zoom.us/j/91808424954
Join us for a special “Practice Day” offering at Naropa University with Khenpo Daji Tudeng, a teacher in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Khenpo Daji will speak on authentic Buddhist compassion and lead us in a compassion practice.
Khenpo Daji is a monk in the Nyingma tradition. He holds the Jonang Kalachakra and is a close student of HH Sakya Trinzin. His home monastery is a Dzogchen monastery in Kham, Eastern Tibet. Khenpo graduated from Naropa University and was a colleague of Nalandabodhi teacher, Acharya Lama Tenpa. He is currently teaching in prisons and military bases all over the state.
In-Person Offerings: 3:15–4:30 PM
Weaving the Web: Exploring Dependent Co-Arising in The Work That Reconnects with Monica Mueller
Location: Nalanda Classroom – 9184
Immerse yourself in a thought-provoking 75-minute journey exploring the profound Buddhist concept of Pratītyasamutpāda–translated as “Dependent Co-Arising” or “Interbeing” and its integral role in The Work That Reconnects. This interactive workshop invites you to delve into the interconnected nature of our world, both theoretically and experientially.
Through engaging discussions, dynamic group exercises, and personal reflection, you’ll discover how Dependent Co-Arising forms the foundation of our ecological and social systems. Experience firsthand the ripple effects of our actions in the “Systems Game,” and create your own “Web of Life” to visualize your place in the intricate tapestry of existence.
Whether you’re familiar with Buddhist philosophy, passionate about environmental activism, or simply curious about our interconnected world, this workshop offers fresh insights and practical applications. Join us as we explore how understanding Dependent Co-Arising can transform our perspective and inspire mindful action in our lives and communities. Come prepared to move, think, reflect, and connect. Let’s weave a deeper understanding of our interdependent world together!
Monica Mueller, PhD, is a philosopher with a focus on Ethics and Social/Political philosophy, currently on sabbatical from Portland State University. She is dedicated to fostering collective action and resilience in the face of ecological challenges, advocating for anti-oppression through transformative education, particularly in marginalized communities. An author of “Contrary to Thoughtlessness: Rethinking Practical Wisdom,” Monica combines professional rigor with playful curiosity in her teaching and mentorship, while enjoying outdoor adventures in her free time.
Contemplative Brush with Giovannina Jobson
Location: Nalanda Art Studio – 9124
This brush and ink practice was originally developed by Trungpa Rinpoche and was inspired by various Zen contemplative art forms. The practice involves working with brush and ink in a particular way, for the purpose of developing mindfulness, embodiment, and aesthetic appreciation. Our brushstrokes engage us with the harmonious relationship of heaven, earth and human through the execution of simple strokes. Materials will be provided. No experience necessary.
Giovannina Jobson is a faculty member in the Department of Wisdom Traditions. She engages in many areas of Naropa’s contemplative environment including meditation practices and instruction, ritual and Dharma art.
Roots, Branches, & Leaves: The Way of Tea at Naropa - NALANDA with Sarah Richards-Graba and Rev. Bu Nan Brown
Location: Nalanda Cafe
Reserve your spot! Please note there is a 15-person limit per session. Please be sure to book for the NALANDA session.
The Way of Tea—Chadō or Cha Dao—has been a part of Naropa’s history since the early years. Two alumnx of Naropa who now practice various tea traditions invite you to join us in tea and discover the unique history and beauty of tea at Naropa.
In this offering, tea practitioners Sarah Richards Graba from the Naropa Tea House and Rev. Bu Nan Brown will serve tea. We will demonstrate the chanoyu style (Japanese tea ceremony) and then share the Leaves in a Bowl style. This session includes a serving of matcha and a serving of red or oolong tea. There will be light instruction and sharing, followed by Q&A; the majority of our time will be contemplating tea and peace with one another.
Sarah Richards Graba of the Naropa Tea House is a writer and teacher with an eclectic spiritual life that includes zen, yoga, witchcraft, shamanism, tea ceremony, and more. She is an adjunct professor at Naropa, primarily teaching writing in the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. She has been studying chanoyu for over 10 years (after discovering it at the Naropa Tea House), and has been a lover of all tea for life. She is also an alumnx of JKS, graduating in 2014.
Rev. Bu Nan Brown is a Zen priest in the Rinzai Zen Hollow Bones lineage. He specializes in somatic attachment repair and seems to have a penchant for building spaces to meditate and drink tea. He is also an alumnx of Naropa’s Traditional Eastern Arts program, graduating in 2015.
Questions or tech issues? Contact us at naropateahouse@naropa.edu
The Way of Tea at Naropa Tea House on ARAPAHOE Campus
Location: Arapahoe Tea House
Please join Chadō practitioners Andrea Becker and Chad Corbin for a bowl of tea in the historic Naropa Tea House. Small groups of guests will enjoy a sweet and a bowl of matcha prepared in the Urasenke style.
Reserve your spot! Please note there is a 5-person limit per sitting. (Link: https://naropateahouse.setmore.com/) Please be sure to book for the ARAPAHOE session.
Andrea (Drea) Becker, Writer, Photographer, Chajin, graduated from JKS in 2018 and has been studying Chadō for seven years. www.dreadoes.com
Chad Corbin is a tea practitioner and potter. He instructs at Groundworks Art Lab in Boulder and specializes in making teaware. www.mudmeditations.com
Questions or tech issues? Contact us at naropateahouse@naropa.edu
Transition Circle, Honoring Our Aspirations with Erin Piatt & Christopher Giuffré
Location: Nalanda Classroom – 9189
While the sale of the Arapahoe campus and land has been announced, our community is still here. How can we engage this time of transition while honoring the grief, curiosity, and aspirations that may be present? This circle will primarily focus on aspirations. What aspirations do you have for the beings who will be on the Arapahoe land in the future? You will be invited to artistically express and share these. For those that wish, creative aspirations will be brought and placed around the Arapahoe Transition Shrine following the circle.
Erin Piatt: “Ordinary Imperfect Human Being”: Erin likes this description, because she knows we are all doing our best in this messiness called life together. Walking the path of the bodhisattva, and guided by the wisdom of her spiritual family—Buddhist, Wiccan and Indigenous—she sees herself as an aspect of a vastly complex and beautiful organism called Earth. Erin is currently serving as Naropa’s Campus Chaplain for her MDiv Internship.
Christopher Giuffré is a 3rd year MDiv student and is currently serving as Naropa’s Campus Chaplain for his Internship. He feels passionate about community building and envisioning with others how to address the present-day challenges related to loneliness and disconnection.
Online Offerings: 3:15–4:30 PM
Introducing the Warrior’s Exam with Dale Asrael
NEW ZOOM LINK: https://naropa.zoom.us/j/97995945012
Meeting ID: 979 9594 5012
The “Warrior Exam” is a unique form of test, completely different from conventional approaches in higher education. “Warrior” (“pawo” in Tibetan) means “one who is brave.” Rooted in ancient Tibetan Buddhist scholastic debate traditions, the Warrior Exam developed at Naropa 50 years ago and is used in many programs as a contemplative method of training intellect and cultivating spontaneity. A pair of students, surrounded by a circle of their peers, use open-ended questions to draw out increasingly deep layers of understanding and insight.
Dale Asrael, University Professor, offers an introduction to the form and practice of the Warrior Exam.
Dale Asrael, University Professor, has been a practitioner of meditation for over 45 years. She became a student of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche in 1973 and, after his death, continued to study with other teachers of Tibetan Buddhism. As well, she trained with the Zen teacher Charlotte Joko Beck during the last twelve years of her life. Dale teaches dharma programs and leads meditation retreats internationally. She is an authorized teacher of traditional Daoist qigong in the Xiantianwujimen lineage of Eva Wong. She is ordained as a Buddhist minister and serves people in end-of-life and bereavement transitions. Dale founded and is the lead teacher for Naropa University Mindfulness Instructor Training, which just completed its twenty-third annual cycle of training programs. Her writing about the Warrior Exam is “Love of Wisdom Puts You on the Spot” in Meditation in the Classroom (ed Simmer Brown and Grace).
From Roots to Branches: Mantra & Mudra activation with Goddess Visualizations with Sreedevi Bringi - NOW AT 3:15-4:30pm MT
ZOOM LINK: https://naropa.zoom.us/j/94291146488
Reaching into the roots of ancient Hindu/yogic transmission from India, we will expand into the branches of embodied practices now in the West.
Learn mantra and mudra (sacred gesture) activation of the five elements with our hands and fingers, then activating our Heart Shield /kavacha to expand our sense of Goddess presence. Interspersed with stories from the Goddess epic of India (Devi Mahatmya), along with chanting and singing.
Sreedevi Bringi is a retired core faculty member in Yoga Studies/ Religious Studies at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado (1998-2017). She co-developed the Yoga Studies program along with Nataraja Kallio, while teaching courses in Contemplative Hinduism, Hindu Tantra, Yoga History and Philosophy, Yoga Meditation and Intro to Sacred Sanskrit. She also offered a popular yoga nidra meditation series to the public for some years through the Naropa School of Extended Studies, along with classes in Sacred Sanskrit immersion, Vedanta/Bhagavad Gita/Upanishads and the Goddess Traditions of India.
At Naropa University, Sreedevi was a co-teacher at the recent ‘Breeze of Simplicity’ weekend retreat and a regular presenter at several Practice Day events. She has represented Hindu/yoga traditions in several inter-faith panels, including the graduate Divinity program, Legacy Foundation conference, and the “From Age-ing to Sage-ing Symposium. Statewide, she has been an invited presenter at spiritual events, church congregations and campus ministries. In the online realm, Sreedevi has taught at the Rasa Yoga Collective, Hanuman Planetary Summit, the Pranayama Summit and the Divine Feminine Summit.
Sreedevi has been a popular presenter at several yoga festivals and yoga teacher trainings on topics such as yoga nidra meditation, Vedas, Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Sacred Sanskrit for Spiritual Practice, Yoga Philosophy, Goddess Traditions of India, and Shiva-Shakti Tantra. She is also a contributing author in an anthology textbook entitled, “Beacons of Dharma” (2019), writing an invited chapter about Amma, the charismatic ‘hugging saint’ of India.
Sreedevi’s website introduces yoga nidra meditation, Hindu deity teachings and Sanskrit mantras, chants. http://www.shakti-institute.com. Her Youtube Channel offers Goddess teachings, Tantric yoga nidra sessions and a chat on the power of Sacred Sanskrit. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5inUHCqrkl1ILupR6fg3GA
Online Faculty Focus Workshop
We are excited to offer opportunity for community building and workshops on Contemplative Pedagogy, specifically designed for faculty. All Naropa faculty are invited and encouraged to join. This is a unique opportunity to engage with other faculty around particular topics in contemplative education, Naropa’s unique educational lineage.
3:15–4:30 PM
Introducing the Warrior’s Exam with Dale Asrael
Zoom Link: Please note this is an updated link. There is no passcode needed.
https://naropa.zoom.us/j/97995945012
Meeting ID: 979 9594 5012
The “Warrior Exam” is a unique form of test, completely different from conventional approaches in higher education. “Warrior” (“pawo” in Tibetan) means “one who is brave.” Rooted in ancient Tibetan Buddhist scholastic debate traditions, the Warrior Exam developed at Naropa 50 years ago and is used in many programs as a contemplative method of training intellect and cultivating spontaneity. A pair of students, surrounded by a circle of their peers, use open-ended questions to draw out increasingly deep layers of understanding and insight.
Dale Asrael, University Professor, has been a practitioner of meditation for over 45 years. She became a student of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche in 1973 and, after his death, continued to study with other teachers of Tibetan Buddhism. As well, she trained with the Zen teacher Charlotte Joko Beck during the last twelve years of her life. Dale teaches dharma programs and leads meditation retreats internationally. She is an authorized teacher of traditional Daoist qigong in the Xiantianwujimen lineage of Eva Wong. She is ordained as a Buddhist minister and serves people in end-of-life and bereavement transitions. Dale founded and is the lead teacher for Naropa University Mindfulness Instructor Training, which just completed its twenty-third annual cycle of training programs. Her writing about the Warrior Exam is “Love of Wisdom Puts You on the Spot” in Meditation in the Classroom (ed Simmer Brown and Grace).
979 9594 5012
Feedback Is Welcome: Your Voice Matters!
Practice Day is produced by Mission Culture and Inclusive Community where we are committed to a practice of giving and receiving feedback.
We rely on your voice to help us shape this event in the future, to be more in alignment with our Community Compass.
Please take a minute, literally it take less than a minute at the end of each session to provide your honest feedback for each session you attend. There is only one required question but space for you to write a small book. All your ideas are valuable and will be heard.
The same link may be used more than once and we appreciate your feedback for every session you attend.
