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Barbara Bash is an accomplished calligrapher and performance artist who taught at Naropa in its early days. She taught students to engage with their art in a mindful and meaningful way, and demonstrated the relationship between precision and spontaneity through letterform and brushstroke practice. Photo courtesy of Naropa Archive.
Barbara Bash is an accomplished calligrapher and performance artist who taught at Naropa in its early days. She taught students to engage with their art in a mindful and meaningful way, and demonstrated the relationship between precision and spontaneity through letterform and brushstroke practice. Photo courtesy of Naropa Archive.

President

Charles G. Lief

Vice President for Development, Enrollment & Student Success

Ann Marie Klotz, PhD

Senior Director for Marketing

Stephen Dill

Executive Editors

Cassandra Smith; Ben Williams, PhD

Assistant Editor

Jessie Thomas

Designers

Marcos Perez, Nancy McLaughlin

Writers

Kendall Higgins, Lisa Birman

Contributors

Judith Simmer-Brown, PhD; Mark Miller; Steven Taylor, PhD; Ramon Parish; Seann Goodman; Andrew Schelling; Carole Clements; Netanel Miles-Yepez, DD; Amelia Hall, PhD; Jordan Quaglia, PhD; Lindsay Randol, PsychD; Francis Kaklauskas, PsyD; Lawrence Welsh

Web Manager & Proofreader

Danielle Poitras

Photographers

Sofia Drobinskaya, Jessie Thomas, Crystal Street

Share your story ideas and feedback at magazine@naropa.edu. Copyright 1999–2024 Naropa University. All rights reserved.

Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to its mission of contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational institutions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate degree programs in the arts, counseling, psychology, and religious studies.

Naropa Magazine is available to all alumnx and friends of Naropa University. If you have an address change or would like to be removed from the mailing list, contact alumnxupdates@naropa.eduor 303-546-3595.

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Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

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If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

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Naropa Campuses Closed on Friday, March 15, 2024

Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed Friday, March 15, 2024.  All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. All online and low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Based on the current weather forecast, the Healing with the Ancestors Talk & Breeze of Simplicity program scheduled for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be held as planned.

Staff that do not work remotely or are scheduled to work on campus, can work remotely. Staff that routinely work remotely are expected to continue to do so.

As a reminder, notifications will be sent by e-mail and the LiveSafe app.  

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.  Naropa University trusts you to make thoughtful and wise decisions based on the conditions and situation in which you find yourself in.

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