2024–25 Issue

BY Jessie Thomas

The legacy of Joanna Macy is hard to go unnoticed. This interview with Joanna Macy and alumnx David DeVine shows a brief window into her impact at Naropa....

BY Jessie Thomas

Since its inception, Naropa has woven innovative contemplative practices into its curriculum and culture. Here are the practices that have stood the test of time....

BY Carole Clements

Contemplative education is both trick and treat. So is sexuality, and needs to be further unpacked—in context and in its complexity, especially at Naropa....

BY Jordan Quaglia, PhD

Since the earliest days of contemplative science, insights from ancient wisdom traditions have been significantly informing investigations on mindfulness....

BY Lisa Birman

As executive clinical director and founder of Embodied Mind Mental Health, Daniel Cook (MA Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, 2011) draws on his Naropa education in both his personal and professional life....

BY Lisa Birman

As a graduate student in Religious Studies, Anthony Gallucci (MA Religious Studies, 2020) made a huge impact both academically and in the wider community of Naropa and Boulder....

BY Steven Taylor, PhD

It’s synchronicitous that Mark Miller called his piece “This is the Beginning of Time,” because it applies to my experience studying music at Naropa in the summer of ‘79. That...

BY Lindsey Randol, PsychD, LPC & Francis Kaklauskas, PsyD

As a young monk, Naropa founder Chögyam Trungpa followed a monastic path of studying the mind through rigorous training in Buddhist philosophy, but more importantly, through contemplative practice within a...

BY Ben Williams, PhD

The American counterculture provided an radical experiments in communal life, gatherings in an interpenetrating network of creative, messy, processes....

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This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

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Academics

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.  

Admissions & Aid

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.