AcademicsUndergraduate AcademicsBA Yoga StudiesMajor Meets Career

Yoga Studies Major Meets Career

Many of our Yoga Studies graduates make their practice their professions, working as teachers and teacher-trainers all over the world. Most importantly, our graduates gain clarity about their future goals. They start their own yoga studios. They found their own businesses in health and wellness clinics, recreation centers, hospitals, and community agencies. They continue on to advanced degrees in psychology and counseling, religious studies, the arts, and other disciplines. We teach skills that are transferable, adaptive, self-actualizing, and unlimited in their applications in the real world.

Discover Career Pathways for Yoga Studies Graduates

Career Options

  • Mentorship
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  • Coaching
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  • Crisis Work
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  • Rehabilitation Services
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  • Advocacy
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  • Fitness Centers
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  • Gyms
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  • Policy Reform
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  • Health Care Agencies
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  • Health Care Centers
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  • Case Management
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  • Physical Health/Wellness
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  • Residential Treatment Hospice
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  • Homeless Shelter/Housing
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  • Prisons
  • Neuroscience
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  • Social Research
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  • Market Research
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  • Data Analysis
  • Instructor/Teacher
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  • Teaching Assistant
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  • Tutoring
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  • Higher Education: Advising, Alumni, Study Abroad
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  • Camp Counselor, Teacher, Activities Coordinator, Group Leader
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  • Entrepreneur: In-Person and Virtual
  • Mentorship
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  • Coaching
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  • Working in schools
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  • Collaborating with nonprofits
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  • Supporting underserved populations
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  • Human Services Programs
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  • Graduate degree is advisable
  • Coordination/Recruitment
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  • Training and Development
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  • On-boarding/Training
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  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • User-Experience
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  • Client Management
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  • Ergonomic Product Design
  • Mentorship
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  • Coaching
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  • Collaborating with nonprofits
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  • Working in schools
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  • Supporting underserved populations and human service programs
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  • Graduate degree is advisable
  • Strategy/Audience Profiles/Personas
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  • Market and Behavioral Research
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  • Client Management
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  • Sales
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  • Public Relations
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  • Product Design
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  • Advertising, Marketing
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  • Yoga Apparel Designer
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  • Entrepreneur
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  • Innovation

Potential Employers

  • Federal/State/Local Governments: Health and Human Services, Veteran/Justice Services, State hospitals
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  • Nursing/Retirement Homes
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  • Outpatient Clinics
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  • Rehabilitation Clinics
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  • Physical Therapy
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  • Mentorship Organizations
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  • Start Your Own Yoga and Wellness Business
  • Market Research Firms
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  • Federal/State/Local Government
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  • Consulting Firms
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  • Universities and Colleges
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  • Nonprofits
  • Marketing Agencies
  • Advertising Agencies
  • Consulting Firms
  • Retail Stores
  • Ergonomic Platforms
  • Sales Firms
  • Any organization you are interested in that has a human resources department
  • Government
  • Nonprofits
  • Hospitals and Health Care Organizations
  • Higher Education
  • Public, Private, Charter & Waldorf schools
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  • Colleges and Universities
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  • Nonprofits re: College Prep
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  • Tutoring agencies
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  • Community-based Education Programs

Career Path Preparedness

Strategies for Success

  • Sign up for the Internship class and complete an internship related to the psychology/counseling field. See the Career & Life Development office on MyNaropa for the full internship site list and for a variety of different organizations to get involved in.
  • Get involved in school leadership groups & resources i.e. SUN, the Naropa Community & Student Counseling Centers, residence halls, CARE team, CReST, conflict / mediation support, leadership groups, etc.
  • Complete a service learning project aligned with your career goals / path. See your COR professors & advisors for details.
  • Align your classes, curriculum, research projects and thesis / capstone projects with your career goals / path.
  • Volunteer at community organizations that align with your career goals & provide the opportunity for hands-on training – think: crisis hotlines, youth support, homeless population services, LGBTQIA+ organizations, eating disorder foundations, elderly care, mentorship, tutoring, etc.
  • Earn a minor in a specialized field of interest.
  • Participate in community training opportunities offered by various organizations i.e. Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, ASSIST suicide training, Crisis Training, Right Use of Power, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, among others.
  • Become fluent in a foreign language to serve a variety of populations.
  • Familiarize yourself with partner organizations / community resources that can best serve those populations that you want to work with. Get started in an entry-level position in a clinical counseling setting, private counseling and/or agency environment.
  • Pursue a graduate degree in psychology, counseling, business or social work—See Continuing Education section for more information.

Continuing Education

If you are interested pursuing a graduate degree, there are several things you will want to keep in mind while in your undergraduate studies:

  1. Academic work and the way you show up is VERY important. Put in your best effort academically and aim for a high grade point average.
  2. Relationships matter. REALLY matter. Build positive connections while in the Naropa community with faculty, staff, colleagues, etc. These relationships will continue to support you and you can ask those same people to provide recommendation letters for your graduate degree applications!
  3. Get experience! A lot of it. Either through academic, internship, volunteer or work opportunities. This will bolster your application and CV immensely!

Alumnx Spotlight

Getting connected with Naropa Alumnx is a great way to build your professional network and resources. Some ways to get involved are:

  • Connect with Naropa’s Office of Development and the Alumnx Relations Officer at 303-546-3594 or nualumni@naropa.edu.

  • Reach out to Naropa Alumnx on Linkedln

  • Attend Career & Life Development events and Alumnx panels

YOU ARE READY.

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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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.