Mindful U at Naropa University
Summary: As the birthplace of the mindfulness movement in the United States, Naropa University has a unique perspective when it comes to higher education in the West. Founded in 1974 by renowned Tibetan Buddhist scholar and lineage holder Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Naropa was intended to be a place where students could study Eastern and Western religions, writing, psychology, science, and the arts, while also receiving contemplative and meditation training. Forty-three years later, Naropa is a leader in ‘contemplative education’, a pedagogical approach that blends rigorous academics, contemplative practice, and experiential learning. Naropa President Chuck Lief explains, “Mindfulness here is not a class. Mindfulness is basically the underpinning of what we do in all of our classes. That said, the flavor or the color of mindfulness from class to class is really completely up to the individual faculty member to work on—on their own. So, what happens in a poetry class is going to look very different from what happens in a research psychology class. But, one way or another the contemplative practices are brought into the mix.” This podcast is for those with an interest in mindfulness and a curiosity about its place in both higher education and the world at large. Hosted by Naropa alumnus and Multimedia Manager David DeVine, episodes feature Naropa faculty, alumni, and special guests on a wide variety of topics including compassion, permaculture, social justice, herbal healing, and green architecture—to name a few. Listen to explore the transformative possibilities of mindfulness, both in the classroom and beyond!
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Brigitte is an herbalist and nutritional consultant of Natural Health with almost fifty years of experience. She teaches Herbal Medicine at Naropa University and The School of Health Mastery in Iceland. She has taught at Omega Institute, Esalen, Kripalu, Sivananda Yoga Ashram, Arise, Envision and Unify Festivals, and The Mayo Clinic. She blogs for the Huffington Post and Care2. She is also a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. Find out more about Brigitte: brigittemars.com/.Special Guest: Brigitte mars.
Scott Rodwin, Naropa University faculty teaching Building Design in the Environmental Department, is one of the leading green architects in the country. An architect and a builder, Rodwin owns and runs a 13-person design build firm in Boulder. Scott graduated from Cornell in 1991 with an architecture degree and moved out to Boulder shortly thereafter, and has been working as an architect for about 26 years. During this time he has focused his career on creating the greenest buildings possible, and his firm specializes in extreme green custom homes. In this episode of Mindful U, Scott will be discussing his "Green Building 101" class at Naropa.Special Guest: Scott Rodwin, Faculty in Environmental Studies.
Jeanine Canty is a full time and professor and chair of the Environmental Studies Department at Naropa University, which includes the MA and Resilient Leadership Program and the BA Environmental Studies major. In this episode, Canty shares on the topic, ‘Oppressions of People and Oppressions of the Earth Go Hand and Hand’. Canty explains the link between social and ecological injustice and how throughout human history, the oppression of people of color has been inseparable from the oppression of the natural world. She also talks about the theoretical framework of Eco-psychology and how it can help us recognize these patterns of injustice and reconnect to our ‘ecological selves’ in order to bring about individual and environmental healing.Special Guest: Professor Jeanine Canty, PhD, Chair, Environmental Studies.
Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown is a Distinguished professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies at Naropa University. In this episode, Simmer-Brown discusses an undergraduate course she teaches at Naropa, Wisdom & Compassion: The Buddhist Path. Simmer-Brown discusses how much of the scientific research done in the West has focused on the negative, or what is wrong with humans/human nature. Looking at the ‘new’ science of compassion, by contrast, allows us to focus on what is right about human beings and understand how to cultivate kindness through exercises like compassion training. Simmer-Brown also gives an example of a compassion training practice and shares a brief history of the mindfulness/compassion movement in the WestSpecial Guest: Judith Simmer-Brown, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies.
Chuck Lief is the President of Naropa University, and a long time student of Naropa's founder Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. In this inaugural episode of MindfulU, Lief discusses his various roles at Naropa since its founding, and explains what makes Naropa University unique. Lief then gives an overview of the course he teaches at Naropa as a part of the Peace Studies undergraduate program, Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He explains how the idea of a social enterprise has shifted over time to acknowledge that business and business tools can be used to create significant social change. He also gives examples of social enterprises that have been generated from Naropa students as class assignments. Special Guest: Charles G. Lief, Naropa University President.
