A key component of Naropa’s contemplative approach to education is the monthlong meditation practice intensive. This allows students some real experience in mindfulness meditation and thus access to the qualities of clarity, gentleness and compassion in themselves.
Students sit together; the practice of group meditation offers powerful support for each individual's path. The collective energy facilitates inner cultivation and provides a rich training ground for the creation of compassionate society.
This monthlong retreat, known as a dathün, provides an extraordinary opportunity to practice together under the overall guidance of The Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the lineage holder of the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, or Dr. Reginald A. Ray, a senior faculty member of Naropa University.
The dathün includes sitting and walking meditation, private interviews with qualified meditation instructors, periods of silence and talks.
Contemplative Practice Retreat Other practice intensives may be designed for students who may want to deepen their practice in their specific spiritual tradition. Students have attended retreats at a number of varied spiritual venues from Catholic monasteries to Hindu ashrams.
