Sharon Salzberg to Speak at Naropa

BOULDER, Colo. (January 18, 2011)—Naropa University is honored to host meditation teacher and author Sharon Salzberg for a public talk and book signing in support of her new book, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation (Workman Publishing, 2011). In this latest work, Salzberg distills 30 years of teaching meditation into a 28-day program that covers meditation basics, such as posture and breathing, and moves on to the finer points of calming the mind, overcoming distraction, dealing with specific problem areas, and the wider practices of compassion and awareness.

WHAT: Talk, Guided Practice, and Book Signing, sponsored by Naropa University’s Religious Studies Department

WHO: Sharon Salzberg, author and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 15, Noon–1:20 p.m. Free and open to the public.

WHERE: Shambhala Hall, Naropa’s Arapahoe Campus, 2130 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80302. For further information on this event contact Justin Elkins at rsgradassistant@naropa.edu or 303-245-4744.

Sharon Salzberg is the co-founder and guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society, a Buddhist retreat center in Barre, Massachusetts. She has studied with spiritual teachers in India, Tibet, Burma, and Nepal, and has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. She has played a crucial role in bringing Asian meditation practices to the West.

The ancient Buddhist practices of vipassana (mindfulness) and metta (lovingkindness) are the foundations of her work. "Each of us has a genuine capacity for love, forgiveness, wisdom and compassion. Meditation awakens these qualities so that we can discover for ourselves the unique happiness that is our birthright," says Salzberg. She is also the author of several popular books on the meditation path and is a contributing editor to Oprah's O Magazine and has appeared in such publications as Time Magazine, Yoga Journal, and Tricycle.

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies.
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