Café Contemplative
Naropa Extended Campus and the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education (CACE) presents Café Contemplative.
Welcome to Café Contemplative, a space for all to explore the profound potential of contemplative practice and transformation. Join a diverse community committed to fostering mindfulness, compassion, wisdom, and wakefulness throughout our lives. Through engaging talks, workshops, trainings, and more, we offer numerous pathways for cultivating and deepening these shared values, qualities, and aspirations.
Mindfulness is For Everyone Series
What Is—and Isn't—a Contemplative Practice?
Mindful Brains, Present Minds, and Wakeful Beings
with Jordan Quaglia, PhD
February 13, 2024 // 6:00 - 7:30pm MT // Free Online Talk
About This Program
The future of the mindfulness movement isn’t predetermined—it’s something we can all participate in creating, together.
There is an intriguing paradox central to mindfulness and contemplative practices. On one hand, we can identify certain key practices—mindfulness meditation, yoga, qigong—that most would agree are contemplative practices. On the other hand, almost any activity can be transformed into a contemplative practice, whether it’s the full-bodied euphoria of dancing or the mundane simplicity of handwashing dishes.
In scientific circles, this recognition has led some to give up on the possibility of clearly defining a contemplative practice, leaving the field in a position where certain contemplative practices and traditions are honored, respected, and studied, while others are underrepresented. Equally concerning, without any boundary conditions for distinguishing contemplative practices from other activities, there is a risk of an “anything goes” mentality in which all contemplative practices are considered equally beneficial and our own contemplative practice is whatever we claim it to be.
In this talk, Dr. Jordan Quaglia presents a different approach. A clear definition of contemplative practice is not only possible—it matters. By clearly describing the essential elements and boundary conditions of contemplative practices, we find a much more diverse and wide-ranging landscape of possible practices and approaches to contemplative training. On a personal level, this can inspire us to rethink, refine, and expand our own practices. Collectively, this new approach reveals pathways for fostering a more inclusive mindfulness movement throughout society. Join us in redefining contemplative practice, empowering us to examine our own mindfulness routines with curiosity and intention.
About The Speaker
Jordan Quaglia, PhD has devoted over a decade to the study and teaching of mindfulness, compassion, and lucidity. As an Associate Professor of Psychology at Naropa University, he leads the Cognitive and Affective Science Laboratory and serves as Research Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education. His contributions have led him to be named a Research Fellow by the Mind & Life Institute, a Contemplative Social Justice Scholar by Contemplative Mind in Society, and a panelist at several United Nations Day of Vesak conferences. Bridging theory and practice, Jordan co-developed and regularly teaches an eight-week compassion training curriculum. He resides with his wife in Boulder, Colorado. For more about Jordan: www.JordanQuaglia.com
Featured Past Events
Jordan Quaglia, PhD ⓘ
Jordan Quaglia, PhD has devoted over a decade to the study and teaching of mindfulness, compassion, and lucidity. As an Associate Professor of Psychology at Naropa University, he leads the Cognitive and Affective Science Laboratory and serves as Research Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education. His contributions have led him to be named a Research Fellow by the Mind & Life Institute, a Contemplative Social Justice Scholar by Contemplative Mind in Society, and a panelist at several United Nations Day of Vesak conferences. Bridging theory and practice, Jordan co-developed and regularly teaches an eight-week compassion training curriculum. He resides with his wife in Boulder, Colorado. For more about Jordan: www.JordanQuaglia.com
Bwiti-inspired mural artwork by Chor Boogie (Nganga Gnyangou)
Iboga Panel with Bwiti Elders & Visiting Instructors
While the exact cause of Iboga’s potentiating activity remains unknown, its ability to treat addiction has sparked interest in its therapeutic potential.
This special session on Iboga was organized for Naropa’s 2022 Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies, and offered during the program’s December 10, 2022 live online class. Convened by Kevin Franciotti, this session features presentations from Kevin, Kenneth Alper, Elizabeth Bast, and two elders from Gabon, as well as a special panel Q&A with the presenters. The Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies and Naropa Extended Campus are pleased to share this informative and multifaceted session for the benefit of the public