“Compassion reveals to us that helping others versus helping ourselves need not be a tradeoff – through compassion, we can do both.”
– Jordan Quaglia, PhD, WELCOME Instructor
In a world increasingly characterized by stress, division, and rapid change, compassion is more essential than ever. Mindful compassion — the practice of intentionally cultivating awareness, empathy, and kindness for oneself and others — can help us navigate these modern challenges with greater emotional resilience and enhanced well-being. Embracing this practice can transform not only how we relate to ourselves, but also how we engage in our relationships, communities, and society at large.
Deepen your contemplative practice and cultivate compassion with WELCOME, Naropa University’s online mindful compassion training. Led by a team of expert instructors, this unique offering explores an integrative approach to compassion training, blending cutting-edge research from neuroscience and psychology with practices and teachings from ancient wisdom traditions.
You’ll discover how mindful compassion training harnesses the power of neuroplasticity to create durable cognitive and behavioral change, transforming the brain’s natural response to empathy fatigue, emotional dysregulation, and social challenges. You’ll also learn how the benefits of compassion practice extend far beyond the individual, enhancing collective well-being alongside your own.
This 8-module course includes:
5+ hours of on-demand video lectures & mindfulness practices
Readings & compassionate “fieldwork” activities
Guided at-home meditation retreat
Downloadable audio meditations
Self paced learning on any device, anytime
This 8-module course includes:
5+ hours of on-demand video lectures & mindfulness practices
Guided at home meditation retreat
Readings & compassionate “fieldwork” activities
Downloadable audio meditations
Self paced learning on any device, anytime
Judith Simmer-Brown, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies Emeritx at Naropa University, where she has taught as a Founding Faculty member since 1978. She has practiced Tibetan Buddhism for forty-five years and is an Acharya (Senior Teacher) of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Naropa’s founder. She is the founder and Senior Faculty Adviser to the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education (CACE), exhibiting the University’s leadership as the pioneer institution for contemplative education. Dr. Simmer-Brown lectures and writes on Tibetan Buddhism, American Buddhism, women and Buddhism, inter-religious dialogue, and contemplative education.
Judith Simmer-Brown, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies Emeritx at Naropa University, where she has taught as a Founding Faculty member since 1978. She has practiced Tibetan Buddhism for forty-five years and is an Acharya (Senior Teacher) of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Naropa’s founder. She is the founder and Senior Faculty Adviser to the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education (CACE), exhibiting the University’s leadership as the pioneer institution for contemplative education. Dr. Simmer-Brown lectures and writes on Tibetan Buddhism, American Buddhism, women and Buddhism, inter-religious dialogue, and contemplative education.
Carla Burns, MDiv, is an Instructor in Naropa’s Core College, and Graduate School of Psychology, with an emphasis on the exploration of loving-kindness through the wisdom of the body, emotions, and the elements. She is particularly passionate about the ways in which contemplative practice communities can come to understand multiple ways of being and knowing, and how we embody and utilize space as a means to personal, collective and cosmic liberation. In addition, she is certified Mindfulness Instructor at Naropa University, co-developed Naropa’s Embodied Mindfulness in Teaching Training program and is the Program Manager for the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education.
Carla Burns, MDiv, is an Instructor in Naropa’s Core College, and Graduate School of Psychology, with an emphasis on the exploration of loving-kindness through the wisdom of the body, emotions, and the elements. She is particularly passionate about the ways in which contemplative practice communities can come to understand multiple ways of being and knowing, and how we embody and utilize space as a means to personal, collective and cosmic liberation. In addition, she is certified Mindfulness Instructor at Naropa University, co-developed Naropa’s Embodied Mindfulness in Teaching Training program and is the Program Manager for the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education.
Jordan Quaglia, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology, Director of the Cognitive and Affective Science Laboratory, and Research Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education at Naropa University. His research, supported by funding from Mind and Life Institute and John Templeton Foundation, has been featured in leading scientific journals and books, and relies on a range of tools, from neuroscientific measures to virtual reality, to study topics such as mindfulness and compassion.
Jordan Quaglia, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology, Director of the Cognitive and Affective Science Laboratory, and Research Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education at Naropa University. His research, supported by funding from Mind and Life Institute and John Templeton Foundation, has been featured in leading scientific journals and books, and relies on a range of tools, from neuroscientific measures to virtual reality, to study topics such as mindfulness and compassion.
Charlotte Z. Rotterdam is a contemplative educator, Buddhist teacher, and meditation instructor. She is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education at Naropa University and an Instructor in Naropa’s Core College, World Wisdom Department, and Graduate School of Psychology. She co-developed and teaches Naropa’s Mindful Compassion Training, a secular program to cultivate compassion in personal, professional and societal contexts. She is the Lead Teacher of the Mother Lineage (Magyu Lopön) at Tara Mandala Retreat Center. Charlotte received a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. The mother of two boys, she has published essays on the intersection of spiritual practice and daily life in Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, Mandala and Fearless Nest, an anthology.
Charlotte Z. Rotterdam is a contemplative educator, Buddhist teacher, and meditation instructor. She is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education at Naropa University and an Instructor in Naropa’s Core College, World Wisdom Department, and Graduate School of Psychology. She co-developed and teaches Naropa’s Mindful Compassion Training, a secular program to cultivate compassion in personal, professional and societal contexts. She is the Lead Teacher of the Mother Lineage (Magyu Lopön) at Tara Mandala Retreat Center. Charlotte received a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. The mother of two boys, she has published essays on the intersection of spiritual practice and daily life in Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, Mandala and Fearless Nest, an anthology.
The self-paced online course begins as soon as you enroll. You decide when you start and when you finish.
This Naropa On-Demand course is available through our online Learning Management System, Thinkific. After enrolling, you will be able to access the course at anytime through your Thinkific Dashboard.
After enrolling, you will have unlimited access to this course for one full year from the date of enrollment – across any and all devices you own.
For more information about Naropa On-Demand courses, visit our Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
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.
Academics
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.
Admissions & Aid
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.
Support Naropa
At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.
Due to adverse weather conditions of high winds and planned power outages, all Naropa campuses will be closed today.
Graduate School of Counseling concentrations listed below will be offering online and low-residency courses to start their programs in January 2026 as well as our Summer 2026 terms.
Beginning a graduate program in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 means that you will have access to apply for Graduate Plus loans as these loans will be eliminated at the federal level starting in Fall 2026.
Contact Admissions (admissions@naropa.edu) today to learn how you can begin the next step in your graduate education journey.
