Naropa University is what happens when higher education meets mindfulness, creativity, and deep healing. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa has been called the “birthplace of the modern mindfulness movement”—where inner work, social change, and academic study are all part of the same conversation. Classes here are more like life labs, where you’ll study things like compassion as a radical practice, the future of psychedelic therapy, and what it means to build a just food system.
Here are 10 of the most mind-expanding, heart-opening, actually-interesting courses you’ll find at Naropa.
Ikebana/Kado I
Ikebana, also referred to as Kado, is the Japanese art form and meditative practice of flower arranging, stemming from a love of nature and a delight in discovering the elegance and creativity of being human. In this Traditional Eastern Arts course, students explore both classical and improvisational forms from the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, founded by Sofu Teshigahara, and dive into Japanese culture as a living aesthetic. It’s about discovering the elegance of restraint, the courage of artistic expression, and the quiet joy of slowing down.
Online Yoga Teacher Training
Perfect for students who are looking to teach yoga, this course provides extensive yoga knowledge and training essentials. As a part of this class, students gain an understanding of yoga history, philosophy and practice; the art of teaching asana, pranayama, and meditation; anatomy; ethics; trauma-informed teaching; yoga therapy; the principles of effective speech; and professional development. Students engage in both self-paced and live sessions, deepening their personal practice while developing professional teaching skills. This course fulfills the training requirement to apply for the Yoga Alliance 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher credential and is grounded in Naropa’s integrative, mindful approach to education.
Food Justice
This course provides students with an introduction to food justice, examining how race, class, gender, and geography shape access to food. Students take a systems-based approach to understanding food production, distribution, and policy—investigating how structural inequalities lead to food insecurity and environmental harm. This course also explores the actions of various communities working towards empowerment and liberation and highlights how people are building resilience and equity through grassroots organizing and collective action.
Listening to Jazz
Often called America’s greatest art form, jazz is more than music—it’s a language of improvisation, soul, and cultural storytelling. In this course, students explore the multifaceted traditions of jazz through both recorded and live music, alongside readings that deepen their understanding of its artistic and cultural legacy. Open to all students, this class offers a rich introduction to one of the twentieth century’s most influential and expressive musical movements.
Theories of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Psychedelic therapy is transforming the future of mental health—and Naropa is one of the only universities where undergrads can study it now. This course explores the history and healing potential of psychedelic medicines through the lens of harm reduction and healing justice. Students dive into safety protocols, preparation and integration practices, and the ethical foundations of working with altered states. The course also centers right relationship with Indigenous cultures and medicines—acknowledging the deep roots of these practices and the responsibility of engaging them with care. Designed for advanced students in the Psychedelic Studies minor, this course lays the groundwork for future clinical training in a growing field of therapeutic care.
Multicultural Children’s Literature
In this course, students use a contemplative approach to reading, selecting, and evaluating materials appropriate for grade-level literary and interdisciplinary instruction. Students explore a variety of genres, illustrators, and authors, including multicultural trade books representing a diverse student population. Students develop integrated units and text sets aligned with Colorado Department of Education (CDE) standards, incorporating listening, speaking, reading, and writing into culturally responsive instruction. Practicum hours are included for hands-on experience.
Socially Engaged Spirituality
This course explores socially engaged spirituality through the lives and teachings of figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., alongside global examples of spiritual activism. Students examine the relationship between inner transformation and collective liberation, using materials like biography, literature, and film. Students look into how socially engaged spirituality is incorporated into their own lives and have the opportunity to develop a personal dialog with selected peacemakers and justice seekers.
Contemplative Ceramics: Form & Human Contact
For thousands of years, ceramics have been used not only to sustain life but also as a powerful form of personal expression. In this hands-on course, students develop their approach to ceramics, learning methods such as pinching, coiling, slab construction, and wheel throwing. Students explore the use of ceramics throughout the world and have the opportunity to incorporate their contemplative practice into the art form—crafting pieces that carry intention, presence, and a sense of connection with others.
Awakening Compassion: Working with Others
This course explores compassion in various cultural contexts, with an emphasis on the bodhisattva path of Mahayana Buddhism and Contemplative Psychology. Students learn and practice relational, social, and psychological skills, including embodied presence, deep listening, empathic attendance, compassionate inquiry, and metta and tonglen meditation. Coursework includes engaging in an “attending relationship”—a real-world opportunity to apply compassion in action. Compassion is explored not only as a personal virtue, but as a culturally-informed, socially transformative practice.
Approaches to Healing
Approaches to Healing provides students with a basic overview of the theory, practice, and use of various natural health and healing methods. Students explore how healing unfolds across the physical, emotional, energetic, mental, and spiritual dimensions of the human experience. Through an integrative and contemplative lens, the course emphasizes discernment, respect, and appreciation for the diverse ways people cultivate health and wholeness.
These are just a few examples of how Naropa brings learning to life—with courses that invite you to think deeply and engage with the world in meaningful ways.
If you’re curious to see what else is possible in college, head over to naropa.edu and take a look around or check out our undergraduate majors and graduate degrees. You might just find your next path there.
