Keynote: “Planetary Puja Embodying the Five Elements” with Sreedevi Bringi and music by Sheela Bringi

Nalanda Events Center 11:15am-12:45pm MT and Online at https://naropa.zoom.us/j/99516034981

Leap into the womb of Mother India (Bhārat) with Sreedevi guiding us through the yogic wisdom of the sages through the ages.

Participate in a guided planetary puja /worship, while embodying the five elements through Vedic and Tantric Sanskrit mantras. A simple stage altar will be set up with Hindu deity icons, puja powders, water, lamps, bells, flowers, incense, rice grains and fruit offerings. Chant the seed sounds (bīja mantra) of the five elements and visualize their sacred geometry and colors. Mentally install the bīja mantras within your chakras. Learn hand gestures /mudra for the five elements. Sip sanctified water with the energy of intention/sankalpa.

From the Vedanta tradition, hear sacred poetic insights on the five elements from the “I am Divine Light” poem and the “Honey Wisdom” passage from the Upanishad texts. With guided self-inquiry, reflect on the power of the five elements in your own life. Optional: Bring a sacred object for the altar and a notebook for journaling.

Sreedevi Bringi is a retired core faculty member in Yoga Studies/ Religious Studies at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado (1998-2017). She co-developed the Yoga Studies program along with Nataraja Kallio, while teaching courses in Contemplative Hinduism, Hindu Tantra, Yoga History and Philosophy, Yoga Meditation and Intro to Sacred Sanskrit. She also offered a popular yoga Nidra meditation series to the public for some years through the Naropa School of Extended Studies, along with classes in Sacred Sanskrit immersion, Vedanta/Bhagavad Gita/Upanishads and the Goddess Traditions of India.

At Naropa University, Sreedevi was a co-teacher at the recent ‘Breeze of Simplicity’ weekend retreat and a regular presenter at several Practice Day events. She has represented Hindu/yoga traditions in several inter-faith panels, including the graduate Divinity program, Legacy Foundation conference, and the “From Age-ing to Sage-ing Symposium. Statewide, she has been an invited presenter at spiritual events, church congregations and campus ministries. In the online realm, Sreedevi has taught at the Rasa Yoga Collective, Hanuman Planetary Summit, the Pranayama Summit and the Divine Feminine Summit.

Sreedevi has been a popular presenter at several yoga festivals and yoga teacher trainings on topics such as yoga Nidra meditation, Vedas, Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Sacred Sanskrit for Spiritual Practice, Yoga Philosophy, Goddess Traditions of India, and Shiva-Shakti Tantra. She is also a contributing author in an anthology textbook entitled, “Beacons of Dharma” (2019), writing an invited chapter about Amma, the charismatic ‘hugging saint’ of India.

Sreedevi’s website introduces yoga Nidra meditation, Hindu deity teachings and Sanskrit mantras, chants. Her Youtube Channel offers Goddess teachings, Tantric yoga Nidra sessions and a chat on the power of Sacred Sanskrit. 

12:30–1:45 PM: Lunch 

On your own.

12:30–1:45 PM: BIPOC Community Lunch

Location: large classroom second floor (room number 9235) – RSVP

Hosted by MCIC and SOCA.

In-Person Offerings

Tibetan Yoga and the Inner Healing Elements with Ian Wickramasekera // Nalanda 9189

Come and learn how to practice Tibetan Yoga to aid Mindfulness Meditation and other contemplative practices. We will practice the 9 Breathings and 5 Tsa Lung practices which were selected to help stabilize Mindfulness Meditation practice and to improve one’s general health and spiritual insights according to the Bon lineage of Tibet. No previous training with yoga or special clothing is needed. Most movements are performed sitting on a cushion or chair.

Dr. Ian has taught in counseling, psychology, and psychiatry programs for 22 years and has taught with Naropa’s Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling program since 2015. He was empowered to teach Tibetan Yoga by Geshe Yungdrung Gyaltsen Rinpoche in 2016. Dr. Ian is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and has won numerous awards for his research and writings on ancient and contemporary contemplative practices like mindfulness, Dzogchen, hypnosis, and biofeedback.

Dream Wisdom & Elemental Signs with Jaime Duggan // Nalanda 9248

Have you ever dreamt you were flying through the air, exploring a forest, or bathing in a body of water? Nature’s elements are frequent companions in both our nighttime adventures as well as in our waking dream encounters with signs and synchronicity. Through them, we can feel into greater balance and alignment with our soul’s deepest yearnings. In this short, experiential workshop, we will engage in practices for deciphering the wise whispers of the elements dreaming through us.

Jaime Duggan is a Certified Dream Work Practitioner and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance with a secondary emphasis in Ethnic Studies. She serves as the Graduate Advisor for the Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy program at Naropa University and has been a student and teacher of various healing arts for over 25 years. Jaime is passionate about assisting individuals to awaken to their higher potentials and purposes, and is particularly keen on drawing upon the profound wisdom of dreams and synchronicities.

Connection – the First Medicine with Michelle Gabrieloff-Parish // Nalanda 9190

In trying, unjust times, even small or simple practices can help us move, breathe, feel our way forward. We’ll begin (re)connecting with ourselves and our bodies—our breath, our movement. We’ll remember our sense of awe with life, the elements, and connection with others & other lineages of ancestors in the room. Inspired by the Work That Reconnects, designed for people striving to slow the violence and support ancient or develop new models for a more beautiful, just world, we will remember that connection is always here with/for us.

Michelle Gabrieloff-Parish is an ethnofuturist mama and ecotopian dreamer preoccupied with ancestors, art, Environmental Justice and Earth (re)becoming a paradise. She brings over 25 years of experience uniting sustainability, justice, and art. Michelle is the founder of FLOWS, environmental justice program, serves on the Colorado Water Equity Partnership, the advisory board for Frontline Farming, and was recently appointed to the State of Colorado Biochar for Oil and Gas Plugging Working Group.

As founder of the “Once and Future Green”, Michelle consults for and trains Frontline communities, governments, and institutions to forward community-driven climate justice solutions with anti-oppression and ecological design tools. She is a poet, currently featured at Meow Wolf Denver.

Online Offerings

Intergenerational Healing in Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness with Sara Lewis // https://naropa.zoom.us/my/lewis2020

Non-ordinary states of consciousness, facilitated by psychedelic/entheogenic medicines, ritual, music, and other methods can bring about healing beyond the individual. Opening the doorway to healing past, present, and future generations, we can go beyond conventional notions of space and time. This virtual, experiential session offers discussion, contemplative practice, and embodied personal practice for those wanting to explore non-ordinary states and the ancestral realm.

Dr. Sara Lewis is the Director of Training and Research for Naropa’s Center for Psychedelic Studies where she designs and implements the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies. She is committed to individual and collective responsibility for healing and as a new Mom is especially connected to the new wave of creative, innovative beings coming to help us wake into our inherent nature as a collective.

Faculty Track

We are excited to offer for the first time a series of afternoon workshops on Contemplative Pedagogy, specifically designed for faculty. All Naropa faculty are invited and encouraged to join. This is a unique opportunity to engage with other faculty around particular topics in contemplative education, Naropa’s unique educational lineage. There are two afternoon workshop times, each with an in-person and online offering.

Joanna Macy’s 7th Generation Practice to Inspire Contemplative Educators with Regina Smith, Betsy Gonzalez-Blohm & Aaron McNeil 

1:45pm-3:00pm LOCATION: Nalanda 9184 

This Deep Time ritual, originally created by Joanna Macy and now re-imagined allows us to see the Great Turning within a larger time frame, including that of a human being of the Seventh Generation in the future, roughly two centuries from the present. This exploration will ask present day educators to imagine the lessons and skills needed to lead us into the future world we know is possible.

Aaron McNeil is the Senior Director of Program Development and Strategic Initiatives for Academic Affairs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University in Religious Studies, and is a proud alumnx of Naropa’s MA program in Religious Studies.

Betsy Gonzalez Blohm is a lifelong educator and the dean of Naropa College and Graduate Collective. She believes education should be a practice of liberation and empowerment. She specializes in multicultural education and culturally responsive teaching as well as community engagement strategies and inclusivity. She believes excellent teaching is grounded in self awareness and attunement with one’s students and that contemplative practices are essential to those abilities. She lives in Boulder with her husband and stepdaughter and Australian cattle dog. She enjoys being in nature, playing soccer, and practicing yoga.

Rooted in embodied contemplative philosophies, Regina Smith is known for her magical creativity, intellectual clarity, and mission-centered collaborative leadership. As an equity-informed coach, she is passionate about supporting leaders in navigating complex power dynamics with heart, and as a consultant and trainer, she brings radical honesty and expertise in mindfulness to helping organizations create inclusive cultures for the greater good.  A life-long student of humility, she is currently the student of her beautiful and brilliant five-year-old son Zen. She currently serves Naropa University as Vice President for Mission, Culture, and Inclusive Community and is the Queen Dreamer at the Center for Radical Connection. 

The Five Wisdom Elements in Teaching and Learning with Richard Brown  

This workshop explores strategies taken from the five elements of maitri space awareness that help create contemplative learning environments and benefit the teacher’s classroom presence. These methods were developed over thirty years in Naropa’s Education Department and have proven effective in everyday teaching and learning in all disciplines. 

Richard C. Brown is Professor Emeritus of Contemplative Education at Naropa University. Founder of Naropa’s Education Department, he has devoted his career to adapting Buddhist wisdom to contemporary teaching and learning. He has written and lectured extensively on a wide range of contemplative education topics. Richard partnered with researchers and psychologists in the creation of Care for Teachers, now in its tenth year at Garrison Institute. 

LOCATION Online:   https://naropa.zoom.us/j/95891047758  
Meeting ID: 958 9104 7758 

In-Person Offerings

Contemplative Nature Walk: Ordinary Wonder with Candace Walworth // Location: Meet under the Sycamore Tree on the Arapahoe campus at 3:30pm.

We will engage with experiential exercises from Joanna Macy’s The Work that Reconnects. How might they interact with the five elements and our experience of Practice Day? To find out, let’s meet on the Arapahoe Campus under the giant Sycamore tree (in front of the Ginsberg library).

Professor Candace Walworth brings her many years of study and practice with the late Charlotte Joko Beck (Everyday Zen and Ordinary Wonder) as well as her love for the wisdom of The Work that Reconnects to this afternoon in nature.

Forged in Fire: Encaustic Collage with Amy Bobeda // Nalanda 9138

Explore the world’s second-oldest form of painting with beeswax and damar resin. In this
workshop, we’ll create collages with found images and natural elements before sealing
them in an encaustic medium to create lasting, haunting images. Bring an image to
include, pressed flowers, or other low-profile items. Other collage materials will be
provided.

Amy Bobeda directs the Naropa Writing Center and teaches in JKS and Visual Arts. Her
work explores menstruation, myth, and public policy. Most importantly, she thinks you
should visit the NWC!

Elemental Music: A Playlist for Spaceship Joy with Regina Smith & Seann Goodman // Nalanda 9248

Let the rhythm, melodies and vibrations take you on a music ethno journey of mind, body, soul in songs from past, present, and the future that will deepen our embodied and emotional  connection with the elements. Practice deep listening, dyadic exchange, and spontaneous movement.

Rooted in embodied contemplative philosophies, Regina Smith is known for her magical creativity, intellectual clarity, and mission-centered collaborative leadership. As an equity-informed coach, she is passionate about supporting leaders in navigating complex power dynamics with heart, and as a consultant and trainer, she brings radical honesty and expertise in mindfulness to helping organizations create inclusive cultures for the greater good.  A life-long student of humility, she is currently the student of her beautiful and brilliant five-year-old son Zen. She currently serves Naropa University as Vice President for Mission, Culture, and Inclusive Community and is the Queen Dreamer at the Center for Radical Connection. 

Seann Goodman, aka Kojo Bear the Deep Space and Community Activation Wrangler (he/him), is an authentic leader and transformative futurist modeling a commitment to community development focused on personal, ecological, and community impact. An educator, designer, activist, and producer who bridges the intersections of arts, spirituality, liberation, and equity. Seann Bear serves as the Director of Mission, Culture, and Inclusive Community, fusing his ‘corrosive magic’in all things Naropa since 2012.  

Online Offerings

Activating Your Academic Karmic Flow with Nate Jones & Kylie Fustini // ONLINE

Reflective exercises to empower the Academic Warrior within, as an experience of Co-Working, where group energy and mindfulness support efficient and easeful flow states of work. This offering is “practice in action.” Infused with connection to personal motivation and mindful awareness to demonstrate and illuminate how studying and day-to-day academics are inextricable parts of our path to greater service in life.

The Wisdom of the Elements from the Dagara Tradition with Giovannina Jobson // https://naropa.zoom.us/j/7232414326

Giovannina Jobson is a faculty member in Wisdom traditions. She teaches Buddhist meditation in the Master of Divinity program as well as across several departments at Naropa university. She is a devoted student, practitioner and instructor of Maitri Space Awareness, a teaching deeply rooted in the natural elements, which she incorporates in her teaching in Dharma Art , Spirituality and Creative Expression and in Ritual arts.

FACULTY TRACK

We are excited to offer for the first time a series of afternoon workshops on Contemplative Pedagogy, specifically designed for faculty. All Naropa faculty are invited and encouraged to join. This is a unique opportunity to engage with other faculty around particular topics in contemplative education, Naropa’s unique educational lineage. There are two afternoon workshop times, each with an in-person and online offering.

Contemplative Pedagogy? with Netanel Miles-Yepez // Nalanda 9184

What does ‘contemplation’ actually mean? And what makes something ‘contemplative’? Can we actually teach in a contemplative manner, or teach contemplation as a critical aspect of our classes, and in a way that is relevant to our various course subjects? These are the questions we should be asking as educators at Naropa, so that perhaps we will be able to speak honestly of ‘contemplative education,’ and without embarrassment. Join professor Netanel Miles-Yepez, Chair of Religious Studies, for a philosophical exploration of contemplative life as applied to teaching and what works in the classroom.

Netanel Miles-Yepez is the current Chair of Religious Studies at Naropa University and Director of the Keating-Schachter Center for Interspirituality. He is an artist, philosopher, religion scholar, and Sufi spiritual teacher. His books include the forthcoming The End of Religion and Other Writings (2023), Mirror of Love (2022), and In the Teahouse of Experience (2020).

Faculty Track (online): Joanna Macy’s 7th Generation Practice to Inspire Contemplative Educators: Jamelah Zidan with Betsy Blohm & Aaron McNeil

This Deep Time ritual, originally created by Joanna Macy and now re-imagined allows us to see the Great Turning within a larger time frame, including that of a human being of the Seventh Generation in the future, roughly two centuries from the present. This exploration will ask present day educators to imagine the lessons and skills needed to lead us into the future world we know is possible.

Aaron McNeil is the Senior Director of Program Development and Strategic Initiatives for Academic Affairs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University in Religious Studies, and is a proud alumnx of Naropa’s MA program in Religious Studies.

Jamelah Zidan (she/her) is the Inclusive Community Manager at Naropa University. She has an M.S. Education from Sarah Lawrence College.  For several years, Jamelah worked as a teacher in New York City. Desiring to work in a more spiritual atmosphere and impact the quality of people’s lives, she changed careers, taking up a position as Assistant Director at the Abode, a Sufi and Interfaith retreat center in the Berkshires. She moved to Colorado in 2020 to be with her husband, Netanel Miles-Yepez, and is now happy to be working with the compassionate and skilled staff, students, and faculty of Naropa. Jamelah serves as a facilitator with RAIV (Restorative Approaches to Intimate Violence), the Boulder County DA’s Office and with Victim-Offender Dialogues in Colorado. 

Betsy Gonzalez Blohm is a lifelong educator and the dean of Naropa College and Graduate Collective. She believes education should be a practice of liberation and empowerment. She specializes in multicultural education and culturally responsive teaching as well as community engagement strategies and inclusivity. She believes excellent teaching is grounded in self awareness and attunement with one’s students and that contemplative practices are essential to those abilities. She lives in Boulder with her husband and stepdaughter and Australian cattle dog. She enjoys being in nature, playing soccer, and practicing yoga.

FACULTY TRACK

We are excited to offer for the first time a series of afternoon workshops on Contemplative Pedagogy, specifically designed for faculty. All Naropa faculty are invited and encouraged to join. This is a unique opportunity to engage with other faculty around particular topics in contemplative education, Naropa’s unique educational lineage. There are two afternoon workshop times, each with an in-person and online offering.

Joanna Macy’s 7th Generation Practice to Inspire Contemplative Educators with Regina Smith, Betsy Gonzalez-Blohm & Aaron McNeil 

1:45pm-3:00pm LOCATION: Nalanda 9184 

This Deep Time ritual, originally created by Joanna Macy and now re-imagined allows us to see the Great Turning within a larger time frame, including that of a human being of the Seventh Generation in the future, roughly two centuries from the present. This exploration will ask present day educators to imagine the lessons and skills needed to lead us into the future world we know is possible.

Aaron McNeil is the Senior Director of Program Development and Strategic Initiatives for Academic Affairs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University in Religious Studies, and is a proud alumnx of Naropa’s MA program in Religious Studies.

Betsy Gonzalez Blohm is a lifelong educator and the dean of Naropa College and Graduate Collective. She believes education should be a practice of liberation and empowerment. She specializes in multicultural education and culturally responsive teaching as well as community engagement strategies and inclusivity. She believes excellent teaching is grounded in self awareness and attunement with one’s students and that contemplative practices are essential to those abilities. She lives in Boulder with her husband and stepdaughter and Australian cattle dog. She enjoys being in nature, playing soccer, and practicing yoga.

Rooted in embodied contemplative philosophies, Regina Smith is known for her magical creativity, intellectual clarity, and mission-centered collaborative leadership. As an equity-informed coach, she is passionate about supporting leaders in navigating complex power dynamics with heart, and as a consultant and trainer, she brings radical honesty and expertise in mindfulness to helping organizations create inclusive cultures for the greater good.  A life-long student of humility, she is currently the student of her beautiful and brilliant five-year-old son Zen. She currently serves Naropa University as Vice President for Mission, Culture, and Inclusive Community and is the Queen Dreamer at the Center for Radical Connection. 

The Five Wisdom Elements in Teaching and Learning with Richard Brown  

This workshop explores strategies taken from the five elements of maitri space awareness that help create contemplative learning environments and benefit the teacher’s classroom presence. These methods were developed over thirty years in Naropa’s Education Department and have proven effective in everyday teaching and learning in all disciplines. 

Richard C. Brown is Professor Emeritus of Contemplative Education at Naropa University. Founder of Naropa’s Education Department, he has devoted his career to adapting Buddhist wisdom to contemporary teaching and learning. He has written and lectured extensively on a wide range of contemplative education topics. Richard partnered with researchers and psychologists in the creation of Care for Teachers, now in its tenth year at Garrison Institute. 

LOCATION Online:   https://naropa.zoom.us/j/95891047758  
Meeting ID: 958 9104 7758 

Contemplative Pedagogy? with Netanel Miles-Yepez // 3:15-4:30pm  – Nalanda 9184

What does ‘contemplation’ actually mean? And what makes something ‘contemplative’? Can we actually teach in a contemplative manner, or teach contemplation as a critical aspect of our classes, and in a way that is relevant to our various course subjects? These are the questions we should be asking as educators at Naropa, so that perhaps we will be able to speak honestly of ‘contemplative education,’ and without embarrassment. Join professor Netanel Miles-Yepez, Chair of Religious Studies, for a philosophical exploration of contemplative life as applied to teaching and what works in the classroom.

Netanel Miles-Yepez is the current Chair of Religious Studies at Naropa University and Director of the Keating-Schachter Center for Interspirituality. He is an artist, philosopher, religion scholar, and Sufi spiritual teacher. His books include the forthcoming The End of Religion and Other Writings (2023), Mirror of Love (2022), and In the Teahouse of Experience (2020).

Faculty Track (online): Joanna Macy’s 7th Generation Practice to Inspire Contemplative Educators: Jamelah Zidan with Betsy Blohm & Aaron McNeil// 3:15-4:30pm  – Zoom Link TBD

This Deep Time ritual, originally created by Joanna Macy and now re-imagined allows us to see the Great Turning within a larger time frame, including that of a human being of the Seventh Generation in the future, roughly two centuries from the present. This exploration will ask present day educators to imagine the lessons and skills needed to lead us into the future world we know is possible.

Aaron McNeil is the Senior Director of Program Development and Strategic Initiatives for Academic Affairs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University in Religious Studies, and is a proud alumnx of Naropa’s MA program in Religious Studies.

Jamelah Zidan (she/her) is the Inclusive Community Manager at Naropa University. She has an M.S. Education from Sarah Lawrence College.  For several years, Jamelah worked as a teacher in New York City. Desiring to work in a more spiritual atmosphere and impact the quality of people’s lives, she changed careers, taking up a position as Assistant Director at the Abode, a Sufi and Interfaith retreat center in the Berkshires. She moved to Colorado in 2020 to be with her husband, Netanel Miles-Yepez, and is now happy to be working with the compassionate and skilled staff, students, and faculty of Naropa. Jamelah serves as a facilitator with RAIV (Restorative Approaches to Intimate Violence), the Boulder County DA’s Office and with Victim-Offender Dialogues in Colorado. 

Your voice matters!

Practice Day is produced by Mission Culture and Inclusive Community where we are committed to a practice of giving and receiving feedback. 

We rely on your voice to help us shape this event in the future, to be more in alignment with our Community Compass. 

Please take a minute, literally it take less than a minute at the end of each session to provide your honest feedback for each session you attend.  There is only one required question but space for you to write a small book. All your ideas are valuable and will be heard. 

The same link may be used more than once and we appreciate your feedback for every session you attend.

Open the FEEDBACK FORM now!