Through a rich array of articles, interviews, multimedia offerings, and artwork, Naropa Magazine shares how Naropa’s mission of contemplative education manifests in the classroom through innovative approaches to teaching, learning, and research, and how that mission is expressed in the creative ways that students, alumnx, and faculty “meet the world as it is and change it for the better.” Naropa Magazine is mailed to Naropa alumnx and friends of Naropa University. See the 2021–22 issue of the magazine below or a PDF of the 2019–20 issue of Naropa Magazine.
The cover artist for the 21–22 issue of the magazine is Paula Gasparini-Santos, a Brazilian-born artist living in Boulder, Colorado, and a graduate of Naropa’s MA in Transpersonal Art Therapy program. The heart is a reoccurring symbol in Paula's work because, in her own words, "You have to expose that heart, you have to expose everything that is within for us to be able to do the work of healing.” Her art supports her heart’s calling to help people, in their transparency, bringing truth to light, so there can be an honest conversation and more honest connection and intimacy.
Letter from the President
The Marriage of Art & Healing
Creating a Culture of Care
When asked about his leadership style, Associate Dean of Students Jeremy Moore, PhD, describes himself as a synergistic leader who is heartfelt and collaborative, someone who is driven by the belief that difference—in perspectives or identity— can make us stronger.
Scholarship Meets Practice
Today, yoga is a billion-dollar industry. Studios, classes, retreat offerings, and yoga pants can be found all over the world—from South America to Europe throughout Asia and across Instagram—so how did a master’s degree in the subject make it to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at a university located in Boulder, Colorado?
Spiritual First Responders
Kyva Holman, graduate of Naropa’s BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and MA in Religious Studies, was elected to be the graduate student speaker for the class of 2021. His address below speaks to the unique hardships our 2020 and 2021 graduates faced and the beauty and resilience they found in these challenging times.
Naropa Launches Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Certificate
In March 2022, Naropa University launched the first cohort for the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Certificate program facilitated by the Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies in partnership with Naropa Extended Campus.
Courageous Engagement with the World
The purpose of Naropa University is to cultivate compassionate, creative, and critical engagement with an ever-changing world through the discipline of contemplative education. Never has this wisdom and skill been more urgently needed.
Embracing the Higher Why
Naropa University’s mission of contemplative education invites students to engage in an internal process of exploring how they might make a positive difference in the world.
Embracing the Awkward
Pride is More than a Month
Love didn’t always win, but it has always had the power to transform. For Jonathan Kirkendall (MA Counseling Psychology, '94) and Scott Perkins (MA Buddhist Studies, '92), it did just that.
Tyler Norris: Chair of The Naropa Board Of Trustees
In January of 2021, Naropa’s Board of Trustees selected Tyler Norris (Divinity, '11), as the new chair. Norris is an alumnx of Naropa and is the chief executive at Well Being Trust, an impact philanthropy with a mission to advance the mental, social, and spiritual health of the nation.