Close-up of natural wood grain rings forming a textured, concentric pattern.
Close-up of natural wood grain rings forming a textured, concentric pattern.
Emma Sartwell headshot

News & Updates

Emma Sartwell, MDiv

Adjunct Professor

Wisdom Traditions Department

EDUCATION:

MDiv in Comparative Religion from Naropa University, 2014; BA in Art Theory from the Gallatin School at New York University, 2010

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS:

COURSES TAUGHT:

GRADUATE- MDiv Capstone Seminar- MDiv Master’s Project Seminar- Process Lab- Integration Lab- Pathways to Spiritual Care & LeadershipUNDERGRADUATE- Introduction to Meditation

Emma Sartwell works as a somatic therapist and teaches in the Wisdom Traditions department for both BA and MA students.

She is a somatic therapist, who received her Master of Divinity degree from Naropa and then trained in Somatic Experiencing. She has been a Hebrew School teacher, meditation instructor, barista, and worn many other hats along the way. She is now the owner and founder of Somatic Spiritual Counseling, a collective of body- and mindfulness-based coaches and therapists.

She lives in Longmont with her husband and two puppies.

PUBLICATIONS:

2021 | Chögyam Trungpa. Cynicism and Magic: Intelligence and Intuition on the Buddhist Path. Edited by
Emma Sartwell & Opening the Dharma team. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications.

2019 | Inner Ocean Center for Healing Blog
– Rites of Passage: Interview with Mindi Counts
– Anxiety + Attachment

2016 | The Wheel, Shambhala Publications’ Blog
– Tias Little on the Subtle Body (interview)

2014 | shambhalatimes.org
– Why Go on Retreat? (transcription)
– Leveraging Compassion (transcription)
– On Making Art

2010–2019 | YogaCityNYC
– Does Shamanism Really Work?
– Does Internet Stardom Make a Great Yoga Teacher?
– Torah Yoga is Growing: For Jews and All Wisdom Seekers

2012 | Sartwell, Emma. “Bufferhood: An Autoethnography.” In The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays, edited by Tara Masih, 31–39. Deadwood, OR: Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing.

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

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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. 

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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.  

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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. 

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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.

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Naropa University campuses are closed on 12/17/2025. 

Due to adverse weather conditions of high winds and planned power outages, all Naropa campuses will be closed today. 

 

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Spring and Summer Start Dates for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentrations

In support of students and in response to federal legislation impacting financial aid for graduate students, Naropa University will be accepting applications for MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for spring starts through January 10.

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.