Roots & Branches: Contemplative Practice & Learning Seminar

Catalog description

The contemplative path invites us to bring together body, heart and mind to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom born from direct experience. It’s a courageous invitation to meet ourselves and those around us with openness, kindness and authenticity. What does contemplative practice really mean? What is the relationship between contemplative practice and the educational journey? How can we learn from the roots of traditional contemplative models while branching out to meet the needs of our current world? This Seminar explores key elements of the contemplative path, drawing on principles and practices from traditions that have informed Naropa’s unique model of contemplative education. Students will study ways a contemplative view and practice can inspire and enliven various disciplines, including the arts, psychology, environmental studies, activism; and can support the creation of a just, healthy and peaceful world. Students will study and engage with a variety of practices, and develop their own contemplative practice over the course of the semester.