Mindful U at Naropa University

About Mindful U at Naropa University

As the birthplace of the mindfulness movement in the United States, Naropa University has a unique perspective when it comes to higher education in the West. Founded in 1974 by renowned Tibetan Buddhist scholar and lineage holder Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Naropa was intended to be a place where students could study Eastern and Western religions, writing, psychology, science, and the arts, while also receiving contemplative and meditation training. Forty-three years later, Naropa is a leader in ‘contemplative education’, a pedagogical approach that blends rigorous academics, contemplative practice, and experiential learning. Naropa President Chuck Lief explains, “Mindfulness here is not a class. Mindfulness is basically the underpinning of what we do in all of our classes. That said, the flavor or the color of mindfulness from class to class is really completely up to the individual faculty member to work on—on their own. So, what happens in a poetry class is going to look very different from what happens in a research psychology class. But, one way or another the contemplative practices are brought into the mix.” This podcast is for those with an interest in mindfulness and a curiosity about its place in both higher education and the world at large. Hosted by Naropa alumnus and Multimedia Manager David DeVine, episodes feature Naropa faculty, alumni, and special guests on a wide variety of topics including compassion, permaculture, social justice, herbal healing, and green architecture—to name a few. Listen to explore the transformative possibilities of mindfulness, both in the classroom and beyond!

Publisher

Naropa University

Category

education · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Oct 2017

Latest episode

23 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 113 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   23 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   113. The Science of Psychology: Mind, Perception, and Consciousness

   In this episode, Peter Grossenbacher, PhD—Naropa faculty member and psychological researcher—explores the science of psychology through his research on perception, sensory experience, and psychedelic states, and how these insights bridge disciplines from counseling to biology. Drawing on his work at the intersection of meditation, consciousness, and psychological science, he reflects on the transformative potential of contemplative practice—how shifts in perspective can reshape our experience of self and world. He also examines the limitations of frameworks like the DSM in capturing the fullness of human experience, and how Naropa’s emphasis on authenticity, presence, and relationship fosters academic freedom and spontaneous, teachable moments in the classroom. Special Guest: Peter Grossenbacher, PhD. Support Mindful U at Naropa University (https://alumnx.naropa.edu/g/donate-to-multiple-naropa-initiatives)

2. 

   17 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   112. The Art of Truly Listening: Spiritual Care for a World in Transition

   In this episode, Dr. Ji Hyang Padma—Associate Professor in Naropa University’s Master of Divinity program, Soto Zen teacher, and longtime interfaith chaplain—explores the art and profession of spiritual care .Drawing on more than twenty-five years of Zen training, including fourteen years in monastic practice, she shares what it means to serve as a “spiritual friend,” accompanying people through illness, grief, and life’s most vulnerable transitions—and how contemplative practice helps us meet suffering with spaciousness rather than trying to fix it. She shares insights from her work across university chaplaincies and contemplative education, describing how spiritual care supports meaning-making across cultures and beliefs, why presence itself can be healing, and how grounding in one’s own practice enables compassionate connection with others. She illustrates how professional spiritual care can be a profound relational practice—one that helps us face impermanence, open the heart, and discover wholeness within the realities of being human. Special Guest: Ji Hyang Padma. Support Mindful U at Naropa University (https://alumnx.naropa.edu/g/donate-to-multiple-naropa-initiatives)

3. 

   20 Nov 2025

   111. The Power of the Body: A Look at Somatic Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy

   In this episode, Heather Sutton, MA, LPC—somatic counselor, Dance/Movement Therapist, and chair of Naropa’s Somatic Counseling program—explores the healing intelligence of the body through somatic therapy and dance/movement counseling. Drawing on more than twenty years of clinical practice and her leadership in adaptive movement, Heather shares her journey from dancer to therapist and clarifies the distinctions between dance/movement therapy and body psychotherapy. She explains why not all experiences have words—and how movement helps us navigate difficult emotions, reclaim safety in the body, and stay with sensation long enough to learn from it. Heather also explores real-world applications of somatic counseling, the nuances of Naropa’s two somatic concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, the central role of emotional attunement in therapeutic relationships, and how embodied practice fosters resilience, presence, and transformation. Special Guest: Heather Sutton. Support Mindful U at Naropa University (https://alumnx.naropa.edu/g/donate-to-multiple-naropa-initiatives)

Inside a recent episode

113. The Science of Psychology: Mind, Perception, and Consciousness

Published 23 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] To me, what it sounds like, it's more psychological than psychology, because it's not so based upon somebody's trauma trying to fix something. It's more of looking at societal norms, patterns, how people perceive. You said something about filtering the sensory flow, things like that. So it has a scientific lens upon the psychology, because we all have psychological makeups, but it's like, how do we apply it in society? Yeah. So I'm really hearing you start to see the inside of this field, which is a field of science. You could say it's a subfield of biology. So to understand how minds and brains and bodies actually do what they're doing, it's a very multi -faceted, even multi -disciplinary field. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

1,600,075

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.3 / 5

53 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 70 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

83

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

50