web01.fireside.fm Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:08:34 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Mindful U at Naropa University - Episodes Tagged with “Transpersonal” https://mindful-u-at-naropa-university.fireside.fm/tags/transpersonal Thu, 20 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0700 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! en-us episodic Thoughts and Instruction on Mindfulness in Higher Education 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! no mindful u, higher education, mindful university, school of buddhism, contemplative education, psychedelic therapy, psychedelic assisted therapy, psychedelic chaplaincy, colleges in colorado, boulder colorado university Naropa University naropamoment@gmail.com 111. The Power of the Body: A Look at Somatic Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy https://mindful-u-at-naropa-university.fireside.fm/9 65766a92-2644-4ec2-8d21-e6c1cda12a7f Thu, 20 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0700 Naropa University full Naropa University In this episode, Heather Sutton, MA, LPC—somatic counselor, Dance/Movement Therapist, and chair of Naropa’s Somatic Counseling program—joins us to explore the healing intelligence of the body through somatic therapy and dance/movement counseling. 48:56 no 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. somatic therapy, dance therapy, movement therapy, somatic counseling, Naropa, healing, transpersonal, somatic, counseling, mental health 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.

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]]> 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.

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]]> 110. Art Therapy: Healing the Inner Landscape https://mindful-u-at-naropa-university.fireside.fm/8 00e18634-a441-4872-b36c-3d7c79bbbc2f Tue, 22 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0600 Naropa University full Naropa University In this episode, Michael Franklin, PhD—author, professor, and former chair of Naropa University's graduate Transpersonal Art Therapy program—joins us to explore art as a transformative path for healing the soul. Franklin invites us into the contemplative language of art—through mediums like clay, paint, and film—and how these move us beyond just self-expression and into uncovering deeper layers of ourselves and our potential. Drawing from his journey into transpersonal art therapy, he explains why art may be the most precise language for emotion, and how fluency in creative practice helps us stay present with our own discomfort so we can more compassionately accompany others through theirs in the practice of Art Therapy.  1:04:56 no In this episode, Michael Franklin, PhD—author, professor, and former chair of Naropa University's graduate Transpersonal Art Therapy program—joins us to explore art as a transformative path for healing the soul. Franklin invites us into the contemplative language of art—through mediums like clay, paint, and film—and how these move us beyond just self-expression and into uncovering deeper layers of ourselves and our potential. Drawing from his journey into transpersonal art therapy, he explains why art may be the most precise language for emotion, and how fluency in creative practice helps us stay present with our own discomfort so we can more compassionately accompany others through theirs in the practice of Art Therapy.  Special Guest: Michael Franklin. art, art therapy, contemplative, contemplative education, Naropa, healing, transpersonal, transpersonal art therapy In this episode, Michael Franklin, PhD—author, professor, and former chair of Naropa University's graduate Transpersonal Art Therapy program—joins us to explore art as a transformative path for healing the soul.

Franklin invites us into the contemplative language of art—through mediums like clay, paint, and film—and how these move us beyond just self-expression and into uncovering deeper layers of ourselves and our potential. Drawing from his journey into transpersonal art therapy, he explains why art may be the most precise language for emotion, and how fluency in creative practice helps us stay present with our own discomfort so we can more compassionately accompany others through theirs in the practice of Art Therapy. 

Special Guest: Michael Franklin.

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]]> In this episode, Michael Franklin, PhD—author, professor, and former chair of Naropa University's graduate Transpersonal Art Therapy program—joins us to explore art as a transformative path for healing the soul.

Franklin invites us into the contemplative language of art—through mediums like clay, paint, and film—and how these move us beyond just self-expression and into uncovering deeper layers of ourselves and our potential. Drawing from his journey into transpersonal art therapy, he explains why art may be the most precise language for emotion, and how fluency in creative practice helps us stay present with our own discomfort so we can more compassionately accompany others through theirs in the practice of Art Therapy. 

Special Guest: Michael Franklin.

Support Mindful U at Naropa University

]]> 76. Miki Fire: Discovering the Self Through Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy https://mindful-u-at-naropa-university.fireside.fm/miki-fire-discovering-the-self-through-transpersonal-wilderness-therapy e07ba9f6-e4c1-475c-9773-28edc586739a Mon, 01 Jul 2019 00:00:00 -0600 Naropa University full Naropa University "I do think here at Naropa specifically we do have a transpersonal orientation, a transpersonal lens that we then incorporate into all of our classes. So, the contemplative education piece is very much interwoven in what we do in the field. And so, we incorporate contemplative practices, we talk about how nature based experiences themselves can be forms of contemplative practice and inquiry. We also do introduce the transpersonal model. So how do we work with those kinds of experiences that the transpersonal orientation has really taken in and not pathologized. And being in the outdoors for many people, depending on the context, also can be quite evocative of experiences that do not fit cleanly into our usual psychological frameworks or when they are they're often pathologized." 46:47 no "I do think here at Naropa specifically we do have a transpersonal orientation, a transpersonal lens that we then incorporate into all of our classes. So, the contemplative education piece is very much interwoven in what we do in the field. And so, we incorporate contemplative practices, we talk about how nature based experiences themselves can be forms of contemplative practice and inquiry. We also do introduce the transpersonal model. So how do we work with those kinds of experiences that the transpersonal orientation has really taken in and not pathologized. And being in the outdoors for many people, depending on the context, also can be quite evocative of experiences that do not fit cleanly into our usual psychological frameworks or when they are they're often pathologized." Special Guest: Miki Fire. Naropa University, Naropa, University, higher Education, Education, College, Contemplative, Buddhism, Mindfulness, Mindful, Environment, Environmental Justice, Wilderness, Wild life, Therapy, Wilderness Therapy, Transpersonal, Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy, Miki Fire, David DeVine "I do think here at Naropa specifically we do have a transpersonal orientation, a transpersonal lens that we then incorporate into all of our classes. So, the contemplative education piece is very much interwoven in what we do in the field. And so, we incorporate contemplative practices, we talk about how nature based experiences themselves can be forms of contemplative practice and inquiry. We also do introduce the transpersonal model. So how do we work with those kinds of experiences that the transpersonal orientation has really taken in and not pathologized. And being in the outdoors for many people, depending on the context, also can be quite evocative of experiences that do not fit cleanly into our usual psychological frameworks or when they are they're often pathologized."

Special Guest: Miki Fire.

Support Mindful U at Naropa University

]]> "I do think here at Naropa specifically we do have a transpersonal orientation, a transpersonal lens that we then incorporate into all of our classes. So, the contemplative education piece is very much interwoven in what we do in the field. And so, we incorporate contemplative practices, we talk about how nature based experiences themselves can be forms of contemplative practice and inquiry. We also do introduce the transpersonal model. So how do we work with those kinds of experiences that the transpersonal orientation has really taken in and not pathologized. And being in the outdoors for many people, depending on the context, also can be quite evocative of experiences that do not fit cleanly into our usual psychological frameworks or when they are they're often pathologized."

Special Guest: Miki Fire.

Support Mindful U at Naropa University

]]> 32. Dr. Itai Ivtzan: The Discovery of Meaning and Purpose https://mindful-u-at-naropa-university.fireside.fm/itai-ivtzan-discovery-meaning-purpose 21cb93e9-6ee7-470a-9899-f08ae64bd806 Mon, 16 Jul 2018 10:00:00 -0600 Naropa University full Naropa University The disciplines of psychology and spirituality both offer us humans a gift. Psychology, being the mind-oriented discipline, seems to offer us a chance to envision ourselves within our surroundings. At the same time, spirituality invites us to move beyond the mind, and even beyond the definitions of a self. Most of us tend to focus on one or the other over our lives. But, in doing so, we often narrow our experience. When these two disciplines are married, however, we can achieve an incredible explosion of potentials to live life as fully as possible. 38:08 no The disciplines of psychology and spirituality both offer us humans a gift. Psychology, being the mind-oriented discipline, seems to offer us a chance to envision ourselves within our surroundings. At the same time, spirituality invites us to move beyond the mind, and even beyond the definitions of a self. Most of us tend to focus on one or the other over our lives. But, in doing so, we often narrow our experience. When these two disciplines are married, however, we can achieve an incredible explosion of potentials to live life as fully as possible. Special Guest: Itai Ivtzan. psychology, spirituality, transcendental The disciplines of psychology and spirituality both offer us humans a gift. Psychology, being the mind-oriented discipline, seems to offer us a chance to envision ourselves within our surroundings. At the same time, spirituality invites us to move beyond the mind, and even beyond the definitions of a self. Most of us tend to focus on one or the other over our lives. But, in doing so, we often narrow our experience. When these two disciplines are married, however, we can achieve an incredible explosion of potentials to live life as fully as possible.

Special Guest: Itai Ivtzan.

Support Mindful U at Naropa University

]]> The disciplines of psychology and spirituality both offer us humans a gift. Psychology, being the mind-oriented discipline, seems to offer us a chance to envision ourselves within our surroundings. At the same time, spirituality invites us to move beyond the mind, and even beyond the definitions of a self. Most of us tend to focus on one or the other over our lives. But, in doing so, we often narrow our experience. When these two disciplines are married, however, we can achieve an incredible explosion of potentials to live life as fully as possible.

Special Guest: Itai Ivtzan.

Support Mindful U at Naropa University

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