Masters of Contemplative Education summer intensive @ Naropa

This may be the only time I feel really comfortable about describing my experience here during my first of 2 summer retreats at Naropa's Masters of Contemplative Education program. I am IN it (we still have more than one week left) and today is a Day of Contemplation... one way I enjoy contemplation is through writing (duh) so, here it is.

I chose this program for its emphasis on integrating mindfulness in the lives of teachers. I was looking at a number of different graduate programs (teaching social justice in Pittsburgh, Ed Leadership, Curriculum, Interdisciplinary, etc) but I was really drawn, intuitively, to apply to this program. I came to visit the campus in February, and felt really drawn to the energy of the community. After the interview, I felt a total sense of trust in the department, and that is something I've never experienced in a university setting. EVER.

So, I arrived and met my roommates, Elizabeth and 'domestic' Amy (we have two Amys in our cohort: one is domestic, one is imported) and then tried to meet everyone else. The first few days is meet and greet, easing into the routine of regular sitting meditation practice, and thesis presentations. After that, the 'third years' graduated and our real work began.

There are three classes we take, every day: Presence in Teaching, Contemplative Teacher, and Community Practice Seminar. We also have 45 minutes of meditation in the morning and 45 in the evening. We share lunches, tea time, and dinner. Our day begins with morning meditation (which was just shifted from 7:45 am to 8:00 am) and then classes. CPS ends our day (used to end at 8:30, now ends at 8:00pm... 12 hour day, yay!).

An excerpt from one of my reflection papers:
"Walking into Presence class each day is a bit of a task. I consult the syllabus, only to discover it is “only for visioning purposes” and “should not be considered a reliable reference (Worley, 2009).” Still, I settle into the ‘recommended’ reading, imagine that something from it will ease me into the unknown that awaits, and then cross the threshold returning to Shambhala hall. The class assembles, and then we discover our awareness of the vastness of universal space; we throw our weight around, and zombie walk through sensation and location. So much disruption, every day, can be stupefying. Presence class delivers a direct embodiment of contemplation: our own experiential guarantee that understanding occurs in the physical, sensitive, livable, lovable world, experienced by a physical, sensitive, livable, lovable body, in community with other such bodies. This is quite far from my “intellectual” expectations of the limits of contemplative practice!"

We have been encouraged to stretch ourselves here more completely than in any other context I've every experienced. IT IS AMAZING.

And, it transforms into a distance learning program when we leave on June 18.

All right, I must be off. This day is MY day, and I've got to do some living in it before it's gone!