2026 Classes & Offerings
Classes
Mindful Self Compassion – 8 week In Person course (flyer)
Hosted by Naropa Community Wellbeing and Resilience
All sessions will be held in person at the Naropa Arapahoe Campus
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Class Details (download information sheet):
Mondays 5:30pm – 8:15 pm MST
February 2 – April 6 (no class March 9 or March 23)
Day of Mindfulness: Saturday, March 14 from 9 a.m.-1p.m.
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Free introductory session (via zoom, link sent after signing up at registration link below):
Monday January 26, 5:30-7:00 pm
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Cost: FREE to all community members
Registration: Sign up here. AND download and complete this registration form and return to jeanleonardphd@gmail.com or jpark@naropa.edu. You are invited and encouraged to attend the upcoming free information session scheduled for Monday January 25, 5:30-7:00 pm via Zoom (link will be shared upon signing up.) This is an opportunity to meet the teachers and to have any of your questions answered, and to determine if the class is right for you if you are uncertain.
Class Description: Mindful Self Compassion is an 8-week class designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. Based on the work of Kristin Neff, Christopher Germer, and the UCSD mindfulness center, MSC teaches core principles and practices that enable participants to respond to difficult moments in their lives with self-kindness, mindful awareness, and a deep understanding that suffering is part of our common humanity. Program activities include meditation, short talks, experiential exercises, group discussion, and home practices. The goal is for participants to directly experience self-compassion and learn practices that evoke self-compassion in daily life.
Instructors:
Jean Leonard, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, Buddhist Eco-chaplain, and certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher in private practice in Louisville, Colorado. In her teaching and mindfulness-informed therapeutic work, she supports individuals through sacred accompaniment in befriending themselves and the circumstances of their lives with more gentleness, grace and good humor.
Jo-Lynn Park, M.A. is the Senior Director of Wellbeing and Resilience for Naropa University, where she has offered wellness practices since 2015. She has been a student of Mindful Self-Compassion since 2019, and is in a Teacher Training process. Jo-Lynn is passionate about sharing the tools of mindfulness, self-compassion and compassion practices as they are simple and profound practices that uplift personal and collective thriving.
Additional class details:
- Access Needs: Naropa University welcomes participants with diverse abilities. If you require accommodations, please contact Kristin Anderson-Bohan at kbohan@naropa.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.
- Commitment: This is not a drop in offering. Attendance at all sessions is expected to support a rich learning experience for you and the group as a whole. We know that the unexpected happens, but if you know you will miss the first session, or more than 2 sessions total, please wait for a future series.
- Please Note: Although people bring personal issues to class, MSC is not group therapy. It is a group learning experience, in which we focus on bringing mindfulness and compassion to life’s problems and challenges. Please consider an individual conversation with one of the class instructors if any of the following factors are concerns for you: intense anger, severe depression, suicidal thoughts, a serious psychological or medical condition, previous psychiatric hospitalization, and/or excessive use of alcohol and/or recreational drugs. We can help you determine if the timing of this class is right for you.
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Compassion, Clarity, Connection & Courage:
Cultivating the Heart for Difficult Times
A 4-week virtual Class for Women
Class Details:
Winter session
January 26-February 23, 2026 (no class 2/9/26)
Mondays 9:00-10:30 am MST
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offered Online via Zoom
class flyer
Course Description:
It is an extraordinary time to be alive as we are on the cusp of what can feel like collapse, with social, political, economic and ecological systems destabilizing. As Clarissa Pinkola Estes says “we were made for these times.” Collapse can be transformed into creation through a mix of clarity, compassion and courage. Courage is described as “the ability to do something that frightens one” and “strength in the face of pain or grief.”
We are deeply supported and nourished when we gather together with others holding a shared intention for presence and kindness as we face the challenges before us. And there is something particularly powerful about women gathering to practice together that allows us to access feminine wisdom and to invite disconnected parts of ourselves back into wholeness.
This 4-week online class will offer a chance to build resilience through the practices of mindfulness and compassion. We will co-create a nourishing community of women, emphasizing connection and support. Topics to be explored include: cultivating presence, befriending ourselves in difficult moments, the body as an anchor, nervous system regulation, grief and gratitude, joy and resilience, and how to bring wise action to the many complexities of the world right now. This series will build upon the previous classes, and also works as a stand-alone series. Suitable for both beginners as well as those with an established practice.
Investment: $200
This is a suggested payment. If you cannot afford this suggested rate, pay what you can. If you can pay more, I welcome your generosity, as it will help support me, and those who are struggling at this time.
To register:
Download and complete the Participant Information Form & Informed Consent (one document) and e-mail it to jeanleonardphd@gmail.com
Payment can be made via Paypal or Zelle: send money to jeanleonardphd@gmail.com. Thank you.
Your space in the class is not reserved until I receive both your application (Participant Information Form and Informed Consent Form) and payment. Refunds are not available once the class has begun.
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Retreats
Healing the Whole: Embodying Interconnectedness
w/ Rochelle Calvert, Jean Leonard, and Cornelia Santschi
- Monday May 25 – Friday May 29, 2026
- At Rocky Mountain EcoDharma Retreat Center | Ward, CO
- Registration opens January, 2026 at rmerc.org
- retreat flyer
Retreat Description:
This nature meditation retreat is designed to support wholeness of being through land-based mindfulness and psychological trauma-informed healing practices. Often unhealed trauma, as well as unwholesome and unconscious patterns of living, disrupt the ways we can experience well-being. We will explore ways to balance our inner/outer nature, feminine/masculine sense of being, inner shadows/light, traumas/life force energy and individual/collective patterns to find our way to greater flourishing. By reconnecting to nature and examining the places we are out of alignment, disconnected, or stuck, we can transform trauma, living our way into a more integrated expression of wholeness within ourselves and with the wider world. Deepening our embodiment of interconnectedness to all of life enhances our capacity to serve the well-being of our relationships, communities, and the Earth.
Throughout the retreat, participants will engage in both silent and community-based practices, including nature meditations, reflective journaling, nervous system regulation exercises, and scenic hikes. These practices will help you explore the transformative potential of nature, dharma teachings, and psychological healing, providing tools to integrate the insights gained into your daily life.
There are no specific meditation or somatic experience requirements for the retreat, and all are welcome with an open heart. This retreat is a land based retreat, we will be moving in and around natural terrain on the trails of RMERC. However, if you have recently experienced a significant loss or life transition, it may be best to wait before attending, as the retreat involves exploring deep healing from trauma.
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Nurturing Deep Belonging with Ourselves and the Earth
With Rebecca Bradshaw, Jean Leonard (Assistant), Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith (Assistant)
- Tuessday, June 9 – Sunday, June 14, 2026
- At Rocky Mountain EcoDharma Retreat Center | Ward, CO
- Registration opens January, 2026 at rmerc.org
- retreat flyer
Retreat Description:
With support and inspiration from the beauty and majesty of the Rocky Mountains, we will explore the Buddha Dharma from the paradigm of receptivity, allowing ourselves to be touched by life and recognizing our deep belonging. By practicing dropping out of our usual mind-oriented relationship with the world and dropping into the body, we will establish a relationship of heartfelt intimacy and respect both with our own experience and the natural world around us. Through community and connection with nature, we will contemplate the Buddha’s teachings and remember that we are already home on our beloved planet Earth. This retreat will include sitting and walking meditation, outdoor practice, qi gong, chanting, talks, and inquiry sessions. Both new and seasoned practitioners are warmly welcomed.
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December Drop in Sangha
- Mondays December 2, 9 and 16, 2024
- 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Mountain Standard Time
- offered online. Join the session with this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86414943681?pwd=SHvnmF9ltHLv6ailSxG7uVNnKOwxfm.1
- Offered on a donation basis. Thank you for your generosity. Offerings can be made via Pay Pal website (lower fee) or Zelle (no fee) to jeanleonardphd@gmail.com or via the donate button below. Or if you prefer, you can mail a check to Jean Leonard, PhD, LLC, P.O. Box 17772 Boulder, CO 80308.
MSC CLASS
The Short Course in Mindful Self-Compassion (SC- MSC)
SUMMER CLASS
TBD
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offered ONLINE via Zoom
Course Description
The Short Course in Mindful Self-Compassion (SC-MSC) is a 6-week adaptation of the empirically-supported 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program designed to begin the cultivation of the skills of self-compassion. SC-MSC was developed by Kristin Neff, PhD, the pioneering researcher in the field of self- compassion and Christopher Germer, PhD, a leader in the integration of mindfulness, compassion and psychotherapy. The SC-MSC 9-hour program was developed to allow participants to begin to learn a targeted set of MSC practices with less initial time commitment than the full 26-hour MSC program, and is a particularly helpful format online.
Most of us feel compassion for our close friends when they are struggling. What would it be like to receive the same caring attention from yourself when you needed it most? All that’s required is a shift in attention—recognizing that as a human being, you, too, are a worthy recipient of compassion. Self-compassion involves the capacity to comfort and soothe ourselves, and to motivate ourselves with encouragement, when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate. Self-compassion is learned in part by connecting with our innate compassion for others and including ourselves in that circle of compassion. The practice of self-compassion also helps to grow and sustain our compassion for others.
The SC-MSC program draws on the skills of mindfulness and focuses on developing the resource of self-compassion to enhance our capacity for emotional wellbeing. Burgeoning research shows that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, coping with life challenges, lower levels of anxiety and depression, healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and more satisfying personal relationships. It is an inner strength that enables us to be more fully human—more fully ourselves.
Fortunately, self-compassion can be learned by anyone, even those of us who did not learn these skills as children.
MSC Objectives
At the completion of the short course, participants should be able to:
- Articulate the basic theoretical underpinnings and research findings related to self-compassion
- Develop and apply self-compassion practices to motivate themselves with encouragement rather than self-criticism
- Develop the capacity to contend with challenges and difficulties through awareness of self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness.
- Apply core self-compassion practices into daily life
This program is designed for members of the general public, based on the values of equity, diversity, inclusiveness and belonging. Meditation experience is not necessary to participate in SC-MSC. All are welcome!
Program activities include short talks, experiential exercises, group discussion, and home practices. SC-MSC is an opportunity to explore how we typically respond when difficulties arise in our lives and to learn tools for becoming a warm and supportive companion to ourselves.
MSC Short Course Investment: $275
A limited number of partial scholarships available.
To register:
Learn more about the class by viewing the MSC-SC information sheet
- Download and complete the MSC Registration Form and e-mail it to jeanleonardphd@gmail.com
- Payment can be made via Paypal or Zelle: send money to jeanleonardphd@gmail.com. Thank you.
- Your space in the class is not reserved until I receive both your application (Participant Information Form and Informed Consent Form) and payment. Refunds are not available once the class has begun.
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Wednesday Lunchtime Drop In Meditation
Wednesdays, 12-1 pm MST
On pause – date for restarting TBD
by donation
Includes a guided meditation, a brief talk and optional small group sharing.
Details about how to access the weekly zoom session can be found here.
This Wednesday group is offered on a dana (donation) basis. Dana is the Pali word for the practice of generosity. These teachings are a priceless support, now more than ever, and I am delighted to share what has been shared with me over so many years by so many teachers. You can learn more about the practice of dana here. If you feel moved to offer a donation in appreciation for the group, you can offer your gift via Paypal or Zelle by using my e-mail, jeanleonardphd@gmail.com. Thank you for being part of the stream of generosity.
It has been a challenging few years with the pandemic, social/economic/political instability, the shootings in Boulder and the recent fires in Louisville. Please join this ongoing cyber-sangha (community), a place to safely gather in these uncertain times to practice and connect with others who share a commitment to kindness and presence.
2024 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teaching Schedule
not scheduled in 2024
Likely offered online via Zoom
Come see if MBSR is right for you.
Strengthening Your Practice Class for MBSR and MSC graduates
Program Description:
This class builds on the teachings and practices from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Foundations course and the Mindful Self-Compassion class and is designed to support you in deepening and strengthening your mindfulness and compassion practice. Are you seeking more capacity to navigate challenges and stressors? Are you wishing for more vitality and joy in your life? Do you feel your practice has grown stale or is faltering without the support of a structured class or community? If so, then this class might be for you. Come refresh your practice, bringing the curiosity of beginner’s mind as we dive deeper into some familiar practices from the MBSR Foundations and/or MSC classes, and explore new practices focused on more fully meeting difficulty and opening to delight. The more we practice, the more we learn about the habits of our own mind and heart, opening up possibilities for skillful action that can help us surf the waves of life with more ease and compassion.
Not offered in 2023
Investment for SYP class: $560 (includes 27 hours of classroom time, and all support materials including a program manual, book, and guided meditations)
Request Info/Register for SYP grad class
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction 8-week Foundations Classes
TBD – 2024
Likely offered online via Zoom
Investment for Foundations Classes: $560
MBSR flyer
2024 Mindful Self-Compassion Teaching Schedule
MSC Free Introductory Session (RSVP requested)
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Offered online via Zoom
MSC CLASSES
In person 8-week classes on hold for now
Presentations and Workshops