Meditation Instructor - Maitri III Retreat

Naropa University•Boulder, CO

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Buddhism-Informed Contemplative Counseling concentration seeks one adjunct faculty member to join the Maitri Retreat team as a Meditation Instructor for the CNSC760 Maitri III Retreat course in the Fall 2026 semester. This is paid as a 2-credit adjunct role and is scheduled to meet between August 21 – September 5, 2026 at the Drala Mountain Center. The course is a two-week residential intensive focusing on the relationship between individual contemplative practice and working with others, both in the maitri community and in clinical practice. Intensive sitting meditation, walking meditation, and community living provide opportunities for increased self-understanding, self-acceptance, and openness to differences. These learnings continue to form the ground upon which ethical and healing relationships may be cultivated. A prerequisite for this course is CNSC665 Maitri II.

Requirements

Must have experience with meditation practice and be comfortable with long periods of sitting and walking meditation.
Must be a trained meditation instructor and experience working with students practicing shamatha-vipashyana meditation, metta, and tonglen in the Buddhist tradition.
Must have familiarity with Maitri Space Awareness practice.
Experience with and understanding of retreat environments.
Must have the ability to create and maintain a positive team environment and behave professionally with everyone encountered in the course and scope of the job duties.
Must have the ability to work both independently and as a part of a close team, working collaboratively with staff, faculty, and students.
High degree of emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and assertive communication skills.
Commitment to co-create an inclusive community and actively participate in related professional development, including openness to feedback and ongoing self-examination.

Nice To Haves

Clinical and teaching experience informed by knowledge of meditation practices.
One year’s experience with direct clinical work in the field of counseling / psychology.
Experience in training counselors at the graduate level.
On-going counseling teaching or facilitator experience in the field.
Familiarity and experience with Naropa’s MA Buddhism-informed Contemplative Counseling (Formerly Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology) program.

Responsibilities

Participates in all aspects of the retreat including sitting meditation, daily staff meetings, attending talks, community meetings, and helps to hold the “container” of the retreat.
Meets with students as assigned within the Maitri retreat guidelines. Each Meditation Instructor is assigned 5 to 6 students that they see individually 3-4 times throughout the retreat.
Meditation Instructors might also lead discussion groups that will meet a few times during the course of the retreat.
Acts as umdze/ meditation timekeeper and gatekeeping as scheduled.
Sets up the meditation hall and does flower arranging before the retreat, supports meditation hall sound/AV, and set up for daily talks/lectures.
Takes down meditation hall set up and organizes Maitri retreat items after the retreat.
As appropriate, works with staff to manage and/or mediate student issues and educational obstacles.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

medical
dental
vision
FSA
HSA
employer-paid short-term and long-term disability
employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment
employer-sponsored pre-tax retirement savings plan
variety of voluntary, employee-paid supplemental insurance plans
generous tuition remission opportunities for themselves and their family members
participation in the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP)