#80- Shadow Sides of Naropa University with Kate Vosti, Somatic Educator

Kate Vosti, a Somatic Educator and dancer, sits down with Julian to discuss her path and work and her mixed experiences as a former graduate student at Naropa University's Somatic Counseling Dance and Movement Therapy program. Learn More About Kate: www.somatic-untangling.com Instagram: @rhythm.rose Topics (in Chronological Order): 0:00-11:28 Introduction Buddhist Perspectives on Human Development and Spiritual Development Her early interest in the Buddhist teachings Self Doubt as a form of Laziness Different ways to understand ‘doubt’ and ‘the mind of  not knowing’ Being ‘spiritual not religious’ New age spiritual beliefs The relative rarity of talking with someone practicing within an authentic spiritual lineage That modern or contemporary people have a ‘God shaped hole in their hearts’ The surprising success of Trader Joe’s in offering us less choices 27:30: The reasons why Naropa University seemed to make so much sense for Kate The events, health struggles, discovering Ecstatic Dance and Five Rhythms that lead to Kate eventually going to the graduate school for Somatic Psychology at Naropa University The Calling to become a somatic dance movement therapist Issues with the current state of Naropa University from the perspective of being a student How Naropa University seems afraid to challenge it's students 40:00 How Kate feels psychologically traumatized by attending Naropa 50:00 - Issues of Cultural Appropriation around Buddhism and other forms of spirituality at Naropa 54:00 - how the Masters in Dance Movement Therapy program lacked learning how to practice or teach dance movement therapy; how their one class on Dance Movement Therapy focused instead on the colonialism of ballet and related topics. 57:00 - a few of many stories of social justice attempts gone awry from Julian's experience in the Graduate School of Psychology 62:00: Is it advancing the cause of Social Justice to apologize for the color of your skin? Discussion of the shadow sides and down sides of the current state of education at Naropa 90:00 - not allowed to use the word 'mute' to refer to muting oneself while on Zoom because it is not politically correct. Links to articles and books mentioned: Even "Trigger Warning" is Now Off Limits by John McWhorter https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/07/brandeis-language-police-have-suggestions-you/619347/ The Coddling of the American Mind: https://www.thecoddling.com A State of Mind Podcast: www.astateofmindplay.com A State of Mind Counseling: www.astateofmindcounseling.org Support the show: www.patreon.com/astateofmind