I’m looking for a yoga/buddhist ashram where I can volunteer, trading some of my time and effort for a place to stay. I am looking to deepen my practice. I feel I know what to practice, it is just difficult with my present job and where I live. All the ashrams I have searched for seem like they are selling retreats or yoga teacher training. I am not looking for that. I just want to live and study for 6 months to a year in a quiet, rural setting. Does anyone know of any good ashrams (preferably in the US) where one could volunteer their time and energy in return for a quiet place to deepen their personal practice? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and hari om
art of living… very rewarding experience !
bluegreen: There are definitely more retreat centers than ashrams in the US, and they are often overrun with applications for their work study / volunteer programs. Do you have any special skills that they might need? How many hours would you be available to assist per day or week? Are you looking just to spend time somewhere and study on your own, or to be able to attend regular lectures, trainings, or study with their leaders? And what are your minimum requirements for lodging and meals accommodation?
You can try Amma’s ashram in Amrita Puri. It is really cheap to stay there and there is plenty of opportunities to volunteer doing anything like cleaning pots or serving food.
Another option is to go to Rikhiapeeth in Rikhia and volunteer during the Yoga Poornima celebration. This is a sister ashram of the Bihar School of Yoga founded by Swami Satyananda.
Another option is the Sivananda Ashram in Neyyar Dam, Madurai or Uttarkashi. You can always do some volunteer work there working as a staff but I’m not sure if you need to have completed at least their yoga TTC. I suggest you contact them and ask for information.
thanks for the replies, i’ll definitely check them out. love bihar yoga. wouldn’t it be awesome if there were ashrams that were just like the wwoof organization only spiritual/yogic in their aim? come work/volunteer and help with the gardening and learning about growing food, and in return study yoga in a spiritual community and deepen your own practice. hmmm, i might have to be the one to instigate this idea…