LOW SEASON
COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Form part of our vibrant community of yogis, participating in work as meditation and service. Receive trainings in community living, take part in our yoga classes and make friends for life.

Looking for a paid position? Please check out our careers page here.

Grow through service

Being a karma yogi (volunteer) at Shambala can be one of the most enriching experiences of your life and is the backbone to Shambala Gatherings. We come together as a community in selfless service, bringing awareness to work in a playful way, and watch each other grow along the way. We are looking for volunteers from all walks of life, different ages and backgrounds. We’re asking for a minimum of 22 years old to apply as a volunteer, with abundant energy. Please note that if you are in a vulnerable, tired place in your life, it is better to apply as a part-time volunteer or as a guest.

Make friends for life

You will start your volunteering with us, with a short training on how to relate to each other in a loving and conscious way. We empower a loving-kindness connection within our volunteers. At the same time, we invite you to abstain from entering a new romantic relationship whilst at Shambala and harness the energy to cultivate a different kind of intimacy with the group, with life and with yourself.

Be Yourself

We would like our volunteers to engage in that which makes them shine and thrive. For this reason, we have different roles you can apply for(read below). There are two ways in which you can participate as a volunteer. As a full time volunteer, you will engage in 5 hours per day of volunteer work and 1 day off per week. As a part-time volunteer, you engage in 2,5 hours of volunteer work per day, with 1 day off per week. Do you wish to learn to cook from the best? then apply for our kitchen apprentice role!

Live in nature

For your volunteer accommodation you will get a bed in our cosy dorm, shared with 2-3 other volunteers. The kitchen apprentice stays in a hut. All accommodation has shared bathrooms. Our volunteers eat from our delicious vegan buffet for all their meals.

Deepen your yoga practice

As part of your exchange program, you will participate in a minimum of 3 yoga classes per week. There will also be opportunities for you to share your practice with others. You will participate in sharing circles, evening sauna sessions, forest walks and music/chanting sessions led by other volunteers.

Why do we charge a small fee?

During the winter, some volunteer roles are free of charge. Others, are subject to a small fee (55kr per night).

We invest this small fee in the smooth running of the volunteer team and in improving the installations of our community. As electrical bills have risen steeply the last years, we use this small donation to help us pay for our winter electricity bills.

 

** Please let us know if you have difficulties paying this fee, and we will do our best to support you **.

 

Please find below how we aim at investing this fee:

– Paid Volunteer Leader to ensure the smooth running of the volunteer team:

During the high season, with the profits earned from this small daily fee, Shambala employs a volunteer leader that ensures the guidance, support, inspiration and emotional support of the volunteer community throughout their stay.

-Training on community living:

On arrival at Shambala, you will receive a 2-day training on community living, where you will learn topics such as conscious communication, the art of listening and other topics on conscious community living.

– Participation in international retreats:

As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to participate on some of the retreat classes of great international teachers (please note that some of these classes will be in Swedish).

– Daily sauna:

As a volunteer, you will enjoy daily sauna sessions, sometimes with retreat participants, and sometimes with the community only. These saunas are often the highlight of our day, with dips in the lake and sun bathing.

We trust that these investments make your daily fee payment worth it!

– Abundant food buffet:

Shambala volunteers eat together with our guests and teachers, so you can expect some delicious and abundant meals three times per day, plus tea served all day. 

 

FULL-TIME VOLUNTEERS LOW SEASON 2024 – 2025:

Volunteers are welcome to stay for a maximum of 2 slots.
Please apply to one of the roles below. Please note in the role description below that some roles are paid, and others are not. 

 

Slot 1:
Arrival: 14 October ’24
Depart: 28 November ’24
Duration: 6,5 weeks
Cost: 2500 sek

Slot 2:
Arrival: 2 January ’25
Depart: 3 March ’25
Duration: 10,5 weeks  
Cost: 3900 sek

Slot 3:
Arrival: 3 March ’25 
Depart: 6 May ’25
Duration: 9 weeks
Cost: 3500kr

Full time beautifier

We are opening a new position this winter for a full time beautifier.
This role is ideal for those that have a keen eye for order, decoration and beauty. Also for plant lovers, that enjoys creating beautiful and homely spaces with small means.

Kitchen Apprentice / Internship

Ideal for those that are passionate about cooking, already have some valuable skills in the kitchen, and wish to learn the ropes from the main chef. Taking on this role is FREE of charge. You will enjoy 1 day off per week. Accommodation is in your own cozy hut with its own heating and electricity.

Full-time kitchen assistant

In this role, you will work alongside our chef and kitchen apprentice. The chef sets the menu and distributes the work. We’re looking for people who love to cook, we enjoy team-work, and love the fast-paced, dynamic and creative nature of being in the kitchen. 

Full-time cleaning volunteer

If you have an eye for cleanliness and you enjoy making spaces feel and look beautiful, then this is your team. This role also includes clean up after meals. Are you a highly creative individual who has a great eye for details and love to beautify? Please specify this in your application, as we have one role within this team that is mainly involved in beautifying. 

Maintenance handy & outdoor carer

Under the supervision of one of our managers, you will be doing some maintenance jobs, such as fixing fuses, light bulbs, easy plumbing and electrical jobs, etc. This role is ideal for those that love being outdoors and who have some knowledge of handy work.

We would love to hear from YOU!

Please fill out this, and you will soon hear from us:

 Application form

We’re looking forwards to meeting you and spending a transformative winter with you!