Volunteer at Shoshoni

A transformative experience for those seeking spiritual growth with support of community.
Shoshoni is seeking self-motivated individuals who enjoy contributing to the community, are able to work hard with minimal supervision, and have a sincere wish to grow spiritually.

 

Current Programs:

 

Volunteer Program – Four weeks: Work full-time, five days per week. There is no charge for this program.

Residential Program – One to four months: Work full-time, five days per week. There is no charge for this program. Pre-requisite is Volunteer Program with manager approval to begin Residential Program. 

Residential Program – Five months: Work full-time, five days per week and receive a 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training at the end of the commitment. There is no charge for this program. Pre-requisite is Volunteer Program with manager approval to begin Residential Program. 

Yoga Lifestyle Immersion: Work part-time (8:30am-12pm), six days per week. Program is three weeks long. Cost is $750. LEARN MORE

 

 

 

WORK

Discover the power of seva, or karma yoga, as you work with a sense of open-heartedness and shared purpose.

Volunteers help maintain and beautify Shoshoni while providing a clean, relaxing, nourishing space for guests.  

Assignments include dishwashing, housekeeping, grounds work, and more. Through these tasks, you’ll learn the priceless skill of being present while developing conscious awareness.

Work is five days per week with two assigned days off.

 

Every Work Study participant spends time in the dish room; it’s the perfect arena for building a strong foundation in focus and mantra repetition.
Staff helps serve meals cafeteria-style to guests.
The Outdoor Crew is one of our main seva areas; outdoor projects may include grounds and trail maintenance, painting, and firewood prep and storage.

STUDY

Dive deep into self-exploration and experience a heart-centered approach to meditation and life as you learn about the ShambhavAnanda Yoga tradition through meditation classes, yoga sessions, and satsang with our revered teacher, His Holiness Rishi Maha Mandaleshwar Sri Shambhavananda.

Schedule includes:

  • daily meditation classes
  • satsang (questions and answers)
  • Volunteer Study class
  • hatha yoga (optional)
Sri Shambhavananda is the founder of Shoshoni and the spiritual teacher, or Guru, of the full-time residents of the ashram.

Work Study participants learn to approach meditation with different tools from the ShambhavAnanda Yoga tradition, including breath awareness, mantra repetition, and chanting.

The Yajna Ceremony, an ancient Vedic fire practice, is one of the two morning meditation practices required for Work Study participants. Most mornings, you’ll attend the Guru Gita chanting practice in the Main Temple, a beautiful hour-long chant in Sanskrit followed by meditation.

LIVE

and play alongside a community of dedicated yogic practitioners.

Accommodations are single or double occupancy with shared bathrooms.

Three vegetarian meals per day provided. When there are no guests, volunteers may heat leftovers or prepare their own meal with provided food.

 

 

 

View of the main Staff Cabin. Accommodations are single or double occupancy with shared bathrooms. Linens, towels, and soap provided.

Kayaks and canoes are available at the pond. Adirondack chairs and a hammock forest provide space to relax in your down time.
The summit of Rollins Peak, a 45-minute hike on the Shoshoni property, offers a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. Seen here is Indian Peaks Wilderness to the north.

“When you serve something greater than your own needs, you find tremendous joy. People who have given themselves to something greater than themselves always radiate with this happiness.”

- Sri Shambhavananda

Daily Schedule

The Volunteer and Residential programs require full participation in the daily schedule. On your scheduled days off each week, you are still required to attend 6:00-7:30am meditation, but have the remainder of the day off.

6:00am Guru Gita chant and meditation or Yajna Fire Ceremony
7:30am Breakfast
8:30am-12:00pm Seva
12:00pm Lunch
1:00-4:00pm Seva
4:00-5:00 Break (optional Hatha Yoga class Thurs-Sat)
5:00 Dinner
5:30-6:15pm Seva – dinner cleanup
6:30-7:30pm Evening Meditation (Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you please go into more detail about the daily schedule?

 

Morning Meditation (6:00-7:30am)*

*Guru Gita – The Guru Gita is a beautiful hour-long chanting meditation that draws on the power and vibration of the Sanskrit language to purify the mind. Sing aloud alongside the harmonium as it plays out the meditative melody of the verses, or follow along quietly. Attendees receive a chanting book that includes the Sanskrit text, transliteration, and full translation of the practice.

*Yajna Fire Ceremony – Yajna is the ancient yogic practice of offering mantras and masala (a special rice mixture) into a sacred fire. This practice has been used for thousands of years as a catalyst for change and growth; it helps purify emotions, burns up unresolved conflict and worries, and leaves us feeling lighter and more free inside.

Seva (8:30-12pm, 1-4pm, and 5:30-6pm) – Selfless service is an immensely powerful practice of giving back to the community. Seva is used to focus the mind on the task at hand while cultivating an attitude of generosity and gratitude. Seva tasks could include washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, laundry, weeding the gardens and flower beds, or chopping and stacking wood as just a few examples. Volunteers are expected to be flexible and have a “yes” attitude.

Yoga (4-5pm) – Asana practice is a time to connect within through a focused awareness of breath and the physical body. Yoga classes are optional, and are offered from 4-5pm several times per week with a variety of instructors, allowing you to experience different expressions of ShambhavAnanda Yoga in practice.

Evening Meditation (6:30-7:30pm) – Evening meditation classes offer a variety of approaches to meditation in the ShambhavAnanda Yoga tradition, including guided and silent meditation techniques, kirtan and arati (chanting and dancing), mantra repetition, and more. By learning different methods to quiet the mind and connect inside, you become empowered to use the tools necessary to stay open and grounded within the ever-evolving arena of your life.

Meals – Enjoy three meals per day. While there are guests at Shoshoni, we encourage staff and volunteers to sit and eat with them, in order to cultivate a sense of community and shared experience. 

What does Shoshoni provide for volunteers?

 

  • Housing – dorm-style staff accommodations or camping
  • Linens, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash
  • Laundry facilities, including detergent
  • Three vegetarian meals per day
  • Daily meditation classes
  • Weekly Volunteer Study class, specific to volunteers for learning meditation techniques in detail
  • Weekly satsang (questions and answers with a senior teacher)
  • Optional hatha yoga classes
What opportunities are there to learn about meditation?

At Shoshoni, we believe that meditation is an experiential experience. You will learn different meditation techniques from the ShambhavAnanda Yoga tradition that we hope will create a strong foundation in staying present and developing conscious awareness both on and off the meditation cushion. 

In addition to the required daily morning and evening meditations, volunteers have:

– Volunteer Study class once per week. Volunteers take an in-depth exploration of one meditation technique each week, with a chance to ask questions after. Questions can be specific to the technique, but can also be more general questions about one’s own experience with meditation, Shoshoni, or the ShambhavAnanda Yoga tradition. 

– Satsang once per week. Satsang is a traditional practice of being in the company of good, or true, people. Every Monday, our sangha gathers online and in-person to meditate and have sating with our teacher and founder, Sri Shambhavananda, or one of his senior teachers. 

 

What is there to do on the Shoshoni property?

Shoshoni sits on about 250 acres of forested mountain terrain with a beautiful valley.

Anytime:

  • “Rec room” – a play space with pool table, ping pong, foosball, and dar board, as well as a weight bench for lifting 
  • hot tub
  • sauna
  • pottery studio
  • art cabin with art supplies for staff
  • small library of spiritual texts
  • play music! Drums and piano available, many staff and volunteers have instruments

Summer:

  • Four hiking trails on property ranging from easy to more difficult
  • Small pond with kayaks, canoes, and a SUP board
  • hammock forest close to the pond

Winter:

  • Snow shoes available for walks in the woods
  • Ice skates available for the pond when thoroughly frozen

 

What is there to do in the surrounding area?

Shoshoni is about a 15 minutes from the town of Nederland, a small mountain town with fun shops, cafes, restaurants, walking paths, a park and a reservoir.

From Nederland, there is public transportation available “down the mountain” to Boulder, Denver, and the surrounding area.

There are many hikes in the area, including James Peak Wilderness and Indian Peaks Wilderness areas.

Rocky Mountain National Park is about an hour from Shoshoni.

 

How do I get around?

Shoshoni is more remote, so volunteers without a car are more likely to stay on the property.

If other volunteers or staff have cars and are willing, then carpools are commonly set up for activities in the surrounding area.

On your days off, we can offer a shuttle to and from Nederland once per day. From Nederland, there is public transport to Boulder, Denver, and the surrounding area.

 

What can I count on for food?

Shoshoni’s kitchen offers three wholesome, vegetarian meals each day, including cultural dishes from around the world.

When there are guests (weekends and during yoga trainings), meals are made fresh and served cafeteria-style in our community dining space.

When there are not guests, volunteers have access to leftovers and/or raw ingredients to prepare their own meals.

Our kitchen happily accommodates gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan diets, as well as certain food allergies. We are a dedicated meat-free facility but not a certified allergen-free facility, and do cook with gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, and other potential allergens. We may not be able to fulfill all dietary requests.

We also have a tea bar with herbal and caffeinated teas, and offer coffee daily. 

 

If you are looking to commit yourself more deeply to your spiritual growth and in service to others, you may be interested in our Brahmacharya program.

For me, Shoshoni is a special place not only to learn all aspects of yoga, but to grow as a human being. The food is wonderful, and the friendly staff are dedicated to maintaining the quiet and vibrant environment there. It’s a perfect place to practice yoga and meditation, to enjoy tea in the lodge while looking out over the mountains, and to just be yourself.

B.Smith