Tag Archives: organic gardening

Training and Volunteer Work Period at Dharmalaya (6-25 April 2020)

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What: Training and Volunteer Work Period

Topic: Earthen building, organic gardening, and permaculture landscaping

Where: Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, HP, India

When: 6-25 April 2020 (see below for details)

Language: English

Facilitators: Dharmalaya staff, including Anushka Joshi

Description: Volunteer work period, beginning with a six-day residential workshop to provide introductory hands-on training in some of the foundational skills of compassionate living as practiced at Dharmalaya Institute, including meditation, earthen building, organic gardening, and permaculture landscaping, followed by two weeks of volunteer work (which optionally can be extended for another one or two weeks if you wish, until as late as 9th May). The actual training activities will depend on weather and the needs on site at the time. There will be a two-week practicum after the initial training workshop to support participants to deepen your skills and understanding further through practice on site.

For details and registration, see this page. 

Sustainable Thriving Intensive Workshop (11-28 Jun 2019 @Dharmalaya)

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Raising the Roof

What: Intensive workshop-retreat (residential)

Topic: Sustainable Thriving: principles and practices for better living, including permaculture, earthen building, and creative life design

When: 11-28 June 2019 (must attend from the start and stay for the duration), with an optional extended practicum afterward.

Language: English (with Hindi translation if requested)

Facilitators: Mark Moore and artisans from the Dharmalaya community

Description: An eighteen-day residential training workshop exploring key principles and practices of “sustainable thriving,” including voluntary simplicity, permaculture, earthen building, and creative life design. The first six days will provide initial training with hands-on workshops during the day and presentations/discussions in the evenings; the middle six days will be a practicum for improving skills and deepening understanding through morning and afternoon work sessions, while continuing our discussions and explorations in the evenings; and the final six days will be organized according to the needs on site and the interests of the group. For those desiring even more hands-on experience, there will be an optional extended practicum providing an opportunity to improve your skills and understanding further by working alongside our team of artisans. There will be group meditation sessions in the mornings and evenings, and opportunities to practice yoga or chi kung.

› What is ‘sustainable thriving’ and why should I care?
See this page for an introduction.

For information and registration, see this page. 

Compassionate Living Intensive Workshop (15-26 Apr 2019 @Dharmalaya)

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What: Intensive workshop-retreat (residential)

Topic: Designing a life of compassion in action, integrating personal and professional development with a lifestyle of sustainable thriving

When: 15-26 April 2019 (must attend from the start and stay for the duration)

Language: English (with Hindi translation if requested)

Facilitators: Mark Moore and other members of the Dharmalaya faculty and community

Description: Twelve-day residential workshop-retreat focused on creating a more compassionate life, through opening the heart, informing the mind, developing our innate qualities of sensitivity and compassion, and putting that compassion into practice by reducing our harm footprints and increasing our help footprints in all spheres of life. The primary emphasis in this programme is on identifying areas of our lives where we need to change and grow in order to become more compassionate citizens of the world and more effective agents of positive change.

For more details and the application form, see the Dharmalaya Institute’s website.

Volunteer Work Period for Sustainable Living (16 Jul – 13 Oct @ Dharmalaya)

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What:  Volunteer service work opportunities
Activities: Earthen building (primarily interior work), organic gardening, and tree planting
When: 16 July – 13 October 2015 (Volunteers may arrive and depart anytime during this period, with a minimum stay of one week)
Where: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir (Ghornala)
Languages: English & Hindi

Description: Volunteer opportunities at the Dharmalaya Institute, open to both residential and non-residential participants (though, during the monsoon, we highly recommend staying on the Dharmalaya campus). During this period, volunteers have the opportunity to learn the arts and methods of sustainable living in the Himalayas by doing physical work related to earthen building and organic gardening.

Due to frequent rains in the monsoon period, most of the work will happen indoors. This usually includes:

  • Various aspects of traditional earthen building (e.g. interior mud plasters, tile work, wood/bamboo work, and fine finishing work)
  • Organic gardening and natural landscaping (as weather permits)
  • Possibly some tree planting

Dharmalaya is a beautiful place to get your hands dirty and learn about sustainable living and Himalayan culture in the process.

For more information see dharmalaya.in/events/2015/3/28/monsoon-volunteer-work-period-16-jul-13-oct.html

 

Open Volunteer Period for Sustainable Living (10-30 May @ Dharmalaya)

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What: Informal, minimally-structured volunteer opportunities
Activities: Earthen building, organic gardening, and natural landscaping
When: 10-30 May 2015 (Volunteers may arrive and depart anytime during this period, with a minimum stay of one week)
Where: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir (Ghornala)
Languages: English & Hindi
Who: No formal facilitation, but as-needed guidance from Dharmalaya staff and artisans, e.g. Sidney Rosario, Raj Kumar (‘Raju’), et al.

Description: Informal volunteer opportunities at the Dharmalaya Institute open to both residential and non-residential participants. During this period, there is no structured educational or training programme as such, but there is plenty of physical work to do — including earthen building (adobe, bamboo, etc.), organic gardening, natural landscaping and possibly some tree planting — and Dharmalaya is a beautiful place to get your hands dirty and learn about green living and Himalayan culture in the process.

For more information see dharmalaya.in/events/2015/3/1/open-volunteer-period-10-30-may-2015.html

 

Sustainable Living in the Himalayas — A Service-Learning Retreat (1-8 May @ Dharmalaya Institute)

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What: Sustainable Living in the Himalayas — A Service-Learning Retreat
When: 1-8 May 2015
Where: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir (Ghornala Village)
Who: Mark Moore, Sourabh Phadke, et al.

Raising the roofA week-long mindful adventure in sustainable and compassionate living, providing opportunities for exploration of both inner and outer sustainability. We will practice meditation not only sitting on the cushion but also in action, performing mindful service work doing organic gardening, eco-friendly earthen construction, and natural landscaping around the beautiful Dharmalaya campus.

Groups sessions may include the following:

  • Sitting meditation (instruction and practice)
  • Explorations of various aspects of sustainable and compassionate living
  • Conscious movement: Hatha yoga and/or chi kung (morning/evening sessions)
  • Hands-on workshops in traditional earthen building, organic gardening, and natural landscaping

Space is limited, so advance registration is required. For information and registration, use this form.

Open Volunteer Period for Sustainable Living (15-29 April @ Dharmalaya Institute)

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What: Informal, minimally-structured volunteer opportunities
Activities: Earthen building, organic gardening, and natural landscaping
When: 15-29 April 2015 (Volunteers may arrive and depart anytime during this period)
Where: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir (Ghornala)
Languages: English & Hindi
Who: Facilitated by Mark Moore, Raj Kumar (‘Raju’), Naresh Kumar Sharma, et al.

Raising the roofDescription: Informal volunteer opportunities at the Dharmalaya Institute open to both residential and non-residential participants. During this period, there is no structured educational or training programme as such, but there is plenty of physical work to do — including earthen building (adobe, bamboo, etc.), organic gardening, natural landscaping and possibly some tree planting — and Dharmalaya is a beautiful place to get your hands dirty and learn about green living and Himalayan culture in the process.

For more information see Dharmalaya’s volunteer page, read the FAQ, and then complete the volunteer application if you’re interesting in joining.

Open Volunteer Period at Dharmalaya Institute (8 Dec – 6 Mar)

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What: Informal, minimally-structured volunteer opportunities

Activities: Earthen building, organic gardening, and natural landscaping

When: 8 December 2014 through 6 March 2015 (Volunteers may arrive and depart anytime during this period)

Where: Dharmalaya Institute

Languages: English & Hindi

Facilitators: Various (Raju, Shekar, Sourabh, et al.)

Raising the roofDescription: Informal volunteer opportunities at the Dharmalaya Institute open to both residential and non-residential participants. During this period, there is no structured educational or training programme as such, but there is plenty of physical work to do — including earthen building (adobe, bamboo, etc.), organic gardening, natural landscaping and possibly some tree planting — and Dharmalaya is a beautiful place to get your hands dirty and learn about green living and Himalayan culture in the process.

Since there is no formal instruction during this period and there is no organised programme, one simply jumps in and does whatever needs doing on a given day, learning by watching others and then doing it yourself. In such an unstructured or loosely guided situation, sometimes one needs to ask for help if one needs it, so a certain degree of self-motivation and initiative makes for the best experience. It also helps to bring a healthy sense of flexibility, since the work to be done might vary from one day to the next, depending on circumstances. If that appeals to you, you’re welcome to come and go anytime during this period.

For more information see Dharmalaya’s volunteer page, read the FAQ, and then complete the volunteer application if you’re interesting in volunteering.

Sustainable Living Retreat (26 Nov – 6 Dec @ Dharmalaya)

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2012 work retreat

What: Residential Retreat and Service-Learning Workshop
Topic: Sustainable Living in the Himalayas
Where: Dharmalaya Institute in HP, India
When: 26 November – 6 December 2014
Language: English (and Hindi if requested)
Facilitators: Mark Moore, Sourabh Phadke, et al.

Description: A ten-day inner/outer adventure in sustainable and compassionate living, providing opportunities for hands-on learning of various skills and concepts related to traditional earthen building, organic gardening, and natural landscaping, integrated with mindfulness, meditation and other inner explorations.

Workshops and groups sessions may include the following:

  • Hands-on education in traditional earthen architecture of the Himalayas
  • Natural landscaping and organic gardening
  • Meditation and yoga/chi kung (morning/evening sessions)

Cost: Rs 1200 per day (Rs 12,000 total) including comfortable tent/dormitory accommodation and healthy meals.

Information & Registration
For details and registration, visit the Dharmalaya Institute’s website.

Sustainable Living Work Retreat (25 Mar – 4 Apr @ Dharmalaya)

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2012 work retreat

What: Service-Learning Retreat with SanghaSeva
Topic: Living in Balance: Contemplation, Compassion, and Sustainability
Where: Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, HP, India
When: March 25 to April 4, 2014
Language: English
Facilitators: Zohar Lavie, Nathan Glyde, Mark Moore, Mai-Linh Leminhbach

Description: Residential service-learning retreat program at the Dharmalaya Institute. Possible workshops and groups sessions include the following:

  • Hands-on education in traditional earthen architecture of the Himalayas
  • Organic gardening and permaculture landscaping
  • Meditation and yoga/movement
  • A mixture of silent practice and group connection and activity

Please note: Space is limited, so advance registration and deposit are required.

For details and registration, please visit the SanghaSeva website.