Volunteering

Belonging and Volunteering:

Be of service. Mentor. Make a difference

OPPORTUNITIES

• Shanti Yoga Community
• Graduate Volunteers
• Shanti Yoga and Ayurveda Affiliate Program
• Touch the Earth and Eco Yoga
• Yoga Dinners and Enlightened Talks
• Spiritual Cinema and Discussion
• Ballet Season
• Transport Help
• Bollywood and Indian Community Activities
• Free classes for Cancer patients
• Children’s Yoga

The Shanti Yoga Health Institute Australasia encourages and fosters the ideal of service and caregiving as a basis of engaged spirituality and worthy enterprise. It’s a wonderful way to participate with a spiritual sangha, support the organisation that supports you, and continue to offer practice and service to the world.

Volunteer work and collaborating with others is a meaningful way of sharing your skills with others, and thus you are contributing to the further development of yourself, others and the organisation. A life of meaning arises from letting go of our burdensome desires for acquisition, achievement and performance. More than just about one’s internal reality, the act of giving itself is of immeasurable benefit to the giver. It opens up the heart, diminishes (even if for a moment) one’s self-absorption, and places value on the well-being of others. The simplest gesture of offering a flower, or a few hours of service, a kind thought, or a simple meal, is in fact, a sincere form of spiritual practice for a lay person. Love and compassion flow outwards and inwards at exactly at the same time. Regardless of the size or value of the gift, the act of giving itself generates a thought moment devoid of greed and full of loving kindness. This is spirituality in action. There is no shortage of projects that need to be realised.
As a sangha (community) we reach within to embrace humanity, cook and care for each other, sit (for meditation), eat and study together, enjoy outdoor adventures and usually work as teams. Sound physical and mental health is a basic requirement for the volunteer program. In order to maintain the quality at the centre, we accept only volunteers with serious commitment – to support an organisation they love. Come up with your way to contribute. Those volunteers who do not follow the values and guidelines at the Centre and who do not meditate seriously will, unfortunately, be asked to leave.

To spend a certain amount of time working with people at a job that benefits others,
in which our personal pleasure and profit are not at all involved,
nourishes both us and the people we help.
It helps them directly, but it helps us indirectly,
by enabling us to realise that we are a part of life
and have a contribution to make.

In particular, Shanti Yoga Health Institute Australasia encourages and fosters within its membership: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.
The ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise.
High ethical standards in business and professions and the worthiness of all useful occupations.
The dignifying of each member’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
The application of the ideal of service in each member’s personal, business and community life.
The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional members united in the ideal of service.
Recognising that an integrated spiritual life rests upon our mindful and caring relationship to the life around us, and without the support of monastic vows and traditional customs, we have a need for clear laypeople guidelines. In keeping with this understanding, and for the long-term benefit of ourselves and the community at large, all teachers, staff, members and volunteers agree to uphold values of integrity, dignity, responsibility, respect, justice and care that underpin our community. Thus whilst we invite you to join, please understand that if you belong to this spiritual community, you will be expected to contribute to the ripples and resonances of goodness and sincerity in our organisation, and to hold to a higher ethical standard than the public at large, and higher than other community leaders.

VOLUNTEERING AT OUR SHANTI YOGA CENTRE, SOUTHPORT

Volunteering and kitchen sink dharma at Shanti Yoga Centre provides you with the opportunity to practice karma yoga, selfless action. This forms the foundation of spiritual life. It is a great way to get involved, develop an authentic experience of non-attachment via the art of selfless giving, make a difference to your own wellbeing and benefit others. We can probably find an outlet for whatever your skill or knack. Email our volunteer coordinator with your thoughts about how you can plug in if you’re interested in being listed for open, ongoing positions. We also always have stand-alone projects that need assistance.

VOLUNTEERING AT NIRVANA WELLNESS SANCTUARY

We would stand a better chance of survival
if we accommodated ourselves to this planet
and viewed it appreciatively
instead of sceptically and dictatorially.

A holistic retreat at Nirvana Wellness Sanctuary will heal, renew and inspire you, with its focus on providing you with new perspectives, strong connections, and a greater meaning of life. Nirvana Wellness Sanctuary has rich roots that combine Eastern mystical (Yoga, Ayurveda, Buddhist) practices together with spiritual awakening through nature. It encompasses:

A rich environment that supports a retreat tradition, culture, and harmony
Relaxation through guided and non-guided activity
A historical past that leads to its current spiritual culture
Within a serene, remote area for meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices
Natural habitats and activity that connect you to the earth.

If you have fully attended 4 retreats at Nirvana Wellness Sanctuary, you will have the experience and skills necessary and are invited to apply as a volunteer. Please understand that this is a privilege, and not everybody will be suitable.
Nirvana Wellness Sanctuary volunteers have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a variety of projects, including (but not limited to) organic gardening, renewable energy projects, wood cutting, trail making, guiding, small building projects, healing arts, marketing, community relations, events management, assist with food preparation, set up for meals, tidy up and washing up in the kitchen, pantry, serving and dining areas, garden duties, accompany participants for nature walks and so on. We request that volunteers observe the yamas and niyamas, do their yoga and meditation practices everyday and help out wherever it is needed. If you desire to offer a special skill to the centre, please email us.

If this sounds interesting to you, please sign up for our newsletter, then contact us.

We look forward to hearing from you!
See also:

Touch the Earth – Volunteer garden days at Nirvana Wellness Sanctuary.

Graduate Volunteers
• Ayurveda Australia
• Bollywood Australia
• The Meditation Institute
• Health Institute Australia
• Nirvana Wellness Sanctuary
• Shanti Yoga™

TRAINING AND PRACTICUM

CPPCLO2014    Clean and arrange furniture and fittings
CPPCLO2034    Maintain storage area and cleaning equipment
CPPCMN2002   Participate in workplace safety arrangements
CPPCCL2008    Clean carpeted floors
CPPCLO2005    Maintain glass surfaces
CPPCLO2042    Clean surfaces using microfibre equipment
CPPCLO2032    Plan basic cleaning activities
CPPCLO2002    Clean hard floor surfaces
CPPCLO2011    Maintain ceiling surfaces and fittings
CPPCLO2036    Maintain external surfaces
CPPCLO2018    Sort, remove and recycle waste material
CPPCCL2009    Perform basic stain removal from carpets
CPPCLO2016    Clean wet surfaces
CPPCLO2045    Clean rooms for guests and residents
CPPCMN2004   Provide basic client services