Yoga teacher internship (YTI)
The Yoga Teacher Internship (YTI) is a three months residential internship held at Gaia Ashram in Thailand. The Yoga Teacher Internship aims to give aspiring yoga teachers with a teaching certificate a safe space to practice teaching Yoga.
About Gaia Ashram:
Gaia Ashram is an Eco- learning center that aims to regenerate the beauty and abundance of nature while restoring our deeper connection with the Mother Earth. We believe that We are one with nature and Gaia Ashram is meant to be a place where We live and contemplate to realize this connection again. We also believe in holistic learning and living. Our learning and living with Mother Earth including the learning in the heart, head, hands and holism (where we see the interconnection of all things).
Learning in the heart means we allow our heart to feel the earth, be its beauty or its pains. We honor and take those feelings as signs of deeper connection. We practice to express our love and gratitude to life as well as learn to express our grief and concerns for the pain of the world as practiced in Deep Ecology of Joanna Macy of “The Works That Reconnect”. Practicing awareness on our feelings toward ourselves, others and the earth is part of our living.
Learning in the mind (head) we educate ourselves with useful information about ecosystems, how we can regenerate our ecosystems & we learn regenerative farming practices such as Permaculture, Agroforesty, Syntropic Agriculture etc. A part from gaining the knowledge on the ecological aspects, We also study and discuss the social aspects, economic aspects, worldview and cultural aspect as is taught in the Ecovillage Design Education. We have been teaching Ecovillage Design to groups since the start of Gaia Ashram learning center.
Learning with the hands: we physically engage in the process of restoring the beauty and abundance of nature. We work on our Permaculture Farm to grow our food, rebuilding the soil and increasing biodiversity in the process.
The holism learning means we see the connection between the different parts and realize how each part play its role to support the whole and how the whole support each individual part. We constantly practice wholistic awareness.
This is why We are opening for Yoga Teacher Internship & Residential Program. We wish to continue enhancing the aspect of self awareness and deep connection with the earth and our wholesome self. We believe a regular practice of Yoga, combining with other part of learning at Gaia Ashram such as Permaculture, Eco Village Living, Deep Ecology etc, will help people to become more aware of themselves, their feelings, their action and their part/role in the web of life. From our experience, this will empower and motivate people to take part, with their uniqueness, in the process of restoring the beauty and abundance of nature and ourselves.
At the same time, Gaia Ashram wishes to be a place for Yoga teachers in training to gain teaching experience while deepen their connection with nature, gain more knowledge and skills in restoring nature based on Deep Ecology, Ecovillage Design and Permaculture. We believe yoga teacher with such awareness and skills are great change agents.
What Does the Yoga Teacher Internship look like?
Being a Yoga Teacher Intern (YTI) at Gaia Ashram means that the person is willing to be part of community life at Gaia Ashram. Taking a role as a yoga teacher who offers yoga session to community members, volunteers, other interns or program participants. There is also chance to offer YTI classes to the local school students or villagers who are interested. YTI will gain experience in instructing sessions to various groups of people. Part of the role as a Yoga Teacher Intern (YTI) is that you would need to take some other roles to hold the community space. For more detail see below.
What is asked of a YTI?
– Offer yoga classes at Gaia Ashram community or/and in the local school/village approximately 3 – 6 hours a week
– Joining in daily chore team (rotational task of cooking, tidying the common space, doing dishes, help out in daily check in to support the well being of community living etc)
– Joining in a weekly team meeting and reflection
– Support new volunteers/interns to integrate into the community (for example show them the basic facility when they first arrive, explain them daily and weekly routine and general orientation) This task will be rotational role between interns who have stay longer in the community. This is a weekly task. New volunteers/interns will arrive only on Monday.
– Help in the garden or in community work session 2-3 hours a day (watering, weeding, planting vegetable, or natural building etc.)
What experience and knowledge you can gain during your Yoga Teacher internship period?
- Teaching experience: You will gain experience on training Yoga to various group of people. First group would be young adults and adults, Thai and international who stay at Gaia Ashram and other groups such as school students, villagers, school teachers from the nearby school.
- Community living experience: Gaia Ashram takes community living as an essential part of the project. We apply the Ecovillage principles as guidelines for our community. You will gain this experience as you will be living in the community.
- Learning about yourself: living in a conscious living community will help to reflect about ourselves. What are your passions and strengths. Creating a safe space for each individual to be themselves and learn about themselves, purpose and role in the web of life is a key point of Gaia Ashram community.
- Permaculture in Practice: You will learn a lot of practical Permaculture practices as Gaia Ashram set up also based in Permaculture. Living at Gaia Ashram for a period of three months you will see, practice and gain knowledge on Permaculture principles based on what we practice at Gaia Ashram and more.
- Deepen you connection with nature: through Deep ecology philosophy which we present in the Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience Week and in day to day practice you feel find this platform to be useful in deepening your connection with nature and realizing We are part of it.
- Learning the unexpected: We create a learning space where people can learn and teach each others and exchange knowledge. It depends on who will be there interning with you, what they will be sharing with you and what you will be sharing with others.
- What else?: Depend on the open mind!
Fees For the YTI?
The fee to join the Gaia Yoga Teacher Internship is 29,650 Baht for 12 weeks of stay & commitment. This fee covers for you to join the Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience Week, which lay the foundation for community living and holistic sustainable living. Food & Accommodation(hostel dormitory) throughout the 12 weeks are included.
Food / Accommodation / Facility
• Accommodation: Our recently renovated and upgraded Dormitory, shared rooms, and single rooms available for an extra charge (see below the rates). Mosquito nets, cushions, bedding, and blankets are provided.
• Common space for sessions: Classroom sessions will be held in our natural built sala, in our pool sala and outdoor. Practical sessions will be happening on different locations on the land.
• Toilets and showers: We provide compost toilets and showers for men and women.
Private rooms are available in the Fairy House for an extra fee.
Fairy House Room Rates:
Single Rooms: 150 Baht extra per night
Double Rooms: 300 Baht extra per night.
how to apply for the yoga teacher internship?
1. sending us an email introducing yourself
– your name and background
– where you did your Yoga Teacher Training and your teacher’s name
– Why are you interested to join our Yoga Teacher Internship program?
– Have you ever have experienced living in any kind of community?
– Please share with us your most important ethics or believes or values
– Your intended date/month of enter Gaia Ashram
– anything else you want us to know?
2. We will reply your email within 24hrs and arrange a Skype or zoom meeting to interview each other
3. Have a skype/Zoom meeting
4. Choose your entry date. Book your place by paying the booking fee of 13,700 THB, This booking fee is the down payment to secure your spot. The rest of the fee We ask to be paid at arrival.The total fee of 29650 THB cover your participation in an Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience week.
There will be no extra fee if an intern want to extend their stay longer than three month as they enter residential stage.
5. That is it!, We will be expecting you on your arrival date.
send us your inquiry to gaiaschoolasia@gmail.com
“May all the work we do be of benefit to all Beings and Mother Earth!”