Join our Karma Yoga Volunteer Program
Live & Serve at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga!
| Cohort | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 1 | May 31 |
| 2 | June 1 | August 31 |
| 3 | September 1 | December 5 |
Karma Yoga Volunteer Program
At the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, the Karma Yoga Volunteer Program is a live-in, immersive experience that blends service, spiritual practice, and community life. Volunteers (Karma Yogis) dedicate 25–30 hours per week to supporting the day-to-day operations of the Centre while participating in a rhythm of yoga practice, shared meals, and quiet time in nature.
The Karma Yoga Volunteer Program is designed for individuals who feel ready to engage in a structured, communal way of living, one that values contribution, presence, and personal responsibility.
Life at the Centre is simple and intentional. It offers meaningful work, shared meals, yoga practice, and time in nature, all within a supportive spiritual community. While many people experience insight, growth, and renewed clarity here, the program is rooted in practice and participation rather than personal process or healing work.
Karma Yogis are asked to arrive able to care for their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being, communicate openly, and meet the rhythms of daily community life with steadiness and self-awareness.
Clear expectations help create an environment where everyone—volunteers, staff, and residents—can thrive together. Karma Yogis work alongside resident staff and long-time practitioners in essential service areas such as:
- Kitchen Support
- Farm & gardens
- Grounds & land care
- Housekeeping
- Maintenance
- Administrative or marketing support (as needed)
More than a work exchange, this program is an opportunity to experience how yoga is lived, not just practiced on a mat, but embodied in action, relationship, and service.
Review the links below to see if the Karma Yoga Volunteer Program is right for you:
A Complete Guide to the Karma Yoga Volunteer Program
A Day in the Life of a Karma Yogi: Living Yoga Beyond the Mat
The Salt Spring Centre of Yoga has long been a sanctuary for spiritual seekers, offering a supportive community to deepen yoga practice and integrate spirituality into daily life.
A central focus of its teachings is Karma Yoga, or selfless service, as taught by Baba Hari Dass. It involves performing actions with focus, enthusiasm, and the intention to create a peaceful mind through selfless service. Actions performed without attachment to personal gain or the results of those actions, cultivate even-mindedness in all situations. It is a path of inner development and peace.
Benefits of Serving Through the Karma Yoga Volunteer Program
Whether you’re beginning your spiritual journey or deepening your current yoga practice, the Karma Yoga Volunteer program offers a meaningful way to grow, serve, and find inner peace.
All are welcome here!
New This Season!
We are asking applicants to consider committing to a 3-month stay, which will allow for a better orientation and integration with other Karma Yogis.
Please Note: We will be giving priority acceptance to those who can commit to a 3-month stay (or longer) but we will also carefully review and consider the applications of those who cannot commit to that length of stay (we understand that it’s not always possible!).
We also offer potential teaching opportunities for qualified yoga teachers in any style or tradition that are looking to gain experience, increase their skills and confidence, or simply share what they have to offer with the community.
- Openness and respect for the community, teachings, and spiritual practices of the Centre. (All classes, rituals, and ceremonies are optional, never mandatory.)
- 25 – 30 hours of service per week in one or more of our key areas (Farm, Housekeeping, Kitchen, Maintenance), depending on the needs of the Centre and its programs.
All Centre rules, guidelines, and safety procedures must be followed.
- Simple yet comfortable accommodation in a camping spot, shared room, or private room, all within a 5-minute walk of the main Program House.
- Lacto-vegetarian meals lovingly prepared in our Centre kitchen based on sattvic principles.
- Access to laundry, wifi, and other shared amenities, including a library and lounge area.
- Community kitchen to prepare snacks and personal meals from time to time if you wish. (see Centre guidelines for food restrictions.)
- A variety of traditional yoga teachings, spiritual ceremonies, and community events.
- A network of forested walking trails and close proximity to a popular swimming lake.
- Potential teaching experience for qualified yoga teachers looking to increase their skills (200-hour teacher training and Yoga Alliance registration required – please be prepared to present proof of registration).
- Cellular reception is very poor on our property, and limited elsewhere on Salt Spring Island.
- Wifi is accessible at the main Program House, but not guaranteed anywhere else.
- General packing guidelines will be provided upon acceptance into the program.
- Designated camp sites are available, but camping gear / accessories are not provided. It may be possible to provide a tent.
- Outdoor showers and outhouse facilities are available in the campground area; indoor facilities are available to everyone in the main Program House.
- The lovely town of Ganges is nearby, roughly an hour walk from the Centre. A bus is also available, but the schedule is intermittent. Local taxis are another option.
- Pick-up from the Fulford or Long Harbour ferry terminals may be possible to arrange, but cannot always be guaranteed.