Work Exchange

Alya Community

Alya has been established as a retreat center for eleven years and has hosted many transformational courses and gatherings on this land. Since March 2020, Alya has been functioning as a small conscious community. Currently this is our main focus, though we will begin hosting retreats again as soon as we can.

Alya community has been founded on the principles of authentic relating, conscious connection, and personal and collective transformation. Our vision is to live as sovereign beings in harmony with nature, ourselves and each other. Alya was built with eco principles and we are striving for sustainability.

Are you interested in joining our community?  
We are inviting people to apply with the following skills / areas of interest:

  • Building and construction
  • Permaculture and land management
  • Kitchen management and cooking
  • Housekeeping
  • PR and Marketing
  • Yoga and wellbeing
  • Art and crafts

 

We welcome people of all nationalities, ethnicities and sexual orientations. We are open to receiving people with enthusiasm for contributing actively to a conscious community who can live harmoniously with others. We require individuals who are flexible, can use their initiative and are able to work independently and collaboratively.

our 3 Work Exchange Options

1. april – October Work exchange

  • 5 Hours work daily / 5 days a week
  • Accommodation options:
    • Shared casita with 4 singles beds , 2 bathrooms and Kitchen
    • Private casita: limited availability, on request (additional cost)
  • Included:
    • Food provided to cook for yourself ( Basic Costa Rican Food like Rice, Beans, Veggies, Salad etc.)
  • Additional food and drinks from our Organic Kitchen, e.g. home-made kombucha and organic chocolates (prices vary)
  • Minimum stay: 1 month

 
2. november – may Work exchange

  • Community Contribution : $15 per day
  • Accommodation options:
    • Shared room in casita or dormitory: $5-10 per night
    • Bring your own tent and camping equipment: $5 per night
    • Private casita: limited availability, on request (additional cost)
  • Work exchange: 20 hours per week
    • Volunteers are expected to contribute four hours daily to community working life, Mon-Fri
    • We will discuss with you on arrival which areas most appeal to you and best complement your skills
  • Included:
    • 2 x home-cooked vegan/ vegetarian meals per day (during Retreats)  plus food provided to cook for yourself (outside of Retreats)
    • Workshops and Classes (during Retreats)
    • Attendance to volunteer and community meetings and our weekly transparency circle is compulsory
  • Volunteers commit to keeping their accommodation space clean
  • Additional food and drinks from our Organic Kitchen, e.g. home-made kombucha and organic chocolates (prices vary)
  • Minimum stay: 1 month. Trial period of 2 weeks applies

 
3. RESIDENT  

  • Community contribution: : $7 per day
  • Accommodation options:
    • Shared room in casita or dormitory: $5 per night
    • Private casita: limited availability, on request (additional cost)
  • Work exchange: 25 hours per week
    • Residents contribute five hours per day to community working life
    • This includes practical tasks, as well as teaching yoga and/or facilitating workshops, organisational and strategic activities
  • Included:
    • 2 x home-cooked vegan/ vegetarian meals per day (during Retreats)  plus food provided to cook for yourself (outside of Retreats)
    • Workshops and Classes during Retreats
    • Attendance to community meetings and our weekly transparency circle is compulsory
  • Residents commit to keeping their accommodation space clean
  • Minimum stay: 3 months. Residency available after at least one month of volunteering, subject to agreement from existing residents  

how to apply?

To fill out our application Form click here  or email to us at alyaretreatcenter@gmail.com.

We look forward to getting to know you better!

*Please note, we are located in a rural Costa Rican village and our internet connection is very slow and unreliable. Many volunteers love how this allows them to disconnect with technology and reconnect with nature. However, keep this in mind when deciding if this will be a good fit for you.*