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:
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.
There are three options for newcomers staying at Alya
Please decide which of the following best suits you.
1. VISITOR
2. VOLUNTEER
3. RESIDENT
With love,
The Alya Community team
*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.*
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.
There are three options for newcomers staying at Alya
Please decide which of the following best suits you.
1. VISITOR
- Community contribution: $30 per day
- Accommodation options:
- Shared room in casita or dormitory: $10-15 per night
- Private casita: limited availability, on request (additional cost)
- Work exchange: 5 hours per week
- We ask our Visitors to contribute a small amount of time to community working life. This helps to build connection and supports integration within the community
- Included:
- 2 x home-cooked vegan/ vegetarian meals per day (Mon-Fri) plus food provided to cook for yourself (Sat/Sun)
- Morning yoga classes (Mon-Fri - optional)
- Transparency circle (once a week - optional)
- Cleaning of accommodation and fresh bed linen (once a week)
- Ad hoc workshops: $10 each
- Additional food and drinks from our Organic Kitchen, e.g. home-made kombucha and organic chocolates (prices vary)
- Minimum stay: 1 week
2. VOLUNTEER
- 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 (Mon-Fri) plus food provided to cook for yourself (Sat/Sun)
- Morning yoga classes (Mon-Fri)
- Attendance to volunteer and community meetings and our weekly transparency circle is compulsory
- Volunteers commit to keeping their accommodation space clean
- Ad hoc workshops: $5
- 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, Mon-Fri
- 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 (Mon-Fri) plus food provided to cook for yourself (Sat/Sun)
- Morning yoga classes (Mon-Fri)
- Ad-hoc workshops
- 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
With love,
The Alya Community team
*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.*
Read what some of the work exchange staff are saying about their experience at Alya Retreat Center:
Kevin Deininger, Colorado, USA
I had an incredible experience working at Alya. Spending almost two weeks doing daily yoga and living a very simple, pure life has left an impression on me. I've taken some lessons from the time I spent there and applied them in my life.
I did a lot of work cutting bamboo, helping build roofs, and planning for an upcoming retreat. We had time to visit the beach, hike along the river, and watch movies on my laptop.
It was very enjoyable to share amazing communal meals three times a day, and to live in the jungle. To call Alya an escape is perhaps an understatement. It's a chance to look at the crazy way we live our lives.
Augustine, Buenos Aires, Argentina
I always find the best way to travel is, to really live and spend time in one place,
with the local people. Have time to explore and connect with the land.
Here at Alya Retreat Center I had the chance to do all that and more.. we meditate every morning in a pure natural enviroment.. imagine pranayama and meditation as we get up in the morning.. wow!! The land is close to the ocean so you have the chance to play in both water and jungle.
with the local people. Have time to explore and connect with the land.
Here at Alya Retreat Center I had the chance to do all that and more.. we meditate every morning in a pure natural enviroment.. imagine pranayama and meditation as we get up in the morning.. wow!! The land is close to the ocean so you have the chance to play in both water and jungle.
Virginia, Sedona, Arizona
I came to Alya Retreat Center to connect to nature and to be of service. Shlomo is a great host and made me feel welcomed from the first time I met him. I helped him with his website and programming, along with any other things that needed to be done. The land is so beautiful and Shlomo has great ideas to make it better. It was an amazing experience - which I learned a lot about myself.
Diego, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Hi my name is Diego, I’m traveling around Costa Rica, and I came to Alya Retreat Center to work, help and have a good time. This place is amazing, is one of many paradises in the world!!! I learned lots of useful things for life and have fun at the same time!!
We cut bamboo in a bamboo forest to build little houses for people to stay in the complex, we worked some hours with the houses or other stuff every day, and in the afternoon/evening we relaxed and had a very good time.
Sebastian, Buenos Aires, Argentina
I am Sebastian. I was a volunteer at Alya Retreat Center. It is a beautiful place to relax, release some serotonin, and the main point, to connect with Mother Earth.
Before we started working, we did yoga and meditation every morning, and after breakfast we helped with different kind of work that at the same time helped us. To serve and be served is something really nice to experience. Alya Retreat Center is a perfect place to learn and have an amazing time. I’ve learned how to make raw tahini from plain sesame seeds, and I am going to make lots of it now. It is very healthy and so tasty. Here is how you make it, you take raw`sesame seeds and you just blend
them in a fast speed food processor for about 15 minutes till it is smooth and that’s it! You don’t add anything to it. Then you can spread it on bread with some honey.. very yummy.. you can also google to see how you make tahini dip from the tahini you just made. good luck! Enjoy it as also it is very high in calcium.
Before we started working, we did yoga and meditation every morning, and after breakfast we helped with different kind of work that at the same time helped us. To serve and be served is something really nice to experience. Alya Retreat Center is a perfect place to learn and have an amazing time. I’ve learned how to make raw tahini from plain sesame seeds, and I am going to make lots of it now. It is very healthy and so tasty. Here is how you make it, you take raw`sesame seeds and you just blend
them in a fast speed food processor for about 15 minutes till it is smooth and that’s it! You don’t add anything to it. Then you can spread it on bread with some honey.. very yummy.. you can also google to see how you make tahini dip from the tahini you just made. good luck! Enjoy it as also it is very high in calcium.
