Transform through Service and Community Living

Embrace the Spirit of Karma Yoga and the Joy of Acting from the Heart

Serving in the spirit of Karma Yoga offers a profound opportunity to deepen your spiritual practice while fully immersing yourself in the Hridaya Community. You’ll be invited to participate in yoga and meditation sessions, support our internal operations, and engage in our active community life while learning to act from a space of awareness, detachment, and love.

Known as the “yoga of action,” Karma Yoga bridges all other yogic paths, transforming every moment into an opportunity for Presence and spiritual growth.

This practice teaches you to let go of attachment to the results of your actions, offering them for the benefit of others and all existence. It’s a cornerstone of conscious living that connects formal practice with daily life.

Living in the spirit of Karma Yoga means living from the Heart. If you long to explore this sacred path more deeply while supported by a vibrant international community, apply to join us in France or Mexico. To find out more about the Karma Yoga journey, explore this blog post on life as a Karma Yogi in Longeval.

You’ll Experience:

1 10-Day Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreat
1 Hridaya Hatha Yoga Retreat
Daily yoga and meditation classes
Opportunities to foster spiritual growth through community participation (devotional singing, community gatherings, sharing circles, etc.)
Techniques for integrating daily life into the practice of Karma Yoga
Spiritual support from experienced teachers

What Is Karma Yoga?

“Life is a gift granted to us, and we deserve it when we share ourselves.”
–Rabindranath Tagore

Karma Yoga means performing an action with meditative awareness, from moment to moment. It’s a practice that not only transforms an act, but also our attitude towards it. Instead of being motivated by a desire for personal satisfaction or gain, we simply offer without expectation. We put our mind, soul, and being into an action, without selfish involvement. When we do this, we discover a sense of inner freedom.

Read more about Karma Yoga and the joy of offering from the Heart in this article by Hridaya’s founder, Sahajananda.

How to Apply:

A Step-by-Step Guide

Click on “Apply Now” and submit the form.

If you’re a good fit, we’ll invite you for a video interview or phone call.

Receive a written agreement.

Begin your selfless service journey with Hridaya.

Find More Details Below and Apply Today!

Practical Details and Application

Karma Yoga Cycles and Information

We welcome new groups of Karma Yogis twice yearly, January 28–July 13, and July 13–December 12.

Exact start and end dates may differ slightly based on individual logistics.
Karma Yogis join us for the entire 5-month cycle.
Our community gathers for meditation every morning from 7:00-8:00 am—this is a core part of our practice.
Karma Yogis are invited to fully participate in one 10-Day Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreat during their stay.
Karma Yogis may also complete (or repeat) Hridaya Yoga Retreat: Module 1. If you have already completed Module 1, you will be invited to join Module 2.
When the center isn’t hosting a silent retreat, we offer weekly bhajans and morning chanting.
Karma Yogis receive support for their spiritual journey through our uplifting sangha (community), varied teachings and practices, and guidance from experienced Hridaya teachers.
It is sometimes possible to join us outside of the standard volunteer periods. Contact us for more information.

Practicalities

Karma Yogis are offered a bed in a shared 4-bunk dormitory.
Karma Yogis are invited to eat two meals prepared by our kitchen team daily.
Our center is located in Longeval, a peaceful and forested area in the picturesque Beaujolais countryside.
We maintain a strictly vegetarian, non-smoking, alcohol-free, and drug-free environment.

If you have any questions about practicing Karma Yoga at Hridaya France, reach out to Rio, our Karma Yoga Coordinator, at community@hridaya-yoga.fr.

Karma Yoga Cycles and Information

The Karma Yoga Immersive Retreat (KYIR) in Mazunte unfolds over a period of 3 course cycles. This allows you the spaciousness for introspection, purification, and transformation through Self-Inquiry.

We are now accepting applications for the next cycle, January 11–May 19, 2026.

Before applying to the program, we recommend that you complete the Hridaya Yoga Retreat: Module 1 Intensive.
Participants do one 10-Day Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreat and one Hridaya Hatha Yoga Retreat during the course. They may also join drop-in classes and other opportunities for practice as their schedule allows.
The KYIR includes hands-on workshops on conscious food preparation and serving.
Karma Yogis learn to practice dynamic meditation while engaged in a variety of activities, which may include cooking, housekeeping, maintenance, photography, community outreach, and welcoming participants to our courses.
It is sometimes possible to join the KYIR outside of the standard course dates. Contact us for more information.

Practicalities

Karma Yogis may stay in our dorms or find their own accommodations.
KYIR participants are provided two vegan meals per day, Mondays through Saturdays, during module cycles and three meals per day during meditation retreats.
Our center is in Mazunte, a relaxed town on the stunning Oaxacan Coast.
We maintain a non-smoking, alcohol-free, and drug-free environment. Participants commit to abstaining from smoking, drugs, and illicit substances while enrolled in the course.

If you have any questions about Karma Yoga at Hridaya Mexico, email our Karma Yoga Coordinator at karmayoga@hridaya-yoga.mx.

Dates and Application

Karma Yoga Immersive Retreat

Applications Open:

October 5, 2025

Check-in:

January 11, 2026

Checkout:

May 19, 2026

In English in

Mazunte,

Mexico

Karma Yoga Service

Applications Open:

October 5, 2025

Check-in:

January 28, 2026

Checkout:

July 13, 2026

In English in

Longeval,

France

If the dates listed above don’t align with your schedule, you may still apply, as spaces may become available at other times.