Experience report during my time as Ashram Volunteer in Thailand

My arrival in Thailand

After my studies, I wanted to go abroad for a while before starting my daily work. I wanted to use my time wisely and decided to go to Northern Thailand. So on April 3rd my journey started. I flew to Bangkok where I landed early in the morning and immediately exchanged some money and bought a Thai SIM card at a 7-Eleven shop. With the tourist prepaid card I had 8GB for a week and some credit on my cell phone for the equivalent of 4€.

After changing airports for free on the shuttle, I got to Don Mueang Airport very early. There wasn't much traffic so all in all it took 1h30 and I had to wait from 7am - 12pm for my next flight to Udon Thani. I arrived on time and Maria was already waiting for me at the airport. I was picked up by her and Kik for an extra charge of 15€ and driven to the ashram. The journey went very quickly, as Maria is a great, open person who makes you feel very comfortable right away.

My everyday life as an Ashram Volunteer in Northern Thailand

When I arrived at the ashram it was a free afternoon (always on Wednesdays) so I had a good amount of time to unpack my things before Maria showed me everything. When I arrived we were a small group (6 people) but this changes from week to week. In the evening I took part in my first meditation and went to sleep feeling good. I found it pleasant to share the dormitory with the other volunteers, but it did get very hot here despite the fan.

However, during the day you do not spend time here and in the evening it cools down a bit, so you can sleep peacefully under the mosquito nets. The dormitory doesn't have real walls, which allows a view of nature. In general, the ashram is the perfect place for people who want to get closer to nature. The garden, the forest, the naturally built spaces and the spiritual people create a place where you feel very connected to nature. April is the hottest time, so I had to get used to the 38 degrees. From time to time a thunderstorm came up and it got nicer for a few days.

The daily routine in the ashram

During the first few days I also had to get used to the times in the ashram (but that wasn't a problem because of the jetlag). At 5.40:XNUMX a.m. the gong rings for the first meditation. Everyday life is very regulated and can still be designed individually. You quickly become familiar with the different rituals here in the ashram, including, for example, the 'food blessing' before every meal. Breakfast and lunch are prepared by the dedicated team on the day, while Kik (a Thai woman) cooks dinner for the community. The food in the ashram is exclusively vegetarian and partly from the own garden.

In the mornings, people tend to work on more physically demanding projects because the heat allows it better. The tasks vary daily (if you want), but you can also dedicate yourself to a project and work intensively on it. For me it was more exciting to get involved in every area in order to learn as much as possible. I went there with no prior experience and with many interests. Typical tasks in the morning were e.g. E.g. natural building (one project consisted of building a new oven, another was building on a house), gardening (like making beds, planting vegetables, ...), collecting hay or beans.

After lunch there is a break because that is when the hottest hours are. My favorite pastime was then to cool down in the pond before the 'deep relaxation' together. Then work is done again; again there are many different tasks to choose from, for example you can take part in the processing of plastic (washing plastic and producing eco-bricks), 'seed saving' (collecting and processing different types of seeds, producing 'seed balls') or in the production of natural products help (soap, jam, kombucha, ....). Before dinner we meditate again and in the evening various workshops or presentations are regularly offered (e.g. on the subject of permaculture, Thai language, ...). All volunteers can also present something on a topic here if they wish to do so.

The equipment of the ashram

The place of residence in the ashram, where people always meet, is called Sala. Here people eat and meditate on carpets. The kitchen is also completely open, with lots of fruit and vegetables available to cook for the community and be creative. The dormitory is above the sala and consists mainly of mattresses and mosquito nets, but there is also enough space to store or hang luggage. Alternatively, you can sleep in a bamboo hut for yourself for an extra charge.

There are men's and women's showers, where care should be taken to use natural products. Soap and shampoo can be purchased at the ashram, as well as mosquito spray, aloe vera gel and eco-friendly feminine hygiene items (cotton pads and mooncups). The toilets are clean and emptied by the compost team every day. In general, attention is paid to environmentally friendly behavior in order to enable life in a community in and with nature without harming it. Sustainability is an important part of the projects in the ashram, according to the aspects of permaculture. The founders of the Ashram, Om and Tom, are very inspiring people who embody and live this path.

My free time in Thailand

The weekends can be used to go to Nong Khai. I was there with some volunteers for Sonkran (Thai New Year). A tradition at Sonkran is to throw water at oneself. So there was a water fight all over the city, which is the perfect way to cool down at 37 degrees. You can also go to the night market and the Buddha Statue Park, so it's a great place to spend a weekend there.

I spent the week after that in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Again, there's plenty to do and it's a pleasant change from Gaia. Then I was in Bangkok last weekend because I flew on from here. I took the night train to Bangkok, which was very comfortable.

Report from the ashram project in Thailand, by Laura G., 25.05.2018