The Permaculture Internship at Dharmalaya is for people who want to work with hands, head and heart, to cultivate a practice of working with the natural energies and elements of the land; to co-create an integrated, harmonious and productive ecosystem in which all beings have the opportunity to thrive.

This is long-term residential program grounded in experiential and service-based learning.  Following the one-month Permaculture Foundations course, interns will continue to deepen their understanding of permaculture through ongoing learning and hands-on work on-site in support of the Dharmalaya community.  This will include a daily routine of outdoor work, as well as the design and implementation of agreed projects to enhance the productivity and sustainability of the Dharmalaya campus, integrating course learning with real world application.  Interns will gain experience integrated design, water harvesting, grey water management and irrigation systems, nutrient cycling, organic gardening, soil rehabilitation, natural building and so on.

This internship opportunity is for people who are also wishing to develop their personal practice.  As an Institute for Compassionate Living, Dharmalaya provides a unique environment to embody the practices of presence, self-regulation, service, contemplation, mindfulness, compassionate communication, community living and leadership.

Dates: October 2026 (following the Permaculture Foundations course) exact start date TBC – May 2027

Duration: 9 months, with a 6 month minimum on-campus commitment

Location: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir, India

Course type: Internship

Prerequisites required? Yes. Interns must have completed a permaculture course with Dharmalaya to participate in the internship.  The Permaculture Foundations course will be running from early September to mid-October (exact dates TBC) to support the intake of interns.

Interns accepted to the programme will be expected to keep the following commitments:

• Working in a focused and diligent way, eight hours per day, six days per week. This includes doing a significant amount of repetitive physical labour, so that every part of the work will be understood experientially (you can’t really understand a technique until you’ve done it yourself repeatedly and become good at it). We strongly recommend you exercise regularly before starting your internship so that you arrive in good physical shape, because you’ll be working hard.

• Maintaining professional behaviour and positive attitude at all times — even when not on campus, so as to uphold the reputation of the Institute while out in the surrounding community. This is critically important as you will be viewed by locals as a representative of Dharmalaya, so exemplary behaviour at all times is required.

• Applying yourself sincerely, doing what is asked of you as well as whatever you see needs doing, and making best efforts to achieve not only competence but also excellence.

• Taking on responsibility to help with various logistical and project management tasks related to the permaculture/garden/building projects and other aspects of the operations of the Institute.

• Carrying your own weight (and a little extra): e.g. cleaning up after yourself, cheerfully contributing your fair share (and a little more) to community chores, dishwashing, upkeep, etc.

• Participating fully in the communal activities at Dharmalaya Institute (or whatever your host location may be), e.g. meals, discussions, etc.

• Treating everyone around you with respect and kindness, including your fellow interns, hosts, labourers, students, volunteers, visitors, etc.

• Respecting the  principles and policies of Dharmalaya Institute and the requests of the Dharmalaya faculty and management at all times. Note that there is a strict no-drug and no-alcohol policy, and any violation (not only on campus but also in the surrounding area) would result in being immediately expelled from the Internship (without any refund or other compensation) and banned from the Institute.

• Keeping yourself informed about the programme calendar for the internship and making your travel arrangements accordingly. If you have any schedule conflicts, discuss them with the Dharmalaya faculty far in advance in order to try to work out a mutually-agreeable solution. (There will be the opportunity to take breaks during the period of the internship, subject to approval of the dates by the faculty, but all interns are expected to participate fully while residing at Dharmalaya Institute, and a minimum of 6 months in-residence commitment is required to fulfill the requirements of the internship.) 

• Communicating clearly when you have any questions, needs, concerns, health issues, etc.

• Providing feedback on the programmes and your experiences when requested.

• Refraining from taking on other projects (paid or unpaid) while participating in the Internship (unless discuss this with the faculty and reach an agreement about it).

• Additionally, interns may be required to do an independent or group project, such as a research paper, a hands-on building or design project, etc., depending on the needs on site at the time.  Interns will also have the opportunity to assist in the design and delivery of a month-long permaculture course at Dharmalaya following the completion of the programme.

• All interns must participate in an evaluation process, which includes detailed self-evaluations, programme evaluations, and performance reviews.

Please understand that while the internship is designed to build the learning and experience of individual participants through your learning agreement, the programme takes place in a real-world context, in which the highest priority is the successful completion of the objectives of the Dharmalaya Institute, not the individual preferences of interns, and thus interns are expected to contribute to the smooth functioning of the Institute’s work and activities (just as would be the case if you were working professionally for an architecture firm) and not to disrupt or distract from those activities.

We want you to have the best educational experience possible in the circumstances, and to that end your communication and feedback is very important. Whenever there might be anything we could do to support your personal aspirations and experience, please do let us know.

Everyone is happier when expectations are realistic. To support all prospective interns to have clear and realistic expectations about the Internship, we bring the following points your attention: 

• This is not a Permaculture Design Certificate Course. The focus of the Internship is on learning by doing, building your presence and engagement with the land and the community to understand their needs, and seeking ways to address those needs according to the specific context.  It is about learning to read natural patterns, and with the insights you have gained through this, applying the concepts and principles learned in the course on campus. 

• Do not expect to be spending most of the day sitting at a desk or using a computer or other digital devices. Our interns spend most of their time outside, doing actual work on site with their own hands. You’re welcome to bring a laptop or tablet if you wish, but Dharmalaya Institute strongly encourages digital detox and expects participants to be present with the people and activities here rather than preoccupied with digital devices.

• Do not expect to stand back and watch others do the work, or to have someone else do it for you. All interns work with their own hands, and likewise everyone participates in the cooking, cleaning, and other tasks related to keeping the community running smoothly. 

• Do not expect to do work only related to gardening. Though you’ll certainly do a lot of hands-on gardening, you also will spend a significant amount of time learning and practicing a broad range of activities related to sustainable living, all of which are part of the permaculture model, as well as orienting and training your juniors and participating in the design and delivery of workshops and education. This is a great opportunity for those interested in gaining diverse experiences, but if you aren’t excited about this then it’s probably better for you to apply elsewhere because it’s a significant and important part of the holistic Internship experience here.

• Do not expect to have a lot of personal or socializing time. We tend to stay quite busy here, and most of the socialization happens at mealtimes. You will have a little bit of personal time most evenings (except during workshops), but some evenings there will be group activities (e.g. presentations, discussions, special projects, meditation sessions, etc.). In short, be mentally prepared for most days to be pretty full.

• Do not expect a holiday in the mountains. You will be working hard. The Internship is designed for people who really want to put in the effort to get the most from the experience that they can — and also give as much as they can. During the workshops and practicum periods, there will be limited time to explore the area, go trekking, etc.

• Most importantly, do not expect to be unchanged by the Internship. If you were to leave as the same person you were when you arrived, then both you and we would have failed. The purpose of the Internship is to catalyse profound change and empowerment. The ideal intern in this programme is someone who strongly wants that kind of deep and holistic transformation.

1. The Internship is a serious commitment. If you think the internship programme might be too demanding for you (or if its sessions don’t fit with your schedule), then you might consider completing one of Dharmalaya Institute’s intensive training workshops and then  applying for a volunteer position at Dharmalaya instead of a formal internship.

2. The internship is subject to termination at any time if an intern does not keep his/her commitments to the programme (as outlined on this page), including carrying one’s own weight, participating fully in community activities, following all rules of the Institute and upholding its values, and being dependable in performing the required work (both on site and in community life) with a positive attitude and good results.

3. The internship is a non-commercial programme in which participants can gain valuable training, experience, and guidance in exchange for working hard and doing your best to make valuable contributions to the work conducted by the Dharmalaya Institute and its partners. Work done by interns is on a voluntary basis (unpaid), and you will pay all necessary expenses (to be discussed as part of the application process).