Have you ever wished there was a way to express generosity, connect with the Tara Mandala community, and contribute to Tara Mandala and Lama Tsultrim’s legacy beyond financial support? 

This year, as we celebrate 30 years of the Sacred Feminine, we are excited to invite all members of our global community to come to Tara Mandala in Colorado and help us take care of our beautiful retreat center. 

In addition to offering the gifts of your hands-on skills and labor, the Volunteer Work Week will allow you to deepen your practice together with others, enjoy getting to know fellow practitioners, and connect with the sacred land of the ancestral Ute and Pueblo people. Offer your skills in a hands-on way and be part of the living legacy of Tara Mandala, enabling us to continue to be a place of refuge, practice, and profound learning for dharma practitioners from around the world.

Our Volunteer Work Week is for you if you:

• Love gardening and working the soil, and are ready to get muddy a bit to help prepare the grounds for winter.
• Are handy with power tools and have experience working in construction, carpentry, electrical systems, plumbing and/or painting.
• Like to clean and help us close out the Summer retreat season.
• Like to work in the kitchen to ensure that everyone is fed and supported.
• Like making things beautiful and getting things done, such as repair jobs, moving furniture, and preparing our guest facilities and accommodations for retreatants. 
• Are looking forward to being physically engaged for approximately 5-6 hours every day in joyous, rewarding community service, experiencing the power of Sangha and the magic of Tara Mandala at no cost! Your accommodations, practice time, and meals at Tara Mandala are completely FREE!

If what we describe above is in line with your skills and practice aspirations, and if you would like to offer generosity by way of supporting us with a bit of manual work, please keep reading below for further details and consider applying to participate!

Important Details Before Applying:

• To apply, click “Register Now” on this page. As you fill out the form, we ask that you share in the “Additional Comments” box within the form specific details about your skills and experience with the activities we have described above.
• Once we receive your application, you will be contacted to schedule a virtual interview so we can learn more about your skills, and more details regarding your capacity to stay for either 1 week (October 5-12 or October 12-19) or for 2 weeks (October 5-19 ).
• Once you are accepted, you will receive direct support from our Registrar to secure your room and board selection. Accommodation options will be limited, and most people will share rooms. 
• It is usually pretty cold during this time of the year, and there may  be some snow on the ground, so please plan accordingly. Everyone will be participating in a variety of work activities each day and you will need to have good work clothes. Boots, gloves, and outdoor gear is recommended. 
• While there may be public teaching sessions during this time, you are invited to maintain your own practice (samaya) commitments and use the Temple for your personal practice.
• If you participate for a minimum of 1 week, you will receive a special gift from Tara Mandala: A unique discount code to attend one upcoming online program or in-person retreat at Tara Mandala Retreat Center in Colorado for FREE. Please note that you must qualify for any restricted program for which there are prerequisites. This gift and code is non-transferable. The retreat credit will apply for the 2025 season. (Please note that the free retreat gift is not valid for use towards our solitary retreat cabins.)

To prepare for your visit, we invite you to read our information on Tara Mandala’s Health and Safety Protocols for In-Person Retreats.