SEVA Program

The SEVA Program offers a unique opportunity to experience a taste of community living while offering your time and efforts toward both the Himalayan Institute and your personal spiritual journey.

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  • DEEPEN YOUR PRACTICE
  • SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
  • LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE

About the SEVA Program

For those who wish to spend one-to-six months serving and living in a vibrant spiritual community on our Himalayan Institute main campus, we welcome you to apply to the SEVA Program.

This is a perfect way for spiritual seekers, yogis, and meditators to find a more profound and personal relationship with themselves, nature, and the HI tradition. The SEVA Program is a time for service to the Himalayan Institute, as well as time for personal practice, quiet contemplation, and enjoying the beauty of 400 acres of secluded, gently rolling meadows and wooded countryside of our campus in Honesdale, PA.

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SEVA program

A Healthier Life Awaits You.

If you’re feeling called to expand your spiritual practice in a supportive environment of like-minded people, it’s time to join our community.

Join Our Community

Our residential community, with its talented, spiritually inclined seekers of all ages and backgrounds, is one of the unique features of the Himalayan Institute. The collective spirit of kind-heartedness and selflessness makes the institute vibrate with an energy that is incredibly peaceful and alive, and creates an ideal environment for self-study and self-transformation.

Apply Now

2021 sr seva program testimonial laura lewellyn - Himalayan Institute

“The SEVA program at the Himalayan Institute has taught me just how nourishing serving others can be. There is great joy and healing in working with others toward something bigger than myself.”

Laura Lewellyn, Stow, Ohio

2021 sr seva program testimonial laura bernas - Himalayan Institute

“The Institute allows you to cultivate self-awareness, passion, and meet incredible people who come from every different background. It is a very remarkable and unique place to live, study and learn, or just simply be!”

Laura Bernas, Buffalo, NY

How it Works

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Choose the Best Time to Serve

The SEVA program starts at the beginning of every month–see FAQ’s for Arrival & Departure dates. Different rates apply depending on the month–see program pricing section for more details. Space is limited, so apply today!

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Apply Online

Fill out a secure online application for our SEVA program, or, for more information, email [email protected] or call (570) 253-5551, press 1, and ask for the SEVA Program Coordinator.

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Live your authentic life

Many see residence at the Himalayan Institute as an opportunity to bolster their personal mission with a solid foundation of responsibility and an attitude of humanitarian service. Join us in serving the Himalayan Tradition!

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SEVA Program Pricing

2021 sr seva program pricing winter - Himalayan Institute

NOV 1–Feb 28

$899

per month

Fall/Winter

2021 sr seva program pricing spring - Himalayan Institute

Mar 1–Jun 30

$1,099

per month

Spring/Summer

2021 sr seva program pricing summer - Himalayan Institute

Jul 1–Oct 31

$1,199

per month

Summer/Fall

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SEVA + Health Program

We invite you to make the most of your extended stay at the Himalayan Institute—and take good care of You! The SEVA + Health program provides:

  • (2) 60-min therapeutic massage sessions
  • (2) steam sessions
  • (1) 60-minute private yoga therapy session
  • (1) 60-minute private building resilience/biofeedback session
2021 sr seva program health program - Himalayan Institute

Frequently Asked Questions

Seva, a Sanskrit word that means “selfless service,” refers to actions performed with a sense of gratitude, compassion, respect for others, and a heartfelt desire to benefit humanity. The Himalayan Institute relies on the spirit of seva to enhance its day-to-day operations and to nurture and support the growth of its mission to help and serve others.

The SEVA program offers a unique opportunity to experience community living where educational programs, service, and spiritual practice are integrated in a balanced way. SEVA participants gain a solid foundation for personal growth through classes, self-study, and service, and by living in an environment conducive to spiritual nurturance. As part of our community, SEVA participants join other like-minded yoga and meditation practitioners to immerse themselves in their personal practice and clarify their personal goals, while serving the mission of the Himalayan Institute in a variety of ways. Participants may apply to extend their stay in the SEVA Program for up to six months, or apply to transfer to our year-long Residential program.

Benefits of the SEVA Program:

  • Live and serve in a community of like-minded people dedicated to serving others.
  • Enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings of the Pocono Mountains.
  • Have a private room with a shared bathroom down the hall.
  • Eat three freshly cooked vegetarian meals daily.
  • Attend weekend seminars and yoga classes open to SEVA participants.*
  • Participate in the Yogi Living® Residential Immersion program.
  • Complimentary access to the Himalayan Institute’s Online Wisdom Library
  • Enjoy SEVA + Health: discounted sessions at the Wellness Center.

*as your work schedule allows

Registration is by application only. One to six month stay. Space is limited.

  • Nov 1 to Feb 28: $899 a month
  • March 1 to June 30: $1099 a month
  • July 1 to Oct 31: $1199 a month

The SEVA program starts on the first of every month.

Apply below, or, for more information, please email [email protected] or call (570) 253-5551, press 1, and ask for the SEVA Program Coordinator.

Apply Now

Join the SEVA Program for one to six months. Arrive and depart on the following dates:

  • Arrival: December 4, 2023 | Departure: December 29, 2023
  • Arrival: January 2, 2024 | Departure: January 27, 2024
  • Arrival: February 4, 2024 | Departure: February 29, 2024
  • Arrival: March 4, 2024 | Departure: March 29, 2024
  • Arrival: April 1, 2024 | Departure: April 26, 2024
  • Arrival: May 1, 2024 | Departure: May 26, 2024
  • Arrival: June 3, 2024 | Departure: June 28, 2024
  • Arrival: July 1, 2024 | Departure: July 26, 2024
  • Arrival: August 5, 2024 | Departure: August 30, 2024
  • Arrival: September 3, 2024 | Departure: September 28, 2024
  • Arrival: October 1, 2024 | Departure: October 26, 2024

Our residential community, with its talented, spiritually inclined seekers of all ages and backgrounds, is one of the unique features of the Himalayan Institute. The collective spirit of kind-heartedness and selflessness makes the institute vibrate with an energy that is incredibly peaceful and alive, and creates an ideal environment for self-study and self-transformation.

The SEVA Work Study Program offers a unique opportunity to experience a taste of community living while offering your time and efforts toward both the Himalayan Institute and your personal spiritual journey. Join our residential community with a one-to-six-month commitment to live and serve with like-minded people and be a part of something greater than yourself.

In the SEVA program, participants serve in some capacity in the community four hours a day, five days a week.

Possible duties for SEVA Program participants include:

  • Food services: meal serving, dishwashing, veggie prepping
  • Housekeeping: cleaning guest rooms, laundry, and other similar duties
  • Operations: support of day-to-day operations
  • Maintenance: general maintenance of facilities and grounds

Daily life in the Himalayan Institute community offers many opportunities for service, learning, and fellowship. A typical morning might include group meditation and a yoga class, followed by breakfast with fellow residents. SEVA work hours are 4 hours per day, 5 days a week, and generally run from 8:30a.m.–12:30p.m, depending on the schedule requirements of your specific role. In the evenings and during other non-work hours, there is plenty of time to attend your personal practice, such as asking questions of senior spiritual teachers during satsang and participating in lectures and group discussions.

In addition to lectures and satsangs, SEVA residents often participate in spontaneous gatherings for frisbee or board games, watch movies in the Residents’ Lounge, and sing songs around the campfire at Sunset Pond. During non-work hours, SEVA residents are welcome to attend weekend seminars and classes on yoga practice, meditation, yoga philosophy, or wellness*.

*Limited to programs open to SEVA participants and residents only. Sign up as your work schedule allows.

SEVA + Health program includes all the opportunity SEVA has to offer for spiritual growth, self-study, practice with senior HI teachers, and commitment to a community, with additional support for your own health. This program provides services at the PureRejuv Wellness Center that support you on every level: body, energy, and mind. These treatments focus on unwinding physical tensions and mental patterns through yoga, breathing, and relaxation training, as well as massage and steam treatments.

We invite you to make the most of your extended stay at the Himalayan Institute—and take good care of You!

SEVA + Health program provides:

  • 2 60-min therapeutic massage sessions
  • 2 steam sessions
  • 1 60-minute private yoga therapy session
  • 1 60-minute private building resilience/biofeedback session

We are offering these therapies to SEVA participants at a 30% discount, for a total cost of $299.

The Yogi Living® Residential Immersion is a four-week program sharing essential teachings of the Himalayan Tradition. Designed specifically for participants of the Himalayan Institute’s Residential and Seva programs, this immersion will create a solid foundation for your residential experience at the Himalayan Institute, offering a clear road map to optimize your study, practice, and community living. This program includes weekly in-person study and practice sessions organized around the three educational pillars of the Yogi Living® curriculum: yoga practice, yoga wisdom, and yoga lifestyle. These weekly sessions are supplemented with references to valuable online content on the Himalayan Institute’s Wisdom Library as well as study questions to help you contemplate and integrate the Yogi Living practices and lessons into your daily life.

The SEVA program consists of a one-to-six-month commitment to live and serve with the Himalayan Institute community in Honesdale, PA. The SEVA program starts on the first of every month and a minimum one month stay is required. The first month is a trial period: it will give you a chance to see if community living suits your needs, while giving us the opportunity to get to know you. If, after the first month, you would like to stay longer, you can either extend your stay in the SEVA Program for up to six months, or apply to transfer to our year-long Residential Program.

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We’re Passionate About Yoga

Share our passion for authentically representing the ancient science of yoga in the modern world. Experience living in a vibrant spiritual community while deepening your connection to an authentic living tradition. Don’t miss the opportunity to live an authentic life.

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Join our SEVA Program with a one-to-six-month commitment to live and serve with like-minded people and be a part of something greater than yourself.

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