Invitation
Dear Friend,
We would like to invite you to help create a supportive environment for participants of the retreat, at Healing Spring Monastery. The volunteer program is itself a retreat focused on mindful service, offering a valuable opportunity to practice mindfulness of the body, feelings, mental formations, and perceptions.
Theme Retreats in Summer 2026
- July 3 – 9 : Meditation & Hiking in the countryside
- July 15 – 20 : International retreat for Young Vietnamese.
- July 24-30 : Meditation & Tai Chi
- Aug 4-9 : International retreat for educators and Teachers
The arrival day for volunteers: (2 days before the retreat starts)
The departure day of volunteers : (1 day after the retreat ends)
- Smoking cigarettes or electronic cigarette, consuming alcohol or recreational drugs are prohibited in the monastery
- The monastery doesn’t provide shuttles from the train station, you may want to check the traveling possibilities at our website
Accommodation : Camping at the monastery with your own camping gear, as the monastery does not provide camping equipment. A limited number of Dormitory is available only for cooking volunteer.
In this retreat all gender identities are welcomed
General Service volunteer: Assisting with the coordination of daily logistics and cleaning alongside participants, including tasks such as chopping vegetables, managing the tea table, maintaining toilets, arranging chairs, washing pots, and sterilizing plates.
Cooking volunteer : helping in the kitchen
Contribution: donation based, suggestion of minimum 100€ for one retreat.
If you feel that you meet the description below, we kindly invite you to apply to become a volunteer.
This is our description for all types of volunteers:
- You are 18 and above.
- You participated in a retreat at any Hamlet in the Plum Village Center in Dordogne and/or at Healing Spring Monastery, at least once in these last 5 years.
- You must be physically, mentally & emotionally stable to support these retreats, because the monastic community is very small and will fully focus on the retreat.
- You must be able to communicate in English
- Ability to listen deeply to others and be open to the ideas of others
- Being mindful and keeping calm even in difficult situations
- Capable for teamwork
- Capable of guiding a group in work
- Responsible, diligent, and thorough in your service
- Creative and energetic
You must self organized your visa if you need visa to stay in France.
Specific description for Helping Cooking :
- You may or may not cook
- Your main role is to help the cook chef.
- Willing to follow directions of the chef.
- You may or may not miss some actitivities of the retreat
Thank you very much for your generosity & support.
Dear friends , the registations will be oppen on 15/03/2026 at 12:00 AM
Apply to be Volunteer for Meditation & Hiking Retreat
Apply to be Volunteer for International retreat for Young Vietnamese
Apply to be Volunteer for Meditation & Tai Chi
Apply to be Volunteer for International Retreat for Educators & Teachers
Once you sign up, you will be guided through the whole process step by step.
Important information :
- Terms and conditions
- Cancellation fee is 25€
- What to bring
- How to get to the monastery