Conversations with Rotational Volunteers on their Experience at Mount Madonna
The rotational volunteer program at Mount Madonna offers an opportunity to embody Karma Yoga (path of selfless action). Life as a volunteer is grounded in purposeful action and spiritual practice, while belonging and contributing to a multigenerational community. The work can be both challenging and joyful.
“If work is done right, it is play.”
BABA HARI DASS
Mica, who began at Mount Madonna as a rotational volunteer and then went on to become part of the Marketing & Communications team, sat down with five karma yogis: Denise, Mica (interviewing herself), Michael D., Michael G., and Rodolf, who have each lived and served on the mountain, and bring diverse perspectives from a few months to several years of service. Below are some of their musings on their time here.
What brought you to Mount Madonna?
Denise: I was living up in Northern California and googled “spiritual places near me.” Even though I was five hours away, Mount Madonna popped up. I saw the volunteer application on the website and said, “Let me fill this out and see what happens!”
Mica: Reddit. A few past volunteers were describing their time here as some of the most peaceful and formative moments of their lives. I was immediately drawn to it.
Michael D.: Through my brother, who has been here off and on since 2012.
Michael G.: A fellow traveler mentioned he had done a volunteer stint here around 2010 and that it was a good experience overall, and a safe place to stay while I reconsidered my next steps on my life path.
Rodolf: I found Mount Madonna online. I was looking to live a spiritual life. Everything fell into place, and, boom, I was here a month later! Sometimes it’s like you’re fighting, but this time it was like I was just flowing with the waves, no resistance.
What was your first impression when you arrived on the mountain?
Denise: How beautiful it was. I came in January, so it was very mystical with the fog and the redwoods.
Mica: Nature was the first thing that struck me. Everything was giant. The air smelled pure and forest-y.
Michael G.: Windy! When I arrived in January, I was wearing my leather Rolling Stones jacket, and it was still cold! I’m from NY, so it’s nothing new for me, but I thought, “Oh man, is it always going to be so windy because we’re on top of a mountain?”
What have been your favorite or most challenging parts of daily life in community?
Mica: I love waking up to the same familiar faces every day, sharing meals, shifts, and adventures. I’m noticing myself becoming more integrated into this community that has existed for so long.
The most challenging aspect is also that I wake up to the same familiar faces every day. Sometimes I’m not my best self, but I still have to face these people in my community. Everyone sees me at my best and worst.
Michael D.: I like the opportunity to randomly run into my brother because we’ve lived far from each other for a decade. I also enjoy the shared meal times.
The most challenging part is finding a place with enough privacy to make a personal phone call that still has internet.
Michael G.: It’s challenging balancing social interaction and involvement in activities — wavering between wanting to move mountains and still the waters.
Rodolf: Aside from nature, the best part is the community of friends — close friends, good friends. I’ve always had a small circle, but I feel comfortable with most people here. It’s like a second family.
The hardest part is the volunteer work. It’s very physical.
Volunteers in the garden this summer.
Describe a moment of gratitude or growth you experienced while volunteering at Mount Madonna.
Denise: I’m grateful for the writers group, open mic nights, and all these opportunities to do things outside my comfort zone. At open mic night, I read a poem I had written myself. This place is a container of safety to walk through my fears and grow from that.
Mica: It’s a gift to walk along the land with the other volunteers, picking fruit straight off the trees and eating it right then and there.
Michael D.: I started out hating the recycling shift. I still don’t love it, but I enjoy the shift now because of the people I’m with who make it joyful.
Michael G.: I have performed various creative materials at three open mic nights, including one comedy set, which is something I’ve been desiring to do for a few years now.
Rodolf: I have grown in acceptance and surrender. Accepting what is and not fighting it.
“I think I shucked two hundred ears of corn this day.” — Mica
Describe a moment when the volunteer work surprised you or taught you something unexpected.
Denise: You know, working here really can be fun. With the people we work with, work and play really can be the same thing.
Mica: The shifts are laborious, but I’ve learned a lot of random, really useful things: land stewarding and gardening knowledge, how to correctly mop floors, how to make bomb vegan salad dressings and desserts, proper ways to recycle, etc.
Michael D.: It’s been surprising working Events & Hospitality shifts, seeing the diversity of the groups we host. I’ve learned things just through learning about the groups we are setting up for.
Michael G.: I had a garden shift where I was shoveling out some roots from the ground, and time disappeared, and digging was happening, but there was no me. It was quite a period of peace.
Rodolf: The dish room has been my biggest teacher! I still say that now. I learned by not fighting it — by just doing it and moving on — there was a lot less mental resistance. The Karma Yoga, the actual work, is what taught me that.
“That’s me in green.” — Michael G.
Has living and serving at Mount Madonna changed how you see yourself or your path?
Denise: It’s allowed me to see myself more clearly. This place and the community are a mirror. Just by being around others, it helps me to see myself more clearly.
Michael G.: It has given me time to reflect on the positives and negatives of living in community, and that no one path is right for everyone.
Rodolf: I have grown here much more than expected. I thought, maybe I’ll learn the scriptures, maybe some meditation, maybe some Yoga. But it’s been so much deeper. Spiritual growth and transformation have led to personal growth and transformation. It’s making me a better person by giving up attachments, and not letting my desires control me as much.
What is one thing that you would tell a friend who is thinking about volunteering at Mount Madonna?
Denise: Do it.
Mica: Leave your expectations at the door and be open to surprises.
Michael D.: You will get out of it exactly as much as you put into it.
Michael G.: It is a great place to practice stretching your boundaries socially and spiritually – just don’t get lost in service, give to yourself first – and to others from your overflow.
Rodolf: It’s going to be hard, but the potential for spiritual and personal growth is more than you can imagine. That’s why I’m still here after almost two years, now as an employee.
If you feel inspired, learn more and apply for one of our upcoming volunteer sessions!
