Volunteering at Kahua Institute



“Volunteering is a conscious choice to give and receive through community work and sharing. Celebrating visions that take form in an earthly matter with the highest intention that serves all humanity.”
– Kutira & Raphael
Thank you for your interest in joining our place in Maui, Hawaii. Here’s a little bit about our place, what we have to offer, and what we would like to receive in return:
Our artistic and educational community is living ecologically and responsibly on 15 acres of sustainable land on the pristine North Shore of Maui. We are surrounded by 18 acres of cliffs and oceanfront. Our land has been declared a “resting place of mature souls” by the ancient Hawaiians. Our hiking trails lead to freshwater pools and 150-foot waterfalls, yet we are only 20 minutes from Paia and Ho’okipa, the windsurfing capital of the world. We are only 35 minutes from the airport and yet we are “off the beaten path”. Powered by the sun, our generator pumps the sweetest water from our very own well. The rain fills our ponds. The earth is nurtured by our brood of 21 chickens and through conscious composting, mulching, and restorative soil building. Bees pollinate the flowers and plants in our organic food garden. Until just recently, we specialized in structural bamboo, now we are focusing on soil restoration and food security. We have established an Agroforestry garden in our jungle and are involved in Food Security Hawaii. To get to know us better, we encourage you to watch our movie www.TheDanceOfEarthAndSpirit.com, a blueprint for the next generation to embody sustainability.
The Kahua Hawaiian Institute, est. 1985 is the umbrella for many endeavors: the movement of Embodied Spirituality; the creation of music, meditations, videos, and spiritual retreats; the practices of organic farming and education in the field of ecotourism. KAHUA ~ in Hawaiian means, “to empower the wisdom from within”.
If our place is what you have been envisioning, please go ahead and submit your information.
The application form below supports us to get to know you and making sure that we are able to meet your needs. Living in a community is an art, and has to be a calling from the heart. We strive to select a group of like-minded folks that will enjoy each other and add to the magic of our wonderful land. We are truly blessed to have such a beautiful place with a private waterfall and can share regenerative living in the community.
About This Place
We’ve been hosting volunteers from around the world for the past 35 years. More than 1000 people spanning the ages of 21 years old to 65 years young have participated in this unique community where we live off-grid and from the land as much as possible. Having become a safe haven for many to live in tandem with Mother Nature, we not only teach ecology and responsibility for the land but also how to run a sustainable center.
We have a 3 months min. stay with the option to extend. For those who do choose to stay longer, we offer a certificate that will confirm your knowledge of running an off-grid, sustainable, and eco-friendly retreat center. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those willing to learn.
Click here, maybe you too will be soon joining this community of volunteers.



What We Offer
We’ve been hosting volunteers from around the world for the past 35 years. More than 1000 people spanning the ages of 21 years old to 65 years young have participated in this unique community where we live off-grid and from the land as much as possible. Having become a safe haven for many to live in tandem with Mother Nature, we not only teach ecology and responsibility for the land but also how to run a sustainable center.
We have a 3 months min. stay with the option to extend. For those who do choose to stay longer, we offer a certificate that will confirm your knowledge of running an off-grid, sustainable, and eco-friendly retreat center. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those willing to learn.
The internship is comprised of yoga classes and others as they become available. You will benefit from any additional classes taught by visiting guest teachers as part of the program. By joining our ohana (family), you will be experiencing Hawaiian culture from a local perspective. Coaching and mentorship are shared on a personal basis, bridging ancient teachings with our modern world, and whether in groups or individually, we have many opportunities for meditation in nature. Several beautiful meditation temples allow space to deepen your awareness through yoga, Shamanic, and Embodied Spirituality classes.
We provide a comfortable room, hot showers, fiber optic wifi, laundry, and a communal kitchen in a bamboo house with access to an expansive spiritual library. We provide some staples but don’t provide/cook meals, though community dinners do happen spontaneously and we encourage buying/sharing food with others. In addition, we share the harvest from our fruit gardens and you can pick from the vegetable garden. In addition, our departing guests often leave lots of great food that are consistently added to the ‘community’ shelf.
What You Can Contribute
Daily work involves some landscaping, gardening, and chicken care: weeding, trimming; gardening: fertilizing, mulching, composting, soil restoration, planting fruit, herb & veggie garden, maintaining nursery, weed whacking, chainsaw, construction, small repairs, trail maintenance, recycling program, and basic carpentry. If you are interested to learn what it takes to create a successful, sustainable wellness retreat center from the ground up by gaining a closer look into the field of eco-tourism and wellness travel through the house- and groundskeeping, maintenance, and other projects, then we would be the right place for you. We also appreciate experience in computer skills and office assistance. Certified yoga teachers and practitioners of the healing arts are all welcome to share their gifts with our volunteers and guests. If you have any special skills that you might think we could benefit from, please share.
ALMOST THERE!
YOU ARE ONE STEP AWAY FROM
SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION!
Read and submit the ‘Application and Agreement’.
After reviewing your application, we will invite you to a zoom interview if we feel we will be a good match for each other. The zoom interview gives us both the opportunity to ask and answer questions we may have for each other.
If the zoom interview goes well, we will reach out to your nominated references.
Successful applicants will receive an acceptance email with preparation information to assist them in making travel plans. Please note that confirmed flight itineraries are required within 30 days prior to your starting date in order to hold your space.
Upon your arrival in Maui, we will take you on an orientation walk of our land and buildings. This is the beginning of your Hawaiian journey where you will continue to explore our community and surroundings in the many magnificent ways spirit holds for you.
You will begin your stay with us with a 14-day trial period. At the end of these 14 days, the community will come together and discuss the option of you continuing your stay and commitment. This ensures that this is a reciprocal arrangement that is pleasing to all parties involved.
APPLICATION FORM
** We prioritize applicants with flexible dates and longer stays **
We hope the information above helps you to deepen your understanding of who we are and what we have to offer. Enjoy listening to our music and watch our movie www.TheDanceofEarthandSpirit.com. This documentary will provide you with a greater understanding of the history of our land. You can also view the volunteer and retreat experience, filmed and featured at Yoga Trade
Follow @mauiecoretreat & @kutiramaui on Instagram, and find our “Volunteering at Kahualand in Maui” page on Facebook for the latest updates
Blessings,
Kutira & Raphael and the Community of Kahua Land

Volunteer Coordinator
Andrea & Gabriel