Spiritual Practice Through Service

The Monastic Academy offers a unique training opportunity that combines:

Loving community (or sangha)
Monastic forms, structure, and rigor
Transformative mindfulness practices (with various retreats each month)
Cooking, cleaning, outdoor work, and other tasks that support the organization

This is an intense meditation and personal development training that gives you a rare set of skills and experiences for life. We welcome anyone to apply for this program, no matter their age, gender, or cultural upbringing.

This training is not for everyone, and that’s okay. We expect people coming here to take personal agency for their own mental and emotional well-being and to make a sovereign choice about what’s needed on their particular path.

If you are inspired to take advantage of this unique opportunity, feel free to fill out an interest form below. If you would like to see this place for yourself before applying, feel free to visit as a guest.

This service program is offered on a dana basis to make this training available to more people.

The program includes:

3+ hours of daily meditation
Monthly special programs and/or silent meditation retreats
Weekly talks and workshops
2 healthy vegan meals each day
Supportive, authentic community of full-time residents
Opportunities to demonstrate your wisdom and leadership
1 hour of daily physical exercise
Beautiful land and forests, with miles of hiking trails

The length of this program is variable. Most service stays last between one and three months.

Apply now

Feel free to send questions to admissions@monasticacademy.org.

Testimonials

Whether you’re an experienced meditator or someone who’s only recently heard the word meditation, the Apprenticeship at the Monastic Academy is for anyone looking to grow in unexpected and rewarding ways. You may learn a number of valuable lessons working on any simple and humble task as part of the buildings and grounds crew.

– Lindita Camaj

I had the most meaningful few months of my life, my practice deepened and I made great friends. I now know that I am going to dedicate the next couple of years of my life to monastic/intensive meditation training. The Monastic Academy is my first choice of location.

– George Lestner

My time here has been life-changing. More specifically, my time at the Monastic Academy has given me direct practice at being more assertive and setting boundaries, and this is extremely important, as direct practice is the only way I see of building compassion. The Monastic Academy is like a school for how to live well, where living well means being trustworthy and acting with integrity.

– Ashley Wolf

This whole experience has been really incredible and deeply humbling. I feel a bountiful amount of love and gratitude for everyone here and this whole experience. I feel like I had my whole ego and a lot of paradigms shifted, to places where I didn’t think they would ever be shifted. I’ve discovered there’s something beyond my mind. And for the first time in my life, my mind is quiet, and that’s incredible for me because I’ve always celebrated its loudness, but I’ve never realized how beautiful it is when it’s peaceful and quiet. Everyone kept telling me “this will change your life,” and they were right.

– Claribel Wu

I wanted to come practice. From the day I showed up, that’s what was happening. Everyone was practicing and motivating me. From the silent chore time to the meals, from the food to the low lights in the Zendo in the evening, there are so many details here that promote a good quality of practice.

And the contrast of people also just having so much fun, and jumping in the pond, and cooking yummy food together, and cuddling, all of that—it’s so unique. I don’t know if another place like this exists in the world. MAPLE is doing it. It’s doing the real thing.

I learned how to sing the past two weeks—I’ve never sung that much in my life. I’ve cried six times in the past two weeks. I’ve cried six times in the past two years! It feels so good. Yes. Finally.

– Sam Greenwood