NAIC-Thai Yoga Center Apprenticeship Opportunity

Native American Indigenous ChurchNew Thai Yoga Center Logo July 2023

NAIC-Thai Yoga Center Apprenticeship Opportunity

Join the NAIC Thai Yoga Center’s Apprentice Staff!

Now is the time to apply for a volunteer position at The Thai Yoga Center if you wish to commit to development and desire to focus your energy on worthwhile and meaningful work. Join us if you want to share the joys and challenges of living and working in a unique and vibrant community organization dedicated to expanding consciousness.

What is The Thai Yoga Center?

The Thai Yoga Center is a Seminary and religious school operated by the Native American Indigenous Church (NAIC). We are a Native American Church offering holistic learning and retreats. Our founders have been at the forefront of personal and professional development. We believe that each individual creates their development path. Our mission is to present a broad exposure to many traditions and perspectives, offering support toward the goal of health and well-being. We follow the precepts of holism emphasizing the equality of mind, body, and spirit, and the four principles of …Love, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity. The Thai Yoga Center is an all-volunteer project. There are no paid employees! That’s right, the teachers, directors, and helpers are all volunteers. (Please note that under no circumstances is an offer to accept a volunteer an offer of employment.) Everything we have done, built, and created for TYC is based on volunteers’ assistance.

Our Staff comes here each year to take or participate in workshops and professional development programs in such diverse areas as arts and crafts, gardening, herbalism, spiritual studies, and stewardship.

Our facility is in the beautiful Tampa Bay, Brooksville, and Sun Coast Area of Central Florida.

Who Should Apply?

The NAIC Thai Yoga Center is committed to Staff diversity. We encourage people of any age (21 and over), gender, national origin, race, sexual orientation, and spiritual belief to apply. It is ideal for vital and active retirees who want to participate in community living, offering experience and support to the younger Staff. You must be an adult and able to be responsible, following the guidance and directives of senior volunteers. You must be someone who can be entirely responsible for your own mental, emotional, and physical welfare at all times. Volunteering is not to be construed as therapy or instruction. It is a gift to the community.

Please note: All work-study positions are only offered to recent or past graduates of at least one CTP program. If you want to work/study/apprentice, please submit your former attendance dates with any email or application.

The Staff Experience

Our Developmental Philosophy

People desire to join TYC staff to work and grow alongside individuals with shares goals and beliefs. We believe that personal development occurs most intensely when the issues of work, the needs of the individual, and the boundaries of the community are fully integrated.

A season at TYC offers a unique opportunity for hard work, personal growth, spiritual exploration, and community building. The Seasonal Staff experience falls into the following three overlapping areas:

The Work

Although our mission is about spirit and the pursuit of consciousness, TYC is also a Native American Indigenous Church. We contribute to the world and our community by providing opportunities for the uplifting and education of individuals. In support of our mission, everyone on the Staff works hard. Each contribution is necessary for the success of TYC. Signing up to volunteer with us means fully committing to a 30-40 hour work week. Your work will consume much of your time and energy here. Although your job assignment may not fit into your notion of a developmental experience, we suggest that you view your work life as your tailor-made workshop and opportunity to work on yourself and your core issues in a supportive environment. There is much to be learned about communication, self-respect, responsibility, and service in all work opportunities. If you bring a positive attitude and a willingness to learn, you will get valuable life experience.

The Individual

Inner work is the journey of self-examination and introspection. It challenges us to take responsibility for our lives, look deeply into our strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to live in a community with creativity, harmony, and humor. Joining the TYC staff is an excellent opportunity to pursue this kind of spiritual work actively and practically.

The Community

An impressive depth of feeling occurs when hundreds of people gather together to live, work, and grow. But there are also many challenges. Living and working with others in close quarters over several months can magnify personal issues and raise questions about individual freedom.

As in any community, there are standards and rules. They are based on mutual respect, honoring agreements, and maintaining safety. Our boundaries though broad enough to allow a large amount of personal expression, are firm. Individual needs are often weighed against the needs of the whole community.

NAIC TYC staff changes yearly and comprises real people with natural human strengths and frailties. Everyone who joins TYC contributes to the group’s experiences as a “community.” Please release any preconceived ideas about what community is or should be.

Staff Information

Education and development

We welcome seekers of all levels. The more experienced will find an environment that enhances their development; those just beginning their exploration will find encouragement and direction on their journey.

Through our staff education program, we are committed to providing a meaningful, diverse, and stimulating curriculum. The curriculum is designed to support your process of self-discovery. Topics include intense gardening and landscaping programs. During the season, several courses taught by respected faculty are available for you to select from.

Staff Life

Picture yourself in a lovely rural setting in the beautiful Central Florida countryside. You may engage in fascinating conversations or debates with extraordinary persons. Many diverse and practical opportunities exist for learning new skills and personal growth. Being at TYC can be intense and demanding. The key is to seek and find harmony y and balance in all of the experiences possible here.

Life and work here are rich informational and experiential resources, as are your fellow staff members. All staff members bring something valuable to share, resulting in a vital and diverse offering and exchanging talents, resources, skills, and information.

The staff community is many different things to different people. Everyone who comes here needs to take responsibility for their own experience and for helping to create the TYC community at large. Our Staff is our day-to-day representatives of those principles we must want to convey to our honored guests.

Work Life

Jobs and Requirements

Each day, many tasks must be done to keep TYC running smoothly. The work itself is sometimes fundamental and often strenuous, such as the job in maintenance, assisting or support in the ceremony, permaculture, construction, landscaping and gardening, housekeeping, food service, and luggage handling. There are also several jobs in the administration. We need St ff with office, customer service, and retail experience. These positions require good communication skills and patience; some require computer literacy. In addition, we need first aid staff and qualified people in a limited number of supervisory positions.

While many of our jobs are rudimentary, they provide inexperienced and veteran workers with valuable life skills. The team building, problem-solving, and dynamic group processes learned will translate productively in many other situations.

The Service Ethic:

If we can approach whatever task is assigned with the view that we’re offering service to our guests and each other, our work becomes more meaningful.

Your Commitment to the NAIC:

Work Schedule

Full-Time: 40 hours per week (usually five to 6 days) plus attendance at regular department meetings.

Length of Stay

1. Full-Time: Full Season

Our commitment to You

All volunteer and Karma Yoga is considered a free donation. A certificate of completion showing you have worked with a cooperative, farm ng, holistic educational program, and residential community will be provided at the end of your stay if all prerequisites are satisfactory and complete. Educational programs participated in are separate for certification purposes.

Housing

1. Full-time: Receive a 50% discount on the current monthly rate for camping or dorm annex housing options, as available, on a first-come basis. Housing must be paid 30 days in advance of arrival. Camping (Staff must bring their tents and necessary camping gear). Shelters, furnished, may be available at extra cost, with a shared bath and kitchen facility. Dorms or dorm annex spaces/ rooms are limited to returning Staff and manager al Staff. Travel trailer or motorized camper space is limited and must be pre-approved.

Me ls

Meals and or food are not included. All volunteers are expected to assist in meal planning and preparation as part o  the learning and service process.

Land and Facilities

1. Full use of the Bath House, detached kitchen, library, walking trails, etc.

Volunteer Curriculum

1. Participate in the specially designed staff classes in esoteric studies, art, alternative health, indigenous and traditional Native American religion and medicine, Chirothesia-body work, Yoga Therapy, Thai Yoga and Indigenous Traditional Thai Massage, Native American Ceremony, gardening, landscaping, construction, building, and design, etc.

2. Optional daily classes in yoga, eclectic martial arts, meditation, and movement. 3. One two-day available catalog workshop ( for a full-time, full-season commitment only). Full-time volunteers are eligible and may apply for admission to a CTP1 or CTP2 program after at least three months of service in advance. Please note: We do not allow prospective volunteers to attend classes first and volunteer later!

Waiver and Disclaimer of responsibility (The fine print)

All volunteers are subject to all NAIC Member Rules, Procedures, and Guidelines, NAIC Student Waiver and Agreement plus: or participants agree that the sponsoring organization, or their agents and suppliers, including other volunteers and seasonal Staff, etc., shall not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity, liability or expense to person or property and or person due to act or default of any private home, hotel, guest house, carrier, restaurant, company or person providing or rendering any of the services included in the programs offered at or in conjunction with NAIC, A.C.N.M.,  The Thai Yoga Center. The published RPGs or agreements and the published cancellation or refund policy shall constitute the sole agreement or contract between the provider, students, volunteers, or seasonal Staff.

Participation in potentially risky activities is at the participants’ sole discretion and responsibility. This includes personal time outside the regular scope and practice of the program and classes.

The right is reserved to cancel or change plans, programs, and or program content, itineraries, or substitute services or personnel, to change by adding or deleting content or focus of any program or activity, whether in class or outside of course, without notice or explanation and to decline to accept or retain, any student or volunteer at any time, before, during or after completion of this or any other sponsored class, program or project. Any student or volunteer who presents difficulty or risk to the goodwill of the venture or the personal safety of the director or the other participants, at the director’s discretion, will be summarily dismissed from the group and property without recourse or refund kind.

As a participant in this program and or any NAIC, A.C.N.M., Thai Yoga Center class, classes, or program, whether participating as Volunteer, Work Study, Karma Yoga practitioner, Student at Large, Certificate or Diploma candidate, I certify that I am an adult, over the age of 21 and understand that these terms are binding, and as an agreement between the providers and myself is a pre-condition toward my participation in this training program, as previously noted in the specific web registration page, offering solicitation or official class and or course/ program description (Separate itinerary issued for Thailand Only), once received and reviewed on this website. I am of legal age and able to participate in this agreement responsibly. I understand all cancellations and refunds will be based on this NAIC Inc. published Cancellation and Refund Policy.

Please read before applying.

RPGs, Rules, Procedures, and Guidelines (Click Here)

How to Apply

Click this link for a work-study application

You can apply online or contact us to request an application by mail, phone, or fax (see below).

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