Join Our Staff Team at Song of the Morning
Retreat Support Staff Job Description
Song of the Morning - a rustic, unique, and authentic yoga retreat in the serene North Woods of Michigan - is looking for sincere spiritual seekers to join our small staff team to support daily retreat operations. We have two openings to fill by the time the retreat season picks up in May. The exact job placement will depend on the skill sets and interests of the applicant but will include various aspects of daily operations: kitchen, housekeeping, guest services, gardening, and anywhere else as required by the needs of the moment. Starting dates as early as March 1. These positions can be filled as a seasonal commitment (concluding in mid-November) or as a year-long commitment if there is interest in working on winter projects and flexing into new areas during the off-season.
This is a non-traditional position in a live-work environment, designed for those drawn to focus more intensely on developing their spiritual path while offering meaningful service.
Starting dates as early as March 1. These positions can be filled as a seasonal commitment (concluding in mid-November) or as a year-long commitment if there is interest in working on winter projects and flexing into new areas during the off-season.
Guest Services: In Guest Services, you will spend time doing basic office tasks supporting the daily operations of the retreat. This includes checking in guests, setting up registrations, checking our social media page, answering phones and emails, and acting as a welcoming presence at the Mainhouse.
Kitchen: Serving delicious and healthy vegetarian meals is central to our mission at Song of the Morning, and the Retreat Support Staff assists the Kitchen Manager in preparing these meals for guests, community, and staff. This includes chopping vegetables, washing dishes, setting tables, making coffee, putting out breakfast, facilitating dinner clean-up, and a variety of other food preparation and clean-up tasks. You may be asked to shop for groceries, set the tables, or otherwise offer support in any way that is needed.
Housekeeping: In our lodging facilities, you will make beds, clean bathrooms, empty trash cans, sweep, vacuum, wash windows, and otherwise ensure our spaces are up to the standards of a Yoga Retreat of Excellence. This also includes helping to oversee the occasional short-term Karma Yogis volunteer.
Special Projects: Depending on an individual’s gifts, talents, and interests, special projects can be arranged that give the opportunity to contribute in other ways at the retreat, such as with special events, graphic design projects, or improvement projects to the retreat center.
Spiritual Commitment: Qualified applicants offer loving full-time service that helps to fulfill our mission as a place of spiritual refreshment and relaxation for all truth-thirsty souls. Staff are dedicated to studying and practicing the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. As such, we have nightly meditations (Tues-Sat.), a weekly devotional service (Sundays), and daily staff meetings (Wed.- Fri.) where we come together for group spiritual practice before practical communication about the day’s service. You will have two days off each week to enjoy your new home in the North Woods of lower peninsula Michigan.
We are looking for a spiritually driven, professionally minded, warm, and welcoming souls to join our retreat team. If you have a heart of service and are hungry for spiritual growth in a rural, rustic, and immersive intentional community, we hope you will apply to join us.
Retreat Support Staff Possible Areas of Assignment:
Housekeeping:
Clean private rooms and common spaces
Laundry
Deep cleaning projects - mostly during quiet season
Clean, upkeep, and re-stock housekeeping tools and supplies
Kitchen Assistant:
Support Kitchen
Help prepare weekday meals
Prep under direction of Kitchen Lead
Wash dishes
Kitchen laundry
Ensure dining preparations are complete for guests.
Meal clean-up team
Grocery shopping support, as needed
Other prep, clean-up, organization, etc. as needed
Guest Services
Answer phones and office email
Check-in and hosting guests
Checking out guests from the Giftshop
Garden:
Assist in garden, from planting through harvesting, in coordination with garden lead and kitchen needs
Other:
Help direct and oversee work exchange personnel with daily tasks and chores
Join staff in creating a welcoming and loving atmosphere for all who come to Song of the Morning
Live a balanced yogic life, and offer work service as a practice of karma yoga, which means offering fully into the present moment without thought of reward, but rather as a spiritual practice of serving the divine in all tasks, all people, and within yourself.
Required Skills:
Strong work ethic
Critical thinking skills: the ability to make empowered decisions based on a clear understanding of the mission and values of the retreat center
Interpersonal and emotional intelligence which facilitates open communication and the healthy development of relationships
An aptitude for cooking, cleaning, and organizing, with an attention for detail
Maturity, professionalism, and a desire to communicate openly and constructively
A natural ability to organize and prioritize while meeting changing circumstances with humility and flexibility
Additional Details
This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week position, Wednesday through Sunday.
We offer generous paid time off, paid holidays, affordable housing, and wholesome vegetarian meals.
Pay begins at minimum wage with modest raises for increased responsibility, leadership, and commitment length. Opportunities for developing leadership skills and professional growth are offered for those who find longer-term alignment with life at Song of the Morning.
All staff report to the Retreat Manager.
Spiritual Benefits
Being on staff at Song of the Morning is designed for someone seeking a yogic lifestyle; we follow the aim of “plain living and high thinking,” and those who are a good fit here find they are able to enjoy inner reward and have their needs very well met. Weekly spiritually oriented support and training are part of your weekly paid hours. We are invested in your spiritual well-being and growth. We also offer flexible scheduling, affordable housing at the Retreat, wholesome vegetarian meals, and so much more for those ready to receive the blessings of this blessed sanctuary. Spiritual benefits include a rare atmosphere in an intentional community that balances personal time with community activities, opportunity for spiritual mentorship; nightly meditations, hatha yoga classes, Sunday Service, and access to many weekend workshops when workload permits. After one year of service, enrollment in the Golden Lotus School of Yoga Teacher Training Program is provided for those interested.
