We're looking for applicants at the Bosque Village.

www.bosquevillage.com/en/volunteer.html

We are new to the WWOOF program, but have had great success with our first groups of volunteers. There are a couple of testimonials on that site from our previous wwoofers, and we're happy to answer any questions you might have before you come.

We're located in a safe area of Michoacán, Mexico - rural, quiet, naturescape. For those who enjoy nature and want to work hard in exchange for room and board in an awesome location.

@ Kidblank
As I wrote on in response to your other post:

I have volunteered at Tashirat many times and I am strunned by the two posts from you about the orphanage I love.

I have had only the most positive experiences and impressions every time I have volunteered. A few of my friends have also volunteered (one even attended a Yoga Teacher Training Course there) and have also been so deeply inspired by the incredible community they have created and the amazing work they are doing with the children in their care. I think it is careless and ignorant to call something a cult because you may not understand it. You wouldn't want to be there alone?!?! A place that promotes self-discovery, free expression, service to humanity, health, spirituality and ecology is the last thing I would call a cult!

Here are some answers to your (with all due respect) bazaar accusations. All I can tell you is from my many visits and personal experience. I can't pretend to know everything about Tashirat, but I do believe I am a better source of accurate information than you since I have visited multiple times, have read their books and teachings, studied at their learning center and asked many questions during my stays. As stated above, I have various normal and educated friends who have been there and would echo my praise of Tashirat.

First - they absolutely DON'T worship their teacher. Their teacher lives in a little bungalow just like all the oth other staff members and the have a book of their teaching about the Chakra energy centers of the body and nutrition but it is not regarded as a bible. Their entire teachings is about each person becoming as healthy, balanced and spiritually centered in order to connect with his / her inner teacher / guide. Of course they have a teacher that directs the ashram - all ashrams and spiritual centers (and religions) do, but she is NOT worshiped. I have been to a few ashrams and I have never met a more down to Earth and likable teacher. I only had the pleasure of meeting her once because she is very busy working with the staff members and her medical patients but she was quite lovely and eager to hear about my ideas for the project. Every decision is made by a democratic vote of those involved. I know this first hand since I was running one of the smaller side projects when I extended my stay last time. I was quite impressed with the community structure and dynamics.

Second - You should have asked about whatever you overheard. They do emotional release work and expressive therapy. Staff members that want to work out old emotional issues can ask for help doing regression type work and if they request, others can also help by playing the roles of people from their past etc. so they can role play and get out old aggressions, hurts etc. It's very deep and personal work. I heard a lot about this when I was there because the staff member I worked closest with was going through a period of a lot of personal work.

Third - I've never seen or heard of anything that even remotely resembled hierarchy or punishment. Again, if I believed such stuff was going on in a place I was volunteering I would have asked what the hell was going on and if I still believed things were bad, unfair and cult-like - the way you are saying, I would have left immediately.

Forth - As for as the volunteer girl you speak of, I am sure you only heard her side of the story. Did you ask the staff what the deal was? If there is one thing I have learned in life it's that it's best to heard both sides before deciding what to believe.

The first time I went to volunteer was through an organization that acted as an "agent " of sorts - they charged me more than $2,000 and they bought my flight, travel insurance etc. etc. etc. with it and connected me to the orphanage. That must have been the same type of thing the girl that you are talking about did. The orphanage was only given a couple hundred bucks out of that $2,000 I paid and it was a donation from the agency on my behalf. There were WWOOFers there when I was there and they had obviously arrived without an "agency" so they paid their own way instead of getting it all done for them. My "agency" gave the orphanage money for my food and the orphanage gave that money to me when I arrived so I could buy what I wanted to eat. Since then I have always gone on my own - it's cheaper to get my own flights and now that I feel more secure in Mexico I know I don't need travel insurance and all the rest the agency provided.

Before being accepted I had to fill out a large questionnaire so I would be approved to work with kids. Medical questions as well as many others were asked. I know the orphanage has rules from the government that they have to abide by - including strict rules about volunteers that can work with the kids. They can get into trouble for not abiding by the guidelines given. I have no idea what the deal with the other girl was but I can imagine that if she said in her questionnaire that she was not on antidepressants and then got there an was, there would be an issue. Also, do you know for sure that that is what she was on and that that is what happened or is that what she told you? Again, should have asked for the other side of the story before judging so harshly.

Anyway, my point is - I think it is ONLY fair to ask questions and get both sides of any story before deciding what you believe. My life has been affected in beautiful and wondrous ways by Tashirat, it's staff and children. I have no doubt that other volunteers who want to experience it for themselves will have incredible things to say about the Yoga School and Orphanage as well.