April 2026
A new website, long-term stays, and workshops on the way
It's been a while — here's what's new at Karuna.
A new website. The site you're reading is the first major rebuild since 2013. Cleaner, faster, and easier to find what you're looking for. If anything reads oddly or a page seems missing, let us know.
Long-term stays are open. We've always quietly hosted long-term guests, but we've now made it an actual offering — monthly rates for Eva Villa, Sunrise Chalet, Shiuli House and a few other cottages for people who want to stay for a season, write, work remotely, or simply live at a slower pace. See the details.
Workshops being planned. We're lining up a small programme of hands-on workshops for later this year — biogas, rocket stoves, permaculture, meditation, and longer yoga immersions. If there's a particular one you'd like dates for, get in touch and we'll put you on the list.
June 2022
Yoga retreat — boarding & lodging
Karuna's yoga retreat package is open again for guests who want to stay and participate in the rhythm of practice here — morning yoga, organic food, off-grid living, and the quiet of the forest. The essence of yoga, as we see it, is to link material and spiritual life around a single centre.
As Śrīla Prabhupāda often said: "You do not have to give up anything. Just add Krishna to your life."
→ Read more about the retreat
June 2022
Tree plantation update
Last month we slashed all the grass and bushes that had been smothering the young trees we planted over the past two seasons. Near the dormitory we found several lime trees bearing fruit — completely hidden by the bush. We're opening the whole area up so the trees get light and air.
The rains have started. We're aiming to plant another 500 trees, ideally before the end of June, so they get good rains through December. We welcome support from anyone who wants to help the forest grow.
→ Sponsor a tree
June 2022
Temple construction — 20% done
For the past year we've been preparing a flat plot — 40 feet by 60 feet — in a beautiful location above the restaurant, for the new temple. The work has moved in starts and stops because of labour and weather, and the back wall is full of stubborn stone. About 20% is now ready. We're looking for more hands to finish.
→ More about the temple project
A story — Adi Shankaracharya and the cow
Adi Shankara was walking through the market with his disciples, and they saw a man dragging a cow by a rope. Shankara told the man to wait and asked his disciples to gather round.
"Tell me," he said, "who is bound to whom? Is the cow bound to this man, or the man to the cow?"
Without hesitation they said: the cow is bound to the man. He holds the rope, he is the master, the cow has to follow him.
"Now watch," said Shankara — and he took a pair of scissors and cut the rope. The cow ran. The man ran after it.
"Look. Who is the master? The cow is not at all interested in this man — she is trying to escape him. This is also how it is with the mind. All the nonsense we carry inside — it is not interested in us. We are interested in it. We are going crazy trying to keep it all together. The moment we lose interest in the garbage, the moment we see its futility and replace it with higher taste, it will — like the cow — simply disappear."
Earlier news
An older archive of Karuna news — including the building of the earthships, cowshed, yoga hall, and earlier workshops — is available on request. Much of that history now lives in the Earthships & Natural Housing, Cows & Bees, and Permaculture pages.
