Living Ayurveda Internship and Programs at Banyan Farm
Banyan Botanicals and Banyan Farm share the belief that our connection to nature is vital to the future of human and planetary well-being. The immersive educational experiences offered at the farm are a living embodiment of this guiding principle, created to revive and strengthen a connection to nature, to Ayurveda, and to oneself.
These offerings have limited spots available, and include the Wilderness Immersion, the Land-Based Resiliency Course, and the Living Ayurveda Internship.
Jump to:
- Immersive Education Programs
- The Living Ayurveda Internship
- About Banyan Farm
- Frequently Asked Questions
Educational Immersions at Banyan Farm
As an educational farm, Banyan Farm's vision is to provide in-depth educational programs that inspire personal transformation through meaningful relationships with the natural world. Their immersive experiences are designed to foster a thorough integration of place-based living and learning.
Wilderness Immersion: During this 5-day program in the Klamath Mountains, you will explore the foundations of bioregional Ayurveda through daily excursions, plant walks, botany, wild tending, and plant-based herbalism. Learn more and apply.
Land-Based Resiliency: In this 2-week course, you will contemplate building a sustainable future alongside the environment through soil tending, food preservation, herbal preparations, nature connection, and more. Learn more and apply.
The Living Ayurveda Internship
The Living Ayurveda Internship (LAI) is an immersive program committed to inspiring the holistic stewardship of both our health and the environment through nature-based farming and Ayurveda education. LAI is an Ayurvedic and organic farming internship where interns explore key concepts of Ayurveda while gaining hands-on experience with medicinal herb and vegetable cultivation, including seed saving.
LAI is a 10-week intensive program at Banyan Farm in Williams, Oregon, blending together Ayurveda and herbalism in a field-based setting. Our interns walk away from LAI with a better understanding of Ayurveda, a deeper relationship with nature and their own personal health, and the skills to practice bioregional Ayurveda in their own home environments.
This program is rigorous: interns need to be prepared physically and mentally to immerse themselves in the program and in community, working, learning, and living alongside other like-minded individuals.
Program Sessions and Dates
We offer two 10-week internships per year.
2025
Session 1:
May 21st–July 31st
Session 2:
August 6th–October 16th
Tending the Farm
Interns spend Monday through Thursday working alongside the Banyan Farm team, at an average of 25 hours each week. Each day is dynamic, with many opportunities to learn.
While incredibly rewarding, this work is demanding. Interns must be in good physical condition and prepared to work in all weather conditions, rain or shine.
Farm tasks include: seeding, weeding, harvesting, compost making, washing plant material, apothecary and dry room maintenance, and general grounds keeping.
In the Classroom
Classes are offered on weekday evenings and weekends throughout the internship, averaging 10–18 hours of learning time each week.
Offerings include: basic Ayurveda training that covers Ayurvedic philosophy, history, and practice; cultivation of Ayurvedic medicinals; wildcrafting; botany; plant meditations; herbal medicine making; nutrition and cooking; yoga; and much more. This curriculum honors indigenous traditions and builds awareness of movements for the decolonization of Ayurveda and Yoga, as well as the universal needs for social, economic, racial, and food justice. Take a look at our sample calendar.
“This internship is life changing. It's something one needs to experience to understand, and everyone will walk (skip, dance, frolic) away with something really special that colors and informs the rest of their existence. If I could do it all over again, and again, I would in a heartbeat. Everyone who feels called to the LAI program will need to know that it's not easy. You'll be called to step up and be your best self in every situation and interaction.”
About Our Teachers
LAI teachers include Ayurvedic practitioners, farmers, herbalists, yoga teachers, and regional experts. Collectively, they weave their passions and skills into this comprehensive offering.
Meet the Faculty
Cost
Dormitory-style housing is provided in a large environmentally-friendly straw-bale home located on Banyan Farm. There is a $500 program fee. An additional monthly fee of $150 goes toward a communal food fund. Interns are responsible for their own transportation. We strongly recommend interns have health insurance or set aside an emergency medical fund for the duration of the program.
How to Apply
Enrollment for 2025 is open! To apply, fill out and submit an application to education@banyanfarm.com. Applications for both sessions are due January 6, 2025.
“LAI could be one the most impactful experiences of your life. With the way that Ayurveda, herbalism, farming, and community are so intentionally woven together, this program provides such a beautiful and strong foundation for carrying forth and sharing the ideals of whole-istic well-being. I have been blessed by this program and I'm so excited to see where this newly attained knowledge will take me!”
About Banyan Farm
Banyan Farm is a 20-acre certified organic farm in Williams, Oregon. Partners of Banyan Botanicals, they practice sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices and support overall biodiversity. All vegetables and herbs grown by our partners at Banyan Farm are ethically grown, harvested, and filled with the vitality of the land and the people who nurture them.
Learn more about the farm, including the history, the region, and all that they offer.
“Over 10 short weeks we learned how to become responsible steward of our lands and to reflect more deeply through the lens in which we view each other and world. This program is a link that weaves ancient practices into our daily lives while advocating for the nurturing of mother earth in a way that is sustainable and fosters real change. This program encouraged each of us to take a step back, breathe, and reconnect with nature and our origins.”
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is this internship designed for?
- What qualifications do I need?
- Why is the program 10 weeks?
- What can I expect living communally for 10 weeks?
- Can I attend both sessions in a year?
- What is the difference between the two sessions?
- Can I have other commitments during this internship?
- Are there volunteer or job opportunities on the Banyan Farm after I complete the internship?
- Do I need a vehicle?
- What internet or phone access will I have while at the farm?
- Do you accept international applications?
- What does the program fee cover?
- What other expenses might I have during the internship?
1. Who is this internship designed for?
This is a great opportunity for those who are interested in an immersive program and want to connect with nature as they experience organic farming, learn Ayurveda, receive some herbalist training, build their yoga practice with a focus on Ayurveda yoga, learn wildcrafting, and much more.
2. What qualifications do I need?
Because of the intensity of this program, you need to be mentally and physically fit and ready for rigorous immersion on the farm, in the class, and in communal housing.
In addition, we look for individuals who are sincerely interested in and enthusiastic about Ayurveda and herbs, and have some experience in working outdoors.
3. Why is the program 10 weeks?
This length of time allows interns to experience a full immersion, learn a substantial amount of information, and endure the intensity of the program.
4. What can I expect living communally for 10 weeks?
Dormitory-style living arrangements are provided for all interns in a beautiful eco-friendly home located on Banyan Farm. While not all meals will be shared communally, most dinners will be.
Interns will have some weekends off to take care of themselves, explore the region, study, and rest.
5. Can I attend both sessions in a year?
No, it is only possible to attend one session.
6. What is the difference between the two sessions?
The curriculum is largely the same for the spring and summer internships. The farm work changes with the seasons and the plants.
It is important for interns to be prepared for our Oregon seasons—spring and fall can be cold and wet, while summer can be very hot and dry.
7. Can I have other commitments during this internship?
Considering this program is a full-time commitment for 10 weeks, it is not possible to participate in other programs (this includes work, school, and attending events outside the region).
8. Are there volunteer or job opportunities on Banyan Farm after I complete the internship?
While possible, additional opportunities on the farm are rare.
9. Do I need a vehicle?
You don't, although you will be living rurally and would need to depend on others if you want to responsibly explore beyond Williams.
10. What internet or phone access will I have while at the farm?
Cell service is sporadic and unreliable at the Farm; internet will be available.
11. Do you accept international applications?
Not at this time.
12. What does the program fee cover?
The $500 program fee for the Living Ayurveda Internship maintains
high-quality educational experiences and helps ensure the program's
sustainability. This fee helps cover various essential aspects:
Program
Sustainability: The fee supports the continued operation and growth of the
internship, allowing us to provide high-quality instruction and
resources.
Materials Costs: This includes expenses for
herbal medicine-making classes, such as purchasing raw materials, tools, and
equipment necessary for hands-on learning. Interns will be able to take home
items made in the medicine-making classes, which may include herbal tea
blends, syrups, ghees, oils, and tinctures.
Facility Maintenance:
The fee contributes to the upkeep of our facilities, ensuring a conducive
communal living and learning environment.
By investing in
this program, interns help us deliver a comprehensive and enriching
experience while supporting the longevity and quality of the
internship—ultimately contributing to a thriving environment for all LAI
participants.
13. What other expenses might I have during the internship?
In addition to the $500 program fee, expect to spend on the communal food
fund ($150 per month), personal food (for meals and snacks that are not
communal), and travel expenses (this can range to approximately $1000
depending on where you are traveling from).
Total expenses, for
the program fee, food, and travel, may be a few thousand dollars.
Ali Mramor
Ali comes from a varied background ranging from farming, gardening, and herbalism, to yoga and martial arts, to social justice, community organizing and facilitation that spans over 25 years and several continents. She has a passion for the interconnection of people and plants and the wellbeing of both.
Ali grew up in Ohio and earned her Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies from the Western College Program at Miami University, where she worked on her first organic farm. She went on to organize around social justice in Cincinnati while working with youth in urban gardens and helping to open a hip hop youth arts center. After suffering from activism burnout, Ali moved to California where she deepened her yoga, martial arts, and natural healing studies. Her herbalism background includes Ayurvedic as well as Traditional Chinese and Western herbalism, studying with the East West School of Planetary Herbology.
She is very grateful to now be at Banyan Farm which encompasses so many of her interests and passions. Ali is also grateful and excited to have the opportunity to witness to the inevitable growth of the LAI interns and BAI students alongside the continued growth of Banyan Farm.
Alicia Lynn Diaz
Alicia Lynn Diaz lives a life dedicated to sharing the beauty of Ayurveda with open-hearted seekers of natural healing and authentic living. A certified Ayurvedic Health Practitioner and Clinical Physiologist, she currently focuses her professional practice on Ayurvedic Psychology, trauma healing, and resolving chronic illnesses rooted in emotional disturbance.
She takes a warm, inviting approach to teaching and counseling that many experience as uplifting, empowering, and transformational in many areas of life. She is grateful and deeply indebted to her mentors of Ayurveda, Vaidyas Pankaj Naram, Vasant Lad and Nuva Yeetah, Dr. Claudia Welch, her spiritual teachers, her family, and her family's native lands of Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
Alix Marmulstein
Alix Marmulstein, CYT-300, LMT and folk herbalist is the founder of Blissful Being Wellness. She is a a passionate person with a mission of sharing wellness through empowered education in bodywork, mindful movement, plant and place connection.
In 2012, she trained in both Hatha Yoga and Thai Yoga Massage, now teaching movement that is rooted in breath and creation of space, while invoking playfulness and self witnessing. Plants brought her to this valley as an intern, then employee, of the Herb Pharm. Landing in Oregon involved planting roots, growing community and building towards the wellness center she stewards with gratitude.
In 2018, Alix received her Oregon massage license, always learning more about the body through personal practice and continuing education. Alix primarily practices and teaches in Grants Pass where she also offers weekly yoga classes and shares the path of mind, body, soul wellness.
Beverly Foster
Beverly is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, 500 hour Ayurvedic Yoga Instructor, Herbalist, and Educator. She graduated from The Ayurvedic Institute in 2016 and is a professional member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA). Beverly offers Ayurvedic consultations and treatments through her personal practice, Shine Ayurveda, in the Ashland, Oregon area. She teaches courses for the LAI and BAI programs through the Banyan Farm as well as teaches classes in the local community.
Beverly has over 10 years of experience with herbal medicine, including compounding traditional Ayurvedic herbal medicine and jams, managing an Apothecary for a local Naturopathic Cancer Clinic, running an organic herb farm in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, and working in the Herb Department at The Ayurvedic Institute compounding Dr. Vasant Lad's herbal formulas. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from the College of Charleston, SC with a focus on Eastern Sacred Texts, including those held in the lineage of Ayurveda. Inspired by her mother's personal healing experience with Ayurveda, she was led to Albuquerque, NM to study with Dr. Lad.
With a passion for exploring the outdoors, Beverly is inspired by her surrounding environment and incorporates her observations of nature into her work and relationship with Ayurveda. She spends her time studying Ayurveda, hiking around Southern Oregon, and caring for her property. Her experience with organic farming complements her take on nutrition and diet and supports her in sharing that knowledge with others.
Cassidy Acacia
Cassidy Acacia, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP, has been on the yogic path for 20 years and teaching since 2004. Her dynamic approach to yoga is a synthesis of her in-depth studies of: Iyengar and Prajna Yoga, Ayurveda, Insight Meditation, and Poetry.
Cassidy's classes focus on healthy alignment of the physical body and sensitive attunement to the subtle body. She brings a sense of humor, earthiness, and clarity to her teachings as well as deep reverence for the practice. She weaves mantra, philosophy, and elemental theory into her classes, teacher training, and private yoga sessions.
She served as core faculty at the Hawthorn Institute from 2014–2019.
Holly Hawthorn
After working a number of years in public health both within the states and abroad, Holly landed in Southern Oregon. She has had a medical massage practice here for 14 years, in which she also sees her clinical herbalism clients.
Holly’s herbal journey which began with Rosemary Gladstar and Sage Mountain in Vermont, a field studies program through the Hawthorn Institute and with other herbal elders and mentors. Later, she dove deeper with a 3 year clinical training through the Vermont Center of Integrated Herbalism. That program emphasized the contemporary scientific approaches to herbal medicine, that of a trauma-informed practice, addressing social justice, community access and the significance of connection between people and place.
Holly loves to share her passion for the beautiful mountains of Southern Oregon, using herbalism as a bridge for her community to root into space, building a relationship with each other and with their medicine, their bodies and ultimately nature itself. When not in practice, Holly can often be found wandering deep in the woods, tending to her bees and garden, making art or just relaxing with a book in hand, sipping a cup of tea.
Jeff Harris
Jeff is the Lead Formulator and lab guru for new product development at Banyan Botanicals. He is a naturalist, botanist, and alchemical seeker. He has worked and been trained under the guidance of Sajah Popham and completed the herbal field studies program at The Hawthorn Institute in 2019.
He has been on the pursuit of botanical and fungal studies for almost the last 2 decades. He has been exploring the myriad of ways to work and interact with the natural world professionally and as a lifestyle. His breadth of wisdom and experience range from a Bachelor's degree in Botany, entheogenic spiritual studies, western herbalism, yoga, Ayurveda, natural foods and produce, gardening, permaculture, landscaping, developing a food business and most recently pursuing the alchemical arts and medicine crafting.
Jeff is fascinated about the creation, transformation and preservation of plant and fungal medicine and continues to learn about modern extraction technology while remembering sacred traditions.
Keshari Das
Keshari Das is a Brooklyn-based Ayurvedic Practitioner, offering traditional bodywork and educational workshops. She comes from a family of satyagrahis – nonviolent freedom fighters in India's independence movement – and her early exposure to Gandhian principles inspired her exploration along paths of mindful practice. She has devoted herself to lifelong study of Ayurveda and is committed to sharing the teachings of this empowering wisdom tradition in an inclusive, antiracist, accessible, and sustainable manner.
Keshari has immersed in studies with Vasant Lad, MASc, and faculty, Dr. Claudia Welch, Dr. Robert Svoboda, Karen Rose, Tyler Wauters, and the inaugural cohort of the Living Ayurveda Internship, amongst many beloved others. Now she is grateful to serve with Ali Mramor as LAI Co-Coordinator.
Otherwise, Keshari can often be found wandering the east coast, accompanying her partner in the practice of kirtan. In between, she dabbles in design and illustration, and dotes on her dog.
Nikimbre' Daniels
As a child growing up in the piney woods of Northeast Texas, Nikimbre' has always felt a deep connection with plants, and nature. As a vessel of the beauty nature has to offer, connecting people and plants through relations is a blessed honor of Nikimbre'. Her classes entail a rich importance and remembrance of plants, allowing intuition to be the driving vessel in which it is used.
In 2017, Nikimbre' attended Appalachia School of Herbalism, and taught for the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in 2022. She operates a small batch, grass roots apothecary—Herbal Euphoria. Nikimbre' is currently enrolled in the Ayurvedic Clinical Foundations program through Dhyana Essentials. Nikimbre' finds weaving Ayurveda, postpartum care, and western herbalism a Divine mission.
Tikka Kumar
Tikka is a trained Ayurvedic Practitioner, who is currently the Research and Product Development Manager at Banyan. As part of her role, she acts as the liaison with other departments to follow through with new product launches. In addition, she manages all projects tied with the research, development, and launch of new products.
Tikka is an avid learner of the Sanskrit language and enjoys decoding and understanding ancient Ayurvedic scriptures. She has a passion for Sanskrit literature, Ayurvedic cooking, yoga, and pranayama. As a devoted nature lover, she strives to connect with all forms of energies present in nature.
Tommy Redding
Tommy Redding is a dirt worshipper, naturalist, educator, and farmer.
Tommy has been growing food and medicine in the Williams area for the past 10 years, and for the past 7 years has worked closely with new farmers to train the next generation of homesteaders and food producers. He is passionate about strengthening local food systems, building soil, and the connections between the plants of the farm and the wild plants of our surrounding bioregion. Tommy finds daily inspiration in the personal transformation that he has seen take place in the garden and seeks to support others in creating a deeper connection with their bodies and the source of their sustenance.
Tyler Wauters
Tyler is the Plant Education Director at Banyan Botanicals, a place-based herbalist, Ayurvedic practitioner, and founder of Hawthorn Institute.
Tyler has devoted his life to the practice of bioregional Ayurveda and community herbalism. He brings his passion and knowledge of nature into everything he shares. Tyler's intention is to ignite deeper connections to place, people, and plants.
Tyler has studied with Vasant Lad, MASc, Dr. Claudia Welch, Sonia Masocco, Isla Burgess, 7song, and Frank Cook. He thanks all of his mentors for sharing life's wisdom.
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