kawoq forest WORK exchange program
Live, serve & grow in the forest
A 3-month professional work exchange for yoga teachers, therapists and wellness practitioners ready to support our Wellness & Guest Experience team during high season.
Live, serve & grow in the forest
Kawoq Forest invites yoga teachers, therapists, bodyworkers, facilitators and wellness practitioners to join our Wellness Staff / Work exchange Program for the first trimester of high season 2026: October, November and December.
This is a 3-month immersive experience rooted in yoga, wellness, conscious hospitality, community and ancestral wisdom.
We are looking for people who feel called to bring their practice into service, support the guest experience and grow within a living retreat center in the forest above Lake Atitlán.
This is not a casual volunteer position.
It is a structured professional work exchange for practitioners who are ready to show up with presence, maturity, responsibility and care.
What is the program about?
The Kawoq Forest Wellness Staff / Work exchange Program is designed for wellness practitioners who want to live and contribute inside a retreat center while deepening their personal and professional path.
As part of the Wellness Staff, you will support the daily rhythm of Kawoq Forest through yoga, meditation, guest experience, workshops, wellness offerings and community presence.
You will be part of a new stage in the development of our Wellness Department; a more structured, intentional and vibrant program that brings together daily practices, bodywork, ceremonies, workshops, hospitality and meaningful guest care.
This experience is for people who want more than a place to stay.
It is for practitioners who want to serve, teach, learn, refine their craft and become part of something alive.
What the Wellness Staff contributes
As part of the program, Wellness Staff may support Kawoq Forest through:
Teaching yoga and meditation
Supporting the guest experience
Offering workshops, circles or group activities
Sharing approved paid wellness services
Supporting special events and ceremonies
Preparing and caring for wellness spaces
Being actively present in community
Helping hold the spirit of conscious hospitality
Wellness at Kawoq Forest is not only what happens inside a class or a session.
It is how we welcome, listen, prepare, communicate, guide, serve and care for the space.
What Kawoq Forest offers
Kawoq Forest offers a meaningful work exchange experience in one of Guatemala’s most beautiful retreat settings.
As part of the program, you receive:
Accommodation in the forest
2 vegetarian meals per day
Space for personal practice
Experience inside an active retreat center
Community life in San Marcos La Laguna
Exposure to yoga, wellness, ceremonies and retreat hospitality
Operational experience in a growing Wellness Department
The possibility to offer approved paid wellness services, workshops or private sessions
You will live surrounded by forest, mountain paths, silence, community and the daily rhythm of retreat life.
Selected Wellness Staff may have the opportunity to offer approved paid services, workshops, circles or private sessions within Kawoq Forest.
Depending on your experience and training, this may include:
Bodywork or massage
Energy work
Private yoga or meditation sessions
Facial wellness or facial massage
Somatic practices
Sound healing
Breathwork
Women’s circles
Journaling or integration workshops
Other wellness experiences aligned with Kawoq Forest
All offerings must be reviewed, approved and registered through Kawoq Forest’s Wellness Department.
This allows practitioners to share their work with guests and visitors while being supported by the structure, space, promotion and guest flow of a retreat center.
This is a place to refine your craft, serve real guests and grow your path in wellness.
Share your work with our guests
This program may be for you if you are
A yoga teacher ready to guide daily practices in a retreat environment
A therapist or bodyworker who wants to share your work with international guests
A facilitator who can hold workshops, circles or meaningful group experiences
A practitioner who values service, structure, community and presence
Someone who feels called to live in the forest and support a guest experience with care
A grounded human being who understands that wellness is also responsibility, communication and follow-through
Requirements
To apply, you must meet the following requirements:
3-month commitment: October, November and December 2026
30 hours per week
Minimum 2 years teaching yoga
Experience in wellness, bodywork, therapies, facilitation or hospitality
Ability to offer workshops, circles or wellness services is highly valued
Comfortable living in a forest / mountain environment
Open to structure, feedback, community life and retreat operations
Respect for Mayan culture, sacred spaces and local community
Spanish and English are required. This is a must.
Our local team is Spanish-speaking and our guests are international. For this reason, strong communication in both languages is essential.
This may not be the right fit if…
This program may not be the right fit if you are looking only for free accommodation, a vacation or a flexible stay without structure.
Kawoq Forest is a retreat center with guests, schedules, ceremonies, daily operations and a local team. We are looking for people who can bring warmth, maturity, professionalism, reliability and genuine care.
Applications open July 15.
After reviewing applications, we will contact selected candidates for an interview. Interviews will include a language check in Spanish and English.
Please complete the application form here:
Are you ready to bring your practice into service?
To keep the process clear and fair, all applications must be submitted through the official form above. Applications sent by email, WhatsApp, Instagram or direct message will not be considered.