Pay-it-Forward

Kailash Ashram is a registered charity managed by the Kailash Foundation. We are able to operate thanks to the generosity of students who have attended our retreats and a small number of private donors.

All earnings are retained in our organisation which exists to serve humanity by sharing the practices of mediation and yoga for the benefit of individual and collective flourishing. The Kailash Foundation also runs programs that support those who serve, including veterans, their families and members of the community in need.

We welcome contributions above our suggested minimum contribution of $1200 as the gift of those contributing more offsets the costs of those able to contribute less.

Your contribution should not be viewed as an opportunity for a ‘cheap retreat’ but as a chance to support the Ashrams mission and future students.

In the past we charged a commercial rate of up to $3495 for the Soul Retreat, but found that as our Ashram grew, a commercial pricing model was at odds with our Soul.

We welcome contributions of any amount.

Our suggested minimum contribution is $1200. If each retreat participant contributed this amount, our Ashram can run in perpetuity.

That said, this is a guide and it is not a price nor is it enforced.   

If you know that you do not have the means to donate the suggested minimum contribution of $1200 at the end of the retreat, nor the capacity to split that across instalments of $100 per month for 12 months totally $1200, we feel you will most likely be eligible for a scholarship through our ‘Retreat Access’ program run by the Kailash Foundation which supports those in need who are experiencing financial hardship.

For those considering coming on a retreat without the means to support the Ashram, please be aware that our retreats are 5 days and 4 nights of accommodation, food and a life-changing program. The real world costs of such a program are significant and if each student did this, we would have to close. 

In plain speak; if you are low on cash, it may be nicer to apply for funding through the Kailash Foundation.  

No. The registration fee covers the direct cost in promoting and administering the retreat with a large portion going directly towards online ads.

As such, your $300 Registration Fee is non-refundable and non-transferrable.

You may wish to consider that the registration fee is your commitment towards attending the retreat.

As a traditionally oriented Ashram, Pay-it-Forward pricing is in alignment with the spiritual traditions to which we belong where emphasis is placed on the individual to value the teachings they receive.

We also feel, that as a registered charity that operates to serve those in need, that it is important to embody faith and to encourage a sense of giving in our students. 

No. Since antiquity, students in many traditions have been expected to pay for teachings. 

Why is this? In a householder tradition like ours (i.e. shared by people who still have a worldly life) charitable giving (danaa) is offered to cover the cost of the guide’s time.

Danaa also helps a student value what is being given.

Some teachers prefer to offer teachings for free, and others on a donation basis, and others commercially. Each has its benefits, and downsides. Commercialisation can create conflicting priorities. Donation can mean a lack of economic viability. Free can mean students don’t value what is given.

We have personally received free teachings, and also paid for teachings and are happy in both instances.

Where accommodation and food is involved, especially for 5 days and nights, such as on our retreats there is significant cost in running a facility and maintaining it.

Kailash Ashram subsists entirely on the revenue generated by our retreats, with all contributions made by volunteers. There is no large wealthy organisation financing or supporting us (yet!)

At the end of the retreat you will have the option to either transfer money, pay by card or to set up a recurring payment over 12 months.

We prefer upfront payments by bank transfer as this incurs no fees. Second priority would be an upfront card payment.

For those with more limited means, splitting your suggested minimum contribution of $1200 across 12 monthly instalments of $100 reduces your contribution to a manageable amount. 

No. David and Raya are the full time Sevadari (service givers) of Kailash Ashram and they offer their time as an act of karma yoga and devotion. 

All profits are retained within the not-for-profit Kailash Foundation to support the dissemination of mediation and yoga to those in need, to cover the operating expenses and to maintain the facilities.

We are registered as a Charity with the Australian Not-for-profits and Charities Commission.

Contributions made over the suggested minimum contribution subsidise the shortfall from last minute cancellations and people contributing less.

All earnings are retained within Kailash Ashram to support our mission and purpose.

Yes!

Kailash Foundation is a not-for-profit and is a registered Charity.

Kailash Ashram is grateful for any contribution and makes no judgement towards your decision to contribute.

That said, we suggest you do some background research regarding the cost of 5 days of accommodation and food, and also reflect upon what drew you to connect with us. Our suggested minimum contribution is $1200 as this amount enables us to continue to run the Ashram in perpetuity. 

Many people reach out when there is a need and wish to overcome trauma, find stability through significant challenges or to learn authentic practices.

Some level of austerity or sacrifice may be needed to make this a reality, but we feel that it can be a useful way of valuing the experience. 

If you are unable to afford donating via instalments over 12 months, we suggest you apply with the Kailash Foundation to receive Retreat Access funding.

Due to the limitations of 3rd party retreat platforms and providers, we are unable to offer people booking through such platforms ‘Pay-it-Forward’ arrangements.

Thus, we charge a flat rate at the suggested minimum contribution of $1200, plus the booking fees.

For those that this presents an issue to, feel free to book directly with us to access the Pay-it-Forward system. 

Certainly not!

Contributing is as per your capacity and means. Historically it has costs us over $2000 per student to sustain the Ashram , and we pray that for every student who cannot afford that amount, that we attract another student that can cover their cost.

We are deeply appreciative of contributions above our suggested minimum contribution of $1200 as this offsets those who aren’t able to pay in full. We encourage this to be seen as a selfless gift to a future student, rather than a means of building the ego.

We often arrive in a place of prosperity through hard work, and also a little luck and past karma. The ability to give back to an organisation that is supporting those in need is a precious gift.

Yes, on the worldly plane of existence, it is. People are free to come, and then not contribute. If all students came on retreat but then did not contribute, we have enough capital to last about a few months.

We are fully trusting that who is meant to come, will, and that those that derive benefit, will pay-it-forward.

(2026 Note; it has now been working for at least 2 years!)

No. Our retreat is the same program we used to charge over $3000 dollars for.  

By removing the financial barriers for attendance, we are trusting that our costs will be reduced, and our time freed up to focus on developing the Ashram’s other activities, but the power and impact of the programs remain.

We suggest those with limited means consider applying for funding through the Kailash Foundation.

No. I hope you can feel that we are genuine in our effort to find a financial model for our Ashram that encourages kindness, charity and alignment with our values.

No. We didn’t invent the idea of Pay-it-Forward, other social enterprises have used this method successfully.

In ancient times, Danaa, the act of charitable giving, was common in the spiritual domain. Like tithing to a church, when we offer according to our means, we connect to the inner feeling of offering which benefits us, rather than a more commercial and transactional feeling of ‘purchasing’ or ‘buying.’

As an Ashram, we are committed to a long and prosperous future where we can support Souls achieving freedom from suffering. 

We believe the Pay-it-Forward model is the correct one for us to utilise (as opposed to a commercial on.)

No. Many years ago, we offered donation based retreats because we were indeed afraid to charge our worth (we had yet to see the impact that a retreat would have in our students lives.) 

We teach that people should live in alignment with their nature, and our nature is to focus our energy on what we love, rather than in convincing people of the merit in what we do. 

We feel that by enabling people to have the retreat experience first, and then to determine the value, that it will make for a more balanced and sustainable life for us at the Ashram, and to also allow people the joy in feeling that their contribution is supporting others.