This is our storage shed for the gardening equipment. The hats are needed to protect form the strong sun as well as from the heavy rains. They are made out of Bamboo and they keep our staff nice and cool and protected.
The boots are for working in the river or in the mud.
Volunteers and Woofers are welcome year-round to help us on our organic farm ! Please inquire to> contact@jiwadamai.net
Our volunteer Shoshi from the US and our intern Andreas from Germany are working close to our parking lot on developing a new pond on our premise. They were digging very hard and now they are preparing the pond lining which should prevent the water from being re-absorbed into the earth.
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For that purpose a lining of newspapers and green banana leaves are left for a few days. Then this is covered with earth tightly compressed on top. The underlying layer will then create a water resistant lining.
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Building a natural pond by using the old Russian method of 'gleying':
The different steps:
- Dig the pond and compact the soil really well.
- Clear the pond of stones and rocks.
- Cover the bottom and sides with a thick layer of organic material (fresh grass cuttings and bananas leaves) and waste paper
- Spread out EM all over to add the bacterias which are necessary for the process
- Add a layer of soil and press down firmly all over.
- The soil keeps out the air and allows a biological process known as ‘gleying’ to take place (its an anaerobic process)
We shall see how well that works. Lets hope for the best ;-)
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When I arrived at Jiwa Damai as an intern, I had to organize the production of the Coconut House. A very interesting and exciting project that I enjoyed doing with the help of Margret and Libby.
The production begins with Nyoman and Ketut opening the coconuts in the tropical garden.The coconut meat is extracted before being transformed in flakes with a grinder.
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Inside, in a green atmosphere, fruits are drying while the filtering process of oil is done by hand.
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Empty jars and glass bottles are ready to package the delicious virgin coconut oil.
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You can use it on your skin or for cooking. It is a really healthy food with lots of benefits. I had the pleasure to enjoy it in the delicious Balinese meals that are prepared by Made. Finished products are then nicely put together in the small shop of Jiwa Damai and other outlets.
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Recently we had a group of 30 russian ladies staying at Jiwa Damai for 10 days. The ladies chose our retreat to be the location for their Mandala Workshop on Bali.
This particular workshop was about embracing your femininity. The russian ladies in their beautiful colored clothes, mostly long skirts, spent their time at Jiwa Damai meditating and walking through our gardens and among the palm forest.
mandala workshop
Most came directly for Russia and enjoyed the workshop and Bali very much. We at Jiwa Damai got excellent feedback on the beauty and serenity of the place and the excellent organic, mostly vegetarian cuisine we were able to provide. The language barrier was actually fun, since very few spoke little English.
Russian ladies
Thanxs for staying at Jiwa Damai!
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Nature is just wonderful...
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Some months ago we had to drain and repair our pond at Jiwa Damai, due to several leaks that caused the water to flow out. http://jiwadamaibali.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/restoring-our-pond/
After we had to rebuilt our high pond, the water quality left to be desired. Emptying the pond, we had lost all the EM which had settled in the nooks and crannies of all the stones. In order to get back to the old clear water we now treat the water with liquid EM (effective microorganisms). Each day a few drops dripping in, slowly but continuously.
The Bokashi Balls are made of clay and EM.
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The microorganisms like to settle between certain type of stones.So we distributed about 500 balls, all handmade under the stones in the water to allow the organisms to settle again. It reduces the moskitoes as well as keeps the algae growth in limits.
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So now we hope to welcome back the diverse aquatic life and beautiful water lily’s!
Our pond before the drain
Permaculture through the heart Jiwa Damai Agro permaculture and retreat center is located on a four hectare property next to Banjar Bindu, Mambal in the district of Badung, Bali, in a small tropical valley.
The Flora and Fauna are diverse, including Coconut-, and Banana trees, ponds, a small river, plants and a jungle which is home to numerous traditional Balinese healing plants.
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We offer a four week intensive internship training
This innovative program blends introductory with advanced learning and application of the core principles of tropical Permaculture/gardening with Self exploration from a transpersonal psychological perspective.
Experiencing Permaculture through the heart presents a unique opportunity to combine class room Permaculture learning with “hands-on” experience, complementing the active physical engagement with the soil with an inner attitude of loving alignment with the earth.
The internship is a combination of personal growth processes, allowing our heart energy to flow into our work with the earth, environment, water, soil, plants and people.
This program is the first of its kind, working with the psychological framework of the mind, theoretical Permaculture principles, design and planning, planting, harvesting and food preparation - all in alignment with the heart energy.
The fundamental understanding of the Permaculture principals, the interconnectedness and interaction of nature and environment will be aligned with our own personality landscape and deep inner nature which directly impacts the quality and nutritional value of the food.
Program and Activities
The theoretical and hands on learning is complimented by a daily early morning yoga session and heart meditation.
Two field trips to other Permaculture centers on the island are planned during the 4 week course.
Two cooking classes will be also be offered featuring Balinese vegetarian and raw foods.
An excursion and exploration of the local spices and medicinal herbs grown in the area will also be included.
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Week One: Classes in theoretical Permaculture will take place for 2-3 hours every day, including discussion and evaluation application of the principles via hands-on practice.
Week Two: 2-3 hours daily, unfolding the HeartSelf-intelligence, and an experiential transpersonal psychological approach to Self exploration will be offered.
Week Three: Designing an environmental group project to be executed in Jiwa Damai.
Week Four: Focusing on your personal project design, presenting it to the group as well as receiving input and feedback.
Interns are encouraged to research and investigate areas or potential project sites which may welcome and benefit from your support and feedback following the internship.
Permaculture topics
Ethics and principles in Permaculture design
Understanding environment, weather patterns and location, seeing the large scale
Planting patterns and design
Water infrastructures
Composting with IMO or EM
Ecological Insect control
Indigenous building materials, bamboo
Edible Aqua Plant Permaculture
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Organic food topics
Virgin coconut oil production
Balinese ceremonial and medicinal herbs
Organic raw food preparation
Balinese vegetarian cooking, local spices
Topics of the heart
Unfolding the qualities of the heart
Aligning the brain with the heart
Respect and appreciation for Self and the Earth
Translating transpersonal inner values to the soil and earth
Connecting to the heart of the Earth
Our international faculty brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the program.
Ketut Badung is Balinese and has received his Permaculture training from IDEP Bali, Indonesia. He is our head gardener with an in-depth knowledge of local Balinese Flora and Fauna as well as Western plants which feed an nourish our team and guests. Under his care, the Jiwa Damai gardens have flourished since their inception twelve years ago.
Shelby graduated from Florida State University with a degree in International Affairs and a concentration in Sustainable Agriculture. While in school, Shelby managed an educational community garden and began her own Permaculture based urban farm after finishing her degree. She continues learning new techniques daily through a partnership with Edible Landscapes, a Permaculture design install team and through her own constantly evolving farm.
Uwe Scholz studied Permaculture with Rico Zook (USA) in Darjeeling, India. He is developing his Permaculture node in the mountains in Bali and likes to built earth houses. He is a graduate Dipl.-Ing. in informatics and computer sciences from University of applied sciences in Frankfurt, Germany.
Terry Trushel loves to transform plants with thrive in extreme conditions, such as desert and tropical environs. He established a landscape gardening business in Ashland, Oregon, USA before moving to Bali. He graduated form the Logan College of chiropractic and holds a diplomate in orthopedics.
Miquela de Ris is a certified Tri-Yoga Teacher, specializing in Yoga Flow, meditation and Kriya Yoga.She received her Yoga training at the Datta Peetham Ashram in Mysore, India and apprenticed in raw foods with Jeremy Saffron in Maui. Hawaii. She majored at the Berkshire, Massachusets community college in Peace and world order.
Margret Rueffler is the founder and caretaker of Jiwa Damai Agro-Permaculture and Retreat Center. She holds a Ph.D. in transpersonal psychology and is an acupuncturist and teaches internationally. Her books have been translated in several languages.
Course tuition: 18 735.000 IDR $US 1 950.00
Times: Class and working times are from 09.00 am to 5.00 pm excluding weekends. The course is limited to 15 people.
To enroll in the course or if you want to receive more information , please contact us via email: info@jiwadamai.net
Jiwa Damai is a hands-on, socially responsible organic garden and retreat center.
We are located amidst lush tropical vegetation in the heart of Bali (20 mins from Ubud).
