Ashrams Rising

Not everyone is freaking out about the economy. In fact, some people are doing quite the opposite. As the job market thins, attendance at ashrams and yoga retreats have been operating at full capacity. For guys like Steve Odnoha, unemployment has proven to be a ticket to less conventional opportunity.

After losing his job at Intel in 2007, Odnoha promptly packed up his things and traveled from Rio Rancho, N.M., to the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Penn. Truth be told, the semiconductor-manufacturing technician had been angling for a situation that would allow him to get time off to attend the yearlong yoga retreat. Sometimes blessings aren't even disguised.

Odnoha figured that after a year at the Institute he'd return to civilization and enter a revived job market. And although the economy clearly had other plans, he doesn't seem to mind the simple life, spending days practicing yoga, studying spiritual texts and preparing meals for the institute.

According to the New York Times, Odnoha has a pretty sweet deal. In exchange for cooking duties and a $3,000 annual fee, he gets a private room, three vegetarian meals a day and unlimited access to everything the Institute has to offer. Uh, where do I sign up?

Although yoga retreats have generally been reserved for spiritual seekers or professionals with extremely flexible schedules, our current cash-strapped moment-in-time suggests, anything goes. Entrepreneurs and cocktail waitresses alike are making their way to places like the Ananda Ashram for work–study vacations and experiments in alternative living.

While some stay only the weekend and others all year, one thing is for certain: You won't go home without a change in perspective. Odnoha says: “At Intel, I was helping the owner get a new yacht. Here, I’m part of something that actually makes a difference.” You probably won't hear that kind of banter at the water cooler.

Photo courtesy of Stockxpert.