James & Larissa

Information de voyage

Actuellement, nous sommes

Description

Larissa and James Introduction
We are very excited to have found Workaway :-) as it offers travellers such as ourselves {who recognize both the experiential and educational value of travel} - not only a fun, interesting work exchange but also a multitude of deeply immersive rich cultural experiences as well.
We believe that a organisation, like Workaway has the potential to change and enrich lives as it allows people from all backgrounds to travel the world and participate in positive and meaningful ways whilst gaining invaluable experiences and skills .
We are in tune with the philosophy of promoting cultural understanding and the exchange between different nations and wish to contribute to worthwhile causes.

A bit about us
We are two friends both from England , we make a good team and share many of the same ideals, interests , spirtual values and holistic approach , both seasoned travellers -we are open to all kinds of projects and ideas as well as families and individuals who are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to lend a helping hand. We are willing to pitch in on all manner of work.
Both of us delight in cooking! Are passionate about health and wellness and use only wholesome ,wild foraged or organically sourced ingredients to prepare delicious nutritious dishes.
James has a wealth of experience and knowledge in gardening and conservation , is very practical hands on with good maintenance and DIY skills.
Larissa has much experience teaching and working with children, enjoys taking on a caring role and has cared for children with disabilities also. We would love to work with disadvantaged peoples in distant parts of the world. Supporting all kinds of empowering and outreach projects, social, environmental , educational and humanitarian initiatives.
We love the great outdoors too! Both keen walkers , revel in nature and being in the garden, finding it so nourishing and grounding for the spirit.
We choose to work in a mindful way with the environment , by implementing permaculture and bio dynamic practices ,natural methods and materials. We are on the journey to ever broaden our understanding and gain as much practical knowledge as possible of sustainable agricultural systems and self sufficiency.
We are open to all faiths and have self
studied various religions and esoteric traditions from Buddhism , Sufism to the Kabbalah, Gnosticsm , Huna, Occultism, Asatru , Druidry and shamanism other branches of paganism and have spent time in Hari Krishna communities , ashrams and Buddhist monasteries and intentional communties and eco villages.
We are particularly drawn to earth based spirituality/worship- communing with the all mother, drawing inspiration and spiritual guidance and wisdom from the natural world and idigenous teachings, we celebrate the cyclic magic of the seasons and lunar rhythms and
recognize the divine within all, every thread and fibre of existence, each and everything a part of the sacred web of life, there is no separation only love and oneness that's at the core of it all .
We embrace a low impact, organic ethical naturopathic lifestyle.

My name is Larissa , I am a committed vegan environmentalist , flower doctor :-) (herbalist)
and have travelled extensively, volunteering and supporting many NGOs over the years. Was a decade ago when i was drawn to Peru to learn about medicinal plants and get involved with reforestation conservation . I stayed in various eco communities and perma villages throughout south America. Then my journey took me to India and the spiritual community of Auroville where they offered a work exchange and immersion into intentional community
and sustainable living.
I have always been passionate about supporting wonderful inspiring charitable work and working for the collective good,
Positive ways in which we can act for the planet ,
My most recent volunteering was with the Prison Association Nepal , a non profit making charity that advocate the rights of imprisoned women, seeking to rehabilitate, educate, empower as well as promoting the welfare of their children too.
I passionately believe that education is the way to eradicating poverty and helps to open the door to freedom and transformation so i was proud to support such a sound cause. It was rewarding to work with the women, engage them in meaningful activities to build their self-esteem and encourage self reliance and independence.
The aim was to provide them with a positive focus to counteract depression and to develop life skills and opportunities so that when released it would enable them to return to their communities, find legitimate work , the promise of a future- Which could therefore reduce crime and break the cycle of poverty.
I would often accompany Indira the founder of the charity to the prisons to distribute food, clothing , educational material, I stressed how beneficial Art therapy and complimentary medicine /holistic healing would be. I provided paints, pens /journals hoping they will express therapeutically, be some comfort/friend to them.
I volunteered in several orphanage homes too . I love children and felt privileged to have been trusted to provide sole care for two wonderful orphaned babies that had survive the earthquake and been adopted by Indira who needed my assistance while accompanying her on long arduous bus journeys to the many prisons, schools/orphanages and other inspirational projects / farms/green initiatives she had set up. Their recognition of sustainability and efforts and hopes to raise awareness I found most encouraging, for there is little infrastructure in Nepal, no concept of recycling, plastic is pilling up in the streets and also rural villages and jungle , they dispose into the rivers too! Saddens me greatly to see such disrespect for their environment. Nepal is a beautiful country. I hope they instill the message , reach and teach as many as possible the importance of honouring and working with nature and need for preservation.
I also have some experience teaching abroad
Having volunteered at a Buddhist monastery in Laos to teach the novices English and at various schools in the poorest areas of Nepal , some that had been severely affected by the earthquakes which had limited or no resources.
I am passionate about animal welfare too and would often help out at my local wildlife rescue centre assisting the team with the rehabilitation of sick, injured animals and fund raising events. I enjoy devoting my time, love and energy helping to relieve suffering and release them back into the wild once recuperated.
I was also fortunate enough to Volunteer at an elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka some Years ago, Was always a dream of mine to encounter and work closely with these beautiful fascinating beings, I delighted in bathing and feeding especially the baby elephants and learning to interact with them. Some of my duties also entailed cleaning out their paddocks and Collecting the elephants dung for composting which I enjoyed too! They make paper with this stuff! A Creative and novel brilliant eco alternative :-) as its tree free fibre!
I have volunteered with various organisational bodies within the UK including Kirkwood Hospice , Were I offered to help with the gardens and also gave Reiki healing to in-patients after completing my Attunement.
And RDA national charity -Riding for the Disabled, Aiming to provide disabled people with the opportunity to ride to benefit their health and well being. Horseback riding is a wonderfully therapeutic and enjoyable activity for the children, teaches a skill while at the same time helps the rider to stretch and strengthen muscle tone. The rhythm of riding helps to relax the body and improve balance and coordination. My role was to ensure the children's safety at all times, assisting with riding helmets, getting off and on the horse/pony and walking alongside the rider.
I have training in a variety of therapies such as Reiki, Thai massage and sound vibrational healing. My background is in holistic medicine and aromatherapy and also . I craft my own herbal preparations , remedies and vegan biodynamic perfumery- blending specific essential oils , herbal botanicals , flowers and balsams depending on their healing attributes and particular phase of the moon which I believe enhance my products.
I have a passion for eco themed Art and interior design, I love to create using upcycled and raw materials and incorporate the beautiful ethnic textiles I collect on my travels.

Hi my name is James
and I have a deep respect for the values that workaway uphold, I wish to bring my hard working ethics and apply them with an inclusive, group mentality to my volunteering efforts around the world. I consider myself deeply passionate about ecology and raising environmental awareness about the looming issues that are bought about by the capitalism of the west, as well as animal welfare and the pollution crisis that are so destructive to the earth.
I have worked for the National Trust and the local council to maintain my local woodlands to help create a sustainable habitat for animals, particularly rare butterflies and birds which migrate yearly to my area, I have participated in hedge laying and coppicing and have also been a self employed gardener for many years .
Infact both myself and Larissa have extensive experience working with plants , we share a keen interest in botany and plant/herbal lore, utilizing the medicinal and health benefits as well as their culinary usage .
We greatly cherish our health and are ever fascinated to study the many amazing health systems and approaches out there to cultivating wellness . I have worked in sports and fitness as well as taught hatha yoga and pranayama breathing, studied advanced nutrition, the efficacy of supplements, plant based and ketogenic diets for both mental and physical performance and find it the greatest reward promoting health and helping people achieve optimal well being.
Back in 2011 I completed an instructors course in diving, in the south west of Ireland with PADI, during this time I helped people qualify through the various levels from complete novice to more advanced levels, teaching people the local wildlife and recreational diving.
I have a deep love of nature and photography, i enjoy writing, although my greatest passion is music! I sing and play a range of instruments and use synthesizers as well as incorporate sounds recorded from nature to create dreamy ambient compositions, with often folk and pastoral elements. I get fresh inspiration from my travels and I'm always fascinated to learn about different musical traditions and instruments from around the world , I would love to be involved in teaching young people to learn and develop their musical abilities.
I have great IT skills, as I work with various kinds of music software , digital recording and applications, So can solve a host of technical/software problems.
I have also worked in hospitality and customer service.

Conclusion
We are both keen to commit 100% to any project we are given, sharing the skills and knowledge we have both garnered throughout our life's journey and experiences.
We look forward to new endeavours and gaining friendships and new skills along the way :-}

Langues parlées

Anglais: Courant

Compétences et connaissances que nous aimerions partager ou apprendre

Ça nous intéresse :  

Jardinage

Bricolage et projets de construction

Baby-sitting et jeux créatifs

Entretien général

Préparer les repas / cuisiner pour la famille

Aider dans une ferme

Éco-projets

Aider à la maison

S’occuper des animaux

Accueil / tourisme

Travail associatif

Langues

Projets artistiques

Aide informatique / Internet

Enseignement

Quelles sont vos compétences ?

Cooking, customer care and service, team building, inter personal/ communication skills, teaching, caring, artistic, gardening, music, IT, photography,

Âge

42 & 36

Informations complémentaires

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  Fumeur

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  Permis de conduire

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  Allergies
  gluten

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  Régime alimentaire spécial
  dairy free , vegan/vegetarian