WOMP

Welcome, Dear WOMPers!

WOMP is a residential program in the Ashram, combining meditation, work and community life. The program is an invitation for people to experience communal life in a small community, and an opportunity for gaining awareness and personal growth. The activities are led and supported by a group leader, to whom you can address any and all issues.

:Here's a list of things you should know

 Our residential program has a time frame of ten days to ten weeks. We recommend you spend at least two weeks in the WOMP. The human Mind asks: why such a long WOMP period in the middle of everything that's going on in my life? In the middle of the desert? Am I not too busy for this? To put the Mind at ease, we allow 3 days of trial and acclimation, by the end of which you can decide with the WOMP leader if you'd like to continue, or that meditating in the desert isn't your cup of Chai.

The WOMP process is subsidized by Desert Ashram. We charge only the cost of a person's stay in the Ashram. Isn't it really nice of us?

If you would like to quit after the first three days, we will only charge you for three days' normal accommodation in the Ashram, and the rest of your money will be refunded. We already said we're nice, haven't we?

The WOMP has a group leader. Please consult him regarding any issue at any time. He's there for you.

Meditations are the trick here. A key part of the whole process is two meditation sessions a day. It's obligatory, and it's also a lot of fun and very rewarding.
Sharing circles are the second trick. They too are obligatory. Careful though, sharing is addictive…
The third trick is participating in community work, four hours in the morning and two in the afternoon. Osho called it "Work as Meditation". We invite you to work in awareness, fun, communality, personal responsibility and creativity. We'll leave it to the WOMP leader to explain how to wash dishes in the kitchen with meditative awareness… or as WOMP participants like to say: "open your heart and close the kitchen".

Respect each others' space. The WOMPers live together in a shared room – sensitivity is the name of the game here!

 A morning circle is held every morning after meditation – please arrive on time.
In the Mess Hall there is a duty-assignment board. Look for it and you might see your name up there.
Please let the WOMP leader know when you're leaving, so he won't get worried…
If you leave for a short break, please pack you possessions away from the bed and shelves, and leave them in a corner of the room. This is our request and also a good advice for you, trust us on this.
During festivals in the Ashram, the WOMP goes on break. WOMP members are welcome to join the festival staff.
 During the weekends, there are workshops conducted in the Ashram. We invite you, if you'd like, to join them, and even though the workshops are our guests and not "Ashram productions", we arranged for special discount prices for you.

 Everyone cleans the shared room together on Tuesday afternoon.
We can't get by in this world without a few "do's" and "don'ts", so here are some:

 No drugs. And… yes, yes, that includes everything… just don't! It has a bad effect on the meditations and it is illegal. Just don't, end of story.
 We regret to inform you, we really do, that you can't bring any dogs. Cats aren't such a good idea either. A goldfish, maybe…

 Desert Ashram is a vegetarian settlement. Please respect that. Just to be clear, fish and birds are also meat.
 You can't have friends stay over in the WOMP rooms. Think about it for a second and you'll see why.
There is an internet stand for you to use freely. However, we ask that you use your own phones to make phone calls.
There is a washing machine that we all use. Our washing machine tech has explained to us over an over again that running the machine half-full is really bad for it. This is the time to exercise good community life and sharing, and look for partners to fill up a whole machine. Besides, it's not ecologically correct to run a half full machine…

Wishing you a pleasant stay in the WOMP and in Desert Ashram, and… don't forget to hold on tight… ;-)

 08-6326508 , 052-3824617
ashram@desertashram.co.il

English Translation: Shira