The Art of Learning by Doing

Permaculture in Practice – The Art of Learning by Doing
6th – 30th January 2014

Jiwa Damai encourages a combination of theory and hands on practice in a supportive environment as an important approach to learning and growing. Our internships offer the possibility to design and actualize a project, either as a group or on an individual basis. Our interns receive expert support and guidance while being given the chance to take responsibility for their own learning outcomes.

At this time we are offering places for up to 6 interns to take part in a one-off group permaculture, aquaculture design project, facilitated by our in-house permaculture design trainer Stephanie Garvin.  The project will involve designing and implementing an aquaculture project, including building a chinampa system, a technique used in Latin America by the Incas to successfully grow food in wetland areas.  We have several swamp areas at Jiwa Damai which lend themselves ideally for such a project. To our knowledge it is the first of its kind to be implemented in Bali. It is an exciting pilot project.

This project includes free theory sessions on permaculture design for chinampa systems.

Following this internship the we offer a Permaculture through the Heart course www.jiwadamai.net/education-activities/

Our offering The Art of Learning by Doing is open for people interested in permaculture, sustainable food production and environmental conservation. No previous permaculture knowledge or experience is needed. We also invite Permaculture Design Certificate holders desiring to expand their practical knowledge and design skills. Participants need to be in good health and physical condition since the project will involve manual work in a tropical environment.

Skills that participants will have the opportunity to learn and practice during this internship include:-
Permaculture design methodologies
Assessing needs and yields
Building a stable, productive ecological system
Nutrient recycling
Using local and on site resources
Water management
Aquaculture systems
Creating energy efficient systems
Planning for diversity and habitat creation
Using edge effects to increase yield
Teamwork and task management
Plant propagation techniques
Soil building and composting

For more details or information, or to apply for a place on this internship programme, please contact us at info@jiwadamai.net or using the contact form attached.

Optional Extras
We can provide on-site, basic accommodation and meals at Jiwa Damai Retreat Centre and Organic Garden at a discounted rate.

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Review: Permaculture Design Certification Course

From Febuary 24th to March 12th we held our first Permaculture Design Certification Course at Jiwa Damai.
The group consisted of 30 participants coming from India, Australia, USA, Germany, Austria and Bali.

The internationally renowned teachers Rico Zook and Jeremiah Kidd did a great job in teaching the class.

One part of the PCD course was theoretical learning in the ‘classroom’.
Here the participants are introduced to the various flows in nature.

The other part was practical hands-on-experience in the organic garden.
Here our group is learning to measure the PH content of the soil.

During the 16 days course the participants were instructed to create IMO, indigenous microorganisms, using bamboo, cooked rice and sugar. This mixture needs to ferment for 4 days and then this fungus can be used to fertilize compost to create a larger stock.

These are some hand-made measurement instruments to properly measure size and topography of a land.

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Health room at Jiwa Damai

At Jiwa Damai we offer holistic body therapies, individual therapy sessions as well as massages and body care.
Our guests enter this beautiful room through a traditional Balinese carved wooden door. Come in and relax!

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Lagu Damai Foundation

All income that is generated at Jiwa Damai retreat center is returned to the community through projects and programs run by The LAGU DAMAI Foundation, based in Bali, Indonesia.

The Lagu Damai Foundation provides opportunities for youths and adults in education and conceives and develops socially responsible projects.
For more information on the Lagu Damai Foundation, please visit:

Lagu Damai Foundation

All projects incorporate the following values: unfolding the HeartSelf–Intelligence, consciousness of joy, empowerment leading to increased self-esteem and self reliance in co-operation with the environment, community, earth and humanity as a whole.

These are psychological principles that are developed by The PsychoPolitical Peace Institute and its international projects are focused on the longterm prevention of collective violence and dynamic cooperation to initiate peace.

Dr. Margret Rueffler is the founder of both organizations.

Please feel free to donate to our various educational projects. For more information please contact: info@jiwadamai.net

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Organic cooking at Jiwa Damai

One of the activities we offer to our guests is taking part in a cooking class with our Balinese cook.

From our Balinese cook you will learn about local dishes and ingredients, pick vegetables in our garden and learn how to prepare the dish. We mostly use fresh organic veggies from our permaculture garden.

This is the recipe for our chicken dish.
You’ll need the following ingredients:
Chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, lemon grass, salt, pepper and oil.

These ingredients are all mixed together and ground. The chicken is plugged into very small pieces, only the white meat is used. The tiny chicken pieces are  tossed into the uncooked herbal mixture and well mixed. Its taste  is utterly delicious.
The chicken is served with rice and veggies.

Organic food

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Soul, the Jiwa Damai Baby

This is Soul, the first child born at Jiwa Damai. This picture is taken in Jiwa Damai at age 1 month.

The bay was born in a natural underwater birth, so called Lotus birth, where the placenta remains attached until it dries up by itself, which happened the second day after the birth. The Mom was assisted by her husband and Ibu Robin, a famous Balinese midwife.

In this picture one of our volunteers is taking care of the one month old Soul at Jiwa Damai.

Here, Margret is visiting Miquela and Soul, which had grown tremendously for age 4 months, in upstate New York.

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Bokashi Balls Permaculture on Bali

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.

https://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.

The handmade Bokashi balls in our plant nursery

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.

Ketut and the Bokashi Balls

So now we hope to welcome back the diverse aquatic life and beautiful water lily’s!

Our pond at Jiwa Damai

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Jiwa Damais Guardian

Margret at Jiwa Damai permaculture and retreat center, where she takes care of all aspect of managing, running and expanding the gardens as well as supervising the teamwork .

Margret at Jiwa Damai

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Permaculture garden expansion

A whole new area is being integrated into our permaculture gardens. We are adding to our planting area another 2.000 square meters.
The area is being terassed, turned over, covered with rice straw, covered again with earth mixed with our special compost and then planted.

New growing area

Presently we have 4 people working on the new fields every afternoon. We should be able to begin planting the first seeds wihtin the next week. Two large tanks will be placed on the downward slope to allow the water to run in the waterways naturally without any further aid.

On this picture you can see the beginning of the creation of our garden labyrinth.

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Fire place for ceremonies

The latest addition to out retreat center Jiwa Damai is a  fire place for spiritual rituals and ceremonies.

The fire place is being constructed close to our little water angel island in the back of the garden.
One wall is composed of local large pebbles. The floor will be made out of stone and grass.

Construction of the fire place

Fire place at Jiwa Damai

Once the floor is done, we will place 12 large stones to sit in a circle, with the fire pit in the center.
We choose this area for the fire place, because all thebig  trees are situated in good distance and a fire does not damage any trees or leaves above.

Fire place

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