Are you fed up with a world that is completely dysfunctional and in denial of our complete dependence on the earth and her gifts? Do you want to collaborate with others to find ways to live that make sense and feel nourishing and full? THEN THIS MAY CHANGE YOU LIFE!
We are a newly started, value driven community looking for either couples or individuals to live in two vacant rooms in a beautiful 1924, freshly renovated home in Monrovia. We are looking to fill one room immediately and one in November or December.
The house is a little over a mile away from the beautiful San Gabriel mountains and trails that connect to hundreds of miles of hiking. We are in the early stages of establishing our community and so need thoughtful and passionate collaborators interested in the creation of alternative living practices. The lot has two houses and a shared community indoor outdoor space with a fireplace as well as a huge shed. We will also be building an outdoor bath space. We are in the process of preparing the land to install large vegetable and medicinal beds and establish a community of native/ Mediterranean plants over this fall/ winter. We are making our own compost and hope to establish relationships with local businesses to pick up their pre-consumer food scraps. We also plan to install a chicken coop and run, as well as a honeybee colony. We have two lovely cats and are open to more animals!
We have plans to make the garden an education space and have kids classes eventually. It would be wonderful if everyone in the community was involved in that project in some way!
Below are the values we have currently discussed that are informing our vision of this community as well as the shared practices that follow from them. We are certain that these values and practices will change over time and are eager to collaborate on them as people move in and the community takes shape.
Values:
Community isan essential intervention to a world plagued by individualism
Water is a sacred resource and so try to limit our consumption and employ water-wise growing
Complexity is more operative than simplicity in both understandings and environments
Communication and conflict exploration are necessary to healthy relationships
Sharing food is a way of connecting and nourishing each other
The home is a sacred space and should be treated mindfully and reverently
We’re both individuals and community members and accordingly strive to balance these truths
We strive for health in ourselves and our communities, broad and near, and recognize the interwoven relationship of these different aspects of health
Freedom of identity and presentation is necessary to nuanced explorations of being
Gathering around shared affirmations and trust of each others values and intentions forms a stronger and more productive community than one structured via prohibitions and rules
Experimentation of structures and ways of being together is a central method of arriving at what best reflects our values and serves our needs
Practices:
Maintain and install the native and vegetable garden spaces
Weekly work meeting/ check-in where to discuss what needs to be done
Three morning meditations/tea ceremonies and breakfasts a week
Active structured conflict resolution
Group dance and movement
Shared meals
Seasonal Celebrations and ceremonies
Mindfulness practices embedded in home care
Making medicine with grown and foraged herbs
