We are like-minded souls who want to cooperatively live for at least 1 year and hopefully many more. Our ultimate vision is to find a group of humans that want to spend their lives together.
In addition, we have a shared community fund that fluctuates in cost each month and currently includes, wifi, monthly house cleaning, communal cleaning supplies, all utilities, and freely-shared communally-purchased organic whole foods.
We live together in a large four story 5100-ft squared brownstone with a large 1100-ft squared common area on the 1st floor as well as a large communal backyard and a full workshop & studio space in the basement. We regularly share meals, meditate and do yoga together as well as regularly host events. We have a regular community dinner every Thursday evening. We are health-oriented, and we grow our own herbs and some vegetables.
Community Vision & purpose
The dream we are working towards. The following is our North Star, everything below is in loving support of this vision.
shared Mindfulness Practices
Mindfulness is at the core of living with us. This manifests as a commitment to nourishing our bodies with organic whole foods via communal food sharing. As well as daily mindfulness practices done both individually and as a group.
Long-Term connection
Cultivating multi-generational, lifelong connections within our home, our web of local conscious communities, and our global tribe. Living together is an invitation to be a part of this ecosystem.
We are committed to working towards harmony through mindfulness, clear communication and curiosity. We are committed to exploring and expanding individually and together with open minds and open hearts.
Group yoga practice
Core Values
1. Mindfulness
2. Conflict Resolution
3. Communal Food
4. Healing & Personal Growth
5. Group Rituals
6. Harmony
7. Multi Generational Community8. Healthy Communal Food & Choices
9. Dynamic Decision-Making with Sociocratic process
10. Consent Culture
11. Safety
12. Inclusion
Core Values, Goals & Agreements
1. Mindfulness The foundation of living together is to help support each other to live mindfully. In practice, this looks like showing up with presence and respect and curiosity in each moment for yourself and the community.
Goals Commitment to creating spaces and time for daily personal and group mindfulness practices.
Agreements Show up with presence and an open mind.
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2. Conflict Resolution We are committed to staying curious and open about the other person's experience. This looks like actively putting our assumptions and projected stories aside to try and understand the reality of all perspectives.
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3. synergy We strive to find and create spaces of common interest and connection as a group. Together, we create spontaneous expressions of creativity. What we create together is greater than what each of us could create individually. There is magic that is created in coming together.
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4. Healing and personal growth
We want to live with people who are actively working on their own healing and personal growth. People who are working on self awareness, emotional regulation, communication, and can own their blind spots, limiting beliefs, and areas of growth. We seek transparency and open spaces to give and receive feedback, with consent.
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5. Group Rituals
Collective shared experiences is the fabric of connection. We are committed to discover new and deeper ways to connect by sharing rituals and engaging in group activities. We commit to making time to get to know each other on a deeper level.
Goals Coming together with intention via shared practices is encouraged as a way to deeply connect with each other and the group. We do this by coming together for Birthday celebrations, full and new moon ceremonies, journeys, house camping trips, yoga, fitness routines, circling, heart circles, meditation, crafting, dancing, weekly potlucks, etc.
Agreements Thursday night potlucks are highly encouraged to attend every week. Morning Meditation and Yoga are practiced daily.
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6. Harmony
We want to maintain an open and harmonious home. We see harmony as embracing, that we are creative expansive creatures, and see the world through many lenses. Though these lenses may look different, it’s our desire to support these unique ways of seeing the world while flexibly embracing our differences and supporting each other in the process. When harmony isn’t present, it is essential for us to come back to each other and deal with whatever conflict happens. We need to live with folx who are open to actively work through conflict to return our home to a harmonious flow.
Goals Creating self-awareness.
Agreements We agree to be conscious of how our actions impact others. We are mindful of the spaces we share as well as aware, flexible, transparent, and committed to kindness.
7. Multi-Generational Community We commit to prioritizing people of all ages to live in the house, including children and elders.
8. Healthy Communal food
Sharing food is a way to connect, care for each other and continue to keep healthy food as a priority in the home. A part of being a permanent member of the coop is contributing to and participating in communal food.
Goals Co-create a sustainable practice as a community to purchase food together. Coming together to have regular family dinners creates connection, nourishment, and care for one another.
Agreements We agree to participate in communal food. The current price is $235 a month as of 12/09/2022. This allows members to partake in the food purchased with communal fridges and pantry. We take in account needs and dietary restrictions. We will not purchase processed foods (except condiments and bread) through communal food.
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9. Healthy Food choices
Sharing healthy whole foods is an integral part of living in this community.
Agreements We agree to minimize consumption of processed foods and sugars. We ask that if you would like to have processed foods, that you keep them in your room or cubby and out of sight for your personal consumption. We value home cooked meals with known whole ingredients to share with the community.-
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10. Sociocracy / Dynamic Decision-making We commit to share power and responsibility as a group and to create a self sustaining dynamic community governance. A use a system of governance that seeks to create psychologically safe environments and productive organizations. It draws on the use of consent, rather than majority voting, in discussion and decision-making by people who have a shared goal or work process.
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11. Consent Culture Co-creating a culture in which the prevailing narrative is centered on mutual consent. It is a culture that does not force anyone into anything, respects bodily autonomy and is based on the belief that a person is always the best judge of their own wants and needs.
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12. Safety Our safer space policy is intended to help be a supportive, non-threatening community for all who live in or visit the house.
Agreements We agree to abide by the Safer Spaces Document.
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13. Inclusion We are inclusive of all gender identifying, sexual/relationship orientations, races, ages, physical and mental capabilities and other self expressions.
Hiking on the Beach
*** Disclaimer: Everything we list in our Vision, Core Values are negotiable aspirations with the intention of empowering each other and ourselves as well as to bring harmony to the group. ***
"We don’t exist only to accumulate capital… we want to leave future generations something better than what we found."
Mondragon - Humanity at Work
