“I believe that the community – in the fullest sense: a place and all its creatures – is the smallest unit of health and that to speak of the health of an isolated individual is a contradiction in terms.” Wendell Berry
This is a place we’ve put down many of the influences that have influenced our thinking. Spending time here will give you a better sense of the broader vision. We embrace some of these influences more fully than others.
Community Culture Influencers
1) Community Building
Some might see us as a blend of the Plum Village, Sirius, and Findhorn communities.
2) Major Influencers
We’re thankful to M. Scott Peck for helping us understand how to build true community.
Marshall Rosenberg and his work with Nonviolent Communication seem like a must for anyone aspiring to live in a more communal way.
Diana Leafe Christian has helped us identify best practices and, along with others, grasp why most communities fail.
Christopher Alexander for his deep insights into physical spaces and why quality and beauty matter.
3) Mindfulness Practices
While we are non-sectarian and embrace diversity, many of our mindfulness practices come from the Plum Village community founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, and Western meditation centers such as Spirit Rock and the Insight Meditation Society.
We’re also heavily influenced by Ajahn Chah and other Buddhist Masters who taught a large number of currently active Western meditation teachers. The Dalai Lama, D.T. Suzuki, and Eckhart Tolle have also informed our views.
Robert Thurman, Daniel Goleman, Dan Siegel, and Dave Richo are also key influencers.
4) Child Rearing Influencers
Dan Seigel’s Mindsight Institute and No Drama Discipline book with Tina Bryson
Zigfried Englemann – Very thoughtful and proven techniques for teaching reading and math.
Kipp’s focus on character traits.
Panayaden School’s 12 Wise Habits.
Plum Village’s Two Promises for kids.
Plum Village’s Five Mindfulness Trainings.
Yoguitos and their whole child approach to education (they participate in our summer and after-school programs).
Martha Wright’s Mindful Music Program
Joe Reilly and his great work.
5) Education Influencers
Wake Up Schools Initiative and here.
Khan Lab School’s style of school is articulated in The One World Schoolhouse
Sal Kahn on teaching for mastery and why he’ll never tell his son that he’s smart.
Carol Dweck on the importance of a growth mindset.
6) Misc Notes (in no particular order)
We see living in a more communal way as a great way to support healthy habit building.
When building community we think about creating a Team vs creating a Family and finding the right balance between the two.
Thoroughly as possible, we try to understand why communities fail so that we may learn from others.
We strive to keep it real, identify elephants in the room, and be aware of our tendency to avoid conflict, rather than work through it.
“On the abstract level, I have turned the belief in my own fallibility into the cornerstone of an elaborate philosophy. On a personal level, I am a very critical person who looks for defects in myself as well as in others. But, being so critical, I am also quite forgiving. I couldn’t recognize my mistakes if I couldn’t forgive myself. To others, being wrong is a source of shame; to me, recognizing my mistakes is a source of pride. Once we realize that imperfect understanding is the human condition, there is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our mistakes.” G. S.
The parenting dilemmas raised, regarding balancing modern influences on children, in the Captain Fantastic film resonated strongly.
It Takes A Community... 