towards a sustainable community, dedicated to mindfulness, deep ecology and forest restoration
Inspired by the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, we share a dream: to build community for the practice of mindfulness in daily life, to live lightly on the earth, and share a space for the cultivation of meditation, insight and healing. Please take a moment to explore our project manifesto to find out more about our vision.
some important themes for our project...
forest restoration
sustainable and affordable housing
right livelihood
meditation
study and practice
non-violent communication
we need your help!
We are currently looking for a home, somewhere in the mid-north coast of New South Wales. We are also trying to raise funds to purchase land. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you think you might be able to help.
Thich Nhat Hanh 11/10/1926 – 22/01/2022
It is with great sadness that we learned yesterday of the passing of Zen Master, poet, peace activist and gardener Thich Nhat Hanh. We also experienced a great joy in witnessing the outpouring of condolences and memories of Thay shared by so many from around the world who have been…
Seeking a home among the clouds
The combination of economics, climate change and a global pandemic has created an interesting nexus of challenges for us in our search for a home for the Gaia Forest project. We have fallen in love however with the Dorrigo Plateau. The combination of land-forms, soils, climate, vegetation and community has…
Meet our founders: Tasch Arndt
We are so happy to welcome Social Scientist, Organic Farmer and mindfulness practitioner Tasch Arndt to our team: “I am passionate about taking care of the Earth and the diverse human and more-than-human kin that we share this precious planet with. My interdisciplinary background spans ecology and the social sciences…
Meet our founders: Leo Lazarus
We are thrilled to welcome a new founding member to the team: Engineer, author and traveler Leo Lazarus. Below is an excerpt from his bio: “I am a small number of circles Earth has made around the sun. I am a poet, writer, traveller, engineer and lover of all forms…
Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings transmission
This month Br Tenzin was deeply moved to be one of the many recipients of transmission of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing. “The First Mindfulness Training: Openness Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound…
Meet our supporters: Lisa Brown
We are so lucky to count on the support of Psychologist and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher Lisa Brown from https://mindfulnesspsychologywellbeing.com/. Below is an excerpt from her bio: “The beauty, courage and creativity of human beings is continually revealed to me in my work as a psychologist through which I hear…
An epidemic looms, and an opportunity manifests…
On the advice of Thay Phap Luu I was on the cusp of departure for Thailand to stay as a visiting monk at the Plum Village centre, when news of the spread of COVID-19 started to circulate. Needless to say they have closed the centre to overseas visitors. Almost the…
Meet our supporters: Skye Indira and Miraz Mandozay
Such a joy to welcome to our support team these two: deep ecologists, plant medicine practitioners and community builders both. below is an excerpt from their bio: “As lovers of nature and long-term dharma practitioners, we have been lit up by the movement of Deep Ecology / The Work That Reconnects. We…
Meet our supporters: Nathan Sutter
We are so happy to have the support and advice of Mindfulness and Yoga Teacher Nathan Sutter. Below is an excerpt from his bio: After previous years spent in community as an apprentice yoga teacher, and farm hand, monastic life came naturally to me and I found relief in this…
Meet our founders: Bev Sibthorpe
We are so happy to welcome to our team Dr Bev Sibthorpe. Below is an extract from her bio. “I attribute my comfort in being ‘on the land’ to my early years living on a small dairy farm in New Zealand. I trained as a nurse in Auckland before going…