Visiting GaiaYoga Gardens

We greatly enjoy having people experience what we're doing at GaiaYoga Gardens - our permaculture homestead and fledgling intentional community on the Big Island of Hawaii. So, we've designed several ways for that to happen.

We are open to people just checking us out for a few hours. We have a program for people looking for education, tranformation, healing, and growth. We are looking for peers who are ready to join us in community. And we are open to folks who are exploring Hawaii and want to stay in our community for a few days to a month as an eco-renter.

For people who want to see our place and get a feel for us as a community you can come by in the morning for a project, a tour, and a meal. We call this Landance-and-Lunch.

For people who are interested in an internship-like experience, being educated in sustainable-and-holistic living, and having a growthful and challenging immersion into our way of life we offer GaiaYoga 101 Initiation-Internships four times a year. This is a powerful, transformational, guided, 2 month long initiation into our lifestyle. We also offer a 2 week intensive program.

Tomatoes in the garden.

For those who want to explore becoming a permanent member of GaiaYoga Gardens we offer GaiaYoga Gardens Immersions. This is for people who already have most of the skills that we expose people to in GaiaYoga 101, are clear they want to live sustainably and holistically, and want to jump into our community process and see if GaiaYoga Gardens is a fit.

For people who want experience our place and have a base to check out the island as well, we offer Eco-Rentals.

Many people have found their contact with GaiaYoga Gardens to be inspiring, transformational, and healing, and we’re happy to share our wealth of knowledge, skills, and resources with others.

Here's what some people have had to say after staying with us:

"I am in the best health I have ever experienced yet. I have the most strength, flexibility and digestion I have experienced yet. I feel incredibly clear, vital, and empowered as a healthy human. I am so grateful to have been exposed to instinctive eating, a practice I will carry forward with me and share with others. I have learned vital aspects of being human that include emotional honesty, compassionate communication, and the myth of ownership. I have also learned key elements to raising children, instilling in me a newfound desire to be a father when the Universe ordains so. [And,] Wow! Building community is no joke. I had no idea what community was, how to build it, or even what it takes to participate in the function of one. I tip my hat to everyone, especially you Ano for your continued application towards birthing a sustainable and holistic culture. I now know, from living here, that I am destined to live in community." - Timothy, May 2011

"GaiaYoga offered me a unique experience for deep inner healing and growth. The people genuinely wanted to create a wonderful experience for us and I felt very supported. I loved the NVC and permaculture classes!" - Elizabeth H., March 2011

Landance-and-Lunch:
On Tuesdays or Thursdays, by appointment, from 9 am - 2 pm, we offer a Landance-and-Lunch at GaiaYoga Gardens. It's a time that people are invited to join us for our morning meeting, a 3-hour project, and a delicious, organic lunch of coconuts and local fruits. While you're here, you'll get to meet us and see some of our land and infrastructure - including our eco-structures (which we call "tropical breeze houses"), coco-bar, plant nursery, solar and water catchment systems, composting toilet, and enjoy the overall ambiance of our land.

If you're interested in coming by for a Landance-and-Lunch, e-mail us and we’ll send you more information.

GaiaYoga 101 Initiation-Internship & Intensive:

GaiaYoga 101 is ideal for people who want come to GaiaYoga and dive in and experience our lifestyle and the vision beneath it. You'll get to live simply and close to nature in a secluded setting; eat fresh & organic foods; and practice ecological sustainability (through growing and foraging for food, living off-grid, building eco-structures, etc.). Participants will go through a comprehensive program, run by the members and residents of GaiaYoga Gardens that exposes you to all aspects of GaiaYoga, including nonviolent communication, raw foods diet, peer-counseling, the nature of Hawaii, and participation in our spiritual processes and social events.

You will have ongoing opportunities to learn about and practice tropical permaculture, as well as experiencing cooperative interdependence in communal living and being transparent (open & honest) in relationships. We offer GaiaYoga 101 four times a year, once in winter, spring, summer, and fall. The program lasts 2 months and a whole group will go through it together. You can also opt to stay for just the first two weeks in our GY Intensive program.

The next 4 GaiaYoga 101 Initiation-Internship opportunities are:
Winter 2012: Jan 4th - February 29th
Spring 2012: March 21st - May 22nd
Summer 2012: June 20th - Aug 19th
Autumn 2012: September 12th - November 14th

Gathering beach rocks for making "Au'au Heiau" (The Bathing Temple)

Here's what the GaiaYoga 101 includes:

* 16 hours/week of "landance," which are individual and group work-projects . Landance projects in the past have been in the areas of sustainable orchard design and management (especially planting and maintaining fruit trees and bamboo), nursery work (potting, up-potting, weeding, watering, and fertilizing), foraging for food (including coconut climbing and harvesting), tarpentry (learning the art of putting up high-quality tarps, including working with ropes and knots), eco-dwelling design and construction (building our own low-impact dwellings), off-grid resource systems (solar electric and hot water, water catchment, composting toilets, and food composting), and homestead/community design and maintenance (everything else:-).

* Classroom training in Permaculture

* Classes in GaiaYoga, the teaching itself

* Morning connecting meetings M-F

* A weekly Nonviolent Communication class and/or practice group

* Yoga and Meditation occasions and/or classes

* Training in how to run and participate in effective community meetings

* Training in peer counseling (Re-evaluative Co-counseling)

* Instinctive Eating buffet lunches/teaching

* Introductions to midwifery

* Introductions to Hawaiian culture, primitive skills, fermentation, raw-food preparation, and maybe even more...

* We provide fresh coconuts that we all share. People can eat out of annual and perrenial vegetable gardens. We usually have lots of bananas and lilikoi and some papayas. There's usually some fresh chicken eggs. We often forage or trade for macademia nuts, avocados, and citrus. All other foods are puchased by individuals. Depending on your diet you'll be buying between 90% and 50% of your food.

Delicious coconuts.

What type of people do we want to participate in the GaiaYoga 101?

We're looking for people who are excited about our way of living and want to take on our lifesyle with us. We're looking for people who want to contribute to what we're creating at GaiaYoga Gardens. We're looking for people who value communicating openly and honestly about themselves and receiving that from others. We're looking for people who want the personal and spiritual growth that participation in our life-practices offers. And we're looking for people who are dependable and trustworthy. We appreciate people with skills in natural foods preparation, permaculture, carpentry, gardening/orcharding, healing arts, communication, domestic management (house cleaning), etc. So if you have skills in these areas, please let us know.

Cleaning coconut trees. "Another tough day at the office!"

GaiaYoga 101 is a 2 month process. After being here for 2 months, you have the option of applying to become a resident of GaiaYoga Gardens. Fees for the GaiaYoga 101 ranges between $1300 and $1600 for two months depending on the person and their capacity to contribute through dependable work. (This gets determined through our application process). The fees cover administration of the program, education and training, some, but not all of your food, four books, access to all of our communal spaces, and of course a place to sleep. There is also a $100 damage deposit, that is returned less any damages incurred, and any airport pickup fees. We have differrnt prices for couples and families. We are open to negotiating payment plans, or other forms of exchange for people without financial means, so if you really want to do this and we really want you here, we'll work with you. For an application, please e-mail us.

Our women's dorm. "The Bedouin"

What type of people do we want to participate in the GaiaYoga Gardens Immersion? We're looking for people who are clear that our lifestyle is the way they want to live and they want to see if we are the people they'd like to live that with. We're looking for people who want to contribute to what we're creating at GaiaYoga Gardens. We're looking for people who value communicating openly and honestly about themselves and receiving that from others. We're looking for people who are ready to fully let go of their previous life, go through the shamanic process of being reborn here with us and make this their home. And we're looking for people who are responsible, dependable, and trustworthy. We appreciate people with skills in permaculture, carpentry and other construction trades, gardening/orcharding, healing arts, communication, domestic management (house cleaning), etc. So if you have skills in these areas, please let us know.

Our preference is for people to commit to a stay of 2 months. After being here for 2 months, you have the option of applying to become a resident of GaiaYoga Gardens. Fees for the GaiaYoga Gardens Immersion ranges between $700 and $1000 for two months depending on the person and their capacity to contribute through dependable work. (This gets determined through our application process). This includes a $50 administration/training fee, $50 for books, and a $300 - $450/month residency fee. There is also a $100 damage deposit, that is returned less any damages incurred, and any airport pickup fees. We have different rates for couples and families. For an application, please e-mail us.

Here's what the GaiaYoga Gardens Immersion includes:

* 16 hours/week of "landance," which are group and individual work-projects. Landance projects in the past have been in the areas of sustainable orchard design and management (especially planting and maintaining fruit trees and bamboo), nursery work (potting, up-potting, weeding, watering, and fertilizing), foraging for food (including coconut climbing and harvesting), tarpentry (learning the art of putting up high-quality tarps, including working with ropes and knots), eco-dwelling design and construction (building our own low-impact dwellings), off-grid resource systems (solar electric and hot water, water catchment, composting toilets, and food composting), and homestead/community design and maintenance (everything else:-).

* Classroom training in sustainable homesteading (when offered to the GaiaYoga 101 participants)

* Morning connecting meetings M-F

* A weekly Nonviolent Communication class and/or practice group

* Yoga and Meditation occasions and classes

* We provide fresh coconuts that we all share. People can eat out of annual and perrenial vegetable gardens. We usually have lots of bananas and lilikoi and some papayas. There's usually some fresh chicken eggs. We often forage or trade for macademia nuts, avocados, and citrus. All other foods are puchased by individuals. Depending on your diet you'll be buying between 90% and 50% of your food.

Bananas from the land.

Participants in the GaiaYoga Gardens Immersion can participate in some GaiaYoga Gardens classes at no charge, which may include, Sustainable Homesteading (offered periodically), Nonviolent Communication Classes and Workshops (offered periodically), or various physical and spiritual practices like yoga, meditation, spiritual discussions, etc. Some classes you will be asked to pay additionally for.

For more information, please e-mail us.

Showers at "Au'au Heiau" (Bathing Temple)

GaiaYoga Gardens Accomodations:

Everyone shares a communal kitchen/living room; communal yoga/recreation space; phone & high speed internet access; outdoor hot shower; composting toilets; washing machine and clothes lines; coconut bar; the ambiance of the surrounding forest; and fun.

Bedroom Options Include:

1) For a couple: We have a few different private eco-structures that people can stay in. All have screened in beds, some are fully screened in rooms.

2) For singles: Dorm-style, a 10 x 10 ft. screen-tent or a mosquito net, furnished with futon bed and electricity, covered by a large tarp & surrounded by forest.

Eco-Rentals:

A wonderful alternative to an impersonal hotel or an expensive vacation rental. Stay in a men's or women's dorm under a mosquito tent on a futon bed or in a tropical breeze house (depending on availability), and enjoy the beautiful, tropical environment.

1 Night: $30/night for singles - $50/night for couples
2-5 Nights: $25/night for singles - $40/night for couples
Weekly: $150 for singles - $250 for couples
Monthly: $500 for singles - $750 for couples

Family rates are also available.

We also have a beautiful Balinease 12x12 hut that people can stay in. It's the only structure on the land we didn't build ourselves, we brought in whole and used a crane to set it place!

Eco-rental fees for "Chateau Bali"

Chateau Bali - weeks after it literally landed on our property. It was craned into place!

1 Night: $40/night for singles - $60/night for couples 
2-5 Nights: $30/night for singles - $50/night for couples
Weekly: $180 for singles - $300 for couples
Monthly: $600 for singles - $900 for couples

For more information, please e-mail us.

Crew that created "phase 1" of Au'Au Heiau (Bathing Temple)