Gaia Yoga

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.

One is to come by in the morning for a Landance-and-Lunch. For people who are interested in an internship-like experience or immersing themselves in our community to see if they want to live here long-term we offer GaiaYoga 101. For those who want to get away and be taken care of, while they relax and heal we offer Retreats. For people who want experience our place and maybe have a base to check out the island 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've loved the structures here of the landances and the feeling that we're all equals in this together. If and when I'm back on the Big Island I'd love to stay for longer!"
—Ivy, Massachusets

"It's been a very spiritual place and people for me. I never experienced before."
-Sven Sommermeyer, Germany

"Everyone who has not been here yet should experience the beauty of that place!!! Life is so "clean and harmonious." I loved that!"
- Magdalena Gorecha, Poland

"Be sure to communicate your needs and things you like and don't like to do. It (GaiaYoga Gardens) is as flexible as you are."
-Lucas Orton, Washington

Landance-and-Lunch:
One day each week, from 8 am - 1:30 pm, we offer a Landance-and-Lunch at GaiaYoga Gardens, where people are invited to join us for our morning meeting, a 3-1/2-hour project, and a delicious, organic lunch. 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 system, 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:
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 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.

Gathering beach rocks for making Auau Heiau (The Bathing Temple)

Here's what the GaiaYoga 101 includes:

* 17.5 hours/week of "landance," which are group work-projects or karma yoga. 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:-).

* A weekly community meeting

* A weekly group spiritual focus occasion

* A weekly Nonviolent Communication class and/or practice group

* A daily individual chore (15 minutes/day)

Participants in the GaiaYoga 101 can participate in all GaiaYoga Gardens classes at no charge, which may include hatha yoga or partner yoga, Sustainable Homesteading (offered periodically), and Nonviolent Communication Classes and Workshops (offered periodically).

GaiaYoga 101 Accomodations:

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

Composting Toilet - where humanure is recycled!

Bedroom Options Include:

1) For a couple: Homey and private, a tarp-covered, 10 x 10 ft. screen-tent Jungalow, with futon bed and electricity, surrounded by orchard and gardens.

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

3) B.Y.O. Tent: Great for folks who want more privacy.

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 growth that immersion 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.

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 101 is $385. This includes a $50 administration/training fee, $35 for books, $100/month residency fee, and a $100 damage deposit. For an application, please e-mail us.

Retreats:
We've heard from many people that staying at GaiaYoga Gardens has been a deep experience of retreat for them. For some, it's being surrounded by a lush, tropical environment. For some, it's the soothing quiet they're enveloped in. For some it's eating delicious, fresh, organic foods. For some, it's slowing down to their natural body-rhythms. For some, it's the simplicity of being nurtured by the Earth, sun, rain, and stars. For most, it's the renewal of re-connecting with themselves.

GaiaYoga Gardens retreats include:

a private, 10' x 10' screen-tent Jungalow with a futon bed
delicious, fresh, organic food (including all-you-can-drink-&-eat coconuts at our coconut bar!)
Sun Do (a Taoist Breathing practice) 5 times/week
Private GaiaYoga support session (once/week)
Optional participation in any group landance
Optional participation in any GaiaYoga classes/workshops, including our NVC practice group
Optional massage from local bodyworkers (extra charge)

Costs for a retreat are $60/day, $350/week for singles; $100/day, $600/week for couples.

For more information, please e-mail us.

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

Eco-Rentals:
A wonderful alternative to an impersonal hotel or an expensive vacation rental. Stay in a 10' x 10' screen-tent Jungalow on a futon bed, and enjoy the beautiful, tropical environment.

1 Night: $30/night for singles - $45/night for couples

2-5 Nights: $25/night for singles - $37.50/night for couples

Weekly: $150 for singles - $225 for couples

Monthly: $400 for singles - $600 for couples

Family rates are also available.

For more information, please e-mail us.

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