OUR CORE VALUES:
- CO-ENLIGHTENING KINDNESS ~ We practice being fully present to one another, deep listening, truthful sharing, and mutual encouragement. We commit to loving communication and skillful conflict resolution, supporting and one another to do and be our best.
- SELF-DISCOVERY ~ We explore the inner dimension of self, cultivating a humble heart, ‘beginner’s mind’, self-reflection, self-responsibility, self-empowerment, self-healing, and self-actualization.
- CO-EMPOWERMENT ~ We share responsibility and leadership, each person making a significant contribution to the overall vision and activities of the community, with consensus decision-making wherever practical.
- SACREDNESS ~ We deepen in our chosen spiritual paths, find our place within nature/the cosmos, commune together in spiritual brother-sisterhood, serve the greater good, and celebrate the deeper meanings, rhythms and passages of life.
- CREATIVITY & CELEBRATION ~ We flourish through the arts in our playful ‘renaissance community’, which cultivates merrymaking and creative expression through song, music, dance, visual arts, games, crafts, and the practice of living fully in each moment. Co-enlivening!
- LEARNING & EVOLUTION ~ We strive beyond our current parameters of understanding to embody the dynamic flow of new ideas, skills and attitudes that will enable collective evolution, while appreciating our individual dreams and perspectives, styles of expression, and unique contributions to the common good.
- HOLISTIC WELL-BEING ~ We strive for a mostly organic, whole food, locally sourced diet, active lifestyles, connection to nature, and use a variety of holistic healing modalities to cultivate full-spectrum well-being.
- ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY ~ We work toward ecological sustainability through permaculture landscaping, organic gardening, food preserving, wildcrafting, green construction methods, alternative energy production, supporting the local economy, and more.
- ECONOMIC THRIVANCE ~ We seek individual and collective economic well-being, through stewardship of various enterprises, including our educational and guest programs and member-initiated cottage industries. We encourage economic self-responsibility and autonomy while celebrating expressions of interdependence as we share resources and simplify our lives, in gratitude for present moment abundance.
- CONNECTION & SHARING ~ We reach out to others, sharing our many gifts, network within the local and global new-paradigm community, and create space for the larger community to gather to celebrate, learn and share.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES:
In 2019, we are pursuing the following collective initiatives:
- Generating more of our own food through expansion of our organic gardens and edible landscapes.
- Beautifying our landscape for greater ease and enjoyment of the land.
- Increasing the flow of visitors to Anahata by enhancing our guest spaces and programs.
- Planning for additional solar and gassifier renewable energy sources to be installed on the land in the next four years.
- Developing a long-term legal/financial strategy that includes member land-home ownership and collective stewardship of shared land. We are calling in members who are aligned with our vision and ready to become land and home owners.
- Building community by holding twice-weekly community business-connection meetings, and sharing three or more community meals per week.
- Contributing 5+ hours of community service per member per week, with frequent work parties/teams.
- Hosting weekly singing circles and classes/events, quarterly retreats, and frequent rituals and celebrations.
- Gathering with other communities in the area to share our collective stories, wisdom and strategies for successful community living.
- Learning how to more deeply support one another’s growth by exploring different modalities of connection and communication.
Core Members
Luke Staengl
Luke was the original landowner at Anahata. He began the community and has been a pillar of the community throughout its many iterations and processes. A longtime supporter of the progressive community in Floyd, Luke has helped to found Blue Ridge Mountain School and the Sustain Floyd Farmer’s Market, the main Saturday market in downtown Floyd. He serves on the board of multiple Floyd organizations. In addition, Luke has been the driving force behind several high technology environmental companies since 1979. He founded and served as chief executive officer of three companies involved in converting biomass to fuel, fiber, feed and other high value products. Throughout the 1980s he also played a very active role as an advocate for renewable fuels and sustainable technologies.
Ashera seeks to cultivate connection, clarity, peace, joy and beauty through the awakening of the heart, creative expression, and intergenerational community celebration. She is an interfaith minister, mentor teacher of the Dances of Universal Peace, author and teacher of creative peace curriculums, Reiki Master – healing arts practitioner, Connection Practice Coach, and lifelong dancer. She facilitates individuals and groups in self-awareness,compassionate communication and conflict resolution. She has directed programs for adults and youth in religious, educational and community settings. Contact Ashera at KathrynAshera@gmail.com.
Aaron Ananta Staengl
Aaron has spent most of his life at Anahata, and sees community as one of the ‘master units’ of sustainable culture. Aaron has been doing art most of his life in many different mediums and has a background in massage, Ayurveda, herbology, graphic design, and fine art. He attended the Florida School of Massage, the Ayurvedic Institute, Virginia Western Community collage and attained honers and awards. He has travelled extensively through India and Bali, Indonesia. He has designed numerous posters, magazine covers, cd covers, brochures, logos and has his own business called “Ayurveda Posters” which combines spirituality, art and the ancient science of self healing known as Ayurveda.See some of Aaron’s inspiring sacred healing arts posters at: http://ayurvedaposters.com/. Spirituality is his main inspiration and he continuously strives to express it through art. As a graphic arts designer, Aaron Ananta Staengl creates custom brochures, business cards, flyers, illustrations, and more through Staengl Design. Contact aaronananta@yahoo.com