Intentional Communities
“The secret of freedom is courage.”
- Pericles (approx. 500 BC)
Intentional Communities
Over the years, I had the opportunity to look into the daily life of many communities.
Experiencing the great variety of different concepts, visions and living together in everyday life has greatly enriched me.
They ranged from communities with over a hundred members (e.g. Esalen Institute California, Auroville India, Tamera Healing Biotope Portugal, ZEGG Germany, Schloss Tempelhof Germany, Ananda Community California, Damanhur Italy) to less than ten.
What I took away as a quintessence was that in all the communities I came to know, as elsewhere in daily life, conflicts and clashes of interests are an issue.
What was striking about this was:
Those communities which have been in existence for a long time have established rituals and methods for staying in contact, meeting and dealing with conflict.
These methods include, for example, the “Forum” (ZEGG, Tamera), the Scott Peck Community Process (Schloss Tempelhof), or Gestalt Practice for personal development (Esalen Institute). And Nonviolent Communication (e.g.: ZEGG, Schloss Tempelhof, Gemeinschaft Sulzbrunn, Gemeinschaft Sonnenwald, La’akea Hawaii, and many others).
In some communities, especially smaller ones, several times I had the impression that a certain awareness of life around a common theme was bringing them together. These sometimes spontaneous phases of enthusiasm, discovery and creation then often proceeded without deeper vision clarifications.
This seemed to have the consequence that their common foundation was not so stable and there were frequent changes of members or even self-dissolution. Their resources regarding constructive togetherness, which favor long-term togetherness, seemed in many cases not yet as well developed.
“Everyone is called to do or be something
that no one else is called to.”
- John Henry Newman (1801 – 1890)
I would be happy to support you in developing your collective togetherness.
Regardless of whether there is already a “burning ” situation, or whether you already want to expand your competencies before such a situation arises.
Helpful tools I offer:
• Authentic Relating
• Nonviolent Communication
• Connection Dance
• Mediation (Conflict Mediation)
Ways to meet each other in a new and different manner, discovering new facets of oneself and one's peers.
Facets that build bridges, to where contact was perhaps difficult for a while...
Bringing stuck situations back into the flow...
Lightness, depth, letting oneself be affected, being human, dropping inner masks...
“I don't know if it will get better when things become different.
But it must become different if it is to become better.”
- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799), Mathematician and physicist
My offers also include the invitation to pause and reflect:
A Check-In Connected With The Further Development Of Your Vision
Where are we right now?
What path have we taken together?
Where do we want to go? As a community and as individuals?
Where do we complement each other?
How do we cross-fertilize each other in our opposites?
What gifts of learning am I experiencing here?
Where are we going together, and in which interests am I being asked to take care of myself?
Looking at the sailing course of the community together, readjusting or also correcting it if necessary.
In balance of confidence and intention.
Gladly I will come to you with my offers and adapt them to your wishes and the needs of your community.
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
- Confucius (551 - 479 B.C.)
welcome (at) authenticrelatingeurope (dot) com
+49-177-761 6263
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