What can be accomplished in a year?… A shared vision growing into collective reality!
posted by Cynthia Robinson on December 21st, 2015
As 2015 is coming to a close and we honor another cycle of the sun on this solstice, we wish to take a moment to reflect on the culminating year and share with all of you a summary of what we have accomplished and where we are headed.
The following information is directly relevant to all of our lives and the world we live in today on a global scale. As many of you who are connected with us in this collective vision are aware, everything that we do at the Paititi Institute is inspired by the intention to bring greater benefit to all beings, starting from genuine people like yourselves with whom we are in a more direct relatedness and resonance.
Since we became the caretakers of four thousand acres of pristine and bio-diverse ancestral land in the Andean climate zone of Machu Picchu in 2014, we have been hard at work developing our stewardship of this land on many levels. The most rewarding and meaningful evolution has been deepening friendships and ayni (reciprocate gift exchange) with native Quechua communities which have awakened through collaborative projects including: the sharing of local customs, earth-based spirituality and ethnic heritage, organic seed exchange, biodiversity and ancient agro-forestry initiatives referenced with Permaculture initiatives, building essential infrastructure, further cultivation of intercultural bridges via mutual healing campaigns, awareness-raising programs, consciousness-transforming retreats and workshops, as well as the development of regenerative fair trade exchanges.
The effort we have been steadily cultivating within all these areas is guided by the inspirational model of eco-regenerative community living, which is a manifestation of the cumulative millennial wisdom of humanity from around the globe. The collective vision of life in reciprocal harmonious relationship with nature inside and out, that many awakening people are tapping into today, has been a continuously reviving source of encouragement for us as we develop our relationship with this land and the local communities. The possibility of lasting well-being, supported by compassionate wisdom shared by all, is gradually manifesting as a daily reality. Following is a more detailed outline of the visionary work which has been, and continues to be inspired by each of you:
We started 2015 by improving the community bridge we built in the fall of 2014. This year we collaborated with our neighbors to build a river defense system for the bridge so that the flash floods would not demolish it during the peak of rainy season (usually during the months of late January through mid-March). The bridge continues to serve the local communities for daily travel and is the only access point which connects surrounding communities with emergency health services during the rainy season.
It is our intention to develop our food systems on the land to the point where we can produce 100% of the food consumed year round. This year, we made a substantial step in this direction and now have a series of amazing organic gardens covering three climate zones, which produce an abundance of bio-diverse vegetables, fruits, staple grains, and superfoods, as well as sacred and medicinal plants. In the beginning of January 2015, we were producing about 5% of our consumption needs, and we have now been organically cultivating over ten times the original amount. We currently have more kale, lettuce, and squash than we know what to do with!
Besides the gardens, life on the land has become a lot more lively with the addition of five mules, two kittens, two dogs, a number of chickens (with 11 chicks!), ducks, and our first bee hives. We are inspired to continue expanding the bee operation in 2016! Now we just have to keep those naughty mules from “horsing around” and wreaking havoc in our community spaces!
Our relationship with this sacred land and the ancestral spirits present continues to deepen through our Shamanic Permaculture and Embodying True Nature consciousness transformation retreats, essentially revivifying the evolutionary healing that has been practiced on this land throughout thousands of years prior to the arrival of the conquistadors in the 15th century.
The community space and infrastructure is really taking form! At the base camp in the lower subtropical area of the land, we have constructed a gathering and ceremonial space, communal kitchen, wood shop and tool shed, and the first three dieta guest houses (with 12 more in the plans together with a spacious round ceremonial Maloka temple for 2016). Besides the beautiful new buildings, we have been improving and repairing the previously-existing structures (some of which are over 100 years old) for the growing core team as well as building an adobe hut with a traditional hay roof as a home for the founding couple. Yay! After over a year in tents, we are starting to move into homes little by little!
In the mid-mountain garden area (named the Chirimoya Garden in honor of the abundance of Chirimoya trees) which is a 45-minute hike up from the base camp, we are building a two-story community house with adobe bricks atop the existing stone wall foundation. And in the upper garden near one of our neighboring villages of Ichio (about 1.5 hour hike from the base), we have built a beautiful stone house.
In all of our building projects, we have collaborated with our local neighbors to select locally-sourced, natural materials such as hay for traditional roofing; earth, clay, and stone for natural building; and river sand for natural plaster.
We have begun collaborating with the local farmers to support their inter-generational devotion to the regionally-available and specialty produce. The area of the Mapacho Valley we live in is particularly well-known for its organically-grown aromatic and delicious coffee, which is cultivated in a very diverse fruit forest eco-system. Since the locals are so passionate about this fruit of their labor this will be our first certified eco-regenerative product. In order for these communities to thrive and the locals to continue to live here while having the necessities of their lives met, we support them by establishing a connection to the local and international market, helping spread their Semillas del Amor (Seeds of Love). As we move into 2016, we will be continuing to develop the Semillas del Amor brand for the sale of organic, fair trade and regenerative products produced in our region for the national and international market. The collective appreciation of this existential and eco-immersive way of life allows the native communities to continue to serve as living examples for all of us and the world.
Besides all of the grass roots work we do with our hands in the soil and mortar, we continue to develop relationships with the local regional governments and municipalities, and are actively working to receive the approval for larger eco-restoration, biodiverse native tree reforestation, as well as social development of indigenous identity projects – which we look forward to updating you on in detail in 2016!
Last but certainly not least, we have been able to find and acquire a small one-acre plot of land in the Sacred Valley near Taray, about half an hour drive from Cusco! This space will be dedicated for the future Natural Medicine Center and retreat space where we can continue healing work with individuals who experience more serious health conditions, such as the people shown in the documentary “The Sacred Science”, which highlights the work and healing vision of Paititi institute. We will be working toward breaking ground in mid-2016 on the construction of this center.
In conclusion, we would like to share that although we are continuing to face many difficulties and challenges on the path to living in harmony with all life, we are not in the least swayed from it because of the resonance, love, and support continuously shared by this immensely loving human family. More now than ever, we see that each one of you is a vital and integral part of this family, the indigenous soul, and our shared true nature. We offer all of this work to our planetary family with a deep wish that it will ripple waves of peaceful truth with all of life. We also humbly open our hearts and hands to receive your offerings of love and support, through which this eco-regenerative genesis can continue to thrive for all future generations.
We are deeply grateful for your presence in our lives and all the infinite variety of ways in which the life energy is reciprocated through each of us. And we look forward to continue deepening our relationship, sharing your presence, and seeing you in the clear essence of who you really are.
May we all continuously deepen and radiate universal love and compassion.
