Oregon Institute for a
Better Way
For the Creation of Intentional
Community
The Action * The Study * The Application * The Outcomes
We define intentional community as the instances where a group of people choose to gather together, to align their minds and focus to accomplish a collective project.
We can see the benefits that will come with gathering together, sharing the resources to survive and affording the time to feed our souls. We can see that there is a way to live ecologically minded, self-sufficient and spiritually minded without forgoing certain technologies and community connections. The possibilities are endless when we combine our resources and join together. The outcome will be a better life and a great lesson for us and our children.
The Action
of an individual, a family, a tribe, a community
A Family Awakening
What does it mean today to awaken? To us it… in 2010 one of us had a powerful dream “an experience” that left an impression that something was changing. US. One by one, we each had an affirmation of our impending changes. It translated to us as a blossoming, an awakening from a deep sleep. The deep sleep seemed simply connected to our ability to pay attention. First, to our own body; we were mostly over weight, malnourished and ignorant as to how to escape. We learned about detox from convenience, processed foods, pharmaceuticals and even technology.
Second, to connection and synchronicity around us; 2013 we left our city house and embarked on a grand adventure. We let go, dropped out and learned to go with the flow.
Not knowing what to do first to sustain ourselves, we went to work learning what our level of consumption was. We moved into a fully self-contained camper and went on the road sharing our excitement to change. We experienced our consumption of water, energy and especially waste. We evaluated as family, how we could minimize and utilize our consumption and waste. We prepared ourselves to learn. We woke up our brains and opened our minds up with actual meditation, long hikes, fresh air, earth minerals, family breakthroughs and ultimately service to others. We jumped! We held our breathe, harnessed faith and wore our courage! We created a not-for-profit idea to share our story, the story of others living alternative to our programmed ideas. We focused on empowering others to have courage to breakout of conformed living and return to the gardens!
Now we have began our families next generation of free and wild beings! We have become stewards of spaces to practice living alternative to what we have known. We gather with others, form groups of like minds to create space that thrive. Now that is a process worth watching. A process of progress related to the study of Cultural Anthropology because surly this is an evolutionary process we are watching unfold.
The Application
of gathering and aligning to thrive
Planting Seeds of Support, Strength and Structure.
We are living the study now. Birth to BEYOND the full circle cycle.
Creating the structured that support functional cooperatives.
Remaining peers to each other as multi-generational
Allowing ourselves to just be. We all feel gratitude for such beautiful space.
We are getting into the habit of recording the days. trying to capture the evolution of the experience without feeling intruded upon.
REACH OUT- exploring the knowledge resources all around us. Making connections and getting involved with the area, the fellow valley dwellers, making new friends. This is really important to break the habit of being a hermit.
Sharing experience and paths with others – We express our ideas and collected data on community and gather feedback from local participants and spectators. We attend markets and events to share knowledge
The Study
of liberty, hope, empathy and opportunity
Community is a powerful force for change. The gathering of people of their own intention generates an interconnection of commitment to each other. This interconnection can be fostered and encouraged through simple conscious acts and a willingness to connect.
We have experienced the powerful energy produced by cooperation. This energy can be increased and shared
We have created a study to explore the paths of change through the power of intentional manifesting. We are observing our own process and the visible and felt effects of our progression. We live in our self proclaimed classroom and laboratory of life.
First, we are learning and applying dimensions of living together multi-generational. A key factor to our study that seeks cooperative, functional and transcendental community patterns.
Second, we are learning how to become more sustainable through successful food growth (supplies 60%+ of our total food consumption) and land management. We are experiencing our first full garden season on our Lorane campus.
Third, we continue to strive to share our experiences as a community outreach and action project. We reach out to others offering garden foods cooking demonstrations and information on alternative living avenues. We find this aspect of our program most fulfilling and the response from others seeking hopeful ideas is often overwhelming.
We recognize that we are on a special path and that others are right behind us headed this way... we look to those just ahead to occasionally look back and offer us some vision of what you see ahead <3
The Outcomes
of a movement
The long term vision held for the Oregon Institute for A Better Way networks deep into the opportunity to expand our individual and group ability. The Institute will produce information to help resolve complex problems and empower people to sustain the economies and environmental systems that support their communities.
The long-term goals of the project are that:
Oregon State becomes the first state to be recognized as implementing radical community action and conquering hunger through planting seeds of hope in community gardens, children and young adults!
Oregon Institute for A Better Way will significantly impact the emergency state of our youth’s life preparedness.
Oregon young adults have the knowledge, skills, experience, and motivation needed to enter post-secondary education and in-demand vocations in Oregon.
Be a beacon to those seeking alternative ways of surviving and programmed lifestyles. Offering new perspectives on living!