Living lightly on the earth, being content with living with less
For over 30 years Janis has been living off-grid, practicing an eco conscious lifestyle based on simplicity. She grows and stores almost all of her organic produce. She is a promoter of artistically built squatting outhouses, root cellars for refrigeration 7 months out of the year, and greenhouses to extend the growing season. She has built a sustainable infrastructure and is looking for long term residents to build resilience together and face these times of impending ecological crises and climate disruption with courage and compassion; reclaiming our lives, our communities, and our planet from corporate rule. Here are the values that she strives to embody and seeks in her resident gardeners and guests:
When shopping, we need to be aware of how our choices impact others and the environment. One cannot act without affecting other living beings. It is impossible to live outside the web of interconnectedness.
As compassionate individuals we may want to give up eating meat or reduce the amount we eat. Conscious consumption with less packaging, buying bulk, local and organic foods, biodegradable cleaning products, hanging clothes outside or using indoor drying racks instead of a dryer all help make an impact.
Everyone living on the land is expected to start their own seedlings and maintain garden beds from May-Oct, with an emphasis on growing crops that can be stored in the winter. Cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes, squash, onions, garlic and dry beans are an example.
Teamwork, conscious communication, kindness, and togetherness fortify the vision. Engagement with both land and each other will ensure a vital, inspiring and resilient environment bringing us back into relationship with each other and with the self-healing powers in the web of life.
Live at Awakening Mountain
Awakening Mountain is a living organism and every season and every person who interacts with the place changes it. Janis seeks to share her many years of wisdom and dedication to her vision and also find (or co-create!) a network of folks that want to vision with her. If you resonate with the values of living lightly, love spending time in nature on skis, walking forest trails, biking the Vermont dirt roads, working in the gardens, gathering for morning yoga and meditation, doing crafts and clay work together in the studio you may find sanctuary and community with Awakening Mountain.
Seasonal Gardener Opportunity
There is work to be done year-round, as well as plenty of opportunities to work hard and play. We are always looking for folks to root down and get trained as a gardener for a season or longer. We use hand tools and broad forks
(no rototillers) and we try to do minimal tillage through mulch gardening methods.
The Sangha
"We can visualize the Sangha body as a forest. Each member of the Sangha is a tree standing beautifully alongside the others. Each tree has its own shape, height, and unique qualities, but all are contributing to the harmonious growth of the forest. Looking at the trees standing steadily alongside each other like that, you can sense the beauty, solidity, and power of a sacred forest."--Thich Nhat Hanh, Joyfully Together: The Art of Building a Harmonious Community
To live with full awareness of both the Great Turning and the Great Unraveling and to embrace the uncertainty.
Accommodations & Amenities
Community Kitchen
Wi Fi
Shower
Art studio
Private living spaces
Gathering spaces.
Pristine spring fed swimming pond and drinking water, vegetable/flower gardens, abundance of blueberries and hazelnut bushes, Sauna, hiking, biking and back country ski trails, …
8 Minutes to the town of Johnson, Vermont (post office, supermarket, etc)