ANAM CARA VALUES
Findhorn Inspiration
Anam Cara takes some of its inspiration from the teachings of The Findhorn Foundation. The three core practices of the Findhorn Community are:
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Inner listening
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Co-creation with nature
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Work as love in action (what we call Karma Yoga here at Anam Cara)
Find more information about The Findhorn Foundation here.
Four Pillars of Community
This is the scaffolding that we rely upon that keeps our kinship bonds with one another strong.
Strong kinship bonds are essential for a close, healthy and thriving community.
We have found that these four pillars are essential ingredients to form such bonds. They are:
1. Eat together
2. Work together
3. Play together
4. Pray together
You can read more about kinship bonds here.
Right Relationship
Anam Cara is dedicated to the re-forging of right relationship with ourselves, each other, and with Country.
Read more about right relationship here.
Autonomous Zone Ideology
At Anam Cara we do not believe in the nation state of Australia. We are of the view that colonisation (worldwide) has been a terrible devastation for humans, and in fact for all of life on Earth.
Colonisation has led to catastrophic suffering, and a fast-tracked destruction of the environment that is now bordering on the cataclysmic.
As such we refute the notion that nation states are reasonable things to countenance. And we pledge to quest with decolonisation ideas and Indigenous perspectives in order to re-learn right relationship with Country and with one another.
It is not necessary to share these beliefs to be a visitor to Anam Cara. We respect the right of our guests to feel secure in bringing opposing views and perspectives to the homestead, without fear of pressure to agree!
However, we do welcome respectful conversation around this theme for those who have an interest. Each Tuesday evening we share an ongoing conversation circle around this (and related topics), that guests are warmly invited to attend.
As such we are interested in the concept of autonomous zones, and how that could look within the confines and contexts of the times in which we live.
Welcome
Intentions
The idea behind the value of 'intentions' is that it weaves both form and flow around our planned actions. When we 'intend' to do something rather than 'commit' to doing it, we allow flow (yin) to change the direction of our day such that our intention (yang) may not be achieved. When we intend rather than commit, it takes away the tension that may surround a need to achieve what was planned.
This attitude of intention is core to the way we practice our Karma Yoga work here at Anam Cara. We make plans, and we have discipline, but we are open to following the changing flow of what life presents in each given moment rather than soldiering on, regardless. In modernity we are told to push on no matter what, as a badge of honour. This driven attitude to achieve our end goals is applauded - even if achieving that goal has made us ill, exhausted, or meant that others were hurt in the process, and so on. This is a mindset we seek to change by our practices at the homestead.
And, so, in our morning meetings we tend to use the phrase "I intend to (weed the garden, clean the windows, freshen the chook house, for example)." This is instead of phrases such as "I will...", "I have to....", or “I must…”.
We also ask that guests take the program we have listed on this website as our intention rather than as always guaranteed to happen. We are in the early phase of setting up the homestead and there may be times that a morning yoga class does not happen, or a sunset fire ceremony may not occur, for example. We list these things because we have the intention of doing them, but the living cosmos has its own schedule, and we would rather flow with that than stick regimentally to our daily program of events. We ask that guests keep this idea of 'intentions' in mind when booking in, that the Anam Cara program can be subject to slight changes.
Other Values
Other values that we seek to embody at Anam Cara Homestead include:
Eldering
Sociocracy
Self-insight
Karma Yoga
Embodiment
Discernment
Pathways back
Rites of passage
Context sensitivity
Bridging medicines
Healthy boundaries
Reciprocal hospitality
Dadirri (deep listening)
An absence of absolutes
The balance of the Yin and the Yang
Respecting the light and the shadow
The right to clean air, food and water
A commitment to relearning emotional congruity
Holding accountability without pressing shame and blame
The means never justify the ends (the means are always the ends)
