Lotus Lodge

Mission: Co-creating a space of mutual respect, awakening, grace and joy.

From www.ic.org/directory/lotus-lodge/:

Lotus Lodge is a unique shared-house community located just 12 minutes from the heart of downtown Asheville, NC. We have 9 adult men and women (about half each), currently ages 20s-70s, in a quiet, 2-story four-plex (converted old 4400 sq. ft. farm house into 4 full apartments that people typically, share plus now a new, 1-room, private studio apartment, all under one roof. Rooms for long or short-term residency open up intermittently, so contact us if interested. Studio apartment ($800/mo plus electric) and rooms (about $500/month plus electric) are furnished, sunny and attractive. Includes WiFi and TV access. Electricity per person is about $44/month on average). Studio is perfect for business travelers or people relocating who need a home space for a few weeks or months. Email (preferred) or call for availability.

The large group room downstairs welcomes everyone and is where we have intermittent movie / TV nights, house concerts, potlucks and sometimes workshop space. Outdoor shared areas include a big front porch, back patio, fire pit, clotheslines (which some use year 'round) organic gardens and rain barrels to water them (into permaculture). Across the street is a wooded walking path alongside Hominy Creek. We are in a semi-rural area (Candler) yet close to all the amenities of downtown Asheville, NC.

Part of what is unique about Lotus Lodge is that the 9 of us are quite autonomous. Some work full or part time away from home, and/or go into town with some frequency so there's a surprising amount of quiet and privacy, even in the shared apartments. We almost never do meetings and each person has their own food (all types of food are ok, though we all tend toward organic, non-gmo and healthy), own cupboard and refrigerator space, and each determines when to connect with others for mealtime or whatever. This translates to people enjoying each other's company frequently and often eating together mostly on an impromptu, inspired basis with each eating their own food. It flows.

It's really the best of both worlds - of having your own space & life, as well as having a sense of family & community with 8 other friendly, caring, intelligent, interesting and health-conscious people. Some folks do meditation & Qi Kong or Tai Chi regularly, some lean toward vegetarian foods, most also eat some meat, eggs & dairy - and all are free to do their thing. Residents tend to be well educated, progressive, creative, upbeat and great to be around. We enjoy meaningful conversations, laughter, privacy and mutual respect, and we maintain a tidy space.

If interested in possibly living or staying here, please email me at: gayatri.erlandson@gmail.com with a paragraph about you that includes your ideal timeframe for being here, and a REQUEST for our questionnaire which we'll send to you right away. Once we get your filled-out questionnaire returned, we'll get back to you within a day or so and - if all seems like a go, we can proceed with a call and then a face-to-face meeting(s) here at the Lodge for you and at least some of us to see if we're a good fit. To stay short-term, just email us of your interest or call, 828-581-9036.

If you do join us as a long-term resident, you'll likely enjoy many good times and little drama - and hopefully will stay a good while. No smokers or pets please. Best regards to your collaborative living! Namaste, Gaya Erlandson, PhD (founder, owner & resident committed to healthy, happy living).

Note: If you are relocating to the area, we can refer you to a really good local real estate broker to be your buyer's agent.

A service of the Data Commons Co-op. The project has been supported by Equal Exchange, the Cooperative Charitable Trust, the USDA, and many others - thank you! Tech volunteers over the years include: Benjamin Bradley with support from GAIA Host. Ben Mauer with support from Quilted. Paul Fitzpatrick. Ronin Tech Collective, Brattleboro Tech Collective, Sligo Computer Services. Jason Lemieux. Default map tiles courtesy of MapQuest. Default map data (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA.