Merkaba Community

Mission: We don't enforce many 'rules' here, but we do assume a certain level of consciousness and we live by a few core principles which allow us to thrive as a community. Whether visiting, living or working within the community, you agree to adhere to these practises whilst here...

> Concept of Abundance – if every person in the community gave more than they took, we would all have an abundance of everything we ever need...

> Mindfulness – we are mindful in all activities throughout our day, whether this be practising yoga, eating, interacting with another person or carrying out our daily chores... this includes awareness of and accountability for our own thoughts, words and actions...

> Respect for Mother Nature – we keep various animals on the land (3 dogs, 4 cats, 12 chickens, 1 cockerel, 6 ducks & geese) and display unconditional love, compassion and respect for all sentient beings...

> Oneness – we operate as one big family, always endeavouring to help and support each other, finding ways to compromise, engaging in open, conscious communication and resolving any disagreements peacefully...

> Spiritual Practise – we believe that the foundation of a community is built on individual and group spiritual practise and we endeavour to raise our vibration each day, in whatever way, shape or form that may take...

> Waste Management – we are mindful of all forms of waste in our endeavour to be fully sustainable. We either recycle or find ways to upcycle in other areas of the community. With this in mind, please try to bring as little plastic to the community as possible. This also applies to food (cooking and eating) where we try to operate a zero waste policy.

General Information
We eat a predominantly vegan diet, with the exception of the eggs from our chickens which are fed an organic, non-GMO diet. We grow some fruit and vegetables, but whilst we are developing our land to increase farming capacity, we also buy fresh, seasonal produce from a local organic farmer. We also purchase nuts, seeds, grains and superfood supplements from an organic wholesaler.

We are fully solar-powered, collect rain water and pump water from a borehole in the ground. Therefore we have to limit our power and water usage accordingly. We do have a washing machine but this is for bedding and towels only so please do not use for personal laundry.

There is a high risk of fire in this and surrounding areas due to the hot, dry environment. We do permit smoking but please respect allocated smoking areas and make note of fire safety procedures.

From www.ic.org/directory/merkaba-community/:

We are an off-grid eco-community nestled in the Portuguese Gardunhia mountain range near Fundão, set in beautiful, wild nature. Our community is a haven for spiritual seekers, health enthusiasts, artists, adventurers, and anyone who wants to explore the healthy way of living needed for a new paradigm. Every day is different at Merkaba. We are always growing, always having fun, and our focus is always on sustainability, great health and spiritual development. We live on fresh, nutritious food, either grown ourselves or sourced locally, along with fresh well water as we continue to expand this space.
Our community consists of two Geodesic domes, a double decker bus converted into a fully functional house, an outdoor gym, an infinity yoga deck and during 2018 we plan to add a pool, sauna and our very first eco home built almost entirely out of waste. For those seeking to go within there are lots of spaces around the site to chill out and meditate and for those seeking an external adventure we have a plethora of local activities to suit everyone.

We’re doing all we can to live in harmony with Mother Nature and each other, and paving the path for a sustainable future. At Merkaba we aim to provide an open, supportive space for authentic self-expression and expansion and have a positive social & ecological impact on the world through empowering people to live in a more sustainable way.

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.