Metta Earth Institute

Metta Earth Institute is an educational retreat center in Lincoln, Vermont dedicated to enhancing contemplative and ecologically sustainable community through the harmonious interface of culture, agriculture, and nature. Our intention is to participate in the evolution of consciousness and support a quantum paradigm shift to global interconnectedness. Our offerings span four core areas:

Metta Earth Yoga
yoga · meditation · contemplative practice
An expression of “green yoga”, Metta Earth Yoga refreshes our connection to earth through movement, silence, mindfulness, and other spiritual life practices. The classical forms of yoga including asana (posture), pranayama (breathing), meditation, and kirtan (chanting) provide vital enlivening pathways for healing our relationship with the planet. We balance practice time in community with opportunities for solitude close to nature. Our practice is informed by an affinity with engaged Buddhism and Zen.

Metta Earth Wild Ways
wilderness awareness · conservation · restoration
With this focus we embrace a commitment to protect wilderness environments, wild lands, and wildlife corridors through conservation and restoration endeavors. Agricultural efforts integrate the notions of preserving wildness with food growing by establishing the “wildfarm”. We also honor the indigenous arts of herbal wisdom, sustainable wildcrafting, and traditional earth skills to strengthen our wilderness awareness and awaken our sense of interconnection and interdependence with all of life. Retreats, quests, and pilgrimage walks energize the dedication to living lightly and quietly on the earth.

Metta Earth Arts and Sanctuary
creativity · communication · soul & psyche
A refuge for the work of deep ecology and ecopsychology, experiences in the arts and in sanctuary enhance our creativity, communication, and the vibrancy of soul and psyche. Poetry, visual and performing arts, myth, dream, festival, and ceremony support the transformational evolution of personal and community life, and create a sense of essential connection with nature.

Metta Earth Community
community practices · ecological sustainability
We support the cultivation of ecological sustainability with the practices of organic farming and gardening, permaculture, alternative and appropriate energy technologies including solar and wind power, composting systems, green building, and locally sourced hand crafts. Exploration for a renewed stewardship between land and people comes from such models as Community Land Trust (CLT) and Community Supported Agriculture (C.S.A.). These structures help to reduce our ecological footprint. We also look to the Earth Charter as a global document guiding us to create a just, sustainable and peaceful future. We infuse these principles and ways of living with community process practices such as consensus, council, and attunement as a forum for collaborative inquiry. The interweaving of an enlivened contemplative consciousness with the ecology of daily life nourishes the sensitivity to earth and its inhabitants renewing a compassion for all life.

Links:

Green Yoga Association
San Francisco Zen Center
Nosara Yoga
Jivamukti Yoga

Millenium Ecosystem Assessment
Earth Charter
For Love of Earth, A Celebration of the Earth Charter
Temenos Books, Images for Global Healing, Peace and Gratitude
Ark of Hope
Lookfar

Wildfarm Alliance

Global Ecovillage Network
Institute for Community Economics/Community Land Trust
Ecovillage Findhorn

Assisi Conferences and Seminars

Please note that our former work, Earth Island Expeditions,
is now incorporated into the work of Metta Earth Institute.

Metta Earth Institute

802-453-8111 (business and home)

334 Geary Road South
Lincoln, VT 05443

info@mettaearth.org
www.mettaearth.org

Site last updated April 1, 2008