Walk for Kindness

Punta Mona: A Costa Rican Permaculture Example

Admin — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:33:23 +0000

On a recent three-month group travel opportunity with LeapNow, our group was fortunate enough to spend five days at Punta Mona’s permaculture site in Costa Rica. I asked them to share with us their views on their organization, permaculture, and kindness. Here’s what they had to say:

Walk for Kindness: What are the basic principles exemplified at Punta Mona?

Punta Mona: We are looking to live as sustainable as possible not only with the earth but with each other.

WfK: In a nutshell, what is permaculture?

PM: It was a term coined by Bill Molleson from Tasmania, Australia that sets up a system that best mimics the natural processes. It lets us design systems to best utilize and mimic nature.

WfK: How does Punta Mona contribute, in any and all ways, to a kinder world?

PM: Living off the grid we have built our structures from fallen trees, use rain collection for our water, biomass digestors to convert our septic to methane to fuel our kitchens and grow our food organically. We live in community and share our resources. We believe in the concept of “Triple Bottom Line” business where profit is measured not by the conventional bottom line but also by partnering with the people around us and the planet we all share.

WfK: What message would you like your visitors to come away with after reading about or spending time at Punta Mona?

PM: That we can all make a difference. When we return home we can practice many of the things we have learned at Punta Mona, recycling, composting, eating local and organic. We vote each day with our dollars. It is our hope that Punta Mona will help you make the decisions to vote wisely.

Walk for Kindness Reflection: May 5, 2007 Shoreline, Washington, USA

Admin — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:55:11 +0000

On the morning of the Walk for Kindness, I awoke to grey Seattle sky. Lethargic — as if those clouds were condensed in my head I faced a decision: drive to Ellensburg and demonstrate my compassion for my fellow human beings or work on a research paper (yawn). Of course, when half-asleep I tend to lean toward the passive; I chose to stay home away from the discomforts of the unknown.

But a sliver of light pierced the doubt. I knew that the Walk is an act of solidarity beholden to no burg. Rather, its beauty lies in it being a universal demonstration that could happen anywhere, anytime. As art does so well, the magic of the Walk is drawn from the alignment of space or time. I was excited by the idea that I could walk for kindness at the exact same time as those miles and miles away.

I chose my normal jogging route, and discarded my Mp3 player as well as any inclination to rush. But halfway, a rush of adrenaline surged through me as I realized the synchronicity of the moment. It was as if I was with everybody everywhere at every point in time. My senses were heightened, and I could even align those. I saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and, perhaps most meaningfully, felt my new environment. As I internalized that experience, I was fully aware of my body, mind, and soul, and their unity in creating kindness. Even without someone to walk with, I felt connected to everyone.

Create, Walk, Create…

Admin — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 06:29:51 +0000

In an effort to stir up some creative juices we’re sending out an invitation for our walkers. We’re collecting creative expressions inspired by an experience walking for kindness. From song to hand crafts to humor and anything else on this spectrum (or another), we’ll take it.

If it’s creative and kind, we want it.