A few days ago I returned to Khula Dhamma after a two month trip to Cape Town, during which I was at times ‘plugged into’ the grid of everyday life in the city environment.

On my return, I was picked up at the bus station by one of the residents who was on his way to drop off the community’s recycling. As the bakkie, filled to the brim & tied with ropes, was nearing I couldn’t help but smile to myself - never a dull moment on the farm!

That sight, which once would have caused my stomach to turn – coming from a place where tidiness and image were always overemphasized – has now become a scene that brings warm feelings of familiarity to my heart.

We arrived late afternoon when the usual busyness I knew has quieted down. As we carried the remaining luggage into the communal house (where I now have a room), one by one, familiar faces popped in to investigate & give greetings. Before I knew it six in the evening had arrived, and it was time for the daily meditation.

Waking up with the sunrise again has taken a few days of adjustment. Having got used to hot water as well as electricity on demand for the past two months has made coming back to ‘self service’ refreshing as well as challenging. The usual morning routine has been to get up at sunrise for daily morning meditation, have breakfast and head off to the garden for some much-needed TLC.

There has been a severe drought in the area that has left most of our once flourishing vegetable garden dry and neglected. When water is scarce, animals and even humans tend to do strange things. The cows and goats from neighbouring farms had literally been breaking through the fences to get to the last of the greens.

The reality of the situation struck hard and with a pulling together of resources and willing hands, we have moved forward, pouring love into our soil so she may once more bear for us her life giving gifts.

Soon after I arrived, I found myself struggling to make a fire to cook some food outside…something I had become quite accustomed to before I left. With this, came the realization at what speed such a simple act, which fulfilled me so greatly, could become lost.

Small acts such as knowing how to make a fire, where to collect wood, working with the soil and how take care of our plant family, are such sacred exchanges - exchanges through which nature unlocks within us much joy and wisdom. A few minutes basking in the glory of nature every day, is enough to brighten up anyone’s dark clouds.

The changes we are experiencing on a global scale, which some attribute to ‘time’ speeding up, while others claim the evolution of our species is, seems rapidly to decrease when one is immersed in community life. This is my experience. As individuals living in close quarters with each other, with the common goal of growth, we are given opportunities to transcend our limitations daily. ‘Problems’ and changes are seen as opportunities for growth, and embraced as such. Every day brings new awakenings, and gratitude towards nature and the perfect order of our external experiences that teach us our most important lessons.

In my absence the work structure has adjusted once more to accommodate the community’s changing needs. For example, Saturdays have evolved from a communal-work day to a Spirit day, a day in which the whole community comes together & immerses themselves in activities, which invoke learning of the self and of one another as different organisms functioning within the same whole.

Our first Spirit Saturday began with early morning yoga in the main house, followed by breakfast and a move to the nearby beach. It was a sunny morning and the beach was surprisingly quiet, as we arrived drums, food and pots in hands, ready for a day of fun.

Halfway through the day I found myself sitting on a fallen tree, looking over the ocean with my KD family playing volleyball in the distance, kids rolling in the sand and mothers caringly cooking lunch over the fire, surrendering to the overwhelming feeling of harmony.

It felt like I have longed lifetimes to experience this peace. A peace that sprung from such a deep feeling of belonging, love and a shared understanding and acknowledgment of every aspect of one anothers’ being human. I am humbled sharing this space. Truly humbled.

“Anything Less than a Conscious Commitment to the Important,
Is an Unconscious Commitment to the Unimportant”

“Do not be afraid to build castles in the sky.
That is where they belong.
But once the dreams are in place,
Your job is to build the foundation under them.”
- Henry David Thoreau

Join Estelle Willemse as she becomes a committed member of Khula Dhamma eco-village near East London, to live in an eco-friendly, sustainable way in harmony with nature. [for part 1] [part 2], [part 3], [part 4], [part 5], [part 6] and [part 7]