Two summers ago, I found a little hub in the danish countryside. An ashram, eco-village, community and spiritual retreat.
I needed a place where I could fully work on myself and do something meaningful for others at the same time, and so Ananda Gaorii was just the right place. Being here had an incredible impact on me, not that the place in itself magically cured me, but you could say it was a space that gave me the opportunity to work some magic on myself. I want to point out the importance in this specifically because I truly believe that without your own full commitment, there will be no change.
This summer I decided to spend some more time at the farm, so I headed down to Copenhagen and then out in the Danish countryside. For a few weeks now I've been volunteering, doing lots of garden work, practicing meditation twice a day, taking long walks on the fields and most importantly, spending time with the most lovely community of people.
When I put these things together in a sentence, it's so clear how little it takes for me to really feel happy and content with life. I've been completely thriving in this environment. Having a routine, working together with other people for a good cause, having constant access to nature. Going to bed feeling exhausted, in a good way.
It's important for me to mention that Ananda Gaorii isn't a place where you can just come and go as you like. Right now there is a higher demand on volunteering at Eco farms in general, and since they get a lot of people applying to come, there is no guarantee you'll get a volunteer spot. Also, you all need to know that this is not the only place like this.
There are websites like workaway.info and woof.org where you can find thousands of similar farms and retreats, basically in every country in the world. I'll make sure to write a proper post soon about volunteering for those of you who are interested.
Ananda Gaorii will always hold a special place in my heart, that's for sure. And it's such a warming feeling to know that it will always be a safe haven I can return to.
LOU