Local communities

PAS Rural Coliving
3 min readNov 7, 2024

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It’s over, it’s been amazing, so much time dreaming about this moment that’s coming to an end. We’ve put an end to the annual meeting of the The Social Circle community in Cantabria. The Summit has been wonderful, as well as the formal inauguration of the PAS rural Coliving space in the Pasiegos Valleys, where we connect with other entrepreneurs and continue knitting.

Since Tuesday we started receiving people, at first there were about ten people and at the weekend we got together around 50, coming from different corners of Spain, such as Valencia or Almería, and from Europe, such as France, Bulgaria or Romania. When we asked how they got here, some of them couldn’t explain it to us. From seeing the post on Linkedin and following their intuition, to a friend’s recommendation or several years of following us.

The sun came out at the weekend, it was something magical, although we had prepared several tents just in case. We started the days with yoga sessions and there was also meditation, some people walking to La Piedrona. Afterwards we met for breakfast, a very special moment of the day. It was like entering a coffee shop, everyone standing, getting some delicious things and of course Colombian coffee. We enjoyed delicious Chai tea every day, thanks to Neida from India. It is surprising to know that in a few weeks she will be living in Auroville, an experiment of humanity that inspires us and with which we will connect directly through this friend.

Compassion and unconditional love are the keys to personal and global transformation. Sri Aurobindo

The days brought various moments of work and learning, from the Gandhian philosophy of head, heart and hands, the sessions were divided into workshops, practices and work. From topics such as managing emotions to the theatre of the oppressed, through playing with Lego or Design Thinking to propose solutions to various challenges.

Of course there was time to hack the agenda, I dedicated myself to gathering some people and proposing alternative plans at all hours. We walked up to La Piedrona, we escaped and I bathed in the river, we walked and I even suggested using the bikes from time to time. Of course, I was able to respect my siesta to start the second part of the day with new energy.

One day we visited a local cheese factory, and everyone was surprised to meet the entrepreneur Tomás. Another day we visited an old mill converted into a restaurant, which in addition to being a work of art had the presence of Pedro, who ended up having a beer at the table with us, sharing a special moment as if we were at home. We also had cider in the village restaurant that prepared our food one of the days.

We did several circles and dynamics of connection, also a closing ceremony with candles and ambient music; a unique and unforgettable moment for all of us who were present, illuminating the room with our smiles that revealed our teeth.

Listening to the reflections of the participants, the hope and excitement of meeting people who work to build a better world was repeated, the energy that the participants brought, the feeling of love, the deep conversations, the wonderful projects and the trust generated in such a short time between unknown people who became friends.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe. It is the very essence of life. Sri Aurobindo

I hope that this energy continues, that we can build authentic relationships, that the community is maintained, of course people will leave and new people will enter, as life itself regenerates. We are committed to building community, to generating social capital, to connecting the actors who work for the common good, to creating space, to collaborating with other entities and generating trust by doing, to designing experiences for change, with a global community rooted in a local community.

And you… Do you trust in the power of local communities?

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PAS Rural Coliving
PAS Rural Coliving

Written by PAS Rural Coliving

Your village to work remotely, connect with nature and learn from others, share homemade food, acts of generosity and community experiences. www.pascoliving.co

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