“Spring Up Like Daisies Through the Concrete”: An Intentional Community Rises Up for Social Justice

 A whirlwind of social change is happening in Vermont, and one of the stirrers of this whirlwind is an intentional community called the Center for Transformational Practice.  It is a community which constantly creates workshops, events, and retreats in social and environmental justice—and this small group of about 6 has developed quite a following.  It has an active hand in changing the politics of the area, such as by advocating the protection of undocumented workers.  It is set in a state that brings together rural and liberal, with local food sales at 13% of total food purchases.  The state still has a long way to go, and the Community of Transformational Practice plays an integral part of leading the charge.

 I went to their incredible retreat on how art can bring together people of social movements, bring up their morale, connect with the deeper significance of social change, and inspire the movement for change to take bold strides forward into the future.  A famous poetry duo called Climbing PoeTree were at the event.  One of the lines of their poems sprouted wings on my heart by giving me a powerful vision of change.  Here it is what the line is about: despite the strength of those 1% holding power who are clamping down on our world like concrete upon the earth, social change movers and shakers and believers in change “will spring up like a thousand daisies through the concrete.” 

Meeting with the inspiring intentional community members, living their lives devoted to causes, and attending one of their weekend-long retreats was a transformative experience for me.  I was the only non-New Englander there—and Vermonters were surprised to hear that I drove all the way up from NYC to attend the event to represent my beloved urban NYC community Ganas.  My ecovillage team NextGenna were there at the retreat because we are going to make a great retreat called “Healing in Communities” in June 2020, and we are actively doing what we can to take lessons from the masters of retreat-making at The Center for Transformational Practice!  You can be part of a powerful experience yourself, like I had at the retreat.  You can join some movers and shakers, and be like a daisy sprouting through the concrete.  Just contact me at leontsaocoaching@gmail.com for more information on our retreat!