Alternative lifestyles – what do we know about them
Are alternative lifestyles only for hippies?
Funny question! Let’s first remind ourselves what does exactly “hippie” means. After some research, we merged three definitions so it seems more complete:
“Hippie is a person, especially in the late 60’s, who chooses not to conform to established institutions and social norms. Hippies value spontaneity, free expression of love, communal living, strong pacifism, non-violence and show their non conformity by wearing folksy clothing, headbands and other colorful accessories. They are willing to explore states of expanded consciousness, usually by using marijuana or psychedelic drugs.”
In Ananda Kalyani we definitely have an alternative lifestyle and culture, so which boxes do we tick in this beautiful definition of hippie?
Living together
It is very obvious that we share similarities with the hippie culture, particularly on the communal living topic. Yes, we live together and share the same place and space everyday, eventhough some members live abroad and come part time. We create our own subculture in the wider society culture in which we don’t particularly recognize our core values. Unlike hippies, we are not against society, we simply have a clear opinion about how it should change in order to respect both humanity and our dear planet.
Our land and our relationships with local municipalities are actually a hub to try, test and learn how to implement new ways of living that are more fair and sustainable on an economical, social, educational and ecological level. We have no desire to fight, but a strong desire to try, collaborate and spread what is actually working best. To do so, we need to discuss with the villages and cities around us, it is very crucial for us to act in the outer world and not being only focused on our land and community.
Non-violent communication
We are also similar with the hippie culture about the non-violence topic, we advocate non-violent communication in our community and talk freely when a conflict happen, or, in adverse circumstances, ask for a mediation with another member. Of course, sometimes we have to make the hard decision if one person creates and unbalanced ground for others and ask respectfully for him or her to leave the place. Non-violence does not mean constant peace and smiles, it also means dealing with harshness but in the softest way possible.
Free expression of love is also part of our daily life, we really value our members and freely express our appreciation and gratitude for who they are and what they do. We think that it is crucial to recognize and tell out loud what we appreciate about each other, we aim to encourage and value people for who they are, creating a space where they can freely be themselves and grow.
Exploring the infinite consciousness
Let’s now talk about the expanded states of consciousness! As well as the hippies, we are very interested and engaged in experimenting the power of our mind and broaden our perception of the world. The main difference here, is that we only use the power of this wonderful ancient practice called “meditation”. In our philosophy, called Ananda Marga, we do not allow any kind of drugs.
Ananda Marga, translated as “The Path of Bliss”, is the core of our daily life. We share the practice of kiirtan and meditation twice a day, have a sattvic diet and have a strong service oriented mindset. Our philosophy is omnipresent but we are very open to diversity and welcome with open arms people from different cultures and backgrounds in our place.
Wait, but what about fashion?
Last, but not least, how do we dress? Well, it obviously depends on each individual! We all have our own fashion tastes or for some, it’s not even a topic as long as they have convinient and comfy clothes. Nothing really outstanding, except for our Dada, who is always wearing a specific orange outfit. Dada is the meditation master and one of the leader of the place, his vibrants clothes are the sign of his qualifications as a master and teacher.
So as you can guess, Ananda Kalyani is not a hippie place, yes we have an alternative lifestyle and are constantly experimenting and trying new ways of creating a better society on every domain (economic, social, ecological, environmental). We are not an full-on ecovillage, we are not just a community, we are partly this and much more! We can define our place as a spiritual based-project and a hub to explore new sustainable ways of living!