Page 12 - C.A.L.L. #22 - Fall 2003

Heart Club: Good Will and Connection at Lama

Corn
It's Wednesday night. I've spent the entire day doing the traditional program at Lama
Foundation in northern New Mexico: 6:30 a.m. meditation, breakfast, practice and tuning There was a farmer who
(our morning meeting), community labor until late afternoon, then preparing dinner. Soon grew award-winning corn.
it's time to head to the dome for Heart Club. All day I have looked forward to this, our Each year he entered his
weekly sharing time, because I usually have a lot to express. corn in the state fair where
'Tm really tired right now," I say with a sigh. "I worked all afternoon in the garden and the it won a blue ribbon. One
people who said they would help didn't show. On top of that the kitchen cleanup person year a newspaper reporter
was late for the dinner shift, and when he showed up he gave me an attitude for interviewed him and learned
mentioning it. It really makes being here a drag!" something interesting about
Over the years 1 have truly come to appreciate this opportunity to share my inner how he grew it.
experience at Heart Club, whether getting things off my chest, expressing joy and The reporter discovered that
appreciation, crying with frustration, or simply being silent and listening to others: "Well 1 the farmer shared his seed
had a really good heart-to-heart with Sylvia today," says the person who was supposed to corn with his neighbors.
be the kitchen helper. "I lost track of time and was late for my cleanup shift. I guess I could
have been less uptight about it though. Sorry, Scott." “How can you afford to
Heart Club is a process which has helped form the community glue that has sustained us share your best seed corn
at Lama Foundation these many years. Some residents attend with joyful anticipation, with your neighbors when
others with deep aversion, still others with confusion or total indifference (one member they are entering corn in
lies prone the entire time, appearing not to listen). It is a time when we get in touch with competition with yours each
our emotional selves in a group setting, free to talk about anything we need to, so long as year?” the reporter asked.
it is personal and not a business topic. It's an opportunity to truly investigate who we are “Why sir,” said the farmer,
and allow others to see sides of us they don't see at work, play, or mealtime. “didn’t you know? The wind
Heart Club is almost as old as Lama. It evolved from the half-hour daily discussions early picks up pollen from the
residents had to allow the circle to get into the heart space, a high value within our ripening corn and swirls it
community. It usually starts with a "check-in" in which individuals all have a chance to from field to field. If my
express how we are feeling in the moment to get current with the group, and may evolve neighbors grow inferior
into a more "meaty" process which has taken many forms, both structured and corn, cross-pollination will
unstructured. It can become, for example, a guided meditation followed by group process steadily degrade the quality
work with a trained facilitator; self-facilitated small groups discussing the same topic; "fish of my corn. If I am to
bowling" where two people sit in the circle and speak openly as if no one else were
listening; "popcorning" in which people speak when they feel called to simply share their grow good corn, I must
own personal process with no cross-talk; or simply passing the Talking Stick. help my neighbors grow
Heart Club also changes with the seasons. In summer when we have more visitors, Heart good corn.”
Club may be attended by 30 or more people, all with very different personalities and a He is very much aware of
need to share, which creates time limitations and a less intimate meeting. Summer the connectedness of life. His
meetings are usually facilitated by the "Watch," a resident who is "in charge" of the corn cannot improve unless
community's energy for two weeks and is familiar with the process. All staff and residents his neighbor’s corn also
who have lived in the community for at least a week are invited. improves.
These Heart Club meetings tend to be more structured since more people trained in So it is in other dimensions.
process and facilitation are present. In winter Heart Club becomes considerably more Those who choose to be at
intimate and emotional-more like a group marriage in which all are committed to the peace must help their
needs of the circle. As in any relationship, a lot of difficulties can arise in a close and neighbors to be at peace.
focused residential community, which usually means a lot of processing among Those who choose to live
individuals, an activity that is more prevalent in the more intimate winter meetings. well must help others to live
Heart Club also tends to be good training for the fall and spring membership meetings, in well, for the value of a life is
which we share on an even more intimate level. In the fall, summer staff as well as current measured by the lives it
resident members apply for residency at Lama by giving and receiving feedback among all
applicants. This is a deep and sometimes emotionally charged process. The spring touches. And those who
meeting involves current residents only. Because becoming a resident at Lama requires choose to be happy must
unanimous approval by all (not including abstentions), not every applicant makes it help others to find happiness,
through. We trust that just the right people will remain and those who are not meant to for the welfare of each is
stay will find their place elsewhere. Communication skills learned in Heart Club help bound up with the welfare
prepare us for these important fall and spring meetings. of all.
Regardless of my state of mind when I got there, I usually get caught up in the warm and
snuggly feeling that Heart Club evokes. Any of the resentments I carried in with me from The lesson for each of us is
the day tend to dissolve: beginning dinner preparation without help seems so much less this: if we are to grow
important now. I linger afterward, enjoying the increased sense of closeness, familiarity, good corn, we must help
and oneness. our neighbors grow good

Scott Thomas lives on Lama Mountain in Northern New Mexico and has been a Continuing corn.
Member at Lama Foundation for several years. Contact them at info@lamafoundation.org
From Ecovillages Vol. 8, Edition 2
From Communites Magazine - Summer 2003
12