In Practice Weekend
A Season of Practice
The Healing Grounds Foundation is Kinstead's nonprofit, supporting healing-centered and regenerative practice. While Kinstead is still in formation and does not yet have a permanent home, we are offering gatherings that help build the skills, relationships, and capacities needed for community life.
Kinstead is an ecovillage in development in the Hudson Valley: an interconnected ecosystem of people, homes, and land designed for thrivability, where care is built in, well-being is shared, and people and the land can adapt and thrive together over time. These gatherings offer an opportunity to begin practicing some of those ways of being together now.
Practicing Community Life
This culminating weekend brings together many of the themes explored throughout the season and focuses on the practical skills needed to build cooperative, resilient, and regenerative ways of living together.
Participants will be invited to contribute to one skill circle. Throughout the weekend, everyone is welcome to attend any circle, allowing for both deeper contribution and broader learning across topics.
Skill Circle Themes
These circles provide a shared area of focus rather than a fixed curriculum. The specific topics, questions, and skills explored within each circle will be shaped by what participants bring to the space. After registration, each participant will select at least one circle theme to contribute to.
Making Decisions Together
Approaches to meetings, shared governance, decision-making, role clarity, leadership, or the practical work of coordinating collective life.
Repairing Relationships When Things Get Hard
Practices related to conflict, accountability, communication, trust-building, or repairing relationships over time.
Mutual Aid and Everyday Support Systems
Ways people organize care, share resources, or create systems of support within communities, neighborhoods, and networks.
Growing, Preparing, and Preserving Food
Knowledge related to growing, sourcing, preparing, preserving, or sharing food in ways that strengthen resilience and connection.
Creative Practices That Keep Culture Alive
Stories, traditions, artistic practices, or other ways communities create meaning, memory, and belonging.
Everyday Home and Life Skills
Practical knowledge related to home life, resourcefulness, household systems, budgeting, repairs, making, mending, or everyday problem-solving.
Participants are encouraged to contribute whatever feels meaningful and useful, whether that is a skill, a practice, a lesson learned, a tool, or a story worth exploring together. The value of each circle comes from what we collectively bring and learn.
Registration, Camping, and Lodging
After registering, you will be asked to select the skill circle where you would like to contribute. This helps us understand participant interests and ensure each circle has the support it needs. Throughout the weekend, you will be free to attend any skill circle sessions.
A limited number of FREE camping and overnight lodging options may be available. For details, check out https://mabelsrest.org/. If you are interested in camping or accommodations, please indicate your preferences after registration. All meals are provided.