Wise Center

Living, Loving, Working and Teaching in Nature

First glimpsed in early May, 1982
Expanded after moving into 55 Fifth Avenue as a continuation of that energy April, 1995
Programme developed Labour Day weekend 1996
This document prepared Memorial Day Weekend 1997

One may assume that every day may be like a holiday when we live in the country. A lighter, more playful, creative energetic stream where we move to other levels of living, loving and working together and allow participants to share our experience by living with us for short or long periods. The experiences that we have will be determined by who comes forward, their clarity and their willingness to move thru their issues.

We have the potential to create a paradise of the future — an outcome that could answer many of the questions that face humanity as we move into the next transitions of life. Fully experiencing the challenges before us, both intra-personally and within community, and being willing to share those discoveries with others is one of the goals of the project. Mastering and sharing continue. Publication and holding ourselves more responsible for the experimental nature of the work we do together will be more important in this phase. Everyone contributes their talents and expertise to the advancement of the center. And as we move through these various phases, more opportunity for mastery and expansion will appear also.

Not a destination but rather a ride. This or something better for the highest good.

We are attracting a 150+ acre country property — large enough acreage to be very secluded and situated with abundant boundary property.

May have been previously owned by religious order or educational organization;
previous owner is looking for a group to steward the property.
it is off the tax base and can be held as a non-profit educational entity.
Easy transportation to a city — cars not necessary
Welcomed by neighbours and local town
Town and transportation walkable
Handicapped accessible good physical condition, lovingly maintained by previous owners

Healthy, uncompromised environmentally in an area of rolling countryside
Not visible from the road, long private drive
Secluded and a feeling of entering a special place, protected and safe and yet expansive

Balance of privacy and communality, personal and group work
Spirit of cooperation, good kinship and willingness
Assistance comes easily and with self-expression
People share with ease and willingness and feel well-used in their time with us
Peace, belonging, ease and satisfaction
Health, vigour, and vitality come to those who visit and live here
Everyone using their talents and trying on new ones
People stretch themselves, trying on new personas
People see themselves, their potential and their path in our presence
Healing is always happening
Sense of history and inevitability
Revealing new truths
Ease, grace and attraction provide what we need when we are clear in requests
Great revolutionary thinking for our times
White Brotherhood expanded on the planet — energy of founding fathers and democracy.

People are eager to visit and pay easily
Modest operating cost
Financial abundance and ease around money
Sound fiscal management and a 10-year reserve as an endowment

Woods with some very old trees some trees with harvestable nuts
Meadows
Nature preserve with walking and running trails
Place for swimming with beach
Stream with waterfalls
Fountains
ineral water source direct from the ground
20+ private homes as outbuildings
Condo type co-housing
Apartments for aging members with easy access to common dining
Assisted living area
Medical facility for sick or injured
Hospice rooms for end of life
Dormitories for guests
Motel type housing for guests
30+ cabins for private overnights
Seasonal housing — perhaps yurts
Tenting area
Private area for workers and support staff to live

Retreat or silent area where people can live and work in solitude
Sacred spaces, fairy glen, full moon circle, earth power area, sweat lodge, sacred caves, initiation circle, vision quest work, oracle, maypole, wishing well
Spectacular views for sunrise and sunset

Main cluster of buildings that house communal life
Living space for 150 guests to live in community
Aesthetically pleasing
Airy, sunny, open
Graceful terrace wide graceful lawn with shady areas and established flower gardens
Windows with great views
Cozy and warm in the winter fireplaces many accesses into nature
Nice furnishings- stylish perhaps 50’s or older

2 very large spaces that can be joined for convocations to accommodate 1,000
5+ airy workshop rooms with relation to nature
15+ consulting rooms from small groups to individual sessions
Non-denominational chapel and spiritual sanctuary
Magnificence room and home of the Chair
Library with computers and Internet access
Living room or great room game room with billiards, darts, juke box, 24 hour snackbar, large screen TV & recliners
Conservatory and aviary
Music room with good acoustics
Music practice rooms
Crafts room with relation to outdoors
Dance studio
Jewelry studio
Painting studio
Photo studio & developing room
Pottery studio
Sculpture and welding studio
Weaving & dying studi
Woodworking shop & scene design studio

Theatre — black box with costume room, make-up, wig, prop, green room with seating, sound and lighting systems
Screening room/ auditorium seating 300+ people
Well laid out, good sightlines and acoustics, sound and lighting systems
Artefacts room and archives
Video library with audio & video production facility
Publishing offices, copying and printing ability and book inventory space

Healing center with holistic and western practitioners
Nursery and childcare
School for children and to train teachers in new methods

Wisdom about consciousness raising foods and healthy living
Commercial kitchen — completely equipped with all food preparing & serving needs
Food preserving area and large pantry for bulk foods
Great, wholesome, nurturing food and one day our own cookbook
Large airy dining hall as well as food delivery to areas of compound dining terrace

Orchard
Vineyard & berry patches
Herb garden to grow and make our own food and healing materials
Aroma garden
Large vegetable garden
Large greenhouse working towards food self-sufficiency

2-3 tennis courts
Handball, racquetball courts
Baseball diamond and spectator stands
Basketball courts — indoor and outdoor
Volleyball, badminton, horseshoes, tetherball, mini-golf
Swings, seesaws, merri-go-round, gliders, slide, jungle gym, trapeze, sandbox, treehouse for children as well as adults
Swimming pools — 1 indoor, 1 outdoor
Spa 2-3 hot tubs private, one large community hot tubs
Sauna, steam, massage and water therapy areas, private sunbathing and mud wraps
Boating — kayaks, canoes, water skiing and houseboat
Indoor and outdoor yoga, exercise and dance area
Ampitheater for summer evenings
Barn for animals — goats, chickens & storage

Major initiatives and trainings
Intensives
Seasonal workshops
Conferences to open people’s minds
Retreats of all kinds
Workshops, lectures, seminars, support groups
Movie series
Lecture series
Cafe and cabaret
Theatre productions
Dance performances
Gallery space for exhibitions

Live/work study tours
Apprenticeships
Individual work, healings, consulting
Publishing continues and expands

Great administrators/managers/leaders who love their work and are incredibly efficient and forward thinking
Information, guest relations, restrooms & sales area for crafts, books, tapes, fees
Marketing and public relations staff — including visitor relations, speakers bureau and travel office — who promote our programs and facilities and foster participation
Administrative area with well-functioning management that works easily
Program office to coordinate and develop opportunities for participation
Planning team who plot future programs and read widely to determine who we should invite in to bring us the brightest of new ideas and directions to look
Human resources office to find, train and assign people resources
High-tech center for advancing wisdom and forward communications
Investment team who predict our cash needs and secure our endowment
Fundraising office to solicit grants and gifts foundation to receive, channel and distribute funds
Skilled maintenance staff to care for the property
Gardeners and forestry staff to manage the grounds
All the tools and resources that the staff needs to be satisfied, successful and graceful in their endeavours
Cooperation among all those who lead and guide the enterprise combined with a true sense of self-expression and personal advancement through their contribution to the project.

Unobtrusive, perhaps hidden & adequate parking for cars
Solar and alternative energy sources such as wind, water
Safety — easy security and maintenance
Laundry
Pantry and food preserving area
Garage and transportation pool
Composting and easy trash disposal
Wisdom grove for used up bodies
Fairies and spirits to guide us

Home of major projects:
Life Works programs
Art Camp — Master artists, emerging artists and patrons
New World Education Project
Healthy Aging
Spirit of the Land

May we be given
Creativity
Vision
Joy
Forgiveness
Gratitude
Self-love
Generosity
Willingness
and a finely honed ability to attract and receive all we need.

Send questions / comments: info@lifeworksgroup.com

212-741-8787 • 877-741-8787 (toll free)
Life Works, Inc., 55 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003

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