Help me create a yoga shala for TIERRA PAZ
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Become part of the creation of the TINY ECO YOGA SANCTUARY in EL Palmar de Vejer, Southern Spain.
update!!! thanks to the donations so far, the first big step towards building the yoga shala for Tierra Paz has been done: instead of the rusty and ugly metal sheet roof, there is now an insulated wooden roof, with integrated lights, all its guttering and 2 3000L rainwater tanks.
Hi, I am Pia: architect, yoga instructor, Thai massage therapist and grateful owner and creator of the heartfelt project “TIERRA PAZ” - land of peace.
TIERRA PAZ is my personal expression of a piece of paradise, in the town of El Palmar, on the southwest coast of Spain. TIERRA PAZ is a living transmogrification. From barren and arid desert-like ground with two dusty shipping containers into a tiny, nature friendly, serene, self-sufficient, humble and peaceful yoga retreat, inspired by the ideals of permaculture.
Photo: mural on the entrance of TIERRA PAZ by my friend and artist Botello, to cover the ugly side of the big container.
Yoga & community are probably one of the most profoundly impactful things on earth, and I believe that yoga retreats should NOT be an exclusive luxury experience! My love of yoga, of nature and animals, of the ocean, of peaceful and simple living, of community and of all human beings is where my vision for TIERRA PAZ began.
Photo: the day I bought the land. Probably one of the happiest days in my life :)
20 months ago, in May 2022, I bought a small plot of land, 1000m2, totally off grid and only 10 minutes cycling down to one of the most virgin beaches of southern Spain. When I arrived, there was no water or electricity, no kitchen or shower, it had only 2 old shipping containers with a big dusty metal porch on it. The place looked run down and unloved (and quite frankly just ugly!) but with the eyes of an architect, I instantly began to visualize my big dream here on this dry, arid land. And so... TIERRA PAZ was born!
Video 1: How it all started - from the purchase to the first baby steps on TIERRA PAZ
This is a grassroots project that needs a lot of work. A LOT. At a time when all building materials have become unforgivingly expensive! Thus far I spent about 100.000 € (all my life long savings plus a personal loan I still have to pay back) to acquire the land, and all my free hours with hard work with my own loving hands to make the place liveable: installing water deposits, a solar system, water pump, building a workshop, first conversion of the small container to create a home for myself to live in, building a kitchen and the bathroom.
However, there is still so much to do before I can open the gates to receive the first guests and offer the peace and beauty of this place to the world. But running this project solely whilst working part time, I am constantly faced with not enough time and not enough financial resources.
Video 2: making the off-grid place livable
Video 3+4: creating my humble home - conversion of the small container
WHY I NEED YOUR HELP
I'm a motivated and passionate woman with a tiny piece of land that has HUGE potential! But my financial resources are exhausted.
To comprehend the FULL project - see below for a detailed description - , another 80.000 € (solely building material) is required. My earnings as a part time architect allow me to spend 800 € per month, there are no other savings or heritages. Realistically, that's 8 more years of hard work.
So in these past months I realized:
I will probably have to give up this vision. Or reach out for help :)
So this is me wholeheartedly and courageously asking for your attention and support through financial aid, in enabling me to manifest my life’s work and dream project Tierra PAZ ‘land of peace’ become a reality!
Photo: restoring a secon hand window for the small container
Photo: sanding and preparing the wooden cladding of the small container. The porch has been the perfect sun protected workshop in these past 20 months
Photo: connecting the piping of the grey water system
What would your financial support enable?
Building the “PEACE YOGA SHALA”, the heart & soul of TIERRA PAZ
The project has come a long way since its humble beginnings - it had no water or electricity, no toilet or kitchen. However, to turn Tierra Paz into a real yoga retreat, the project requires more cost-intensive constructions now.
There are many sub projects I will have to convert, build and buy to truly run the place as a tiny, 100% sustainable and professional yoga retreat: Transform the big container into accommodations, buy the yurt for extra accommodation, the massage hut, a second freshwater deposit, a second battery, more rain water deposits, all outdoor surfaces like the entrance patio, the parking, the sun deck, trees, etc
But the most cost-intensive, but also most beautiful and above all indispensable sub project will be: Transforming the rusty porch into the the yoga shala / communal space - the very heart & soul of TIERRA PAZ. The precious seed for the future yoga retreat and to start offering yoga classes to the local community.
Right now there is only a dusty earth floor with a bare big metal roof over it. To transform this into an actual yoga shala it needs
- a proper wooden floor construction
- facades (windows, doors),
- a roof renovation (insulation)
- and a proper kitchen.
Knowing the prices of materials now, I calculated the total of creating this yoga shala come true being a bit more than 25.000 €
(scroll down to see the full cost calculation).
Photo: The porch today. Currently, just a bare, dusty earth floor, with a sheeted metal roof cover.
Photo: example of how it could structurally look like with a wooden floor and roof (both insulated, winters are cold here in Southern Spain as well), and glass fronts on 2 sides.
Inspirations from my personal favourite yoga shalas I saw on my travels:
Photo: shala of "The Yoga Forest" (Guatemala), where my personal journey of yoga began.
Photo: yoga shala of the Sri Yoga Shala in Sri Lanka (of course there, they don´t need facades ;)
With YOUR help, this heartfelt project will soar!
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Description of the full project, vision and design plans for TIERRA PAZ
Dive deep into the project with me, so you can see
my vision come true, too!
Situated in one of the most stunningly pristine and wild coastlines of southern Spain, the beach town of El Palmar,Costa de la luz at the Atlantic ocean Tierra Paz is a place of human respect, harmony and of simple living, in union with nature.
Video: a normal sunny day on TIERRA PAZ :)
From the first moments I spent on this land, the very thing I feel here EVERY DAY is pure PEACE. In fact, everyone who has already stayed on my land all felt the palpable peace here. Birds singing, cows grazing, cats sunbathing, the sound of the ocean in the background and the clearest night sky you can imagine… All this is what makes TIERRA PAZ.
Photo: TIERRA PAZ today (January 2024)
All electricity here comes from the sun, all water is recycled, our humanure turned into earth (compost toilet!) and many veggies soon to be grown on the land; allowing my guests and I to be nourished by nature, whilst being almost 100% sustainable
Photo: so happy about my solar system (6 months of saving money...)
TRANSMOGRIFICATION – How to convert the existing structure into a YOGA RETREAT?
As I am not allowed to add any extra bulidings to what already exists on the land, everything I can do is to TRANSFORM the EXISTING STRUCTURE into new functions.
Plan: Landscape design of the future yoga retreat
- The 1000m2 land is roughly divided into 2 parts: the building area (left side, "sealed" surfaces) and the green area (right side, nature) - both connected by the central round fireplace.
- The building area includes the container houses, yoga shala, workshop, technical infrastructure, parking and entrance patio.
- The green area is organized around a central lawn, for outdoor activities. The yurt, treatment room, sunset deck, veggie garden, tree-shaded seating area, compost bin and beautiful herb and fruit tree garden surround this open space, with a wide view to the neighbor's cow field and the white town of Conil de la Frontera.
Right now - after 20 months of hard work - I have 2 containers (6 and 12 m long) with a large porch (my outdoor kitchen and living room), workshop, solar power, 7000L fresh water tank, water pump, a grey water recycling system and a small rain water tank. The small container ("C6", converted last summer) serves as my private living unit (9m2) and first shared bathroom.
Plan: zoom into the building area of the future yoga retreat
Work for the upcoming years:
- The big container will be converted to offer single and twin rooms for 4-5 guests and a second shared bathroom.
- The 60m2 rusty porch will become the yoga shala, kitchen and dining room. The communal area and the very HEART & SOUL of TIERRA PAZ.
- In order to host 6 people, I require a small yurt supplying 2 more beds.
- For treatments, a compact wooden cabin is needed.
- And many more small but important (and expensive) details... (a second freshwater deposit, a second battery, more rain water deposits, a second compost toilet, all outdoor surfaces like the entrance patio, the parking, the sun deck, trees, etc.
- And maybe one day (because dreaming is free) a small pool to maximize the joy and relaxation in the hot andalusian summers :)
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Integrity and transparency are things I wholeheartedly believe in, so here’s a financial breakdown:
Financial breakdown of the sub project "peace yoga shala"
Financial breakdown of the whole project TIERRA PAZ:
if you are interested in the calculation of the whole project TIERRA PAZ, please click here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iR1epHwSpW_w8FFVu0wBZ2kBOTEhZcYKhwNU23gwHEU/edit?usp=sharing
If the crowdfunding was successful, TIERRA PAZ could open its gates in roughly less than half the current 8-year-slog timeline! Plus would give my mind, body and soul all the priceless support and care needed, so I’m able to do what I set out to do:
Be of profound service to the community, welcome visitors with a warm embrace, share ancient yogic wisdom, provide healing treatments, hold nurturing space plus enlighten seekers of beauty to all that this stunning and peaceful region has to offer!
I am a motivated and untiring woman on a tiny land with a BIG potential! I have BIG dreams and I do believe it is possible. Muhammad Ali famously said: “The man who has no imagination, has no wings." With your help, this beautiful project will soar!
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Donation amounts are not limited. If you feel the call in your heart to support me in this soul-driven mission, any amount will get me there, please give whatever you can afford.
Another way you can help is by spreading the word. I need more visibility and eyes on this project. In order to soar, we need big figures. So, if you know someone that is willing to invest a large sum of money, has a large network or relevant community that would be happy to share my mission, then please get them notified and on board.
Any support, help and investment is a step along the path and very deeply appreciated!!
Thank you so much for your time, your attention and for sticking with me all the way ‘till the end! Here’s to following our heart-led, soul-driven desires to make this world an even more incredibly beautiful, supportive and joyful place to live in!!
With all my love and reverence,
Pia Kristina Herberg
No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.
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TIERRA PAZ in the process of creation:
If you’d like to read more about me, Pia and this project: I've a dedicated website with my full story. Please read more here https://pialokahyoga.com/tierra-paz-in-creation/
And if you want to stay updated, sign up to my mailing list here: https://pialokahyoga.com/say-hello/
Organizer
Pia Kristina Herberg
Organizer
Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg