Cobblestone street in a community with white buildings and colorful plants.

Authentic Relating Village, Chapala Mexico

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Forming
  • Home-sharing
  • Town/Small City

Founding year

  • 2024

What we do

Authentic Relating Village in Chapala, Mexico, is an intentional community focused on deep connection practices (Authentic Relating and Circling), health & well-being, and conscious entrepreneurship. We are currently (Jan. 2024) just two people, renting units at a residential hotel in a beautiful location in the hills above Chapala Mexico, and have room to expand to 5-6 or more people by renting additional units. We have strong connections with the global Authentic Relating and Circling community and we have room for both month-long (or more) residential retreat intensives focused on personal exploration and healing, and spaces for permanent members.
Our goal is to establish a kind of human transformational utopia through deep connection practice, public service and conscious entrepreneurship. We are one of the very few intentional communities in the world practicing the very powerful tools of Authentic Relating and Circling. Once the community is established and we have critical mass, we may move out of the residential hotel and acquire our own property which can operate as an eco-village and begin agricultural operations. By beginning with the human relationships and building out the infrastructure later, we eliminate the financial risk of moving into a new community. Additionally, in the startup phase the physical location here is great. Pricing is very affordable as well (in the $400-600/mth range) and we have no capital requirements for joining.
We are very close to Ajijic, which is a famous retirement destination on the shores of beautiful lake Chapala, and which attracts many spiritual seekers, “transformational geeks”, artists and intellectuals, etc. There are also a number of other intentional communities in the area which are part of our network.
There is much more information on our website https://authenticrelatingvillage.com/

Our Mission

Deep connection practices known as Authentic Relating and Circling

  • Purpose
  • Home-sharing
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Coliving
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Education
  • Experiences
  • Networking
  • Services Business

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2024
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2024
  • Started living together
  • 2 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
2

How to join

If you are potentially interested in becoming a permanent member, you may come for a 30-day trial which starts at the beginning of each month. The trial includes a program called Practical Relational Leadership through Authentic Relating which is required to all new members. Afterwards there will be a mutual assessment. If the assessment is positive you can join immediately after your first month.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please review the instructions at https://authenticrelatingvillage.com/

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

Decision-making process

  • Leadership Decides

A single person, couple, or small group makes most major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Founder/Leader-led

Primary authority rests with the community’s founder(s) or designated leader(s).

Conflict resolution approach

As we are still quite small, Marco makes the major decisions. As we grow we will develop more sophisticated governance models. Note that there is currently no financial risk to join which makes the governance much more simple. Our main focus right now is on creating a good relational field, healthy lifestyle and entrepreneurship.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: $600
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
There are various housing options in the $400-600 range. We encourage people to share the larger units which reduces cost and creates community.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Workshop, Swimming pond or pool, Outdoor Kitchen, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association
  • Ethical Business, Investment Group, or Alternative Currency
  • Organization, Resource, or Network

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies

Gender composition

  • Majority cis (over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • Other

Setting

  • Town/Small City

Smaller municipalities with local services but rural character.

Community type

  • Cohousing

    Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
    interaction while maintaining independence.

  • Coliving

    Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
    kitchens, dining, and social areas.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Jalisco, Mexico

Authentic Relating Village, Chapala Mexico

Needs and Offers

Offer
Offer
  • Marketplace
6 years ago

Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves Books for Sale

Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves, Charles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant introduce Cohousing with stories and pictures of both Danish and American communities. Beautiful photographs and line drawings illustrate the warmly written account of how these communities came to be. Specific information on legal and financial aspects of working with developers, group process, and design issues make this book informative as well as inspiring. This is the book which brought Cohousing to North America. This book is the much prized second edition which has become a rarer and somewhat of a collectors item. Its community case studies were not included in the more recent publication. It preceded Creating Cohousing which is widely available. I acquired 25 cases from a local distributor who closed down. If you would like three or more copies for yourself, to share with your friends or to market your group, please let me know. I would love for them to be made useful and find great homes. Books are paperback (hard copy was not an option at the time from the publisher) all brand new, in Oakland (CA) so could be picked in Oakland or mailed to you. I would very much like to recuperate what I paid which is $10 per book. So, If you would like three or more shipped, I will add the postage, packing and handling fees. I have sold several cases (18 books per case) for $150 per case ($8 per book). I have a little wiggle room on the pricing. Please let me know if you are interested. Use the Send Message button on this page.
Offer
  • Housing For Rent + Shared
20 hours ago

Turn-key commune opportunity on 30 acres in beautiful rural Minnesota (~$500-550k)

Hi everyone! Our founding group of queer women is transitioning ownership of our rural Minnesota homestead, and we’re looking for new stewards to keep it running as an intentional community! Let me give you a tiny window into what to expect: Picture yourself stepping out of the overwhelming corporate chaos of the city, into an idyllic little slice of a slower life – there’s a certain look of relief we tend to see on our visitors’ faces. When you enter, the path is surrounded by vibrant flowers in every color that come back every year. To your left is a stone path to the organic gardens, growing easily without much effort. Straight ahead are the barns and pathways to the fields – you might pass by the occasional honeybee or butterfly. To the right is a large farmhouse, behind which there is a mossy forested area where you’ll find a conversation circle fashioned out of old logs and stones, and a small sitting platform up in the trees.    The Highlights: 30 Acres: Forest, pond, creek, permaculture gardens (HĂĽgelkultur), native plants, perennial flowers and future fruit trees, and ~1 acre dry-farmed. 9-Bedroom Farmhouse: ~4,000 sq ft across 3 levels. Solid heating, great bones, in good shape, quiet layout. Outbuildings: Garage, woodshop barn, event barn, quonset storage, a silo, plus honeybees & resident farm cat! Location: Quiet and peaceful. Remote with off-the-grid features like a well and pending solar installation, yet under 10 mins to hospital/town. Zero flood/fire risk, and a wonderfully welcoming, queer-friendly local network.   Ideal for an established group of 2+ people ready to take on a relatively large farmhouse and property. We are open to an outright purchase or a gradual transition/shared-ownership arrangements with existing members. -> Full details, photos, and contact info here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ONZk-TUYQg3Xzh5Q7yl14PPeuwl5NYXu9ZDTgFGT4sY/edit?usp=sharing   Feel free to message me or share with anyone looking for land!  
Offer
  • Forming Communities
1 month ago

Create Home in Greece, Together

There are two ways into Greece’s first community-led cohousing network: a new-build mountain-foothills village in the Peloponnese, or an adaptive-reuse project where you help choose the property itself. Both are shaped by the vision and values of the people who will live there. PATH ONE: TAYGETE COHOUSING VILLAGE — NEW-BUILD, PELOPONNESE A mountain agrihood at the foot of the majestic Taygetos Mountains, inspired by the UNESCO village of Monemvasia — pristine national forest and hiking, olive groves, a vineyard, farm, surounded by mountain villages and close to extraordinary beaches. Common House with a full coworking suite, incredible kitchen for indoor/outdoor dining, workout room and lounge with fireplace. Includes a pool, gardens, soccer field, and village plateia. Adjacent to a luxury wellness resort with spa and farm-to-table restaurants now building. 2.5 hours from Athens International Airport, 20 min. drive to a vibrant town with nightly filled tavernas and a new hospital, 25 min. drive to beaches and charming fishing villages. Project Advantage: This project does not require the group to take out a collective construction loan — a rare, significant risk reduction most forming cohousing projects can’t offer. This project also provides the opportunity for a Golden Visa permanent residency in Greece, with the advantages of European healthcare, university access, Schengen business and travel. Stage of Development: Site Selection Completed. Feasibility studies completed. Development Partner Selection Completed. Collaborative Site and Village Design Process Completed. Finance Plan Completed. Architectural and Environmental Studies are completed and in the modification process. A current building permit exists and is in the modification process. Once the permit modification process is complete, member investment opportunities will open. Utility infrastructure excavation is underway, and only 12 investe

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