The Freedom in Shelter

Shelter is a word that embodies both protection and comfort. It provides security, and with security comes freedom and peace. On a deeper level, the shelter of love nourishes both the body and mind, allowing the spirit and soul the freedom to explore and merge with heavenly realms. In the most practical sense, shelter is a structure that shields us from nature’s elements, allowing us to rest peacefully.

 

At its core, the idea of shelter represents a spiritual truth: the body is the temple of the soul, a place where we can nurture our spirit and grow to our full potential. The ultimate expression of this is the womb - a miraculous space that nurtures body and soul, offering comfort, belonging, and life. Shelter, in this sense, is a gift from nature, an environment where life begins and thrives.

 

Traditional tribal village life also reflects this pure sense of shelter. It intertwines both the social-emotional protection of community and the physical structures people live in. One supports the other, creating a unique sense of freedom and security. In these societies, building shelter is a communal act, celebrated with festivity. It strengthens both the individual and the group, and the structures themselves reflect nature’s abundance, offering comfort, privacy, and protection. Minimal resources are required to foster a deep sense of belonging and satisfaction, rooted in human values where strengthening one strengthens all.

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In stark contrast, modern industrialized shelter has lost its essence. As shelter costs rise, the freedom and security it once offered diminish. Industry, driven by values far removed from human needs, has turned shelter into a vulnerability. Where shelter was once our strength, it has now become a source of fear and dependency. The modern home, shaped by industry, exploits our fear of not being able to provide this basic necessity and plays into a manufactured scarcity that cultivates competition and fear—particularly the fear of not fitting in.

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Overcoming this fear is a spiritual journey. Mystics argue that finding peace within is the first step, and some advocate for detaching entirely from society to achieve this. But this is not a path everyone is willing or able to take. So, is there a middle ground? Can we take lessons from ancient wisdom and apply the original human values surrounding shelter to create new solutions that free up time and energy to focus on other aspects of life and realize more of our potential?

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The costs of modern shelter are not merely financial but also social, emotional, mental, and environmental. The burden of lifelong bills for industrialized homes keeps us trapped on a hamster wheel. The construction process itself incurs social dangers, health risks, and environmental damage, while also limiting our spiritual growth. Dependence on industry-based shelter binds us to cycles of fear and consumption, but shelter in its pure form holds the keys to freedom.

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If we can transcend our reliance on industry and rediscover ways to provide both physical and spiritual shelter for ourselves—without financial cost—we unlock the door to a deeper freedom. We all have the inherent capacity to protect, love, and care for ourselves. Nature’s generosity surrounds us, and the abundance mindset allows us to re-imagine shelter in alignment with these values.

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Despite modern life’s conveniences, something is missing, and we have the tools to find answers. Mystical teachings and traditional shelter practices from around the world offer guidance as we redefine what shelter can mean and realign it with our highest human values. Reintroducing these principles into our lives resets our understanding of their importance.

 

What if the best way to build a solid wall is to sing and dance it into existence using natural materials? What if the earth beneath our feet is the world’s best building material, and all we need to do is dig it up, soak it in rainwater, and dance on it? This idea is based on real-life examples I’ve witnessed, learned from, and mimicked.

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Our backyard hand-sculpted earthen sleeping pod is made with locally excavated earth mixed by dancing feet at musical mud stomp events. The pod, with its wood-fired cooking and heating appliances, composting toilet, outdoor kitchen, and living space, was a community-driven project, completed in a spirit of celebration. It's only ongoing cost is the gas for hot water, and the closest thing to debt is a deep sense of gratitude to everyone who helped create the structure and the formula behind it, over the years. This project represents years of fun, creativity, and collective effort.

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If I had to summarize the message of this structure in one word, it would be freedom. In three words: freedom and security. In five: freedom’s security and security’s freedom.

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The backyard cubby is both generous and minimalist. Its extra thick walls provide maximum durability and coziness, while the process of its creation offers maximum joy to the soul. The costs—whether financial, social, emotional, mental, or environmental—are minimal.

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This structure embodies a hybrid of different freedoms:

• The freedom of youth: play, fun, adventure, and imagination.

• The freedom of the mystic path: finding love within and freeing oneself from societal trappings.

• The freedom of tribal indigenous life: building shelter as a dance and a gift.

• The freedom of community: fostering positive social change beginning with oneself and family.

• And in some ways the freedom of the traveler who is detached from house and home

 

These freedoms came together over time and crystallized in the backyard earthen pod—a physical manifestation of these ideals.