Pardesa all year round
Together we can turn an old barn into a meditation hall
Update January 28th: We’ve reached our goal!
With heartfelt thanks to all our supporters
In the coming days we’ll be sending out the reward certificates for those who haven’t yet received them.
Together we can turn an old barn into a meditation hall for Pardesa, center for mindfulness and applied ecology. We’re creating a space to take care of the mind and the Earth, protected from the elements and in all conditions, in order to allow our activities to take place all year round.
Thanks to your contribution, you’ll make it possible to renovate an old, two-story barn of 35m2 (375 sq ft), using green materials and improving the building’s energy efficiency. The new meditation hall and activity space will host the numerous volunteers and participants that join us every year for meditation retreats, courses on Dharma and permaculture, and all the events that bring people closer to each other and to the Earth.
Thanks to 
, the ethical bank in Italy, if we raise 75% of the funds (€37,500) by 4 February 2025, the bank will finance the remaining 25% of the project.
About us
Pardesa is run by the Italian non-profit association “La Natura della Mente” (the Nature of the Mind) as a practice center in the zen tradition founded by venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. Its caretaker, Bar Zecharya is a Dharma teacher in this tradition as well as a permaculturist.
We bring together care for the mind and care for the Earth, by practicing and sharing mindfulness, regenerative agriculture and applied ecology.
Pardesa has hosted hundreds of people from all over the globe for meditation retreats, permaculture courses and days of mindfulness. We’ve also planted over 700 trees and bushes, thus creating a place of peace and an abundant ecosystem.
The time has come to offer a refuge for the community, an indoor space protected from the elements, to continue our mission.
The project
The total cost of the project is €50,000 ($52,000). It involves:
- Waterproofing the roof so we’ll stay dry! (€10.000)
- Insulating the building with hemp-fiber panels in order to have a comfortable environment even in winter, improving energy efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions and allowing a greater number of people of all ages at our activities (€37.500).
- Opening a large window for lots of natural light and to enjoy the view of the spectacular valley (€2.500).
Thank you for your support now!
You can make a contribution via credit card or PayPal.
For this project please select the option “Pardesa all year round (meditation hall)”
Special gifts for our donors
- €20 ($20 USD): Digital audio track of a special “Deep relaxation”
- €70 ($74 USD): A gift certificate for a Day of Mindfulness at Pardesa, for you or someone special
- €400 ($420 USD): A gift certificate for a short retreat or course at Pardesa (max 3 days), for you or someone special
- €700 ($735 USD): A gift certificate for a retreat or course at Pardesa (max 5 days), for you or someone special
Thank you and looking forward to practicing together at Pardesa!
