DAILY LIFE IN COMMUNITY

At C.S., we’ll live & work together collaboratively, using the principle of shared power to navigate the joys and growth opportunities of collective living.

Every Voice Matters.

GAIN TOOLS TO BUILD A WORLD THAT WORKS FOR ALL.

COOPERATIVE LIVING

& SOCIOCRACY

At C.S., we’ll use a system of shared governance called Sociocracy to make decisions & handle issues as they arise. 

Sociocracy is based on collaboration in small circles, shared power & consent-based decision making.


The aim is to make decisions efficiently while also hearing & adapting to the needs of every person in the group. 

Over the course of the semester, you’ll get firsthand experience of living in a community, leading, making decisions, & resolving conflict within the framework of Sociocracy.

Gain skills in:

Conflict Resolution 

Collaborative Leadership

Shared Power 

Collaborative Decision-Making

Community-Building 

What does “cooperative living” look like?

Weekly Community Circles 

We’ll have weekly community circles (like a “town hall”) where you’ll get to share your feedback, needs, joys & concerns. 

This is a place where you can raise issues you’d like to address in the community.  

Co-caring for our community

We value sharing responsibility for keeping our space beautiful. All of us, staff included, will have a “yogi job” throughout the semester (like sweeping, or chopping vegetables for a particular meal) — we try to ensure everyone has a yogi job they like!

Work Circles

You’ll have the chance to participate in optional student-run Work Circles. Within each circle, you’ll have the chance to have power within a certain sphere of C.S. Life.

Here’s an idea of the type of Work Circles we’ll have at C.S: 

  • Community Care Circle for emotional support & well-being

  • Space Care Circle for maintaining our community spaces

  • Cooking & Food for when we cook together on Sundays   

  • Student Life to organize workshops, leisure & events 

These circles are optional - you can participate in them if you wish!

Community Agreements 

At the beginning of the semester, we’ll work together to co-create “community agreements” - the guidelines we’ll all agree on to create a safe & amazing experience for everyone at C.S.

We’ll use the process of Sociocracy to decide on issues like:

  • What are our agreements around technology use?

  • What are our agreements around sexual relationships?

What’s the daily schedule like?

Same daily schedule off retreat (subject to change):

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday + Friday

  • The day begins with mindful movement, qi gong, or yoga, and sitting meditation.

  • Noble Silence continues through midmorning, with space to savor breakfast, journal, do any other morning rituals you may have, and cooperatively care for our space.

  • The day’s main learning session, based on the particular Path Factor of the 8-Fold Noble Path we are on that week; can include guided sitting and walking meditation, group and 1-1 discussion, lecture, writing exercises, and time outdoors.

  • Connect with peers over locally sourced lunch inside or outside on the hilltop. Then take time for yourself — you might read, go on a hike, work on your passion project, or rest.

  • Your small group is your little family for the whole semester; composed of 7 other students and two staff mentors, this is your squad! Get really real together, process your meditation experiences, know each other deeply, laugh, and play.

  • A teacher will share an aspect of the Buddhist path from their direct experience and personal story, and how this wisdom connects to our everyday practice. These talks can be inspiring, funny, silly, insightful, relatable and/or entertaining!

  • Do you love D&D? Jam sessions? Nail salon? Dance parties? This is your time to choose your own adventure, to lead or be led by your peers in any group activity you can imagine.

  • Get cozy and heart-connected before bed with loving-kindness meditation, and optional gentle singing or chanting.

Wednesday is a silent practice day each week, where we practice sitting, walking and eating meditation in noble silence.

Weekends are free time, with no scheduled programming.

On retreat schedule: Read more here on the “The Curriculum” page to get a sense of the schedule during the (semi-) silent retreats.

THE CAMPUS

C.S. takes place at Potash Hill, a rural campus on the southern foothills of Vermont’s Green Mountains.

Living Accommodations

You’ll live in a dorm room or small apartment shared with a roommate.

The rooms have heating but no AC (which will hopefully not be necessary in the Vermont fall!)

There will be locks on the doors so you can lock your bedroom if you wish. 

Roommates

You’ll live in a dorm room or small apartment shared with a roommate.

Most rooms at C.S. are doubles so that’s the “default.”

Accessibility 

All buildings at Potash Hill comply with the ADA standards for accessible design.

FOOD & MEALS

Whos’ cooking for us?

We’ll have two chefs on campus who will lead cooking for us Monday - Saturday. On those days, students who enjoy working in the kitchen can contribute to food prep, such as washing & vegetable chopping.

On Sundays, we’ll cook for ourselves as a community. The Meals & Food Circle will coordinate the meals, all of us will contribute at some point to the prep, cooking and clean up.

What kind of food will there be?

We’re striving for healthy meals using local, organic ingredients. 

The meals will be vegetarian with vegan options. 

Allergies & Dietary Restrictions

Vegan & Gluten Free options will be available at all meals. 

We can accommodate common food allergies and dietary needs (such as gluten-free diets, lactose intolerance, peanut allergies, and vegetarian and vegan diets). 

If you have a very specific food need that is challenging for us to accommodate, we may ask you to bring some of your own food to supplement the options provided.

Can I cook for myself?

Yes. There will be a communal fridge you can store food in, and a community kitchen you can use if you want to cook for yourself.

Can I bring meat to cook for myself, since the meals are vegetarian?

Yes, you can bring & cook your own meat. All meals are vegetarian.

DAILY LIFE FAQs

Can I have a car on campus?

Yes.

Can I go off-campus?

Yes! You can leave campus as the schedule allows, including weekends & holidays.

We will ask you not to leave campus during retreat weeks. 

We will have a system of letting staff know what days you plan on leaving campus.

Are visitors allowed?

Daytime visitors are allowed. No visitors overnight.

 

How much silence will there be?

ON RETREAT. The 4 week-long retreats are mostly silent. 

OFF RETREAT there will be 2-3 hours of silent meditation practice a day, as well as one day / week of silent contemplative practice.

How many people will be part of the program?

32 students, 8 full-time faculty & 10 guest teachers and lecturers.

What’s the policy on drugs & alcohol use?

We are asking all participants to abstain from drugs and alcohol use on campus, and to not be experiencing the effects of drug and alcohol use while on campus.

What about sex & intimate relationships?

During the 4 silent retreats, we ask that you remain celibate.

For time off-retreat, we’ll decide our community agreements around sexual & intimate relationships during our Community Agreement meetings in the first week of the semester. 

Can I use phones & technology? 

FIRST WEEK: For the first week of the semester, you'll be completely without phones or computers. This is intentional - we want to support you to get to know each other and settle deeply into the space and the meditation practice.  

ON-RETREAT: During the 4 silent retreats, we ask that you abstain from using cell phones & technology.

OFF-RETREAT. After the first retreat week, we’ll have a community conversation about device agreements and etiquette, which you’ll get to create together.

NOTE: Phones are never permitted during programming time or on retreat.

What kind of Mental Health support will be available?

We’ll have a dedicated mental health coordinator who’s a licensed therapist on campus. A number of the faculty & mentors are also certified mental health professionals & social workers. 

Additionally, you’ll meet weekly with a small group of students that includes 2 mentors, as well as a weekly 1-1 meeting with your mentor. 

You’re also welcome to continue to work with your own therapist or mental health provider while you’re at C.S. 

PLEASE NOTE: C.S. is NOT a program for young people in crisis. If you are actively suicidal or in need of an inpatient care program, C.S. is not the right fit for you. 

For any other questions about daily life, please email contemplative.semester@gmail.com.

Contemplative Semester applications are open!