Polishing the Heart, January 2026
This month's highlights:
This month's highlights:
- April 23 - 26, 2026 Dance Weekend on The Farm Community, Summertown, TN
including Dance Leader Training Sessions
- Sanctuary Summit April 16 - 19, 2026
- Dances in Taiwan and Indonesia
- Beyond Initiative Thailand Dance Leader Training Camp
- Tribal Village in Thailand
A clear message: visit the Walk for Peace Facebook page
Dear friends,
These are truly difficult and challenging times. Our sense of moral decency is under constant assalt by reckless power and greed.
This is in stark contrast to the simple message of peace brought to us through the news media by the Buddhist monks and their walk to Washington. We are reminded that the road to peace begins with each one of us.
It is always good to remember, every one of us can contribute to making peace in the world.
Namaste,
Douglas
Douglas
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Thursday - Sunday, Only $150 per person. Youth Discounts
Our intention is to make this weekend more affordable, with an even greater discount for people under 40. Dance Leaders in Training are invited to lead Dances on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Certified Leaders will be welcomed to lead Dances throughout the weekend. Click here to learn more
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Sanctuary Summit brings together global music talents, intergenerational wisdom, engaging presentations, hands-on skill building, and spaces for children to grow within the village we dream of.
At the center of The Farm Community is a large dome, the location of the Sanctuary Summit.
We will have Dances of Universal Peace on Saturday afternoon during the Summit. This space can hold 200 dancers or more! Come to the Sanctuary Summit and then join us for more Dances the following weekend!
We will have Dances of Universal Peace on Saturday afternoon during the Summit. This space can hold 200 dancers or more! Come to the Sanctuary Summit and then join us for more Dances the following weekend!
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Dances in Southeast Asia
The Dance Leader Training Camp in Thailand with over 240 young people in attendance.
Deborah and I have recently returned from five weeks of travel in Southeast Asia, including two weeks with the Beyond Initiative Caravan.
Our trip began with several days in Taipei, Taiwan, where we explored the night markets, toured the countryside, and joined a group for Dances of Universal Peace. Many of the people in attendance were dancing for the first time. The culture is very shy and it was a brand new experience for them. Many expressed that they had never held hands or hugged so many people.
Next we visited midwife Ibu Robin Lim at the Bumi Sehat Birth Center in Bali, Indonesia. Deborah taught a class in neonatal resuscitation, which included taking a break in the middle to deliver a baby!
Our Dance in Jakarta
From there we flew to Jakarta, then drove 2 hours up into the mountains to visit an Ecovillage, where we gave a talk about The Farm Community. We did a second talk in Jakarta to permaculture activists, followed by a Dance organized by a newly certified Dance Leader named Luvian (very short hair, second from the right),
On to Bangkok, Thailand, where met up with 25 old and new friends from around the world. Together we explored Thich Nhat Hahn’s Plum Village monastery, spent two nights in a Vipassana Buddhist monastery, and visited both ancient and modern Buddhist temples.
The primary intention of the trip was to participate in a DUP dance leader training camp with 240 young people from all across Southeast Asia. Truly inspiring and uplifting! Deborah and I attended the first SE Asia Vietnam Caravan in 2023, so it was especially gratifying to watch as a group of SE Asia Dance Leaders in Training achieved Certification. Note: The 2026 Caravan will be in India!
Visiting a Mountain Tribe in Thailand, Baan San Din Dang!
One of the most amazing places we visited in Thailand as part of the Caravan was a remote mountain village called Baan San Din Dang, a Unesco World Heritage site. These tribal people speak their own language and have a subsistence lifestyle, growing rice and harvesting wild greens from the lush, green forests.
We rode for two hours up and down winding roads in the backs of covered pickups. The paved road had only reached the village about three years ago, and the community was just opening up to Ecotourism as a way to generate income. We were their first large group of visitors from outside of Thailand.
When we reached the top, it felt like we were on a distant corner of the Earth, with a huge rock bluff towering over the village. The village itself shares ownership of several thousand acres and is surrounded by approximately 25,000 acres of National Forest.
We were greeted by village members under the canopy of a massive tree planted by the village founder.
The tree is a portal to the spirits of the land and water, receiving prayers and offerings. Our guide gave prayers and asked permission for us to walk upon the mountain. On the right, a traditional spirit house for the ancestors.
We all gathered in a circle and learned about their way of life, asked questions and were welcomed into their homes.
Much like the Mayan people of Guatemala, this tribal community does backstrap weaving for the women’s blouses and shirts worn by the men. Even the long dresses worn by the women were woven on a foot loom like in Guatemala. Vegetable dyes give many of the fabrics warm, subtle earth tones. The village really called to Deborah and I and our Guatemalan memories. It’s always amazing to see how the mountain people of the world are connected.
That evening we shared music to the light of a large bonfire. A man and woman sang together, as he played a traditional stringed instrument. Members of our group led dances and everyone participated. This was followed by a rousing rendition of This Little Light of Mine, with everyone dancing and singing. Such a rich experience!
As we loaded up to leave, a large group from the village came down to send us blessings on our journey. Each one of our group sat before a village man or woman as they tied a string around our wrist to remind us of our connection to their home.
The village is mostly off grid, with a few solar panels here and there. However, they have an active social media presence! Check them out on Instagram! baananddindang
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Thank you for your time and attention! Come visit us!
Douglas Stevenson
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.douglasstevenson.com
www.villagemedia.com
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.douglasstevenson.com
www.villagemedia.com
My books:
- Out to Change the World! $12 plus shipping
- The Farm Then and Now $19.95 plus shipping
- Order both for just $33 including shipping!
Watch my TEDx Talk: Out to Change the World - Living the Hippie Dream
A big thanks to everyone who has become a patron of Farm Fresh! When you become a subscriber, your contribution helps spread the word about community-based alternatives and the spiritual path.
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Douglas
