The next 5oth anniversary is the Heart Consciousness Church anniversary in 2025. (We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the land purchase in 2022.) So much to celebrate! Our management team is working incredibly hard to rebuild something deeply loved from the past, while also creating something beautiful and new for the future. Get to know Harbin’s daily operations team leaders in our newsletters this year, beginning with Lia.
Lia has called Harbin her home for over 25 years. A long time resident of Cobb, the small town on the mountain above Harbin, Lia has worked in many departments over the years. Deeply involved in the Ministry program here at Heart Consciousness Church, Lia’s mission and vision focuses on stewardship of this land for future generations. You may have met Lia and her husband John over the years as they help bring the heart to Harbin through music, acoustic song circles in the garden and energetic DJ dances at night.
What are you passionate about?
My passion is learning and practicing being human, in all directions.
Where did you work before coming to Harbin?
I was in the food industry in a midsize restaurant corporation in Los Angeles. I worked in the front and the back of the house but really, I was a full-time yuppie.
How did you learn about Harbin?
I was introduced to Harbin by the brother of my boyfriend at the time. He gave us an overnight stay and I couldn’t imagine what was fun about getting naked and soaking with strangers. But the visit was an answer to a prayer. I was asking for more meaning in my life and when I was gifted this place, I felt it like a whisper in my belly, that a life lived intentionally was at the heart of what I need. I also understood what I later learned that Ishvara, our founder, says about nudity. Ish says that it’s freedom and yes, I felt that in a core way.
When did you arrive here?
I arrived April 30, 1996.
What Jobs have you worked at over the years at Harbin?
I began as a work study student. For a month. I was working in the garden and studying many modalities of personal growth work with Bodhitara. She took us through her vast knowledge of practices, some of which I continue to practice, like Osho’s meditations, voice dialogue, and the Enneagram. Then I started the original Blue Room Cafe with Diana Wolf. I worked in Resident Accounting, managed the Restaurant, had a small family daycare for the Harbin children, managed the crew in the Workshops Buildings, was Weekend Manager off and on for 15 years, was in the Managing Director (MD) circle 3 times, on ARHC, (Agreements and Resolution Heart Council) and REST, (Resident Emergency Support Team), was ordained in 2003, and became Spiritual Director and Events Coordinator in 2018.
What inspires you?
I look for meaning in the 7 Directions, for something that connects to a deeper understanding of myself and others as part of the natural world.
How do you inspire your team and others?
I work to lead by example and to generously share the gifts I’ve gratefully received. We work best together in shared circles than in hierarchical boxes. It’s a “power with you, not a power over you” model.
What do you do in your free time?
I love studying about people. I like to stay current with novels and movies. My husband and I spend time together talking about the things we observe and what we’re learning through engaging with the world. We have a core group that we spend time with going to movies and dining out.
What is your vision or what are your hopes for the future?
I see a thriving community rooted in Oneness and supported by Heart Consciousness. I see Harbin continuing its work that is as old as the presence of its original peoples. For 20,000 years, the Lake Miwok, the Pomo and the Wappo gathered on this land in ceremony and to talk about community. We are continuing this tradition as we honor the past, staying present to what is needed now and feeling, with intention, what serves the land, the water and the people.
Learn more about our Daily Operations Team Leaders in our next blog!
