So what is does it mean to be regenerative?
"Regeneration means renewal or restoration. It’s a process of recycling energy within any system to generate life." HEATHER JO FLORES
If we hope to see any external rewards reflected back to us or benefit our future generations we must first begin with ourselves. So now our task is to look within, to redesign our inner worlds and reunite with the spirit of creation.
It might be obvious that regeneration is already deeply embedded into all natural systems. Nature is inherently a creative force. It is only man-made systems, designed through an internal lens of separation, that have enacted destruction towards the very things that bring us life.
Our Mission.
To incorporate regeneration as an integral aspect of doing business. Striving not only to eliminate harm, but using our successes to maximize benefits exponentially. For the people, the planet & all life that co-exists here.
To put our mission into action we began to study permaculture and whole systems design; Listening into the intelligence of nature. Which as it turns out, can be applied to inner landscapes, community & commerce as much as it can be applied to your garden.
Observe & interact.
Our regenerative model is built upon land stewardship. First seeking out a space in nature to call home and setting down roots. Spending the time to observe the land, put our feet on the ground and build relationships; forming deep connection to place. We now get our food from the farmers market and support the skills and crafts of our neighbours. We learned about the seasons & cycles of our environment and adapted to the slower pace of the local culture.
Catch & store energy.
Connected to place, we began setting up circular systems to provide the necessities of living, to eventually free ourselves of dependence on the extractive practices of modern society. First we installed rain water collection, then solar power and finally we began experimenting in the garden, getting to know the plant life. While this is a process of trial, error and synthesis, we have set the goal to be able to provide clean food & water harvested from our land, for all our guests & team members. Sharing the fruits of our love and labour.
Obtain a yeild.
Aside from picking veggies in the garden, we needed a major overhaul when it came to the way we managed our resources. Similar to many entrepreneurs, we found ourselves working to the point of burnout with little to no reward, or even worse, accumulating debt. Now, were adapting the Profit First model to ensure we grow a healthy business for all involved. This system calls on us to set aside a percentage of every dollar earned towards obtaining a yeild for the people that contribute their time & attention to the vision. And naturally we’re dedicating part of the profit to the land and community that offer us so much.
Self-regulate; Accept feedback.
We’ve made mistakes along the way but nothing is truly in error if we’re willing to learn from the experience and change. This prompted us to infuse reflection into our process at the turn of each season, or any time it becomes apparent we’ve gone down the wrong path. At these junctions we ask ourselves how we could have done it better, keeping in mind our values & the benefit of the whole, and then apply our new understandings. Reflecting nature’s evolution, each iteration improves upon the function of the system.
Produce no waste.
One of the many wonders of natural systems is that they produce no waste; every last nutrient being used to feed more life. Like the lotus flower that grows beauty out of muddy waters, we explored how we could convert our waste into a resource or otherwise eliminate the unneccesary. We’re super fortunate to have a recycling center in town, but getting there requires fuel and time, so we’d much rather adjust our habits. Now we focus on quality over quantity, return organic matter back to the soil, buy tools that can be repaired, made friends with our local maintenance guys, discover treasure at the scrap yard and come up with clever ways to repurpose old materials. Of course, this is a process of change that doesn’t happen overnight. But we’ve come a long way.
Use small, slow solutions.
“Make the least change for the greatest possible effect”, as Bill Mollison says. Coming from fast paced big cities, this thought caused a huge shift in our mindsets and the way we interact with the world. And honestly, it’s taken years to unwind from the hustle energy. By moving slowly, making one small change at a time, we can avoid making destructive errors while observing how each small change affects the whole. We are integrating our lives with an already thriving ecosystem & ancient culture, so abiding by this principle is of the highest importance to ensure we make a positive contribution.
Once grounded in place, we are empowered to develope compounding benefits for the community & the land, towards a better quality of life for all.
Our PURPOSE.
By bonding with the natural world, we learn to cultivate a refined lifestyle that fosters sovereignty, creative expression, reciprocal relationship & wellness as a result. Our intention is to inspire deep reverence for Mother Earth and all her gifts & mysteries. Her beauty, strength & harmony representing the standard to which we hold each of our co-creations.Our story.
We began this journey with an eco-conscious swimwear label, AMARA Tulum. But as we witnessed such rapid growth in the place we called home, we found that our message wasn’t meaningful if our own lives weren’t yet sustainable. This is when we slowed all the way down, uncovering that our purpose was much deeper.
To lay a strong foundation, we sought out secluded land to connect & create with and moved away from the ever growing urban sprawl of Tulum. We cut back on expenses, learned to live like locals and focused on eliminating waste from our lifestyle.
We searched within to question what we value; pausing to ask, what defines a life well lived? What we found was that luxury meant to wholeheartedly experience peace. Abundance, to posess the freedom to choose how we spend our time. And it’s only really meaningful if we’re giving back.
Through this slow process of transformation, AMARA Concepts emerged to support innovative projects and ideas with a focus on cultural and environmental regeneration. By emulating patterns & systems found in nature, we nurture wealth and resilience within our communities and environment.
In our hearts we hold a vision of our world peacefully thriving. May we all find the courage to continue climbing towards it.