Lama Foundation

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Lama Foundation is a spiritual community in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, about 17 miles north of Taos. It began in 1967, started by Barbara Durkee (also known as Asha Greer), Stephen Durkee, and Jonathan Altman. Its goal is to help people awaken their consciousness, practice spirituality with respect for all traditions, serve others, and take care of the land. The Lama Board of Trustees works to keep the community’s traditions alive.

The foundation runs in two seasons: a summer open season and a winter closed season. People from many spiritual backgrounds live at Lama for one to several years. There are no permanent residents or single leaders; residents share responsibility for running the community. In summer, there are many interns and visitors can stay from a day to a few months. Local residents and nearby members, sometimes called “Lama Beans,” also join events.

Daily life at Lama includes meditation, morning gatherings, and weekly events like Shabbat, Zikr, and Heart Club. Shabbat has been held there for more than 35 years and attracts people from across northern New Mexico. Lama also serves as a retreat center, offering summer retreats led by various teachers. Programs include meditation, spiritual teachings, youth programs, permaculture certification, and more. The summer retreats help fund about half of Lama’s yearly budget.

A strong focus at Lama is caring for the land through permaculture and good land practices. The community is off the grid, powered by solar energy and fed by a spring on the land. Buildings are designed with natural materials like straw bale and adobe. Food waste is composted, and most waste is kept out of landfills. During events, thousands of meals are served free in the summer. Lama also hosts Thanksgiving and other gatherings to welcome people who don’t have nearby family.

Lama has no formal religious affiliation, though it maintains relationships with many faith groups and spiritual teachers. It has become a home for thousands of people locally and from around the world.

The Lama Foundation was founded in 1967 on land bought by Altman, with buildings starting in 1968 and incorporation in 1969 as an educational, religious, and scientific organization. It survived the era when many communes closed by having more structure. Ram Dass stayed at Lama and helped publish Be Here Now, and his visit helped inspire the community. Baba Hari Dass published The Yellow Book there in 1974. Early on, Lama was innovative in greenhouse design and other sustainable practices. In 1996 a forest fire destroyed about 20 buildings, though the core remained. Since 2012, the University of Colorado Boulder has helped design and build off-grid guest cabins, three of which are in use today.

Lama’s approach is eclectic and exploratory, encouraging spiritual discovery across traditions rather than following one leader. It also runs Roots and Wings Charter School nearby. Meals are mainly vegetarian, and meat is not cooked indoors. Solar power provides most electricity, with propane as needed.