Lama Foundation

Commune and retreat in northern New Mexico

Lama Foundation is a spiritual community founded in 1967, located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, seventeen miles north of Taos. The original commune was co founded by Barbara Durkee (now known as Asha Greer or Asha von Briesen), Stephen Durkee (aka Steve Durkee, later known as Nooruddeen Durkee), and Jonathan Altman.

Lama Foundation's original mission was "dedicated to the awakening of consciousness, spiritual practice with respect for all traditions, service, and stewardship of the land." Now the Lama Board of Trustees is an active board, ensuring that traditions are "transmitted". Everyone on the land is invited into the daily practice of meditation, morning "tuning" or meeting, and weekly events like Shabbat, Zikr, Heart Club, and a variety of scheduled and impromptu events. In particular, Lama has held a Shabbat service for over 35 years which draws people from all over northern New Mexico, including travelers. Lama is also a retreat center. Summer retreats are offered by a variety of teachers, and this is Lama's primary income source, providing 50% of Lama's annual operating budget. These programs range from meditation retreats, spiritual teachings, youth programs, permaculture certification and more. In addition to the spiritual side of Lama, there is a strong emphasis on permaculture and right relationship to the land. The following year, the foundation was incorporated as an "educational, religious and scientific" organization. It was one of almost thirty communes (intentional communities) established in the region around that time, and one of the most well known, along with Morningstar East, Reality Construction Company, the Hog Farm, New Buffalo, and The Family. Since 2012, CU Boulder's Environmental Design Program has been designing and building small off grid cabins on the Foundation to accommodate a wider range of guests as well as increased seasonal visitation capabilities. The cabins serve as a practical design build experience for the students of the University of Colorado. Currently there are three student designed cabins that utilize sustainable architecture and cost effective construction.

The Lama Foundation is notable among communal religious movements in that it embraced an eclectic approach to spiritual discovery, rather than depending strictly on the teachings and authority of a single charismatic leader or discipline. In this respect, it was similar to prior movements such as Gerald Heard's Trabuco College. This individual autonomy is also displayed by the relative lack of communality in its living arrangements, compared to other groups founded at the same time.

Roots and Wings Charter School, affiliated with the Questa Independent Schools school district, is in Lama.

The meals at Lama are primarily vegetarian, they maintain a separate storage and cooking facility for meat products as meat is not allowed to be cooked indoors. The electrical power comes predominantly from solar panels but is supplemented by propane as necessary.