When the Israelis Yaniv Charlap, 30, and Cormoran Lee, 31, and Yotam Elmakias, 31, landed in Brazil in 2015, they could never imagine that their lives would change forever. And they had no idea that they would create an Empowerment Center that would impact the lives of so many people along the way.
At the neighborhood of Barra da Lagoa - a traditional fishermen’s village in the beautiful Island of Florianopolis, Brazil - camouflaged by the green forest, you can read a sign in the mountain that says: Rosemary Dream.
As you enter Rosemary's wooden gate, you soon feel the place has its own energy. Rosemary Dream is somewhat mysterious. It’s not a hostel, but it accommodates visitors from all over the world. It’s not an alternative community, but people from every corner of the globe live there as a group, with a common purpose. It’s not a restaurant, but it serves delicious and nutritious meals. It’s not a space for events, but it hosts different types of activities related to well-being and self-knowledge. And this is not all there is to Rosemary. Maybe the difficulty to describe the space is due to its originality.
Rosemary Dream story began when Yaniv and Cormoran, who were long-standing friends, met in Brazil for vacation. They heard about Florianopolis and came to spend some days with a friend in the island. When they first arrived at Barra da Lagoa, they felt something special and decided to stay there for a while. In the end, they spent 5 months living in a little house in the mountains.
“Brazil was the first destination I chose for a round-the- world trip, during which I’d visit 17 countries. I couldn’t leave this country anymore, though. I threw away all the other 16 air tickets I’d bought”, says Yaniv with an expression that shows no regret for the lost tickets.
The days they spent there were so amazing that they started considering buying a small piece of land in Barra da Lagoa. That’s when they heard that a very special old lady was sick with cancer and decided to sell a big property that she had in the area. Her name was Rosemari. With her own hands, heart and dedication she had grown an incredible variety of plants in the land for the past 40 years. Holding the age-old knowledge of her ancestors close to her heart, she had raised the place with much love and passion. But, because of her disease, she was ready to pass it on to somebody who could continue her dream. That was how Rosemary Dream was born. Rosemari passed away in February 2018, but her dream continued alive.
Even before officially buying the land, a lot of volunteers started to arrive to take part in the project after reading a review about it in the website Workaway, a community for volunteering and cultural exchange. Since then, a lot of people from all over the world have come to help building and developing this unique place.
To inspire people to live the Rosemary way of life, they have also created a 30 day program called HEART ATTACK (which will have its next edition happening in April 2018.) “We call this program Heart Attack because we want to make the same impact on the person's life that a heart attack or some other serious illness would create. Why wait until you are 60, 70 years old, get sick and only then understand what really matters in life? We want to do this with people long before, so that they awaken that awareness and can live their life the way they really choose. It's a shock, but the best shock they could imagine.”, says Yaniv.
Since 2015, a lot of people from all over the world have been inspired by Rosemary's way of life. "We believe that our greatest contribution is not through formal teaching - it is through experience." says Yaniv. "Just by visiting us, or staying here for a few days, it is possible to be inspired and bring changes to your life. The only thing that happens is the opening of a new portal in people’s minds, and those portals lead people to a new way of living in society. Once this portal opens, you can’t close it. We are all living together and influencing each other on planet Earth, so every person who improves, also improves the world in some way. We are connected."
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Yaniv Charlap, Cormoran Lee and Yotam Elmakias - the minds – and the hearts – behind Rosemary Dream.
Image credits: krunalpadhiar.com
Why having breakfast inside when you have this amazing open air table available?
Rosemari, the amazing lady who started everything.
The first volunteers of the project.
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“One of the most amazing experiences of my life was at Rosemary. A journey of self understanding and growing into a human being worthy of who I truly am. Patience, love, kindness... it is all here. The ocean, the mountain, the forests on the property, the energy of Rosemary and Barra da Lagoa are truly spiritual. You will leave a better human. It was my honor to come here and help them build the project and see it grow into what it has become and is still evolving into.” says John Stebbins, one of the first volunteers of Rosemary Dream.
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At Rosemary, they practice what they call natural movement – climbing trees, swimming… Exercising naturally means training with things you have around you, with nature.
"When you manage to express yourself genuinely in the simplest things, as in dancing, you also manage to express yourself in other more important areas of your life, because you are not afraid of judgements. You can live your dreams." says Yaniv.
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How about reading a book hanging in the air with an amazing view?
“There is nothing burning stronger inside of us than the desire to be ourselves." says Cormoran. "Thinking, feeling, talking and acting freely and authentically is a rear privilege nowadays. The world's pulls and throws us into endless directions of norms and successes. The human masses are marching rapidly, where are we going? Not often we stop and wonder why am I doing this? "
Image credits: krunalpadhiar.com
Image credits: krunalpadhiar.com
At Rosemary Dream, food is also serious business. “We believe that to live life to its full potential, one must have a well-nourished body. Meals are made with the seasonal availability of fresh produce from the region, and they are prepared always with the intention of increasing its nutritional value”, says Roberta Terra, the kitchen manager at Rosemary Dream.
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The ocean, the mountain, the forests on the property, the energy of Rosemary and Barra da Lagoa - is this place real?
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"We want people to come home feeling more alive. More grateful for their lives, for being alive here on planet Earth. More collaborative. Healthier. More authentic. More empowered to do and create whatever they want." says Yaniv.
Image credits: krunalpadhiar.com
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