To me the journey of Root and Bloom Institute (RBI) and Vision Walkers Collective (VWC) mirrors an archetypal initiation – a movement away from the wounded hierarchical, patriarchal ways of the past, and toward a future infused with feminine wisdom, collective intelligence, and shared power. Like every great story, there must be a catalyst. I share here what was mostly private in the past.
Now that the former Rudramandir building in Berkeley, CA is poised to reopen its doors soon, the pressures of my silence about why I came to steward this building are mounting for me. I am sharing this history in hopes that it will unburden and create more safety for me and others who were impacted. I trust in the timing of sharing this, as I feel the tides turning for us as a culture, and our individual and collective ability to transmute our own troubling karmas, is becoming a real possibility. Finally, I’m writing to clean the slate — to create a clear and grounded foundation from which RBI and VWC can truly thrive. I’m sharing this openly in hopes that we create a healing culture that’s based on transparency, integrity, and alignment.
Here is what happened and how it impacted me. Between early 2021 and through February of 2022, I was the primary donor of Center for Consciousness Medicine (CCM), gifting large sums of money for the development of its nascent school. On top of this, I provided a large sum to purchase the former legendary Rudramandir building in Berkeley, CA. The building was special to me and to a large community because it had housed healing programs and trainings for decades. So when the building came up for sale during Covid and CCM reached out to me, it appealed to me to save this healing and training hub for the next generation of somatic and expanded states practitioners. I believed in CCM’s team, its mission and its vision to be a “leading organization in guiding expanded states of consciousness for human healing and growth through integrated holistic approaches to training, treatment, and research”. I was excited to be part of a vibrant learning community, but still I followed the advice of my lawyers to include some mechanism to enforce the terms and purpose of the gifts and funding, should CCM fail to meaningfully advance its mission, and should conflict arise.
In 2021, what we hoped would never happen, happened! CCM entered a crisis period and a painful unwinding ensued. By spring of 2022 CCM was forced to shut down its school. At this time, I had CCM’s initial cooperation and understanding to transfer the building into my stewardship. But by summer 2022 these discussions broke down. CCM maintained its original non profit entity and proceeded to do business under a new name, “Gather Well Psychedelics” (GWP). A few months later, a further turn of events sealed the rupture in my trust – by November 2022, GWP listed this special building for sale. The building remained for sale until, after sustained negotiation, GWP transferred ownership of it to another charity chosen by me in September of 2023. While the situation was complex, and subject to multiple perspectives, the process of regaining stewardship was quite painful for me.
Not being sure that I could steward this building myself, I engaged with a leading Bay Area education institution to explore a potential partnership. While the conversations didn’t lead to a partnership, I learned a lot from the engagement and I feel incredibly grateful to the education experts that gave their time and energy. I expressed my appreciation by making a significant donation to the institution.
In fall of 2023, I founded Vision Walkers Collective, a 501c3 non profit, with newfound courage to steward the former Rudramandir building, and to bring a vision of transformative education and collective healing to life. With the help of a team, the non profit has enabled the building to undergo a full renovation and it is now to be rebirthed as the Root and Bloom Institute (RBI). This historic landmark is now poised to once again become a beacon for personal growth and collective transformation, reflecting both the history of the building and the need for community spaces that center feminine values. RBI will open its doors in April 2026, and will be stewarded by a growing team that seeks to lead by example – with vulnerability, transparency, and authenticity.
For me, this initiatory process has been both humbling and immensely generative, creating myriad opportunities for learning and growth. I have become a more transparent donor, a collaborative board president and, more recently, a collaborator in designing programming. As a team we developed a set of ten agreements that guide us through inevitable challenges and into harmonious ways of relating. Day by day, as a circle of stewards we are learning how to evolve Root and Bloom Institute into a living, breathing community. As I heal, and as we all heal, we are poised to serve our local communities with greater integrity and love, and fully step into the global change-making that is emerging to serve us all.
As I post my first blog, I feel the possibility of doors opening that have been firmly shut for a time – there is a crack and tender light is coming through. The purification of past histories for me is nearing completion, and the ground is fertile for new creations. Meaningful connections are being made between visionaries, collaborators, and trainers, to serve a next generation of students and explorers of consciousness. Steps are being taken to bring back well-loved trainings and workshops, as well as showcasing newer expanded states offerings. I invite you to bring your creativity and your passion, and to help us expand the ways in which we make a difference as a community. I hope you’ll sign up for our newsletter so we keep weaving this frontier of evolution and possibility together — you’ll be first to know our special announcements and programming updates, and see what I write about next.
With love – Jo
