Co-living/Commune-living Defined

What

Co·liv·ing
noun

1. Shared housing designed to support a purpose-driven life.
2. A modern, urban lifestyle that values openness, sharing, and collaboration.
3. Synonyms: intentional living, intentional community, co-housing, modern nomad.

Why
The purpose of co-living is to create a home environment that inspires and empowers its residents to be active creators and participants in the world around them. These environments cultivate collaboration and serendipity amongst residents and the extended community. Co-living houses enable resilient lifestyles through sharing and efficient use of resources and space.

Who
Co-living is for people who want a home environment that actively supports them in living with service, purpose and intention. People who choose co-living include professionals, makers, entrepreneurs, artists, and creatives.

How
Residents unite around a common interest to collaboratively manage a space, share resources, and coordinate activities which contribute creatively and intellectually to the world around them. Many co-living houses offer short-term accommodation and host outward facing events, increasing connections with the broader community and world. The community at Living Room Yoga Commune is focused on the principles of permaculture, yoga, and resilient living. (See "Our Values" post our other values.)

P.S. This post was adapted from my old home at 616Shebang 

House Agreements Around Cleanliness and Tidiness

As a co-living house, we share significant amounts of space and common areas.  As such, we have made the following agreements such that we can collectively manage these spaces in a way that makes them clean and usable for everyone. As housemates, we agree to keep common spaces in a general state of cleanliness and organization.

A. Cultural/Values Agreements

1. Always assume good intent. We recognize that people here are loving and want to help each other when they know how.
2. Leave a place as good or better than you found it (pay it forward).
3. Never clean up after another person if you are feeling resentful.
4. No use of stereotypes or other prejudices will be tolerated.

B. Kitchen Agreements

1. A clean kitchen has no dishes in the sink, no food or ingredients left out (a full drying rack is not an excuse).
2. Always clean up after yourself.
3. The person cooking/preparing a shared meal is ultimately responsible that the kitchen is clean afterwards. They are also granted power to delegate cleaning to anyone and everyone.

C. Bathroom Agreements

1. Always clean up after yourself; this includes ensuring that the toilet seat is down, drains are clear and surfaces are dry and clean of debris and disorganization after each use.
2. Be considerate of housemate schedules.

D. Common Spaces Agreements

1. No personal stuff left overnight or for significant time in common spaces.
2. Exceptions:  (to be added if discussed and agreed on by current co-living members)

E. Communication / Accountability Agreements

1. We agree to communicate in a loving and kind way when we notice someone has broken an agreement, whether or not we ultimately choose to clean up;
1. If we know who has broken the agreement, we agree to communicate directly with that person and don’t call them out publicly, or speak about them to someone else.
2. If we don’t know who broke the agreement, we agree to communicate publicly what has occurred.
3. In keeping with our agreement, assume good intent.
4. We all agree to let others hold us to account to the agreements we’ve made above.
2. We agree to hold a learning (rather than blame) stance around accountability.
3. We agree to follow the LYRC Chore Chart and complete our responsibilities. 

F. Guest Agreements

1. It is the responsibility of the host to communicate the rules to their guests.
2. The host is ultimately responsible for their guests impact on the house.
3. The house agrees to communicate to the host or guests as appropriate if a guest breaks the above agreements.
4. It is the responsibility of the housemate to inform all other housemates in group text when someone will be spending the night. 
5. No guess should spend the night more than three nights in a week unless discussed with current co-living members.

Introductions: Who We Are

Who we are:
Who lives here:
We are humans who believe that all humans should be treated well. Therefore, we communication directly, kindly and aim to have no unresolved conflicts that would lead to a toxic living environment. We are committed to calling out one another on acts and words of oppression. We have zero tolerance for unapologetic racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism, and xenophobia. We welcome all relationships of our housemates including non-monogamous formations.
Currently we are all queer-identified humans. While queer identity is not a requirement, it is necessary to be actively anti-racist and anti-*phobic. You must be an ally.

Upstairs
Name: Bulldozer (a.k.a. Dozer)
Pronouns: He/His/His
About me: I'm a puppy that knows how to shake, other paw, sit, lay, and high-5. I wish I could comply with "stay" but I'm usually too excited. I'm still pretty curious on walks. I love snuggles, pets, fetch, doggie playdates, hiking, camping, and treats. I am very afraid of large bodies of water.

Name: Emerson (a.k.a. Emme, Em, Mama to Grey)
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
About me: Mid-30s, Jesus-loving, bigendered, biracial, INFP/mediator, adoptive Mama that loves all things water. Project Director at University of Michigan, Licensed Psychologist and Owner of Living Room Yoga Commune.

Name: Lindsey
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
About me: Mid-30s, INFJ/protector, motorcycle riding, student. Maintenance for Living Room Yoga Commune. Jill of all trades, master of none.

Name: Graeme (a.k.a. Grey)
Pronouns: He/Him/His
About me: Kindergartner bi-racial, active, happy, talkative, ESFJ/caregiver, mammal-loving                human that also that also loves all things water.

Downstairs
Name: Callie 
Pronouns: She/Her/hers
About me: I'm a black, petite cat. That's all you need to know about me. 

Name: Emily
Pronouns: she/her/hers
About me: About: 23 year old art degree holder. Loves movies, games and breakfast food! I have grand dreams of comic writing and podcast hosting. I also have less grand dreams of regular dungeon and dragons games and cool hair cuts.

Name: Karen
Pronouns: She/her/hers
About me: Outgoing, not afraid to be challenged. Wanted to live in community.

Name: Maxx
Pronouns: He/Him/His
About me: 7yo Boxer, gentle, loves getting pets and going on walks. 

Name: Oakley

Pronouns: he/him/his

About: 6ish year old long haired black cat. The crooked tail makes me that much more of a witch cat. Loves naps and head scritches.

Name: Olivia (Liv, Livee, Olive, O)
Pronouns: She/her/hers

About me: I'm from Tennessee In Michigan to see some snowfall. I'm freshly 23 and last time I took my Myers Briggs test I was an ENFJ I'm a Leo, I love people and hanging out collectively, I love video games and food and that's basically it. I'm a student at Eastern on my last semester and going into law school in the future.

Name: Steph 
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
About me: Student. Non-binary.

Name: Tiger Lily
Pronouns: cat
About me: I'm a loving cat that makes you work for my affection, I keep to myself, and love pets and sun rays. I'm one years old.

Where did we get the name, Living Room Yoga Commune?

Perhaps an explanation of the name should come first. If you've met me (Emerson) you know that I'm known for my characteristics of impulsivity and non-compliance. Recently, a couple friends and I took a spontaneous trip to see a mutual friend of ours who moved to Ohio and was having a bad week. After meeting our friend for dinner, we headed back to her place to hang out and see where she's living now. And then I started doing yoga... in the middle of her living room, while my friends just sat there, in silence, watching me. I was told it was very relaxing and they felt like they got a good workout just from observing. Someone suggested this should be the name of my commune and the others agreed. Because, well, this is my life.

I want the Living Room Yoga Commune to be a space where you feel so comfortable you spontaneously bust out Warrior 3 or Savasana (for those who prefer to play corpse). I want to create space for people to be themselves in all their queer and quirky beauty. I want to encourage social justice, feminist, racially healing, body positive conversations that allow one another to feel challenged and empowered.

So come relax, be empowered, eat well and healthy, be loved and heal. Welcome to the Living Room Yoga Commune.