top of page
Search

Playtopia 2.0 – A Dream in Motion

Updated: 2 hours ago


Hey Family,


This is JP, one of the co-founders of Playtopia, and I wanted to share

a little recap of this beautiful journey we just lived together.



We’ve just wrapped up Playtopia 2.0  and — wow — what a blast. A part of me feels sad that

it was only a month; the desire to extend it kept creeping in. I even found myself dreaming about what life would be like if this was our permanent reality. The month passed so fast

and was filled with playfulness, depth, expression, and growth.


PLAYTOPIA COMMUNITY

It was such a unique constellation of humans who came together to co-create this gathering. We were over 20 beautiful humans  from 13 different backgrounds, and it filled my heart with so much joy to be part of such a vibrant and diverse community. Celebrating birthdays meant singing “Happy Birthday” in multiple languages — which always cracked us up.




Building Our Dream — Casa de Barro


The concept of Playtopia is truly a dream come true for me. Each day began with us moving our bodies together, followed by a wholesome breakfast. Then came one of my favorite parts: “learning by doing.”


Guided by the amazing bio-architect Erika Lomelín and our heart-centered engineer Felipe Pulido, we continued building our dream home — Casa de Barro (mud house). The community learned ancestral building techniques like quincha and bahareque, and got their hands (and feet!) muddy putting those lessons into practice.


We also broke ground on installing the wooden roof boards — a huge milestone toward enclosing the house! The team split into carpentry, plumbing, and electrical squads to learn and plan out systems, complete with materials lists and designs.


As they say:

“Many hands make light work, and light work makes the dream work.”


We could truly feel the love and energy being poured into Casa de Barro.

One of my favorite moments was watching the recycled glass bottles being installed artistically into the shower wall, casting magical light through the space. Another highlight? Witnessing the synergy, people care, and devotion shown by the leadership team

— big shoutout to Erika & Felipe!




Agroforesty Dreams Take Root


When we weren't naturally building, we spent time in the gardens led by our talented, locally grown farm manager Jean Carlos Salas (Jianca).


Together, we began implementing our first agroforestry system, a vision we’ve held for over a year. We sketched designs on paper, refined them over several drafts, and selected a plan that balanced our dreams with the landscape’s climate, terrain, and available resources.


We marked contour lines with an A-frame, dug water retention ditches, and used the soil to build cash crop beds. Then came the planting — yuca, malanga, pineapple, bananas, botón de oro, Mexican sunflower, and our favorite fruit trees.


We also expanded our heart kitchen garden, which now supports the kitchen with fresh salad greens and medicinal teas. Oh — and we planted vibrant ornamental landscaping along the yoga shala path. Maybe it’s just me, but those little details bring my inner child so much joy.




A Playground for Shared Gifts


After our morning building or gardening, we’d gather for lunch and then open

the afternoons to creative intelligence.


At Playtopia, everyone is both a student and a teacher. Every Sunday, we designed our dream week based on the talents, passions, and desires within the community. So much beauty unfolded from that — people stepping up to lead, share, and explore together.


Some favorite workshops:

  • Peeling layers with Authentic Relating

  • Trusting through Acroyoga

  • Releasing with Ecstatic and Contact Dance

  • Evening Music Jams and Fire Circles


But honestly, some of the most magical moments were unplanned — spontaneous songs, deep eye gazes, wild games, or full-body laughs erupting from nowhere.




Music, Meals & Magic


We were blessed with many musical beings. Acoustic sessions, freestyles, and soulful

jams happened daily — nourishing our hearts beyond words.

Meals were prepared with love and care by the community. We shared themed dinners — from Shabbat and Solstice, to Full Moons and birthdays. And of course, no dinner began without a pre-meal dance party to get those digestive juices flowing. What a blast!




Adventures Beyond the Village


On weekends, we ventured out — climbing volcanoes, soaking in hot springs, and swimming in crystalline rivers and waterfalls. Honestly, I could write a whole blog post just about those adventures and their lessons.




Thank You


There’s so much more I could say, but I’ll leave it here — for now.

I’m closing Playtopia 2.0 with a heart full of gratitude and a body humming

with beautiful memories. Planning has already begun for Playtopia 3.0, so stay

tuned for future announcements. I might even write another blog about

the lessons and harvests from this past month.


To the 20+ incredible beings who made this gathering what it was: thank you. Your

presence, your love, and your care made a lasting imprint on this land and in our hearts.



Special thanks to:

Sarah, Mark, Adri, Riley, Avi, Bhakti, Brent, Chyna, Dani, Dover, Erika, Felipe, Facu, Gemma, Jianca, JP, Alban, Vita, Jess, Kari, Kirsten, Leo, Max, Mar, Odi, Odile, Shaimaa, Ticon, Aron, Margot, Marlo






With love and care,

Jp Saliba

Co-founder of Playtopia


 
 
 
bottom of page