Back to Nature
Welcome to Turiya – a permaculture farm and natural building center in Panama. Turiya is a resource for all those interested in sharing and preserving ancient sustainable practices from Latin America to India. We teach natural building technologies and are building a community around connection, with the Earth, with others, and with ourselves.
Learn more about how to build a home using only natural materials.
Connect with others through creative, collaborative, sustainable projects such as permaculture gardening, art, music, and more.
Through service and reflection, we hope to provide a space that empowers others to embrace new possibilities for self-growth.
Meet Kristina Barile and Yashar Mehrabani
In 2017, we quit our jobs, without a plan. Yashar, a special needs teacher, and Kristina, a rocket scientist, were both called to a simpler life. With only a backpack of belongings, we finished a pilgrimage in Asia and followed our hearts to Panama, a place we’ve never visited but felt called to. Living fully within nature on our farm, deep in the countryside, we explore natural building, organic farming, and permaculture design, and support our community through education, employment, and empowerment. Kristina engineers and creates natural buildings made from purely natural materials and is passionate about environmental health, environmental justice, cultural preservation, ancient knowledge, and plant-based Ayurveda. Yashar is the spiritual center of the project, offering visitors in search of peace and happiness his compassion and wisdom.
Natural Building Workshops
In May 2023, we held our first workshop for a group of Panamanian architects. In 2024, we will officially open our natural building school for global students who want to learn natural building techniques.
Come Learn With Us!
Want to get hands-on practice with natural building? Stay tuned for our workshop announcements (both in-person and online) for 2024!
Community Support, Health, and Education
Turiya is dedicated to serving our Panama community. We are the only employer in our small village of 100 people and are so fortunate to be able to provide opportunities for work in an isolated area.
In our 6 years in Panama, we’ve learned that the natural building tradition here, as well as knowledge on organic farming and native plants, has disappeared almost entirely. We have been teaching natural building skills to local people and Panamanian nationals and will open for workshops in 2024.
We are in the process of creating community spaces for organic farming and natural building education as well as natural guest spaces (made of bamboo, clay, sand, straw, and lime) to host global students. For more information and to donate, please click below!
