Permaculture & Community Resilience

Free Online Course - A shared learning journey born in response to global disruption

This course emerged during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, created by a community committed to building resilience, empowerment, and connection in a time of uncertainty and isolation.

    • Supporting people during times of fear, change, and disconnection

    • Strengthening resilience on personal, community, and global levels

    • Laying the foundation for a new reality rooted in care, cooperation, and self-reliance

  • This is a living, evolving course. The content is created in real-time alongside our daily life at Gaia Ashram, where we grow food, care for the land, and learn through practice. Sharing this process is part of our teaching.

    Please note:
    This course is not meant to replace a full Permaculture Design Course (PDC). It is an open invitation and a powerful first step into the world of permaculture – accessible, practical, and rooted in lived experience.

  • The sessions follow our daily practices and teachings at Gaia Ashram. We move from patterns to details, covering permaculture principles, tools, and techniques suitable for both temperate and tropical climates. New content is added regularly.

  • Everyone is welcome – whether you're just starting out or already experienced in permaculture. The course is designed to meet you where you are and support your unique learning journey. All you need is curiosity and an open mind.

  • This course is community-powered. If you’d like to contribute ideas, skills, or resources, we’d love to hear from you. Co-creation and feedback are always welcome.

All Sessions: Permaculture & Community Resilience Course

Start here – Flow into the course

Before diving into the sessions, take a moment for this first part. It sets the tone and helps you land gently in the learning space we’ve created. Afterward, you’ll:

  • Have a clear sense of what this course offers and how it flows

  • Know what to expect in terms of structure, content, and pace

  • Understand the spirit of co-creation and shared ownership that runs through everything

  • Discover how your energy, skills, or perspective could support and enrich this project

Session 1: Setting the Foundation

Turning problems into solutions at Gaia Ashram
Explore the roots of this course and understand how it emerged from the global pandemic.
After this session, you will:

  • Understand the conditions this course was born from

  • See how permaculture helps transform crisis into opportunity

  • Learn about “Turning problems into solutions” and “Creatively responding to change” in action

Session 2: Flowful Resilience & Self-Assessment

Your perspective, your path
Discover Flowful’s perspective on permaculture and explore your own capacity for resilience.
You will:

  • Get introduced to our Flowful approach

  • Learn an easy method to assess and increase your resilience

  • Distinguish between elements, functions, and methods in design

  • Reflect on your next step toward more resilience

Session 3: Interacting with Nature – The Permaculture Way

How to choose the right element and its place
This session helps you design intentionally, by asking the right questions and observing placement principles.
You will:

  • Know why placement matters before implementing elements

  • Learn the three core aspects of placement

  • Be able to position a single element effectively on your land

Session 4: Implementing a Hügelkultur Garden Bed

A classic technique from Sepp Holzer
After this session, you will:

  • Understand the concept of Hügelkultur

  • Know the five implementation steps

  • See how one element can serve many functions

  • Discover the benefits of raised, layered gardening

Session 5: What Is Permaculture?

A big-picture introduction
You’ll dive into the origins and core ideas of permaculture.
You will:

  • Learn about the 3 sources of permaculture wisdom

  • Understand the link to deep ecology

  • Explore the 3 permaculture ethics

  • See how permaculture differs from gardening or natural farming

Session 6: Soil – The Basis of Life

Why healthy soil is everything
After this session, you will:

  • Understand what soil is made of

  • Learn how soil is created and protected

  • Discover how to assess your local soil

Session 7: Permaculture Principles

Design tools for daily life
Permaculture principles guide not just design, but how we live.
You will:

  • Explore two core sets of principles (Mollison + Holmgren)

  • Understand how they support permaculture ethics

  • Learn how to use them in everyday decisions and design

Session 8: Compost – The Magic of the Loop

Compost systems for healthy soil
You will:

  • Understand the four key compost components (Carbon, Nitrogen, Water, Oxygen)

  • Learn how to manage your C:N ratio

  • Get an overview of compost types: thermophilic, static, worm, anaerobic

Session 9: SADIMET – The Design Process

How to design systems that work
This session introduces a step-by-step design framework.
You will:

  • Learn why design is key in permaculture

  • Understand the SADIMET model

  • Discover how to apply it to land, communities, or social systems

Session 10: Water Management

Keeping water on your side
You will:

  • Understand the importance of water in design

  • Learn the 5-S of water management

  • See how soil acts as a water reservoir

Session 12: Permaculture Gardening (Part 1)

Garden bed techniques to grow food
You will:

  • Explore no-till, double dig, raised beds, and Hügelkultur

  • See how different methods support different goals

Session 13: Permaculture Gardening (Part 2)

More methods for resilient gardens
You’ll continue exploring food-growing systems.
You will:

  • Learn about straw bale gardening, spot planting, banana circles, and keyhole beds

Session 14: Sheet Mulching & No-Dig Gardens

Creating layered garden beds
You will:

  • Understand sheet mulching and lasagna gardening

  • Learn the 5 steps to build a lasagna bed

  • Explore pros and cons of different no-dig methods

Session 15: Zoning in Permaculture

Designing with access and energy in mind
You will:

  • Understand the 5 zones in permaculture

  • Learn how to place elements for efficiency

  • Focus your energy on what truly matters

Session 16: Sector Analysis

Designing with the landscape
You will:

  • Learn to observe and map sectors (sun, wind, water, fire, noise, views)

  • Use these insights to place elements smartly

  • Understand how to maximize beneficial energies and minimize risks