How to Start a Commune From Scratch w/ Sandra Bédigis Rueda / Rock Bottom Ep. 006

Sandra Bédigis Rueda explains how she and her husband began by searching for land, sent a letter to their network, quickly formed an initial group, and ultimately grew to about 25 members after several land searches. She shares her background as a corporate expat in Congo and France, the burnout and political stress that pushed her to quit after a pivotal party conversation, and how she shifted toward alternative education for her kids, including a democratic school near Lisbon. Sandra outlines the Les Pas-Sages model’s eight pillars, covering egalitarian governance, anti-speculation, money-in/money-out exit protection, collective property, member selection, consent-based decision-making with veto, and long-term affordability, plus a distinction between intuition and anxiety.00:00 Commune Dream Questions00:59 Twin Oaks Inspiration02:18 What This Episode Covers03:40 Meet Sandra Rua03:57 Finding Future Members05:45 Letting People Come and Go07:24 Conflict as a Skill08:24 Structure Behind the Vision10:28 Corporate Life in Congo14:50 Burnout and Breaking Point17:47 The Party That Changed Everything22:01 Quitting and the Next Move25:12 Choosing Portugal and New Schooling26:20 Beyond Montessori Labels26:44 Why Democratic Schools Inspire27:37 Finding a School in Portugal30:04 From Family Land to Community30:51 Retreat Burnout and COVID Reality32:36 Documentary Spark and Launch Letter34:24 LIP Model Explained35:38 Core Values and Governance Rules41:39 Why Communities Matter Now43:54 Systemic Aikido Using the System45:22 Advice to Younger Self Intuition49:53 Where to Find Sandra and Maya 6250:23 Closing Thanks and Next StepsLinks from Sandra:Sandra's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandra_bedigisrueda_doula/Enraizar School: https://www.enraizar.pt/Her community project: website https://www.colmeia62.org/Les Pas-Sages: https://www.les-pas-sages.org/internationalYou can also follow your host!Chris' Insta: https://www.instagram.com/morellomunch/Rock Bottom's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/rockbottom.fm/