A woman, a cat, a dog, and a rooster maintain this space of nature and play located on the outskirts of Concepción's town center. Here operates a school workshop that, through creativity, feeds the hearts of a magical territory with beauty.
The Ecoermita was born by an act of magic. If magic is the power of nature making plants grow with sun and water. If magic is the wind blowing strongly, moving the trees. If magic is the river that never stops running toward the sea. The Ecoermita was created by an act of magic. The magic—which can also be a pandemic—brought María Camila Zuluaga back to her paternal roots to begin sowing. Sowing a space of creativity and beauty for the girls and boys of Concepción, where culture and art bloom in their infinite forms.
With the works created by the children of the Workshop, a line of designs has been made, printed on various garments, fabric bags, and little hats for the general public.
Combining poetry, theater, journalism, yoga, and planting, María Camila began working with the municipality's children three years ago. This led to the creation of the “Tallerín,” an activity held every Saturday morning. Currently, it serves nearly a dozen children. Likewise, in response to the need to offer educational alternatives to the territory, a new initiative emerged over time: the School of Trust, which operates daily through free pedagogy.
Essentially, all actions of La Ecoermita aim to stimulate children's curiosity so that their love for knowledge grows alongside their personal development. "When you deeply love vital things, you realize everything is connected, that we are part of a unity unfolding in the universe and on Earth. That is what we must protect most in our children: ensuring they believe in magic eternally," explains María Camila, who also provides spaces for inner silence for both women and men.
According to her, "if fairies or the magic of stones still challenge us as we grow, it will be a valuable indicator that we are capable of pausing to observe. Pausing to breathe the air. We can joyfully enjoy what becomes everyday life, and in that sense, our presence will make our existence more serene and happy, enlarging the heart." This is achieved through breathing practices, yoga classes, singing exercises, talking circles, and peace dances offered at La Ecoermita for everyone. Both families with children and adults can access these services.
The idea of this school workshop, which grows with a garden and sits in front of a small stream, is to nourish the hearts that enter the space. The goal is that by following the calls of our own hearts, the path—our mission—opens, allowing each living being to walk the path they were meant to on this planet. "May uniqueness and our innermost truth flourish for the good of the human species and all other species, as life is one and manifests in different forms," says María Camila.
For this reason, La Ecoermita is called a vegan home, which embraces and commits to working so that all beings can be happy. Additionally, it hosts the Talking Circles of the Women of Concepción, an exercise started this year aimed at strengthening social fabric through female empowerment.
La Ecoermita also offers family tourism experiences for those who wish to explore and feel Concepción with eyes of magic and innocence. Activities include regularly scheduled outdoor cinema, lodging, and participation in school workshop activities, either as participants or as volunteers sharing knowledge with the community through play and creativity.
Thus, the energy invested in this work focuses on letting harmony and peace shine in the hearts of the land—from the Andes mountains, from a little house surrounded by plants and birds in Eastern Antioquia. Why? Because the heart, says María Camila, "leads us to the center of all truth."
Visit their Instagram @laecoermita
or contact Camila via WhatsApp +57-316-4139532
