The Biography of Yannis: A Journey of Primal Harmony
Early Life and the Catalyst for Departure
Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1957, Yannis was raised in Serres as the son of a theology professor and a French school director. Despite this foundation, he felt a profound existential dissonance from a young age. Troubled by the normalized violence of the school system and a lack of spiritual guidance for his deep internal inquiries, he became the “black sheep” of his family. Seeking refuge from social isolation, he turned to long, solitary walks in nature, which nurtured a lifelong sensitivity to the pulse of the living world.
At sixteen, Yannis made the radical decision to leave formal education. By seventeen, driven by a yearning for truth, he set out to hitchhike to Sweden. A pivotal moment occurred in Hamburg, where a powerful vision of a slaughterhouse acted as a spiritual catalyst, prompting an immediate and permanent transition to vegetarianism.
Spiritual Discipline and Global Exploration
Upon arriving in Sweden, Yannis encountered Tibetan Lamas, marking the start of a nine-year period of intensive training. This culminated in a traditional three-year semi-silent retreat, a crucible that provided him with the tools for radical self-inquiry, empathy, and the deconstruction of limiting psychological patterns. While he later explored various alternative and spiritual groups to broaden his perspective, he remained fiercely independent, prioritizing discernment and personal integrity over institutional dogma.
His quest has led him to live in ten countries across four continents over 24 years—including 11 years in Costa Rica, five in California, and five in France. Each transition involved starting from scratch, allowing him to immerse himself not just in new cultures, but in the internal landscapes shaped by different environments. Along the way, he achieved fluency in English, Spanish, and French, with functional knowledge of Tibetan, Portuguese, Swedish, and Nepalese.
Natural Farming and Radical Simplicity
Recognizing that nature is the ultimate sanctuary for contemplative living, Yannis developed four off-grid farms—two in Greece and two in Costa Rica. His approach to the land was deeply influenced by Masanobu Fukuoka’s “Do-Nothing” farming philosophy, which emphasizes working with nature rather than against it. By cultivating vegetables, grains, and fruits in resonance with natural cycles, he achieved a state of “vibrational harmony” where the land required no chemical intervention, remaining free from pests and disease.
His relationship with animals was defined by non-interference and respect. He never kept predatory pets nor exploited animals for labor or food. This peaceful coexistence resulted in a rare connection where wildlife would often approach him without fear, sensing a lack of threat.
Vitality through Living Foods
In 1989, Yannis transitioned to veganism in the United States. Shortly after, a seminar with Ann Wigmore in Boston introduced him to the “Living Foods” movement. While laboring on his farm in the Costa Rican rainforest, he adopted a raw vegan diet. This period marked a physical and energetic peak; despite the rigors of farm work, he gained 5 kilos of healthy weight (rectifying a previous underweight condition) and experienced a profound increase in clarity and stamina. Today, he remains committed to a clean, plant-based lifestyle, avoiding stimulants and substances that might alter consciousness or biological integrity.
Resourcefulness and Craftsmanship
Yannis’s life has been a masterclass in “voluntary simplicity.” A self-taught polymath, he mastered carpentry, plumbing, and solar engineering out of necessity. He designed and built:
- Multisided wooden dwellings optimized for environmental harmony.
- Innovative irrigation systems and DIY machines for washing clothes, heating and other uses.
- Off-grid energy solutions, living comfortably with minimal electricity.
His service extended beyond his own land; he managed a bookstore and renovated homes in California, taught meditation and worked as a vegan chef in Thailand, and acted as a consultant for land development and eco-construction in Costa Rica.
Legacy and the Hrigaia Project
A father of three sons, Yannis played an active role in their births and raised them as a single parent for six formative years on an off-grid farm in Greece. Raised on a natural diet, without vaccinations, and immersed in the elements, his sons grew into resilient, self-reliant adults who have never known illness in their young age.
Having experimented with a total of eight farms throughout his life, Yannis is now preparing to launch the Hrigaia Project. This initiative represents the synthesis of his life’s work: a sanctuary dedicated to personal awakening and the regeneration of primal ecosystems. The project aims to restore the original harmony between human consciousness and the Earth. Until the physical site is established, Yannis continues to share his vast multidisciplinary knowledge with those seeking a life of truth, peace, and natural alignment.