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.
Bio of Yannis
Yannis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1957 and grew up in the nearby town of Serres, the son of a high school theology professor and a French school director. From early childhood, he felt out of place, frustrated by the lack of guidance for his deep existential questions and troubled by the normalized violence he witnessed in daily life in school. Being the black sheep of his family and socially isolated, Yannis found solace in long solitary walks in nature, nurturing a deep sensitivity to life and a yearning to find his own path. Determined to leave Greece as soon as possible, he left formal education at sixteen, and at seventeen, he set on his journey, hitchhiking to Sweden. On the way, passing by Hamburg, a powerful vision of a slaughterhouse catalyzed his decision to become a vegetarian.
In Sweden, as soon as he arrived, he met the Tibetan Lamas. That was the beginning of a nine-year intensive training culminating in a three-year retreat. This inner training provided tools for profound self-inquiry, radical transformation, and the development of empathy and consciousness. In the years that followed, he explored other paths and groups to widen his scope from an anthropological perspective; however, he always maintained his independence, walking his own path with discernment and integrity. His orientation has consistently focused on the transformation of limiting patterns, awareness of truth, compassion, fulfilling the universal responsibility.
Over the course of 24 years, Yannis immersed himself in life across ten countries on four continents—Costa Rica (11 years), California (5), France (5), India (1.5 across five trips), Sweden (1), and less in Venezuela, Thailand, Peru, and England. He started from scratch each time, becoming immersed not only in external cultures but internal landscapes as well through diverse practices and ways of living. In the process, he learned to speak English, Spanish, and French fluently, along with some basic Tibetan, Portuguese, Swedish, and Nepalese.
After completing his nine-year training, discovering that being in nature is conducive to contemplative living, he bought and developed four off-grid farms—two in Greece and two in Costa Rica—where he lived for around 12 years cumulatively. He aiming at self-sufficiency, he cultivated vegetables, grains, fruits, and herbs, in resonance with nature’s cycles. His farming philosophy—guided by instinct, respect, and sensitivity—was deeply inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka’s principles of natural farming. As a testament to the vibrational harmony he established with the land he never faced any issues with pests or diseases.
Yannis relationship with nature also extended to its creatures. He never kept pets that would hunt wild animals, nor did he exploit animals for food. His connection with wildlife was such that animals often approached him without fear.
In 1989, while in the U.S., Yannis became vegan, and two years later, in Costa Rica, he was introduced to raw veganism after attending a seminar of Living Foods with Ann Wigmore in Boston. Working physically hard on his farm, eating only raw tropical fruits and vegetables, nourished by the life force of the surrounding rainforest contributed to a remarkable increase of health, strength, and energetic clarity gaining 5 kilos of weight too (he was underweight). While his diet today is more flexible due to social context, he remains committed to plant-based living, avoiding processed foods, stimulants and all substances that could alter consciousness or affect his DNA.
Juan’s life in nature was one of creativity and adaptation. He lived with minimal energy needs—a solar panel for light and charging the mobile, propane refrigeration, and hand-crafted tools and basic survival DIY machine for washing, woodfire heating, and cooking with gas. He built multisided wooden houses, designed irrigation systems, and invented many practical tools and machines to support his simple life. His skills in carpentry, plumbing, solar installation, and general repairs arose out of necessity and resourcefulness rather than formal training.
Yannis ‘s path is one of profound inner dedication, voluntary simplicity, and practical service. He has consciously stepped away from modern entertainment, consumerism, and artificial living, choosing instead the richness of deep human connection, inner peace, and a life attuned to the natural and spiritual rhythms of existence.
Beyond his solitary time in nature, Yannis has also lived in communities and contributed as a volunteer and professional. He managed a bookstore and did house renovations in California, taught meditation and worked as a vegan chef in Thailand, and in Costa Rica, supported others in settling and developing land. At one point, he was even contracted to build a wooden home and design an entire farm.
A father of three sons—now adults— Yannis helped birth all three of them and raised them alone for six formative years on an off-grid Greek farm. They grew up strong, healthy, and self-reliant, never vaccinated, never sick (not even a flu), and eating a natural diet. Their early childhood immersed in nature and simplicity equipped them with resilience and adaptability in later life. After his children’s mother resumed a parental role, Yannis resumed his travels and explorations.
As a result of decades of spiritual work and experimentation in 8 farms in total he plans to launch the Hrigaia Project on a piece of land somewhere in the world, a project that focuses on personal awakening and the regeneration of primal ecosystems—restoring the original harmony between human consciousness and the living Earth. Until this moment comes, he is sharing his vast knowledge in many fields with others.