Today I want to talk about a great experience that I had just a year ago. I spent a few days doing a retreat at the Osho Humaniversity.
And what the hell is Osho Humaniversity? You may ask.
At the outset, I will say that it was something very powerful. The more time goes by, the more I value having lived that experience. So in advance I thank my friends María and Noemí because without you it would not have been possible.
Now yes. What the heck is Osho Humaniversity? What does this sound like to you? What does it suggest?
Basically, it is a center for personal growth, therapies, spirituality, professional development and therapist training (all that and more) located in the north of the Netherlands. It was founded in 1978 by Veeresh in the small coastal town of Egmond aan Zee, near the city of Alkmaar. According to their website: “Our aim is Working with People for a Better World; an objective that is taught by offering extensive and intensive experiential education (combining emotional awareness and wisdom, along with practical and objective information).” And they go on to say that “This takes place in a dynamic community living environment with a high level of social interaction».
This is some of the information they give initially on their website and in their leaflets. Now I will go a little further. First I will talk about its founder, Veeresh. And his history until founding this center.
Veeresh, born Denny Yuson Sánchez, was born in New York City in 1938. Being the son of humble immigrants (Puerto Rico and Philippines), he couldn’t find his place, and from the age of 15 he took refuge in heroin. The years passed and he wandered the streets in search of the junk, entering and leaving prison, and suffering several overdoses in which he was on the verge of perishing. Bad times for lyric. His life was literally shit until at the age of 28, he got into a center for drug rehab: Phoenix House. Eloquent name, right?
There, with patience and perseverance, he was able to rehabilitate himself from his addictions, and not only that, but he trained as a therapist specialized in drug addictions. The change came little by little and the miracle became a reality. The curse turned into a blessing, making him rising from the ashes and becoming a respected professional. In view of his qualities, in 1970 he was invited to London to found the first Phoenix House outside the United States. Europe opened its doors to him, where he applied the bioenergetics techniques created by Wilhlem Reich, body therapist. Regarding such success, a year later, the Dutch government invited him to develop a program to train addiction specialists.
Motivated to open himself to new perspectives, he heard that there was a guy in India who was doing amazing things in the realm of consciousness. So, he went to Puna and there, in 1974, he met Osho. This meeting had a deep impact on him. So much, that since then he would use as his own the name given to him by Osho: Anand Veeresh, which in Sanskrit means “Bliss beyond fear.” In that way, Master and disciple would remain linked forever.
Talking about Osho exceeds the purpose of this post. We’ll do it another day. There is so much to say that I don’t even know where to start. Without a doubt, he was a character who left his mark. But as I say, there will be time to deal with it thoroughly. What I can say is that if you like his dynamic meditations, if you have ever practiced and enjoyed them, thank Veeresh as well. He was the one who composed the different melodies used in them. In fact, he was the first therapist in the world to introduce music in his groups with drug addicts.
Rhythm is essential in our lives. Everything in the universe is made of rhythm and pulse. Veeresh became aware of it and developed various innovative meditation techniques, which combined music, dance and attention to the body. This man was a visionary, as he could see that the techniques for the rehabilitation of drug addicts could be used perfectly with everyone. Indeed, the same psychic relationship that a drug addict has with his own addiction, we all have with our own behavioral patterns. This was his great contribution to the world of psychotherapy: whether you like to know it or not, everyone is addicted to something… Even you! In fact, neuroscience confirms that the brain’s reward system is responsible for adjusting the sensation of pleasure in the body. That means, whether we are aware of it or not, our nervous system is addicted to pleasure. It is in our nature. And in that of all creatures.
How does reading this make you? What if I told you that, no matter how noble our intentions, down deep the motivation lies the search for pleasure? Have you ever considered it? In your case, what type of pleasure are you addicted to? Cheer up with your dependence. Thank it and watch it. Maybe you will realize that you don’t need it anymore.
Coming back to Veeresh, as it is said, in 1978, he found his own community: the Osho Humaniversity, located in Egmond aan Zee and with the vocation to serve the entire world. To do this, he had the blessing of Osho , who encouraged Veeresh to dedicate himself body and soul to this project in order to «train the best therapists in the world.» Wow! Since then, Veeresh engaged himself to teach thousands of people who attended his experiential workshops, keeping in mind the fundamental principle that «love is always the answer.» And of course, considering that a therapist cannot give true guidance unless it is based on his/her personal experience.
Almost half a century has passed since the day this school was founded until today. Quite a bit of time! Although Veeresh passed away in 2015, his legacy has remained intact through a large group of therapists of different nationalities who continue their work with the same enthusiasm and desire. This is the brief summary of the history of this place. If you are curious, I encourage you to dive into their website. Now I will continue with my own experience there.
Things seem to come up randomly sometimes. Without planning them. One thing leads you to another and before you realize it, you are in the middle of such an adventure that if they had told you about it a long time ago you would not have believed it. Something like that happened with me and this place. It happened that I was visiting my friend María in Antwerp, Belgium. There we had gathered a small group of people who had met on a retreat in Spain a year and a half before. We have maintained the relationship since then and see each other from time to time. On that occasion, we said to ourselves: “Why don’t we go to Flanders, to visit María?”.
So it was. We looked for a date, booked the flights and off we went. Each one from their home. María, like the perfect host she is, welcomed us fabulously into her home. After a week of lots of sightseeing and intense conversations, the group returned home. I didn’t really know what to do with my life, but felt that my journey was not over yet. I walked around for a few days on my own, enjoying the efficient public transport and visiting Maastricht, in Holland, and Aachen, in Germany. I also took the opportunity to go to Ghent to see my friend Griet. I had a great time. However, there was something lurking inside me. So I asked María: Why don’t we visit Noemí and get to know her community? We knew that she had been living in a very particular place for two years. We knew this because she herself had once told us after a workshop. In fact, we had been in the AUM meditation that she came to facilitate from time to time in Pamplona. Honestly, discovering this meditation was key for me. From the first contact with it, it impacted me and made me very curious to know the environment in which it was created.
So, Noemí was willing to receive and showed us around her community. A new opportunity arose at that moment. So there we went, to the north of the Netherlands, to the coastal village of Egmond an Zee. The trip went smoothly, and in two and a half hours, we arrived. The town itself is nothing special and seems to be very quiet. Maybe that’s why Veeresh chose it? Well, for that and for the building itself in which the community is located. The truth is that the place is very peculiar. It is a huge house that, as Noemí would tell us, was an old children’s hospital managed by a congregation of nuns. Interesting. The building, although it is obviously not recent, is very well maintained, both inside and outside. There are no longer Sisters caring for ill kids. Although lay people now inhabit it, they continue with the same vocation of help and service. There are about thirty people, from different nationalities and ages. Each one with his life and his motivations, living in apparent harmony and cordiality.
Noemí (Nartan) gave us the corresponding guided tour while she introduced us to those who were coming out. It was Saturday morning and it seemed like the house was very quiet. After spending a long time walking through it, going upstairs and downstairs, and discovering the multitude of rooms, we decided that it was enough and we went for a walk around the town. We chose to eat at a restaurant with sea views. There, Noemí told us what her life was like in that place. María and I listened carefully. He told us about how she got there and how she combined her life in the community with her consultations and workshops, both in person and online. Speaking of everything, she also told us that on Monday afternoons, a beautiful meditation was offered in the community, the Sacred Earth, open to the public. Again, another door was opening for us. María and I thought it was a good idea, so we returned there on Monday after spending the weekend in Amsterdam. Indeed, it was a beautiful meditation and we met interesting people. We were comfortable and decided to stay for dinner right there, in the community. While we were eating in the dining room, we received the invitation to the self-defense class that was taking place that same night. We gladly accepted. Once we were there, we had to try everything.
After finishing dinner, we washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen and dining room. Everyone participated in it, in community, with a good atmosphere and good disposition. I liked it. Afterwards, we headed to the dojo. I was amazed to see that they had their own tatami room to practice martial arts. I loved the class and the good vibes there were. It had been a good idea to stay. The people had welcomed us wonderfully, and we left there with a very good taste in our mouths. We said goodbye to Nartan, thanking her for everything and we left. Although we would have loved to stay longer, it was already late and María had to work the next day. Personally, on the way back to Antwerp, I felt great gratitude for the experience. That, and the fact that I didn’t really know about what, but I felt as if I wanted more.
Out of the blue, Noemí had told us that in three days a very powerful event would begin in the community itself: a week-long retreat on “The Art of Encounter”. Wow! Could it be possible? That looked like something great. But would I be able to bring myself to make that retreat? It attracted me a lot, and at the same time it caused me great dread. Of course, I was soooooo scared. What to do? Face it, or run away, as I used to do? Doubt gnawed at me. The torture was important. Something inside me told me that if I didn’t do it, I was going to regret it for the rest of my life. So despite my fears and doubts, I saw that it was the perfect opportunity. Deep down, it was what I was looking for: to take a deep dive into that curious place. And life was handing it to me on a plate. “Wake up, you dumbass!”, it yelled at me. So I swallowed and signed up. Alea jacta est!
The art of the encounter. The truth is that I had no idea what the thing was going to be about, but it caught my attention. I spent the three days with nerves and uncertainty, and I went there. I said goodbye to María, I thanked her infinitely for her welcome, her encouragement and her support, and I headed north, back to Holland. The trip was somewhat eventful, as I got stuck on the train in Rotterdam. Challenges that life was giving me to test my commitment. Who knows. Anyway. After getting out of that situation successfully, I continued on my way to Alkmaar and took a local bus. Finally, I arrived in Egmond and entered the Osho Humaniversity. There I was again, but this time all alone. Noemí was busy that day and I wasn’t going to be able to meet her until the evening. Suddenly I found myself in that place, alone, far from home, with a very limited English (I hadn’t practiced it for many years), and I started to tremble. What was going to become of me? Would it be possible to understand people and make myself understood? It was quite surreal what came next. I remember when I was registering at the community offices. A woman was handling the issue and talking to me and I didn’t understand her at all. What the hell am I doing here? It was my recurring thought at that moment. Who would tell me to get into this mess? Is this how I’m going to be for a week?! Mom, get me out of here! What an “encounter”; that was “art.” As good I could, I followed her instructions, made the payment and went to my room. I think she must have noticed my goofy face, that stupid smile you get when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
I thanked her, went upstairs and found the place. I was going to sleep in a kind of shelter, a room with a few beds. As I had arrived the day before and relatively early, there was still no one. I was alone. And wanting to jump out of the window. Suddenly, the door opened and someone entered. It was a woman with her luggage. We started talking. She was Belgian. At worst, I could talk to her in French. Like me, she wasn´t living there, and had come expressly for that retreat. The truth is that from the beginning she was very nice to me, a charm. So I said to myself: “Well, maybe this isn’t so bad either, let’s give it an opportunity.”
Evelyne already knew the place, she had come on other occasions. Among other things, she told me that the sauna was currently available if I wanted to go for a while. I love the sauna, so it seemed like a good idea to reduce tension. There I recognized some of the people I had met before. Nice and welcoming people, who welcomed me and congratulated me for facing the retreat. Things were going well. Thinking of it, the sauna helped me to relax my body and make things flow better. Then Nartan arrived and I finally felt some relief. Someone I knew and with whom I could speak in Spanish. I gave her a hug and told her everything that had happened to me throughout the day and we laughed. What was clear is that this was going to be quite an adventure. Afterwards, we had a quiet dinner, and some of us started playing board games. A little relaxation while more people arrived from outside. And with that, we went to sleep early, because the next day the retreat itself began.
In general terms, talking about what I experienced that week is difficult for me. There were so many experiences, sensations, emotions… that I could fill books and books and never finish. Of course I had new and unforgettable experiences, like bathing naked on a snowy beach. Or feeling in an inexplicable and at the same time comforting way, in the depths of my being, that truly, beyond nationalities, ethnicities, or origins, Humanity is One, and that its only true language is the one that comes from the Heart .
As I said before, everything was shared: laughter, crying, conflict management, madness, silence, sensuality, dance, celebration… Pure life. In the midst of that vast multiculturalism, despite the difference in countries and cultures, we were able to communicate in a language that transcended words. Everything was shared between a group of people so different, and at the same time so similar. Throughout that week, I was able to share profound experiences with new people in a language that is not my own in perfect communication. Which was fascinating. Despite being a stranger and a novice, in that former children’s hospital, together with those people, I felt welcomed, understood and supported. I can truly say that I was able to live and enjoy with diverse people in full consciousnes.
Going into a little detail, I will tell you that the activities carried out were many and very numerous. There was practically no moment of pause throughout the entire day. Thus, from dawn until late at night. It was a week in which we gave everything. The common thread was the practical work of small groups. That is, small families that were formed at the beginning and that would be our laboratory where we could experiment with the different dynamics focused mainly on the development of assertive communication. Basically, it was about becoming aware of how I communicate and relate to myself, and from there, how I do it with others.
Normally, since I can remember, it has been very difficult for me to receive criticism. Even if it was positive. And in the same way, it has been difficult for me to say what I didn’t like about others. Usually, when something hurt me, I would stand still, unable to respond. With a dick face and as if saying “everything is fine, nothing happens.” It wasn’t until the pressure cooker bursted that I dared to speak out, doing so unconsciously and judging who was in front of me. Thus, delving into the dynamics of this retreat was a vital learning experience.
We were practicing assertiveness at all times throughout the week. In addition to the dynamics of small groups, we brought the art of encounter to everything we did. We dedicated a couple of hours a day to doing work for the community. I had to do DIY, something I’m terrible at. They asked me to assemble some wooden structures as bed bases to place mattresses. Luckily, I shared my task with a wonderful Dutch woman who, fortunately for me, had been a carpenter. Her patience and delicacy were essential for me to succeed in my work. She wasn’t part of the team of therapists, she was a user like me. However, throughout the two hours I spent with her each day, I was able to discover a great Master in her. She was impeccable in communicating instructions, motivating me, and giving me recognition. What a blessing to work with her. Bedankt!
And so, step by step, the art of the encounter worked its magic. I discovered conflict resolution techniques that blew me away. Fautlessly, everything made sense, everything was taken care of to the millimeter, and at the same time, everything flowed wonderfully.
In addition to all that, I will tell you that Humaniversity has a full-fledged nightclub in its basements. Yes, as it is. A discotheque with its fluorescent atmosphere, its bar counter and its mixing desk with a powerful music system. As you read it. Actually, you can say that it is the entire world synthesized inside a mansion. At night, we dressed in our best clothes and went to give it all. But be careful. Not in any way. In essence, it was about putting into practice everything we had trained during the day. That seemed amazing to me. Where else can something previously experienced in a therapeutic environment be put into practice at place? Incredible. Dancing in that particular joint, in the middle of that diverse group of people, sometimes I would laugh. I laughed remembering my youthful clubbing years. How much the movie had changed! Now I no longer needed alcohol or other substances to disinhibit me. I no longer needed a mask to hide behind. I could show myself as I am. And that is priceless.
As I say, there were so many experiences that I could spend days and days talking about them. However, I feel it’s okay to leave it here. What I can tell you with complete certainty is that it was an unforgettable trip. A trip that opened doors and windows for me, and changed my way of seeing life and relating to it. No doubt about that. So, if you are curious, if you feel the impulse that I felt, I will simply say this: Go ahead, brave, Holland awaits you!
By the way, in case you can’t get there, you have another chance to experience something of what Humaniversity is. That is, through AUM meditation. As I said before, it is the star meditation of the community. I’m not going to explain it, so, if you’re curious, I’ll leave you the link to Noemí’s website:
And here is the summary of my experience in this peculiar place. As you can imagine, I cannot finish without first expressing my tremendous gratitude for the experience. So, as I said at the beginning, I want to thank you, María and Noemí. It is clear that without you it would not have been possible. So, I wish you the best. You deserve it.
Van harte bedankt, María en Noemí.
Van harte bedank, Osho Humaniverstiy.
Van harte bedank, Veeresh.
You will always be in my heart.
Otherwise, I can only tell you that if you ever have doubts and do not see things clearly, remember that…
THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS LOVE.
