Article in the Palatinate, Durham’s Student Newspaper, by Anjali Pathak, January 15, 2026
When in Pune, Maharashtra, India, I got to have an experience at the OSHO International Meditation Resort.
In truth, I wasn’t looking for a meditation experience on my trip to India, and when coming to Pune, I was met with the usual ‘what do we do’, as it was a city that broke the journey from Goa to Mumbai. I didn’t know much about the place or where to start, so on the first evening a waiter suggested I look around the resort.
The Osho International Meditation Resort is a 30-acre wellness destination which offers meditations, therapies, and programs centred around Osho’s teachings. Osho himself was a controversial Indian figure, earning his acclaim mostly after his death, where his teachings focus on ‘living without detachment’, and rejecting traditional religious doctrines.
I didn’t know much about the place or where to start, so on the first evening a waiter suggested I look around the resort
At first, I went to explore the meditation centre and look around, and I was met with the disapproval of the gate staff. They welcomed me and told me I had to ‘partake’ to enter. The fees for this include 2050 rupees for an international day pass, plus 2600 for mandatory red and white robes, to be worn upon entry. Although disappointed by the paywall, instead of just looking at it from the outside, I thought ‘why not’.
The resort itself is largely detached from Osho, and rests on his teachings, namely through dynamic meditations. I didn’t even hear his name until the Evening Meeting, where he spoke through a pre-recorded talk projected in the auditorium. This made it easy for me to participate in meditation, something I do see the value in, and not spend the day questioning a figure whom I am sceptical about.
My day started with an orientation at 9 AM, where I had to watch a 15-minute video about the dos and don’ts of the resort, such as ‘don’t use your phone’, ‘don’t cough or sneeze in the auditorium’, and ‘do wear the white robe for the evening meeting only’.
After this, I was let free to explore, and equipped with the schedule of the day, I was able to walk around the grounds, waiting for the ‘Dance Celebration’, in the Buddha Grove which started at 12.
Teachings focus on ‘living without detachment’, and rejecting traditional religious doctrines
While walking around, I noticed people journalling, doing yoga, and reading. As there is a guesthouse, where people can stay for 3850 rupees (£32) a night, people use the grounds as their space to relax and have space away from the scheduled meditations.
It’s also worth noting that people can leave the resort at any time, and walking around the city itself. I saw many people dressed in robes, eating and shopping, with a concentration in the Koregaon Park area.
The grounds are peaceful, and full of bamboo and banyan trees, the greenery of which overtakes the skyline, so most of what you are met with is nature. The buildings are sleek, and made of granite and contain little ornate structures, making the grounds feel undisturbed. It is difficult to come across grounds so close to a main road yet feel so far away from the bustle and constant traffic noise, and throughout my day I forgot that I was so close to a central location in Pune.
I was clinging to the side of the Buddha Grove, sat on a marble stage, looking at the trees. I was lost in thought when I noticed someone start to twirl around, moving their body without any music playing. Eventually, at 12pm, a DJ came, and started to play his set, a mix of songs in all different languages, inviting people to join in the dance. His energy was electric, and (as I know) a good DJ is paramount to keeping an audience, and that he did.
With the schedule in my right hand, and my eyes on the people dancing, I was apprehensive to leave my bag and join in. I also had no one to dance with, intimidated through this fact, being used to making eyes with someone and playing off dance moves in a silly way. As I was watching, a man moved towards me, dancing within the music, and asked ‘first time right? Come join the dance’. I laughed at his discernment as he danced away back into the crowd. I was surprised he didn’t even wait for an answer, or extend a hand for me to join him, but relieved all the same.
The grounds are peaceful and full of bamboo and banyan trees, the greenery of which overtakes the skyline
Eventually, I did join, stood at the back, moving my arms and side-stepping awkwardly around. There is a call for ‘total involvement’, giving yourself to the music, and in the end, I did feel as though I practised this. I enjoyed moving however I wanted to and was grateful I didn’t know anyone.
The Nadabrahma meditation was next. As mentioned, Osho’s meditations are centred around his core principle of ‘dynamic meditation’. The meditation starts with 30 minutes of humming, which is supposed to create a vibration that your body can feel. Witnessing, the practice of observing thoughts, sensations, and emotions non-judgementally, is a central part of this meditation. We also had to move our hands, outwards for 7 and a half minutes, then the reverse for the same amount of time. For the last 15 minutes, we were in silence. All of this was done with our eyes closed, something stressed at the beginning of the meditation. Unfortunately, my curiosity took the better of me, and I did open my eyes a few times during the humming section. I found it hard to focus with the humming, and I was thinking about how much time had lapsed, but I eventually succumbed to the un-knowing.
Throughout my day, I was asked to ‘detach’, from myself, from the world, from sensations and emotions and ‘let myself be’. This was taught through the meditations, the dancing, the no electronics on site. Dancing was a core part of my day, with dancing in the Evening Meeting, as well as at the Full Moon Celebration. It was interesting to watch and take part in something which is not ‘meditation’ by its definition but still provides you with a lot of clarity and freedom.
The privilege of dedication, of ‘letting go’, isn’t taught through meditations
Because the resort is behind a paywall and follows a strict dress-code and timeliness that disallows you to join a meditation if you are not 5 minutes early, there was a privilege entwined within this ‘detachment’. To leave responsibilities so you can dedicate time to meditation, to buy the robes and stay near or in the resort, things which cost in some way or another.
The privilege of dedication, of ‘letting go’, isn’t taught through meditations so that you can bring them into your life outside but kept within the energy of the resort. Although there are moments which have stuck with me, lessons and teachings which I do wish to carry forward, the resort itself is a haven for those who can leave external responsibilities, day to day life, and pay for the ‘experience’, and not for the average person.
My experience was very individual, and centred upon my own learning and experience, with dancing, meditations, and moving around the camp a solitary practise, rather than a communal one. It was interesting as an ‘outsider’ as I expected some guidance, but this overall follows the rules of Osho, someone who emphasised the ‘living fully in the present moment through direct experience’. I was also told in the Evening Meeting, that to activate one’s consciousness one must react and respond to new situations, ones that can be unnerving to start with. I think being led around may have lessened my anxiety but would have proved unhelpful within the core teachings of Osho.
What makes someone meditative, or free, is what they do fully for their enjoyment
Meditation is something that I want to practice often, and in the upcoming term, of diss deadlines, the eventual job search, and perhaps the panic masters, I do feel the need to take time to allow myself to feel centred. I also don’t want this time to pass me by, to feel as though I’m working towards the goal of graduation so intensely that I miss out on my last few months in university life. As important as all those responsibilities are to me, I don’t want to have the liminality of entering a space where I can ‘leave that all behind’, nor do I have the privilege of this.
If anything, the resort taught me that what makes someone meditative, or free, is what they do fully for their enjoyment, for their ego to be pushed aside completely, activities or moments that allow someone to ‘just be’. I hope that throughout the term, whether that be cooking a good meal, or dancing, yoga, painting, running, you can also find the time to feel as free as you can.
Image Credits: Anjali Pathak, Osho Resort
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