Natural Living

Communes in the UK: here’s what happened when one writer visited one

Is Osho Leela the UK’s friendliest community? Rose Rouse gets cuddly

There are surely few places in Britain where you can be participating in a 30-minute whirling dervish meditation one minute, then singing I Got You Babe with a straw skirt on your head the next. But this is precisely what I found myself doing during a visit to Osho Leela commune, a community of over 20 permanent members in Dorset, when I attended one of their unforgettable three-day New Year’s festivals. The community was created in 1997 by a charismatic Lancastrian called Dhyano, who had tayed at Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh or Osho’s ashram in India and was inspired to create his own ‘paradise on earth’. The hugely successful and life-affirming parties and festivals held at Osho Leela are an important part of their celebratory way of being.

Commune means finding a community

In 2007 the comedian Frank Skinner joined the community for a week to film Tough Gig, a TV programme where he created a routine out of his experiences there. It was a risk for the community – they could have been portrayed as weirdo hippies by the production team, but fortunately they weren’t. Initially sceptical about this “bunch of soul-seekers”, ultimately Skinner was won over by their warmth, honesty and willingness to be open. Not to mention the fun. He even started to enjoy a little madcap dancing – “in the comfort of so many other bad dancers” – during the daytime. And his gig went down a storm amid a roomful of widely smiling Osho Leela faces.

Ah yes, the smiles. And, of course, the hugs. Skinner underwent a serious hugging fest whilst he was there. After all, Osho Leela is the hugging centre of Britain. And as a visitor – from the outside world where hugs are rare and often awkward – this is absolutely gorgeous. These are hugs that are given in love and tenderness, free from sexual intention. Just a simple Osho Leela hug can be incredibly healing. “Hugging is at the core of Osho Leela,” says Tarisha, who is one of the four directors. “It doesn’t matter who you’re with, or what your differences are, a hug allows you both to melt and relax into your hearts. It’s such a quick, direct way to really meet. So many people don’t get any hugs at all in their lives. It’s such a simple way to touch the warmth of another human being.”

Connecting with people

Niraj (in Osho communities they often take spiritual names) has been living at Osho Leela for the past five years. He used to be an estate agent who lived in a penthouse flat overlooking the Thames. Now he lives in an old caravan on the community’s land. “I don’t miss any of my old life – that existence was all about money,” he says. “I was independent, a traveller, a bit of a loner. Being here is all about really connecting to people and I also teach biodanza, a form of heart-opening dance that I love.”

Team work is an important part of commune life

In a society where loneliness and isolation are endemic, Osho Leela commune is showing that there is a different way. Through workshops for visitors – from comedy impro to biodanza, from tantra to more feelings-based, therapeutic weekends – and of course the parties, they are creating a way for people to connect in a much fuller way than is usual. “We have got a groovy reputation,” says Niraj, “and that’s because we are providing things that people are looking for, in terms of coming together and being more fully in their hearts, bodies and spirits. For us, the community, there’s always a potential group of new friends coming through the door. It’s a very dynamic way to live.”

Tarisha was one of the original members 13 years ago. Now she has a five-year-old son and a husband who works outside the community. “It was all very unformed then,” she says, “but I got involved with their celebration weekends because I’m a musician. It was amazing. There were so many different opportunities from doing PR to organising the festivals, and now I’m the director of finances.”

When communes change

Dhyano, who founded the community, left three years ago to pursue a different dream with his family in Devon. So how has Osho Leela changed since he left? “We work in a team-based way now,” says Tarisha. “Dhyano put his vision into action; now we’re streamlining it.”

Another of the four directors, Devaraj, who has been here for eight years, is credited with much of the responsibility for restructuring. “We’ve just made the organisation clearer,” he says. “For instance, now people who want to join the community have to do the Community Experience Programme first. We’re forming a more held environment and that means community members have the freedom to go more deeply into their own personal development.” Interestingly, Devaraj believes that “working on a deep emotional level with yourself lessens the need for possessions, money or other therapies like massage.”

Communal living

So what do their days in the commune look like? “We eat meals together and everyone works for the community for six or seven hours, from cooking to office work, to preparing workshops,” he says. “The newcomers share dormitories but progress to having their own caravans, then they can apply for the £30 pocket money.”

And what happens, I wonder, when there is conflict in the commune? “We have a weekly emotions-based sharing on Wednesday mornings,” says Devaraj, “which is very helpful because people get to see what is behind their drama, and we do a weekly ‘aum’ meditation which allows us to express anger, sadness, sensuality and laughter in a communal way.”

When I was there at New Year, there was a lot of cuddling, kissing and sexual connecting going on. How are their relationships on a day-to-day level? “We have some couples who live here but I don’t think there are so many fully open relationships as there used to be,” explains Devaraj. “But there is a big interest in tantra right now and we’re going to have two tantra festivals next year. That is about connecting more deeply on a sensual, spiritual and sexual level. We’re expanding into that. We also run Humaniversity workshops and many community members participate. This helps to give some therapeutic grounding to the community.”

So is Osho Leela really the hippest commune in the UK? I think it is. Developing your personal awareness, learning to be in your feelings rather than your mind, celebrating being alive, playing with the innocence of children and embracing the shadow side of yourself – it offers all of that and most importantly, incredible warmth.

On my last visit, I stood up in front of 150 people and read them a poem that I’d written in the morning, I cried at the sorrow I saw behind my dancing partner’s eyes and I laughed like a crazy woman as we catwalked one party night. And the best thing of all? I loved every minute of it.

How to give an Osho Leela hug

Face a partner and hold hands. It’s nice to make some eye contact.
Move closer and put your feet together with your partner’s in a ‘foot sandwich’.
Hug your partner, making sure you bend our knees. It’s good to have gentle body contact up the whole front of your body, but not too tight!
Relax into it and break off gently when you feel the time is right.