Attending the Universal Medicine Vietnam Retreats is a yearly commitment I make with myself. Apart from this particular retreat (one of the three Retreats offered by Universal Medicine every year), I seldom attend other just as amazing courses that Universal Medicine offers in Australia or the UK. So far, I have attended the Vietnam Retreat for the past 6 years.
There are many points of universal laws and truths that I enjoy offered at the Universal Medicine Retreat – anyone who has attended such Universal Medicine retreats knows the gems that are presented by Serge Benhayon and Natalie Benhayon, as well as all the sharings that we receive from students from all over the world. Anyone who is interested in what life is truly about is offered a foundation to understand themselves and other people in life – which I value as a precious opportunity.
And yet these are not the only reasons I attend the retreat. To be honest, every time I attend, I am given many opportunities to know and understand myself even more. A commitment to know myself more is a daily endeavour: however in the retreat, this process is intensified.
Sometimes the experiences in the retreat are not the easiest to accept. I am constantly being shown parts of myself that I want to remain blind to ‘seeing,’ but through other people, these parts of myself can be more clearly understood. Here I am given opportunities to see the ugly part of myself – by this I mean, the parts of me that did not come in and/or with love. I treasure deeply these opportunities, so that when I address them, I am able to step closer back to the truth of who I truly am – that which is love. As stated, at times what I see about myself is not the easiest to accept, and there have been many times when I felt I would never go back.
But I still keep coming back to the Universal Medicine Retreat, so what makes me do so?
- As part of my daily life, I sometimes catch myself at times feeling less of myself. When I feel this, I shrink from the confidence and joy that l know I am: however in the Retreat, I choose to be constantly very honest with myself why I am feeling this way.
- It is very challenging at times to allow myself to feel how others have chosen to express themselves, and to still hold myself in equality and appreciation; this is a very precious opportunity to have. What I get to live and practise every day in the Retreat is the activity of not holding back my natural expression and the connection I feel with myself and others.
- What I experience with the way the Retreat is presented, is a way to live and practise this every day. I feel an added openness that, with the support of Serge Benhayon, Natalie Benhayon, and from every student present, as well as with the food prepared for us, the rhythm we go through on our every day, and even the environment of the resort we stay in… inspires me.
Sometimes I do not immediately get what has been presented to me during these Retreats, but when I feel into it, I realise I actually do know, but there is a part of me that does not want to admit that I know. So in addition to listening and watching the presenters, I allow myself to join every presentation and group discussion and be open to the experiment of “what if I knew.” I usually surprise myself with the wisdom and truth of what comes out of my mouth from the awareness I clearly felt within my body… which is within us all to express.
For the past 6 years while attending the Universal Medicine Retreats, I have found putting up my hand and asking a question in public to be one of the things I am least comfortable with, and so I allow myself to feel this discomfort and sometimes just to challenge myself, I will do it. I often still feel a lot of self-judgment when I ask a question, however with support from other students, I am open to the possibility of doing it more: who knows, maybe one day I will be absolutely comfortable with this, or even be on stage!
I enjoy and keep coming back to the Universal Medicine Retreats because this event is so much more than just a Retreat. There is no start and stop as every day in my life is preparing me for this Retreat. And it is not just the 4 days I am there, as everything I experience there is brought back to my everyday life to further experiment with. I am presented a living way that is there every single moment of my day, a more committed way I am able to bring to every aspect of my life.
This unfolding and way of living is asking me to be constantly more open, more in fullness, to deepen my love consistently for myself and with other people and very simply, to be more of the true me. Every time I attend, I see myself being more of all of the above, and even at moments when I feel I have not moved much or have even gone backwards, I have the choice to deepen my self-love. From a woman who has been very much protected in the shell of perfection and aloofness, I have grown to become much more real with an acceptance of my imperfections, which has opened a deep connection with myself and with people: this process has deepened the fullness of beauty for me.
When I do not delay in honouring how I feel, how I communicate, how I take care of myself, how I lovingly and gently address my emotions and reactions, this results in what I have asked for my whole life – a way I can be and live in truth. This is a simple dedicated commitment, a dedication that Universal Medicine has supported me in deepening.
By Adele Leung
Further Reading:
UniMed Retreat
Before and After the Universal Medicine Lennox Head Retreat
Inspired by Universal Medicine… Just Being Me
The Truth about Universal Medicine 
Absolutely amazing what these Universal Medicine Retreats offer, ‘This unfolding and way of living is asking me to be constantly more open, more in fullness, to deepen my love consistently for myself and with other people and very simply, to be more of the true me.’
I agree with you Adele that often on retreats or workshops the personal experiences are not the easiest to accept and that there are parts of my personality that I would rather not look at. But by looking at these parts of myself I have changed beyond anything I could ever imagine, I have lost that feeling of constant anxiousness and now feel very confident about myself and my place in the world.
I am very much looking forward to attending a retreat next year as I have not been to one in 6 years. The effect of the retreat doesn’t just happen in those days that it is physically happening. It lasts days, months and years after and I am already getting hints of what is to come next year.
Deepening our relationship with our Essences / Soul is the foundation for our evolution, and as you have shared Adele, the retreats presented By Serge Benhayon open this door wide for everyone to enter at their own time or we are given space to evolve at our own pace and depth of understanding.
Serge Benhayon gives everyone space, space to live what is true in each moment.
Adele what you wrote here rings true for me
“Anyone who is interested in what life is truly about is offered a foundation to understand themselves and other people in life – which I value as a precious opportunity.”
Is this is why people are drawn to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine because they know that there is more to life than the tread mill we have collectively made it. What is on offer at these retreats and workshops of Universal Medicine is a stop moment and an opportunity to question life and ourselves and the part we have to play in life as we are all responsible for life. For years I have blamed other people for the mess we are in, it was a big wake up call to realise that my unwillingness to take responsibility for my own life impacted everyone else. I went around thinking I was the victim, I was not.
I can certainly relate with what you share Mary, that I used to blame others for ‘issues/problems’ in my life, instead of taking responsibility for my part in each scenario.
I have attended 2 Universal Medicine Retreats so far and they are always absolute GOLD in what they offer the participant, which as you share is an opportunity to deepen, let go of the what is not, reflect, see the parts we do not always want to see .. including appreciating ourselves, to ponder, to change, heal and grow and so very much more.
Universal Medicine retreats are gold in what they offer, always supporting our deepening and evolving back to who we are in Truth.
Universal Medicine retreats remind us who we truly are: divine beings in physical bodies and offer a truer way of being to counter the onslaught of life ‘out there’ considered to be the norm.
And thank goodness we are. With greater awareness and practical tools, we’re supported to be inwardly steady and weave our way through the maelstrom and speed of everyday life.
We seem to have made the ‘abnormal’ normal, and anyone who questions our ‘abnormal’ way of being is censored and vilified, however truth has a resonance or vibration to it and it does resonate in our bodies as so that is how the truth will expose the ‘abnormalities’ that we call life.
Sitting in groups talking about topics in our lives with honesty can be really challenging for me. I have felt vulnerable sharing aspects of my life that I’d like to be different. What’s beautiful is feeling the support of others – it’s like I take them to what I feel like dark cupboards and open them with their support. I had imagined the darkness was impenetrable but it’s a joy to find out they’re not. I have let go of so many fears and old patterns that weren’t supporting me.
I agree with you Karin when we shine a light into those dark cupboards you describe we find that actually there’s nothing there to be scared off. To let go of fears is so freeing for our bodies.
For me every Universal Medicine retreat I have attended has reminded me that if we don’t greet each day as a new beginning and appreciate the potential of what it offers, we will forever remain marking time in the status quo.
Many people consider retreats as a time to ‘switch off’, Universal Medicine retreats offer much more, space for us to “switch on’ to what is going on within ourselves, humanity and world.
What I can feel is the deep honesty and love that you live in your every day that allows you to maximize your being at the Universal Medicine retreat, and your experience at the retreat equally feeding back to deepen your honesty and love. This is very beautiful and inspiring. Thank you, Adele.
The retreats are an opportunity to take stock, to observe, reflect, learn, appreciate, let go, expand and move forward, and in doing so, leave behind old patterns. Every time I attend one I come back lighter, brighter, more committed to life, more accepting of myself and others, more open to others and to learning. In short, more ready and fitter for life. The retreats provide very practical tools and everyday applicable wisdom in knowing who you are and connecting to the purpose of life.
Why do I continue to attend the retreats, workshops and presentations of Serge Benhayon and now Natalie Benhayon, because they bring truth to the world where truth is sadly lacking. I’m so sick of the corruption, abuse, violence and greed to name a few of what we have excepted as normal.
I read recently on the BBC news website that
According to Canada’s BNN Bloomberg, the drinks giant Coca Cola is in talks with local producer Aurora Cannabis about developing marijuana-infused beverages. These would not aim to intoxicate consumers but to relieve pain. The firm declined to comment but said it was watching the cannabis drinks market closely.
To me this is pure greed that a company does not want to miss out on another drinks product that will make Billions of dollars for the company.
So to be presented with another way for humanity to live is like a breath of much needed fresh air.
‘To be honest, every time I attend, I am given many opportunities to know and understand myself even more’.
‘I am constantly being shown parts of myself that I want to remain blind to seeing’ – is exactly how I feel about the retreats. I get to know me more, and develop a relationship with myself that is so valuable and I fall in love with myself more. How gorgeous to take the real me to everyone.
Imagine being shown how to more deeply love ourselves and share this with everyone. This is magic in motion, the before and after of studying with Universal Medicine.
I find the retreat offers more than words can describe, it offers healing from the energetic perspective and to encourage us to live from this too. As humans we are not about just the doing, there is the being aspect too.
I not only learn from the sharing I bring but also what others bring too and I have this awakening, yes I do that too, what hasn’t been expressed out in the open.
Universal Medicine retreats are not like any other retreats I have attended in the past where the feeling of euphoria develops and it drops later. For me these retreats don’t give an all high but an offer to evolve, bring understanding, energetic responsibility in what I do and love for all.
That is a good question, why do I continue to attend the yearly Universal Medicine retreats? For me it is being with other people to expose what is not the truth within me, it is an opportunity to refine this and live more from the gentle, divine, souls we are from.
This way of living continues for many months and instead of ageing, I find I am maturing more with wisdom.
The retreats are a precious opportunity to live a time-honoured and tested way of life that is supportive of our being in every way possible.
These retreats offer so much. What is on offer to learn is simply extraordinary. But one of the things that I love the most is sharing these 5 days with other people, some of whom I now know, others I have never met. We share this time together, working together, to elevate and support each other in our understanding of life, its workings and our place in it. Who would have thought that you could work so hard in discussion with each other and feel quite amazing at the end of 5 days of it. I always take away a snapshot of what is possible in terms of humanity working together.
Working together, sharing, supporting each other in our understanding of life is at the heart of these retreats, and as you say Jennifer, reflects what is possible for humanity.