Structure - Nazaré Uniluz

Immersed in the Atlantic Forest

We’ve prepared a virtual tour for you to get to know our University, which is located in the town of Nazaré Paulista (about 1.5 hours from the city of São Paulo-SP), between lakes and mountains, completely integrated into the Atlantic Rainforest, previously inhabited by the Tupi people, natives of the region.

You’ll find our green gate just 800 meters down a dirt road.

Welcome!

our facilities – bricks pointing to mindfulness and selfless service

Nazaré Uniluz was born in the 1980s with the mission of creating a meditation center. Most of the existing buildings on campus were built with the support of volunteer hands of residents and visitorswho, over the decades, believed in building a peaceful worldand in a stance of selfless service.

The bricks – selected and organized by theirdifferent shades of terracotta – inspired a search for harmony and beauty as well as the practice of mindfulness.

Simplicity and hospitality - Single room

Simplicity, collection and privacy. This is an important differentiator of the University: the concept of accommodation for individual use only. A space for collection, rest and reflection. Some have private bathrooms.

connecting with the Earth

The organic vegetable garden and the herb garden are “actual classrooms” at our university; Nature with its cycles and seasons is the great teacher.

Here we offer relational experiences to reconnect participants and volunteers with the earth, thus strengthening the human bond with their own nature and the Whole.

conscious eating

The organic vegetable garden has been cultivated since 1982 and the food we produce is transformed into delicious and healthy meals that are served on our tables. In a perfect and sustainable cycle, what was discarded in the preparation and what remains of the food served returns to the garden to be processed in the compost, producing the nutrients needed to fertilize the soil and restart a new cycle.

plateau

When life calls for a pause, quietness, and beauty, the plateau overlooking the reservoir and the hills is an invitation to contemplate the sunset, meditate and also to meet people and have meaningful exchanges.

from the vegetable garden to the table, a sustainable concept of nutrition

We practice the principle of loving care through a healthy lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, with vegan options. Much of the food comes from our organic garden, as well as from small producers, promoting family farming in the region.

Our kitchen is a communal one, where daily meals are prepared with the participation of a cook, residents, volunteers and participants in some of our programs. Here, the act of cooking is an invitation to the practice of some of our Principles: loving care, care for nature, mindfulness and selfless service. Joy, being here-now and love are fundamental ingredients in our food.

community center

The Community Center is a space for socializing and the central meeting point of the University. It’s where we eat meals and occasionally gather around the fireplace for meetings, exchanges, listening/storytelling or singing. The shop, kitchen and pantry are also located here.

bakery

The bakery is another one of our “classrooms”, where you can practice the Principles of the University in the act of making bread with the in-house team of volunteers who live on campus and take part in living experiences.

Here the delicious artisan breads are made with mindfulness, joy and loving care, in four versions: traditional whole-wheat, whole-wheat with grainsand seeds, Australian and gluten-free. Our breads are eaten for breakfast and dinner and sold in our shop.

Oca

An outdoor space surrounded by nature where we serve morning and afternoon snacks on sunny days.

meditative environments

An inspiring garden space at a central point on campus: an invitation to read, moments of reflection and contemplation of nature, a meeting place for good conversations, as well as an option for meditating and practicing the Principles of Meditation, Silence and Mindfulness.

Meditation room

For more than four decades, Nazaré Uniluz has been inspiring and practicing meditation in this circular, cozy and quiet space. It has an area of 50 m², with a diameter of 8m.

Every day we stop external activities to nourish the Soul for 15 minutes (at 7am, 12pm and 7pm); in a simple meditation practice, without external guidance or religious orientation, it allows everyone to use their own personal technique internally, as long as it is silent. The soft ringing of a gong signals the beginning and end of the meditation.

meditative labyrinth

Inspired by the famous Chartres Labyrinth in France, our meditative labyrinth is surrounded by gardens and the Atlantic forest, an invitation to active meditation, relaxation and moments of outdoor celebration.

It’s construction was an initiative of the class of apprentices in our Post-Graduate course in Transpersonal Psychology, with the collaboration of volunteers, participants and residents.

Meditative wooded area and chestnut tree trail

a small wooded area and internal trails for meditation, contemplation and closer contact with the nature we are surrounded by as part of the Atlantic Forest.

forest room

A large round room (71 m² – diameter: 9.55 m) surrounded by the Atlantic Forest, with a fireplace. It was built in a sustainable way, using bio-construction techniques: rammed earth walls made from the local soil, a structure made from certified wood and a roof made from ecological tiles. The restrooms are ecological, with views of the forest and biological waste treatment.

shakti room

This rectangular room (71.25 m²) has a Sanskrit name, symbolizing the power and energy that represent the dynamic forces that exist throughout the Universe.

It has a beautiful view of hills and trees of the Atlantic Forest and its interior is cozy and warm, with carpeted floors and an internal fireplace, designed to accommodate yoga practices, with kuruntas on the walls.

STUDY ROOM

A warm and welcoming room, made of bricks and wooden floors, it is one of the first on campus. It is rectangular and measures 57.60m² (9.60×6). Through its windows, you can admire the trees and the tropical vegetation that surround it. It has a data-show equipment, sound system and whiteboard. There are chairs, cushions and Yoga Mats available.

Mandala room

This room has a painted glass window with a beautiful mandala in shades of pink, gold and blue, interconnected by threads of light. It symbolizes the energy that flows from the heart chakra, connecting with life and all beings. It has a square format, measuring 32.20 m² (5.60×5.75). Equipped with a data-show, cushions, chairs and sound system.

Weaving Room

The Weaving Room is a space for making rugs and items with cotton or wool yarn on its various looms. Weaving is a silent and meditative experience and a great exercise for the practice of mindfulness. The room comprises two connected rectangles, measuring the total of 40m².

Cozy corners of the campus

SHOP

In our little shop we have a variety of products, some produced by residents or people linked to our institution. We have products made here, such as weaving pieces, natural cosmetics, jams, wholegrain breads, granola, etc. We also have a bookstore full of titles on a wide range of topics related to self-knowledge and spirituality.

Some of these titles are reading materials in experiences and courses given on our campus. All the products purchased in the Shop help the space to maintain itself, and any additional voluntary contribution is welcome!

natural cosmetics laboratory

To dedicate oneself to the study of earth cosmetology is to recover what is most beautiful and noble in oneself, changing the relationship with what we offer our body, the temple of all our experiences.

Our natural cosmetics laboratory recovers the wise ancestral practices of self-care with the medicine available in nature.

In this corner, we produce shampoos, solid conditioners, soaps, aromatherapy, deodorants and many other 100% natural products, free of synthetic substances such as lauryl, petrolatum and silicones.

healing space

A welcoming and safe place for you to experience an inner journey of self-care, harmony and well-being, and not just a therapeutic treatment. Integrative therapies take place here that seek to awaken the inner resources that already exist in each Being for healing, regeneration, well-being and the expansion of consciousness.

Sara Marriott Library

Located next to the Mandala Room, it is a cozy space that lets nature “enter” through its wood and glass walls, and is ideal for research or reading on the most varied topics of self-knowledge and spirituality. The library has existed since the beginning of Nazaré Uniluz and has more than 4,000 titles.

Memorial Room

Located in Sara’s building, in front of the central campus garden and overlooking our meditation room, it was where Sara Marriott often wrote, meditated, and received inspiration and met people forcounselling or sharing.

Today, this corner houses a collection that tells parts of our history: photos, documents, letters, furniture and other objects.