Free talks, meditation sessions and weekend retreats….too good to be true?

I recently discovered the Brahma Kumaris – an organisation with spiritual centres  all over the world dedicated to providing information on wellbeing. And the best bit is that technically – you don’t have to pay for it. However, the organisation survives on donations and still has it’s overheads to cover so attendees are asked to make a donation of what they feel they can contribute so that the services can always exist.

 I live in Berkshire, UK and have been to their Global Retreat Centre in Oxford and their Spiritual Centre in London. They offer a fabulous array of facilities to anyone who wants to improve their lives/enhance their spiritual knowledge. It is focused on spiritualisation not religion which is why I think it attracts so many people from different backgrounds. We all want sanctuary and peace.

Their facilities can be categorised into the following:

1. They teach and practice Raja Yoga Meditaion.The following is a beautiful extract from a hand-out produced by them: ‘One of the primary purposes of meditation is to respore our true self awareness. We are taught and conditioned by society (parents/education/culture) to identify with everything that we are not – profession, nationaliy, belief systms etc. This is fatal to our wellbeing as they are all subject to change and decay. They are only labels and we are not a label. The purpose and practice of meditaion takes us beyond these false identities to reconnect us with our true identity as spirit, as a soul whose true and eternal nature is simply peace.’

 

 

 

 

 

2. They run a series of Talks with subjects like ‘Finding Peace in Chaotic Times,’ Why me? Why Here? Why Now?,’ ‘The Power of Attraction,’ ‘Pioneering Women in Spirituality’ and so on. I have personally attended many of these and always come away feeling a little wiser. I always feel these are truthful to my soul and they help me to think and challenge my current life/state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. One Day Retreats – I have attended one of these and they are great. I went to one on the Global Retreat Centre in Oxford, UK – beautiful surroundings. A really well presented day of information and a good insight into the organisation and how it can help you find your own calmness. They also serve a vegetarian meal midway.

 

 

 

4. They also have Drop In Centres where one can go and meditate, read, buy books and CD’s or just gain further information from the staff there.

 

 

 

 

For details of where these facilities are, visit the website BKWSU, select your region/country and see what facilities are available to you. All photo’s from this section are from the above website.

Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from those of you who have been. What did you think?