Who We Are

A little bit about us

The Lighthouse Retreat Centre is owned and operated by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Univeristy. The Brahma Kumaris teaches Raja Yoga as a way of experiencing peace of mind and a positive approach to life.

The University offers opportunities for anyone from all religious and cultural backgrounds to explore their spirituality and learn skills of reflection and meditation derived from Raja Yoga. All of our events and retreats are offered at no charge as a service to the community. We operate on the karmic philosophy that by giving selflessly and with compassion, we can be happy and inspire a positive way of being and living.

We recognise that in order to bring about change externally, we must first change ourselves by being kind and caring to the self. Through Raja Yoga, we learn to emerge and embody the inner qualities which help develop inner calm, clear thinking and personal well-being through inner discovery, meditative practices and conscious lifestyle choices.

The University is part of a worldwide network of over 8,500 centres in more than 100 countries, the first of which was founded in India in the 1930s. The BKWSU (UK) was established as a UK charity in 1975 and charges no fees for any of its activities, being funded entirely by voluntary contributions.

The Team

Our Ethos

Here at the Retreat Centre, we work as a team of volunteers, meditate together and give our time freely to creating an all-year-round programme of events for the community. We strive to nurture the very best in ourselves so that we can naturally enjoy sharing something of value with others. Whether your stay with us is for a couple of hours or a weekend, we aim to make it easier for you to connect to a place of tranquillity within and see life from a higher perspective.

The Retreat Centre

Our Space

Situated by the sea, the Lighthouse Retreat Centre is an oasis of calm away from the tension and bustle of life. It is a place of learning that enables you to nourish the spiritual dimension of your life and reconnect with yourself. Since its establishment it has been widely appreciated as a space for inner healing and growth. The centre offers a range of events from one day and half day retreats as well as talks, seminars and courses on meditation, personal growth and spiritual development. The Lighthouse Retreat Centre is administered by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University UK and, as a service to the community, charges no fees for any of its activities. It is funded by voluntary contributions.

The History

Our Roots

The Brahma Kumaris was founded in 1930’s in Hyderabad, Sindh (now part of Pakistan, but at that time part of colonial India) by Brahma Baba, formerly known as Dada Lekhraj Kirpalani, who had a series of visions depicting world transformation.
Dada Lekhraj was a successful and much-respected jeweller. In 1936, around the time when most people at his age start to plan their retirement, he actually entered into the most active and fascinating phase of his life. After a series of deep spiritual experiences and visions, he felt an extremely strong pull to give up his business and dedicate his time, energy and wealth to laying the foundations of what later would become the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. He soon became known as Brahma Baba. In 1937, he formed a managing committee of eight young women and established an informal group that grew into the Brahma Kumaris of today. He spent the rest of his life bringing people of all cultural, socio-economic and religious backgrounds together to rediscover and develop the spiritual dimensions of their personal lives and to integrate this into their world. He insisted that his role was that of a simple instrument and not that of a guru. He recognised God, the Being of Light, the Benevolent one, as the primary inspiration for Brahma Kumaris and their work. In May 1950 he moved with the other founding members from Karachi, Pakistan, to Mt. Abu in India, where he remained until his passing in 1969.