The Global Retreat Centre in Nuneham Courtenay, Oxfordshire, opened its doors to the public again on Sunday 23 July after five years’ closure for essential renovation. Over 1,750 people attended the Grand Opening event Feeling Peace - The Meditation Experience.
Uplifting and vibrant, the event was a rich mix of stage performances, music and dance and the sharing of wisdom and insights, personal experiences and good wishes from senior meditators from around the world, local community leaders and friends.
People were invited to come earlier in the afternoon to explore the beautiful gardens and the state rooms, soak up the peaceful atmosphere and experience the informal meditation activities set up around the grounds. There were movement meditations, affirmation meditations, grounding meditations and even tea meditations - all offering a taster of the meditation that is studied, practised and taught there. There were also informal sitar and violin performances, a meditation tent and tea and snacks for all. Many visitors remembered the Peace in the Park festivals that took place every summer for many years and attracted thousands of people, while a lot were discovering the place for the first time.
The main stage was stunningly decorated with a brightly coloured, hand-painted backdrop of flowers and peacocks under a canopy of stars. The first Lord and Lady Harcourt, the original residents of the 18th century house, were there to welcome everyone - brought to life in a light and entertaining performance by Minal Patel and Marnetta Viegas. They gave an imaginative peep into their world, and how our world and the retreat centre might look to them. Introducing and interweaving the speeches and reflections were songs by Lucinda Drayton, a rap performance by Lacky C & Jaini and dance performances by Pearl Jordan and Sharon O’Regan.
Senior meditators of the Brahma Kumaris from around the world spoke about different elements that enable us to feel peace and how meditation and a spiritual awareness is essential for our wellbeing.
Sister Jayanti who is Additional Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris and CEO of Brahma Kumaris UK - and very much behind the renovation project - brought the evening to a close by leading the audience into a beautiful, guided meditation for the self, for the world and for nature, ending with several minutes of powerful, ‘pin drop’ silence. She concluded by saying, “We would like you to carry away the peace that you have felt - even for a few fleeting moments or perhaps longer than that away with yourselves so that you can be instruments for peace wherever you may be, and that peace becomes available for you at any moment, at every moment you choose.”
Sarvjeet Soodan, Head of Political, Press & Information Wing at the High Commission of India in London, said, “On behalf of the High Commission of India, I congratulate you for this grand opening and for making the centre available to all of us… A chance to take a break from the magic of our computer and mobile screens and away from the confines of our offices to find ourselves, to find inner peace and tranquillity.”
The evening ended with a joyful song by Lucinda entitled ‘Abundance’ and dozens of colourful balloons filling the marquee.
