A SEARCH for meaning that began in the lecture halls of Melbourne University more than five decades ago is now bringing one of the world’s longest-serving Raja Yoga practitioners to Bulawayo.
Charlie Hogg will next week lead a public meditation and wellness talk in the city under the theme, Awakening Inner Power and Peace, sharing insights drawn from more than 50 years of spiritual practice and international teaching.
The programme is being hosted by the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Centre as part of its ongoing outreach initiatives promoting mindfulness, emotional well-being and spiritual awareness.
In a statement, organisers said the event is expected to attract people from different walks of life seeking practical tools to manage stress, anxiety and emotional pressure.
“This event is about helping people reconnect with peace within themselves,” the organisation said.
“Many people are carrying silent stress, uncertainty and emotional fatigue. The session will offer practical meditation tools that people can use in daily life.”
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Hogg’s journey began while studying architecture at the University of Melbourne in the 1970s. Although immersed in design and academic life, he became increasingly drawn to questions of culture, spirituality and the deeper meaning of human existence.
That search took him across Asia, the Middle East and Europe for three years, where he lived among Buddhist monasteries, Sikh gurdwaras, Christian communities, Muslim neighbourhoods, Hindu ashrams and Taoist centres.
Each experience deepened the same question that would eventually define his life’s work: who are we beyond the noise, pressure and roles imposed by society?
The turning point came in London in 1975 when Hogg encountered the Brahma Kumaris and began practising Raja Yoga meditation.
Two years later, he returned to Australia and established the first Brahma Kumaris Centre in Collingwood, Melbourne. By 1980, he had been appointed national coordinator for the organisation in Australia — a position he continues to hold today as chief executive and chairperson of the board.
Under his leadership, the movement expanded across Australia, establishing more than 40 centres and retreat spaces in locations including the Mornington Peninsula, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains.
The organisation’s national headquarters in Five Dock, Sydney, now serves as a major hub for international and Asia-Pacific programmes.
Over the decades, Hogg has spoken at conferences, retreats, and seminars in more than 80 countries, promoting meditation as a practical tool for emotional resilience and mental well-being in an increasingly pressured world.
“The first relationship in life is with our own being,” Hogg often tells audiences.
“If that is dysfunctional, everything becomes polluted, inside and out.”
He believes that while education and intellectual ability help people navigate the external world, many still struggle with the inner world of thoughts, emotions and identity.
That philosophy will form the core of his upcoming visit to Bulawayo.
The visit also follows celebrations marking 50 years of Brahma Kumaris' work in Africa under the theme, Love, Peace and Unity: Keys to Success.
Organisers say the Zimbabwe outreach includes free workshops, radio discussions and media engagements aimed at helping communities manage stress, family tensions and emotional pressure through self-awareness and meditation.
Brahma Kumaris Zimbabwe operates as part of a global non-profit movement active in more than 133 countries, with its African regional headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Despite his international profile, organisers say Hogg’s approach remains simple, grounded and accessible.