Jerome (20) on Acem Meditation
‘Acem Meditation makes me more grounded and easygoing,’ says Jerome, a 20-year-old sporty young German living in Hamburg. ‘And there is something very authentic about the method and the way it is taught.’
Jerome is not originally from Hamburg. He spent his first 18 years in the North German countryside far from any city. After high school, he left his parents and the small community where he grew up and headed for Hamburg with its population of 1.9 million. Here he found himself immersed in the hustle and bustle of the big city. He had a challenging time keeping up with new ways of living, quite on his own. After a year or so he had built a network of good friends, and is now enjoying himself in his new situation. Like many young Germans, he has his own room in a flat where he shares a kitchen and bathroom with other students. Instead of academic studies, he chose to attend a sports school where he is studying to be a coach and a sports salesman.
Authentic
Jerome found information about beginner’s courses in Acem Meditation at his school and enrolled immediately. He wanted to come to grips with his situation as a young man in a big city. Jerome immediately liked the meditation technique and the course, which was held by an experienced Scandinavian Acem instructor. He found that there was something authentic about the practice and the way it was taught. For several weeks after the course he meditated regularly at home, but gradually the practice was pushed more to the back burner in his life. After a period of irregular meditation, he joined group meditations. There is a big group of meditators in Hamburg and a good number of Acem events to join, and there are ample opportunities to meet up with other practitioners of Acem Meditation and renew one’s own motivation. The group meditations and the advanced course he followed at Acem’s center in Hamburg got him back on track with regular meditation, and his motivation and regularity have remained high since.
Easygoing
Acem Meditation has helped Jerome cope with the hectic schedule of school, work, and adjusting to big city life. Being able to process all the impressions from a long day has become an important part of Jerome’s schedule. He finds himself more energized, and has a fresh perspective after a meditation session. Now, he rarely skips meditation after coming home in the evenings. He also feels more grounded and easygoing than before, and he pays less attention to what other people may think about him. Jerome was always the youngest in his group, and often wondered what sort of impression he made on people around him. He feels more relaxed about this now, more at ease with himself, and attributes this to his practice of Acem Meditation. Some of his friends and fellow students have been curious about his meditation habit, and he can now explain this with little difficulty, and even stand his ground if someone doesn’t seem to want to understand the benefits of regular meditation.
Destressing
Jerome finds it easier to meditate in the afternoons than in the mornings, mainly because he is a late sleeper and still has to rise early for school and work. He always manages to get his afternoon meditation, though. He feels so stressed and exhausted after a long and demanding day that he invariably feels he benefits from Acem Meditation.
He hopes to have the opportunity to go to Acem’s international student retreat in Scandinavia. To meet up with other meditators in his own age group is a high priority for him. And if he doesn’t make it this year, he is certain that come next summer, he will find himself enjoying the Swedish scenery at Lundsholm retreat center, hanging out with a bunch of young Acem meditators.
Interview: Folke Gravklev
Copy editor: Ann Kunish
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