I started to meditate daily some years ago while I studied IT in Trondheim, Norway. The Acem International World Retreat in 2016 became my first weeklong retreat. It was a special experience to go to Spain, experience the Pyrenees, and meet young people from the whole world who meditated. After this experience, retreats in Norway or Sweden at first did not seem as exciting. But when the pandemic struck, meditation became more important again.

The pandemic helped my meditation

During the pandemic, there were suddenly more opportunities to meditate at home. I did not have to rush to work every day, and it was easier to get into a daily meditation rhythm. The first pandemic summer, it seemed a good idea to spend a week at a retreat. After this, my appetite for retreats increased.

I participated in two international young retreats, where I learned a lot more about the meditation process. This strengthened my motivation to go further into my own meditation process.

I appreciate that the retreats are an opportunity to get away from ordinary everyday life. The meditations in a retreat go deeper than meditations at home and help me go deeper into my own mind.

The special social contact that occurs spontaneously during retreats also meant a lot to me. I met a lot of interesting young people.  The food is also usually very good.

My plan – looking a bit ahead – is to participate in a deepening retreat in Acem. For the time being, I am satisfied with the retreats with 3-6 hours of meditation. For me, they bring a lot of deepening, too.

Better use of my resources

I have achieved great benefits from meditation in my daily life. My head functions a lot better, I have become more effective and become more adept at handling stress. When I meditate, I get in a better mood and become a more pleasant person. I also quickly noticed that my achievements improved when my head became more clear.  The benefits from meditations are obvious not only for me – my friends and family confirm them to me as well.

Curious about communication

The training in interpersonal communication is my next project. Many have told me that this course is very good, and I want to try it. It seems like the communication course stimulates so much personal development that people come back several times, and this increases my curiosity. Participants tell me it has enhanced their awareness of their psychological patterns in interpersonal relationships. It is important to me to acquire a better understanding of how others perceive me. I have set aside the time for the course this year and am really looking forward to making it happen.

More information on this year’s International Summer Retreat with Acem’s founder

More information on Training in Interpersonal Communication