The retreat is suitable for those who wish to practise meditations of six hours or more.

Long meditations

A deepening retreat gives you an opportunity for daily long meditations of at least six hours. The retreat will focus on how to enhance your meditation. All activity under the course of the day is designed to stimulate the deeper meditative process.

Guidance groups

The long hours of silence are followed by daily process-oriented guidance groups led by experienced meditation guides, in order to maximise the results of long meditations.

Seminars

Questions arising from performing long meditations, along with meditative and existential topics will be covered in the evening seminars.

Walk and talk

There will be ample time for walks in the beautiful surrounding areas. Some of the walking time is combined with one-on-one discussions of themes and issues from your meditation.

Yoga

Daily sessions of basic Acem Yoga have a refreshing effect and facilitate the practice of long meditations.

Typical daily programme

0730 - 0830: Breakfast, exercise
0830 - 1600: Silence for meditation
1600 - 1630: Yoga
1630 - 1700: Pause
1700 - 1900: Process guidance
1900 - 2000: Dinner
2000 - 2130: Seminar

Who may participate?

To participate in a deepening retreat, you should have more or less daily meditation practice (preferably 2x30 min. or 1x45 min.), have experience from at least one regular weeklong Acem Meditation retreat (5 days or more), and be prepared to participate in the entire retreat from beginning to end.

The venue

Acem International Retreat Centre at Halvorsbøle is situated outside Oslo in beautiful and peaceful surroundings. Most of the rooms have a direct view of the Randsfjord lake.

What to read

The book Practical Guide to Acem Retreats provides practical advice for retreats in Acem Meditation. The book Moving Forward 2 increases your understanding of the processes stimulated by such retreats. The book Meditative Yoga can also be helpful.

Other retreats

A Young Retreat, an International Regular Summer Retreat and other International Deepening Retreats take place each year. See the dates on our calendar.

For people with ample experience from deepening retreats, Acem also arranges advanced deepening retreats.