Vera K

From Germany – translator and stenographer, learned to Acem-meditate in 2018:

I decided to come to the summer retreat because I have been missing it! 

When I decided to go to the regular retreat for the first time in 2018 I had just learned Acem Meditation and immediately liked its psychological approach and the way to look at everything that comes up during meditation to be okay.

And I liked the idea of staying a whole week with a bunch of people I don’t know that unifies the practice of meditation, and all this in Norway and for little money.

Before attending this retreat I attended one regular retreat, one deepening retreat, and one communication course. Each retreat/course was different, but they were all intense and full of new insights into different life themes.

I met interesting and wonderful people. All these experiences are very important to me. I would not like to miss even one of them.

This year I hope to gain some new insights into personal and other’s life themes and some progress in regard to my tolerance level.

I also look forward to meeting old friends, new people and a mind-blowing disco at the end of the stay!

***

Jing Qian

From Australia – technical writer, learned to Acem-meditate in 2021:

Why not now?

 I am looking forward to long meditations, deeper self-exploration, and more understanding of Acem. Communication with other Acem meditators is also something i expect from the retreat.

I always thought that “one day” I’ll visit Norway. When I saw the information about this summer retreat, I thought “why not now”?

Last year this time we were in lockdown here in Melbourne, and I couldn’t leave home. I don’t know about next year, but honestly NOW has been the best time in the past couple of years.

I heard about Acem meditation back in October 2010 when I was still living in my hometown, Shanghai, China. I got my first iPad and was enjoying reading ebooks on it. One of the ebooks that I randomly downloaded was a Chinese edition of Are Holen’s “Psychology of Silence”. That book triggered my interest in meditation (I had zero knowledge about meditation before). I searched “Acem“ online and luckily a beginner’s course was going to be held soon in 2011 in Xiamen, another city in China. So I registered for the course and arranged my trip.

Unfortunately, while I did take my trip (and it was nice and magical), the course was canceled due to political issues and the China branch was permanently closed after that. But that attempt marked the start of my journey in meditation. After I migrated to Australia in 2013, I tried to look for Acem here because Acem still felt mysteriously unique to me, but there’s no Australia branch. However, I kept receiving the Acem newsletters and when the online course became available during the pandemic, I could finally start my beginner’s course.

My main benefit from learning meditation is that I have become more self-accepting and generally more comfortable with myself. That’s not the end, but the foundation for my explorations.