Summary
Date	July 12–25 2025
Teachers	Václav
Venue	Osek Monastery (near Ústí nad Labem)
Cena	35€ / night (sponsored price available)

This course will be taught by Václav Šmilauer − see about us.

May I come?

On this retreat of the Vipassana meditation, we welcome both beginners and those with prior meditation experience, irrespective of religion, gender or age (16+). Vipassana is a Buddhist contemplation method; however, one does not need to be Buddhist (or have knowledge of Buddhism) to fully benefit from the meditation; in fact most course participants are not.

We recommend to go through the whole course to gain the full benefit. It is nevertheless possible to come for a shorter time (at least 4 nights) as the course proceeds on individual basis.

Course

All participants are given detailed introduction into meditation at the beginning of the course.

The course is organized around directing attention inwards as much as possible. Participants sleep 6 hours a day, breakfast is served usually 6:30, lunch at 11:30. The rest of the time is dedicated to the practice with short breaks between “rounds” (walking+sitting meditation). The course is conducted in silence (and off-line). Whatever happens during the day can be discussed with the teacher at daily individual meetings; however, teachers are available 24/7 if needed. The teachers might adjust the regime individually if necessary (e.g.due to medical conditions).

Participants follow traditional 8 precepts which support meditation by eliminating distractions and make it easier to share space with others: no killing, stealing, sexual activities, lying, intoxicants, eating after lunch, entertainment (reading, writing, singing, music, yoga, phone, internet, …) & cosmetics, luxury.

Food is vegetarian; snacks are served in the evening (youghurt, fruit juice, piece of cheese). Water, teas and coffee is available all day round.

The accommodation is individual by default. In the (rather infrequent) case of capacity exhaustion, we will try to find solution which works for everyone.

Participants can be contacted by their families in case of emergency through organizers.

Venue

Trapist monastery Osek (Ossegg, near Teplice) has been the place of contemplation for centuries — founded in 1206. Thick walls, beautiful garden and silent surroundings under mountains are ideal for meditation retreat. See website of the monastery.

The bus stop next to the monastery is Osek, nám.; train stops in Osek (2km) or Osek město (1km); we are ready to pick you up at the train station — let us know in advance about your arrival time.

If travelling by car, you will likely pass through Teplice and Duchcov (Dux). You can park safely on the premises of the monastery.

If coming by airplane, the closest airports would be Dresden (DRS) or Prague (PRG); trains will need about 2 hours to get to Osek, changing in Ústí nad Label (Aussig).

What to bring

loose comfortable white/light clothes (by tradition) or neutral colors, covering shoulders and knees;
warm socks for inside; also take warm clothes (like jumpers, long sleeve shirts, …);
slippers;
toiletries (toothpaste, shower gel);
(~~alarm clock/timer~~ we will have enough to borrow; note that using phones is not possible);
optionally your favourite tea/coffee, cushion, blanket;
flask (thermos) for hot water (for colder weather);
course fee (minus deposit) in cash, or send it in advance by bank transfer;
cash for donation for teachers after the course; bank transfer will be also possible;
any medication you take or might need.

How to register

Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions before you make decision. The registration procedure is easy:

Inform us about your intention to come.
We confirm space availability.
You transfer the deposit and fill registration form.
We confirm the reservation.