We are renting the entire Venabu Mountain Hotel, so that all participants get optimal conditions for learning, practice and development. Set aside this week in your calendar!

Everyone gets their own room with shower and toilet at Venabu Fjellhotell. The rooms have a good and simple standard, without TV. Wi-fi is available in the hotel, and the entire area has 4G coverage. There is no room service during the retreat.

Large dining room. Large hall for teaching, as well as smaller lounges for those seeking an inspiring book and a sofa – with a hot cup in hand.

DNBF has arranged long retreats at Venabu four times before, read about the retreats here:

DNBF's spiritual leader Nitho will be the instructor at this retreat. He has led many retreats in different countries, and can inspire with high quality and safety. He was born and raised in Western Norway, and has his background from the University of Bergen and NHH. After a few years of work in Oslo/Norway, he traveled to Australia and BSWA, where he completed a 14-year full-time training under British-Australian Ajahn Brahm − one of the world's foremost masters of meditation in Buddhism.

Nitho founded DNBF together with Jon Endre Mørk in 2021, and Nitho has worked as the Spiritual Director for DNBF since then. He now travels around Norway and the Nordic countries to inspire people and create arenas for the development of people's minds towards peace, wisdom, freedom, happiness.

Everything at the retreat is voluntary, and we set up a culture like at college/university − the retreat offers teaching, guiding, individual guidance, joint question/answer sessions, food, room/cabin, friendliness and beautiful nature − and then it is up to each participant to use the resources and nature according to their own wishes and needs. It is recommended to sleep a lot during the first few days, as sleep deprivation/tiredness is a major obstacle to the development of the mind and wisdom.

The purpose of this retreat is to enable participants to dedicate this week to themselves − their own mind and body − free from family, work, entertainment and regular duties. The participants have no responsibility, and there is a real opportunity for development, learning and practice. The participant can also turn off the mobile phone and Venabu can be the point of contact, if something important happens at home.

The first and last day of the retreat is social, but everyone is encouraged to be quiet and not talk throughout the week, unless it is practically necessary, or in case of questions/comments at classes/sessions. If someone wants to be a little social, it is recommended to go for a walk in nature together, so that the others are not disturbed.

Many people come to such a retreat, because they want and value peace/silence – and experience the beauty of a quiet peaceful mind. So the focus this week is inwards towards our own mind, and only to a small extent social.

Good and relevant books are offered at the retreat, for those who want to read − some can be borrowed, and others can be bought.

This retreat is mostly free of rituals and ceremonies, and we have a typical western way of being.

A 2500-year-old training is taught, which over centuries has created wisdom and light brilliantly beautiful minds—freedom from hatred, anger, worry, anxiety, depression, shame, greed, envy, etc. It's about developing kindness, ethics, peace, joy, happiness, and freedom—a framework called the eight-fold path.

The more we learn, the better we will experience our minds and lives. Ethics and good intentions create a life with less trouble, and meditation creates a temporarily uplifted mind that gives a taste of how beautiful our mind can be. Such an uplifted mind—peaceful, clear, and light—can focus deeply, undisturbed, and for a long time, and develop wisdom about our own nature, which can create a permanently beautiful happy mind, through understanding the framework called the Four Noble Truths.

So it's about happiness and freedom on the inside, and to a lesser extent the physical, social and material side of life.

All the factors of the eight-fold path are taught at this retreat – ethics, intentions, effort, mindfulness, meditation, and how wisdom develops.

A daily schedule will be defined together with the group that will be followed throughout the retreat. Typically, it will look like this:

06.30 – 07.30 − Group meditation (optional)
07.30 – 08.30 − Breakfast
09.00 – 10.00 − Teaching
10.00 – 12.00 − Free practice
12.00 – 13.00 − Lunch (main meal)
13.00 – 15.00 − Free practice
15.00 – 16.00 − Guided meditation
16.00 – 18.00 − Free practice/individual guidance
18.00 – 19.00 − Evening snacks
20.00 – 21.00 − Q&A session
21.00 – ??.?? − Free practice

All teaching at the retreat will be in the Norwegian language, but independent English speaking participants can also participate.

Individual guidance may be in English, and questions asked in English language together will be answered in English. So English speaking participants can join in, but require more experience and independence, as the teaching will be in Norwegian language.

The participants choose themselves how to sit during teachings and guiding − a few sit on the floor, some sit on a stool, others on good chairs, or really comfortable chairs. It is recommended to bring your own equipment, but Venabu has good chairs and mats available.

Many people also choose to bring earplugs, so that everything can be completely quiet during a meditation. Those who want to go outdoors must bring suitable hiking clothes and equipment.

Do not bring pets, do not bring or use alcohol or provocative clothing.

If you want to read a little before a retreat, we recommend two good books.

The book 'In the Buddha's Words' is a presentation of the Buddha's teachings.

The book 'Kindfulness' is a nice and short introduction to meditation.

If you wish, you can stay in your own hut with a bathroom − instead of your own room with a bathroom.

This allows for a more private and quieter stay, and the huts are located about 50 meters from the main building.

For those who want to stay in a hut, the price will be NOK 1,050 higher and self-catering (does not include food, linen or cleaning) − so an opportunity to cook yourself, bring your own linen and clean the hut at the end of the retreat. There is a Kiwi grocery store 400 metres from Venabu Fjellhotell.

During the retreat, Venabu still offers linen for NOK 270, the three meals for NOK 590 per day, or only the main meal for NOK 350 per day. Venabu can clean your hut for NOK 350.

Participants must provide their own transportation, but we help to connect those who have their own transportation with those who do not.

You can also take the train from Oslo or Oslo Airport to Ringebu, where Venabu Fjellhotell has a pick-up service at the train station.

Pick-up service costs NOK 300 for a single person, and NOK 200 per person for groups of 3 or more.

If you want to come the day/evening before, Venabu charges NOK 400 without food.

From Sunday 26th of October to Sunday 2nd of November 2025.

The price is roughly cost-price, and includes accommodation with your own room/bathroom, food and teachings for 7 days. We encourage a voluntary donation to develop the society and help covering the cost of living for the instructor.

Such a retreat usually costs close to NOK 20,000 in other places.

The price is NOK 1,050 higher for a private hut and self-catering.

Members of DNBF have first priority when registering.