Vipassana Meditation Retreats
Find Stillness
Transform Your Life
Silent retreat designed for modern life.
No experience needed. Open to all.
Upcoming Dates
Choose Your Silence Retreat
Each retreat runs Thu evening through Sun afternoon. Meals and accommodation included
4 SPOTS LEFT
📍 Gull Lake, Alberta
Vipassana and Yoga Retreat
📅 August 06-09, 2026
● Only 4 spots remaining
$575 / person
Early Bird
📍 Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre
Vipassana and Yoga Retreat
📅 November 12-15, 2026
● Registration is open
$790 / person
Early Bird
📍 Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre
Vipassana and Yoga Retreat
📅 December 17-20, 2026
● Registration is open
$790 / person
Years of Experience
%
Found Inner Peace
Lives Changed
%
Less Anxious
What is Vipassana
Ancient Practice. Modern Results.
The word “Vipassana” means “insight” or “clear vision”. This practice has its roots in the teachings of the Buddha, who rediscovered and spread it over 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for human suffering. Free of dogma and rituals, Vipassana focuses on the art of living, offering a practical approach to achieving harmony within oneself and with others.
Our retreats follow the Mahasi Sayadaw lineage, making the practice accessible to beginners while meaningful for experienced meditators.
Not the same as Goenka's Vipassana. Our format is 3 days, not 10, and follows a different but equally authentic tradition. Many participants have done both.
Why Vipassana
What Changes After Vipassana Meditation Retreat
Real outcomes, reported consistently by participants across all backgrounds and experience levels.
01
Mind
Mental clarity that
outlasts the retreat
Three days without screens, notifications, and conversation reset the default state of your nervous system. Most participants report sharper focus and quieter mental chatter for weeks afterward. Not as a spiritual claim — as a functional result.
● Harvard Medical School: mindfulness measurably reduces cortisol and improves prefrontal cortex activity
Nervous System
02
Stress without the reaction
You learn to notice the moment between a trigger and your response. That gap — small at first — becomes something you can choose to widen. This is not relaxation. It is a skill.
● American Psychological Association: 8-week mindfulness program reduces anxiety symptoms by up to 40%
Recovery
03
Deeper sleep
Reduced rumination and a regulated nervous system directly improve sleep quality. Participants commonly report this as the most immediately noticeable change.
● Journal of Sleep Research: meditation reduces sleep onset time by 30–40%
04
Emotional
Respond, don't react
Vipassana trains you to observe emotional sensations as they arise in the body, before they escalate. Anger, anxiety, and craving lose their grip when you can name and watch them.
● Psychological Science: mindfulness training measurably reduces emotional reactivity and improves regulation
Insight
05
You understand yourself differently
Most people leave with at least one clear insight about a pattern they have been running for years. Not from therapy or reflection — from direct observation. You see it happening in real time and it stops having the same pull. This is what makes Vipassana different from talking about yourself. You are not analyzing the pattern — you are watching it arise and pass in your body, in the present moment.
● Frontiers in Human Neuroscience: meditation increases gray matter density in the insula and prefrontal cortex
Community
06
You are not doing this alone
Over 500 participants across Canada have attended our retreats. Many return. After the silence ends on Sunday, the conversations that follow are some of the most genuine people report having in years. There is something about shared practice that builds real connection quickly.
● University of California: shared contemplative practice significantly increases social trust and connection
Inside the silent retreat
A Quiet Kind of Beautiful
What a retreat actually looks like — from arrival to the final morning.
Silence is not empty.
It is full of answers.
Vipassana tradition
Your Practice
Vipassana Silent Retreat is for Anyone Willing to Look Inward
Most people who attend their first retreat arrive with some skepticism and many questions. That is completely normal. The practice does not ask you to believe anything in advance. It asks only that you sit, observe, and see for yourself.
Over three days in the forests of Alberta, you will slow down far enough to notice what is actually happening in your mind and body. The insight that emerges from that noticing is the practice. No dogma, no rituals, nothing to memorize.
We have guided participants from Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and beyond, ranging from complete beginners to long-term practitioners. The only prerequisite is showing up.
Who guides you
Who's Leading Vipassana Retreat
Certified practitioners who have walked the path and continue to.
Founder & Lead Facilitator
Artem Rusinov
Founder of Vipassana.ca, certified yoga instructor, and Vipassana meditation teacher. After a career in the special forces and executive leadership, Artem dedicated his life to contemplative practice and inner transformation. He leads silent retreats, yoga classes, and mindfulness programs designed to help people cultivate clarity, resilience, and lasting inner peace.
Yoga Alliance
International Yoga Federation
Meditation Practitioner
Instructor & Retreat Coordinator
Valerii Bandurko
Certified yoga instructor, meditation practitioner, and retreat facilitator. Drawing from his experience in yoga, breathwork, and Vipassana meditation, Valerii supports participants throughout their retreat journey and guides practices that cultivate self-awareness and emotional balance. He contributes to the Vipassana.ca community through retreat coordination, educational initiatives, and meditation-based programs.
Yoga Alliance
International Yoga Federation
First Aid & CPR
Real voices
Participant Reviews & Experiences
Most participants arrive with the same doubts you have right now. Here's what they said after.
Common questions
FAQs About Vipassana Meditation
Common questions about Vipassana
Can I do Vipassana retreat if I've never meditated before?
Yes, our retreat is designed for complete beginners. No prior meditation experience is required, and the techniques are taught step by step from the very first session. Most participants come having never meditated before, and the structure of the retreat itself does most of the work. All you need is the willingness to try.
How many hours a day will I meditate?
The schedule includes roughly 3–4 hours of practice per day, split into shorter sessions rather than one long stretch. Sittings are interspersed with yoga, sound healing, walking meditation, meals, and rest. This mix makes the day feel grounded rather than gruelling, and is much more accessible than traditional 10-day courses.
Is Vipassana religious?
No. Vipassana is a secular meditation technique focused on observing the breath and bodily sensations. There's nothing to believe in, chant, or convert to. People of all faiths (and no faith) attend. The practice works regardless of background because it's based on direct experience, not doctrine.
How is this Vipassana retreat different from other meditation retreats?
Three things set this retreat apart: the length, the mix of practices, and the tradition we follow.
Most traditional Vipassana retreats run 10 days in complete silence, powerful, but a serious commitment most people can't realistically make. This is 3 days, designed to fit a long weekend while still being long enough to genuinely shift how you feel.
The retreat combines three complementary practices: Vipassana meditation, yoga, and sound healing, chosen deliberately so you can experience different paths to stillness in one place. Vipassana trains awareness, yoga prepares the body to sit comfortably, and sound healing helps the nervous system settle. Most people connect deeply with one or two of these and take them home as a daily practice.
We follow the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition — one of the most widely practiced Vipassana lineages in the world, known for its clear, structured approach to noting moment-to-moment experience. It's particularly well-suited to a 3-day format because the technique is precise and teachable from the first session, without requiring years of background.
It's a doorway, not a test. If it resonates, longer retreats are always there later.
What happens after the retreat ends?
Most participants leave with a simple daily practice, typically 20-40 minutes of meditation, and a noticeably calmer baseline that lasts weeks. Many notice better sleep, less reactivity, and more clarity in the days that follow. You're also welcome to return for future retreats, and many do - it's one of the most common things participants tell us afterward.
Ready when you are
Your next step is
just showing up
Reserve your spot in the upcoming retreat. The rest is taken care of.
Where we meet
Vipassana Retreat Locations
Both venues are set in nature, away from the city — close enough to reach in a morning drive.
Edmonton Yoga Studio
10062 164 St NW, Edmonton, AB
🧘 Hatha yoga
🧘♀️ Meditation classes
Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre
41160 Retreat Rd, Cochrane, AB
⌛ 30 min from Calgary
⌛ 3 hrs from Edmonton
Gull Lake (Alberta)
Lakeview Ave, Gull Lake, AB
⏱️ 1.5 hrs from Edmonton
⏱️ 2 hrs from Calgary
Mahasi Sayadaw Tradition
Our teachers are trained in the Burmese Mahasi Sayadaw lineage, one of the most systematized and globally practised Vipassana methods. The tradition emphasizes precise noting practice.
Running Since 2015
Over 500 participants have attended our retreats in Alberta. We have run seasonal programs at Gull Lake and Mount St. Francis, building a consistent and returning community across the province.
Accessible 3-Day Format
Unlike 10-day programs, our format fits a long weekend. Participants check in Thursday evening and depart Sunday after lunch. Designed for working adults who cannot commit to longer formats.