Taking a Breath. For young people aged 18 - 30
'During the weekend, I was able to experience that it is okay to be still, take a rest and choose for yourself. Slowing down brought me out of survival mode more and allowed me to get closer to myself and my feelings again. That was exactly what I needed at that moment.'
You probably recognize it: you are busy with your studies or your work, with meeting deadlines, with maintaining social contacts, with the Internet and social media, with complying with all kinds of external pressures... Where and when do you find time and rest for yourself? For your inner world, for matters of the heart, for exchange with others in which you experience (h)acknowledgment.
Nijkleaster gladly invites you to spend a few days experiencing peace and space, slowing down and catching your breath. The monastery is an open retreat center where everyone is welcome, whether you are religious or not.
A number of monastics live and work there. With the help of "monastics outside the gate" and volunteers, they make sure everything runs smoothly. The monastery is in a beautiful location in the Frisian countryside, just below Leeuwarden. A place that invites you to experience peace and quiet. There are nine comfortable rooms.
During your stay, you will live according to the rhythm of the monastery: the morning begins with physical awakening and silent meditation. We participate in three short celebrations in the chapel. We help with the monastery work: chores in the kitchen, housekeeping, or in the garden. We eat together. During the day, there is plenty of opportunity to be alone. You can read more about the rhythm of the monastery here. The recurring theme of 'catching your breath' will come up again and again.
We regularly hear from participants that they would like to experience silence for a little longer. It takes a while before you can really settle down and make contact with what is going on inside you. Therefore, in 2026 we will organize a midweek in addition to the weekends. We will continue to follow the monastic rhythm in this. In addition, there is a program with various forms of work to make contact with your heart, with silence, with your desires. At Nijkleaster we say: making space for God, to become human. The human being that you are in your deepest essence.
'I'm glad places like this exist. It gives me hope. In a world that seems to revolve more and more around haste, achievement and individualism, it is nice to experience that there are still people who live with attention and who are genuinely concerned about each other, nature and the world. That touches me and does me good.
You will stay individually in a guest room. If you are coming as a couple and would like to share a room, that is of course possible. However, in order to fully experience the silence, it is also a good idea for each person to have their own room. You may want to consider turning off your phone.
Data jongerenprogramma 2026:
Via bovenstaande links kun je direct een reservering maken.
Weekend: arrival Friday between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. Departure: Sunday around 1:30 p.m. Midweek: arrival Monday between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. Departure: Friday around 10:30 a.m.
Supervision: Our team consists of Anke ten Brinke (trainer/teacher MBO), Marjan IJpma (teacher/supervisor), Saskia Leene (kleasterpredikant) and Reinier Tuitman (kleasterpredikant). All four are connected to Nijkleaster as monastics. In varying composition they accompany the youth weekends and midweek.
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Anke ten Brinke: a.ten.brinke@nijkleaster.frl.
A youth weekend in 2026 costs €100 and a youth midweek costs €200. We want to keep the youth programs accessible to everyone with these reduced rates. If you have your own income and more to spend, we invite you to pay an amount in line with our usual rates for a weekend or midweek.
Quotes from young people about the youth program at Klooster Westerhûs:
- What I particularly appreciated was the care. Think of careful, caring, and a degree of carefreeness. I am thinking of how carefully the interior has been designed and furnished, but also how much thought has been given to where the plants can grow best. It brings a kind of beauty that I continued to marvel at throughout the weekend. The other word is caring. This refers to caring for each other, for all the food that was prepared, all the tea that was poured throughout the day, the surroundings, and really all of life around the farm. Finally, carefree. Nijkleaster is also a place away from the hustle and bustle of the city, which allowed me to be a little more carefree myself.
- I look back on the weekend with much warmth and gratitude. It felt like I could come and take refuge and escape from the chaos at home. After the weekend I felt calmer and there was a little more space in my head, exactly what I needed.
- I really appreciated that I was allowed to just be for a moment, without having to do anything. Just stopping for a moment, just catching my breath. I also noticed that the first days after the weekend I was kinder to myself and got this back from people around me. I think I carried the gentleness I experienced at Nijkleaster with me for a while longer.
- What I really appreciated was the group. Even though we were all different and everyone was doing their own thing, I felt a lot of connection. The atmosphere was warm, open and safe (also definitely with the monastics, by the way).
- 'I think the power of such a weekend is that unwinding and slowing down together in an environment and with a program designed for that purpose is much easier than on your own in your own environment, where daily life rushes by.'
- 'I gained insights that I can work with in my daily life. I am truly inspired.'
- 'I took away from the weekend that I also tried as best I could to continue to seek rest at home. I kind of look at the youth weekend as if it was kind of a kickstart for a longer period of rest for me.'
- 'What I appreciated most of all was the welcoming atmosphere, which made me feel that we were all allowed to be completely ourselves. It was very nice that nothing was obligatory, that everything was okay and that we could choose what was comfortable for us and that this was always mentioned. The connection with the group and how open everyone was, even though we didn't all know each other yet, I also found very special.'
- 'I found the weekend strongly organized. The program was clear and varied - with moments in the chapel, activities, moments of rest and moments of connection - and also it was always clear what was expected of us.'
- 'I would advise everyone to turn off their phones, or at least the Internet. I really appreciated just being in the here and now for a weekend and not being preoccupied with my phone and the outside world.'
