Buddhist Recovery & the Dharma of Addiction

This three-night Buddhist recovery retreat at Drala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, brings the dharma to the work of healing from addiction. Led by Dave Smith, it is open to people in recovery, people supporting a loved one, and anyone caught in repetitive habit loops. The teachings draw on early Buddhist traditions, Insight Meditation and modern cognitive science, in a secular, practical frame.

The starting point is plain: addiction is a learned behavior, and what is learned can be unlearned. Recovery here means more than stopping a substance or habit. It means building a life worth living, and letting go of unskillful survival tactics through a disciplined, honest process.

What to Expect

The retreat gives particular attention to Metta, or goodwill, and its role in cultivating mindfulness in its original context. Days combine guided meditation, extended sitting periods, core dharma teachings, interactive Q&A and group discussion. The aim is practical tools you can take home:

- Bringing mindfulness into the messiness of daily emotional life
- Working with feelings as fuel for growth and healing rather than as threats to fix or fight
- Spotting and stepping out of all-or-nothing thinking
- Understanding how the brain operates, drawing on early Buddhist teaching and cognitive science

The daily rhythm is steady. Morning practice runs from 7:00 to 7:30, followed by breakfast from 8:00 to 9:00. A morning session begins at 10:00, lunch is from 12:30 to 1:30, and the afternoon session starts at 3:00. Dinner is from 6:00 to 7:00, and an evening session begins at 7:30. Arrival and check-in are on the first afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00, with an evening welcome and orientation. The final morning includes closing teachings and a closing circle, with departure at 12:30.

About Dave Smith

Dave Smith is a Dharma teacher, international speaker, author and founder of the Secular Dharma Foundation. He brings three decades of Insight Meditation together with early Buddhist teachings from the Pali Canon and contemporary psychology, offering a pragmatic, secular framework for mindfulness, ethics and self-awareness. A former punk rock musician and recovering addict, he teaches from lived experience. One past attendee, who has joined several of his retreats, describes his style as accessible, clear and direct, and says he is approachable and available to students in an unusual way.

The Setting

Drala Mountain Center sits near Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, and offers a range of lodging. Choices include car camping in the Rigden parking lot (primitive, with no water or electric hookups for RVs), single or double tents in campgrounds with shared bathhouses, gender-segregated dormitories for up to seven or eight people, and monk rooms with a private room and shared bathroom. There are also single and double rooms with attached three-quarter bathrooms, and junior suites with a queen bed, private bath with tub and sitting area. Some campgrounds were affected by a recent wildfire; the effects may still be visible, but they are safe to use. Those who prefer to stay off site can commute or arrange their own lodging and pay for meals and use of the facilities.

Meals are included and come with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

Before You Go

No prior meditation or recovery experience is needed, and all are welcome. The retreat suits people newly in recovery, those with a twelve-step background who want to deepen their meditation practice, and practitioners from Recovery Dharma, Refuge Recovery, Eight Step Recovery, Heart of Recovery and similar communities. It is taught in English.

Tuition covers lodging for three nights, all meals and drinks, access to the retreat facilities, and the meditation sessions, teachings and discussions. Extra nights can be added at a discount. Transportation, personal supplies and toiletries are not included. For tent and car camping, bring your own bedding: twin sheets, a blanket or sleeping bag, a pillow and towels.