Buddhist Recovery

& the Dharma of Addiction

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Arrival: April 22nd, 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Departure: April 25th, 12:30 PM

Tuition:
Scholarship: $300
Standard: $375
Supporter: $450

Meals & drinks included
Inc. V, VG, GF

Add extra nights at 50% discount

Arrival: April 22nd, 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Departure: April 25th, 12:30 PM

Tuition:
Scholarship: $300
Standard: $375
Supporter: $450

Meals & drinks included
Inc. V, VG, GF

Add extra nights at 50% discount

About this Retreat

Addiction does not define who you are. Addiction is a learned behavior, which means it can be unlearned. Real-world recovery goes beyond stopping a substance or habit, it’s about building a life worth living. The integration of Buddhist practices and mindfulness-based interventions into recovery offers a path forward. True recovery means embracing life’s pleasant or painful moments and making choices that foster an honest relationship with yourself and others. It’s a gritty, disciplined process of letting go of unskillful survival tactics.

This retreat highlights the essential role of Metta (goodwill) in cultivating mindfulness within its original context. Through guided meditation, core Dharma teachings, interactive Q&A, and group discussion, we will explore practical tools with lasting value.

Join us for an immersive, transformative program designed to guide you beyond abstinence and into a truly flourishing life. Whether you are in recovery, supporting a loved one, or working through the repetitive habit loops of daily life, this is a grounded, honest space to discover purpose and build a framework for skillful living in community. Join us for an immersive, transformative program designed to guide you beyond abstinence and into a truly flourishing life.

What to Expect

  • A collaborative space to explore practical tools and fresh perspectives that support lasting sobriety and authentic living.
  • Interactive teachings and extended meditation periods that help you bring mindfulness right into the messiness of your daily emotional life.
  • A grounded, no-nonsense look at what early Buddhist traditions and modern cognitive science have to say about how your brain actually operates.
  • Practical tools to use your feelings not as threats to fix or fight, but as fuel for personal growth and healing.
  • Learn how to spot and step out of all-or-nothing thinking to find balance and steady ground in recovery.

Who should attend?

  • Individuals navigating recovery who want to integrate contemplative tools, mindfulness, and community support to strengthen their foundation.
  • Those who have already found benefit and traction in Buddhist-oriented recovery spaces and want to take their practice further. (Recovery Dharma, Refuge Recovery, Eight step recovery and Heart of Recover, etc)
  • People with a traditional 12-step background looking to deepen, expand, and ground their meditation practice.
  • Anyone looking for practical, grounded tools to work with challenging emotions, break old mental loops, and live a more authentic life.
  • No prior meditation or recovery experience is required, and all are welcome.

Daily Schedule

7:00 – 7:30 am — Morning practice

8:00 – 9:00 am — Breakfast

10:00 am — Morning Session

12:30 – 1:30 pm — Lunch

3:00 pm — Afternoon session

6:00 – 7:00 pm — Dinner

7:30 — Evening Session

Past Attendee Testimonial


“I have attended several retreats with Dave as the guiding teacher. I find Dave’s teaching style to be highly accessible, he is clear and direct, and he makes it easy to see how the Buddha’s teachings are relevant to our modern lives. He is also approachable as a teacher and makes himself available to students in a way I find unique among the dharma teachers I have worked with. As a student, I have always felt seen and held by Dave’s presence in the room.”

— Jameson B. | Albuquerque, NM

Retreat Faculty

Dave Smith

Dave Smith is a Dharma teacher, international speaker, author, and founder of the Secular Dharma Foundation. Integrating three decades of Insight Meditation with early Buddhist teachings from the Pali Canon and contemporary psychology, he offers a pragmatic, secular framework for mindfulness, ethics, and self-awareness. A former punk rock musician and recovering addict, Dave brings his anti-establishment [...]

Lodging

We have several accommodations to choose from during checkout.
All options include our healthy meals and drinks. Inc V, VG, GF.

Off Land
Participants who wish to commute from home or arrange their own accommodations off-campus (for example, a bed and breakfast, camping nearby)  pay tuition, plus $40/night for meals (3 meals per day) and use of our facilities.

Car Camping
We have 5 primitive parking spots in the Rigden parking lot, for simply parking and sleeping. This includes food and access our bathhouses in Rigden Lodge
Note: We don’t have any water or electric hook ups for RV’s.

Single and Double Tents

Located in campgrounds throughout the property, these 12′ x 14′ tents have two twin beds, two bookcases and a hanging clothes rack.* Each campground offers a shared bathhouse. Summer platform tents are available from late May through early September. A tent can be rented as a single (without a roommate) or a double (with a roommate).

Some of our campgrounds were impacted by a recent wildfire and the affects may still be visible this summer, however, they are safe to use.

Bedding is not provided. Please bring your own twin sheets, blanket or sleeping bag, a pillow and towels.

Dormitories
Rooms with beds for up to 7-8 people. Gender-segregated with men in their own dorm and women in another. The dorms use a shared bathroom down the hall, which is also equipped with shower stalls.

Monk Rooms
A cost-effective option for participants looking for indoor, solitary lodging, but who don’t mind using a shared bathroom or are looking for a more affordable retreat solution. These rooms are in the same hall as the Ridgen Dormitories, but offer more privacy than the dorms. In addition to a bed, bedding, a private room and closet, the monk rooms also have a large window and a desk and desk chair for added comfort.

Single and Double Rooms
The perfect choice for a retreat where you want both your own space and your own bathroom. Each room offers a little more space, a dresser and closet, and a 3/4s bathroom (toilet, sink, and shower, no bathtub) attached to each room.

Junior Suite
Our Lodge Junior Suites include a queen-size bed topped by a cozy comforter, a desk, dresser, closet and private bath with bathtub, plus a sitting area.

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