The Natural Path to the Heart’s Liberation: A Silent Vipassana Retreat in the Forest

About the Venue and Teachers

• Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center

  Durango Colorado

  An exceptional setting.A more beautiful and supportive setting to cultivate freedom of the heart and mind is hard to imagine. Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center is nestled in the Tusas Mountains, where wildlife abounds among alpine meadows, mountain ponds, ponderosa pines and aspen groves. The 135-acre private mountain retreat center, surrounded by 300,000 acres of National Forest, is a dedicated wildlife refuge frequented by elk, deer, bear, beaver, wild horses, eagles, 60 species of birds and many other creatures. The Vallecitos River, protected under federal law, runs through the mountain retreat center. Trails wind in and around the retreat center offering extraordinary opportunities to reconnect with nature.Far from distractions. Close to nature.Being in nature at a high alpine mountain retreat has a way of reminding you of your place in the whole of things. The deep quiet of Vallecitos invites you to bring your attention inward and to gather the heart and mind in the present moment. The sounds of wind through the pines, the hum of the rushing river and the chirping of birds replace those of automobiles, electronics and sirens. The beauty of crisp mountain air and brilliant blue skies help us remember the inherent beauty within ourselves and all of life.Simple. Comfortable. Intimate.A maximum of 40 guests occupy the mountain retreat center’s charming casitas, yurts, tent cabins and campsites. Most activities are hosted at our historic log cabin lodge, built in 1928 in the style of Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful Inn. The lodge’s cathedral ceilings and stone fireplaces dot the mediation hall, library and dining rooms that overlook a spectacular meadow and the Vallecitos River.Life-changing programs.Meditation, council practice and reconnecting with the natural beauty that surrounds this mountain retreat center creates a truly special opportunity for Vallecitos visitors. Our guests learn to listen more deeply and to speak from the heart. When our visitors return to their everyday lives, the power of practice in the wild gives rise to a more centered, mindful and patient presence.“Since the retreat, my pace of personal breakthroughs has quickened and old dynamics seem to be changing in positive ways. I am better able to deal with previously tense situations and successfully resolve them. I have increased feelings of peace. Thank you!”– Jayne Cronlund
• Victoria Cary (Assistant)

  Victoria Cary has been practicing insight meditation and studying the Dharma since 2006. She is currently in Retreat Teacher Training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where she previously graduated from the Community Dharma Leaders program. Victoria is the co-founder and one of the core teachers of San Francisco People of Color Insight Sangha. Victoria has worked as a volunteer at Zen Hospice and is particularly interested in the integration of the Dharma in everyday life.
• Brian LeSage

  Brian has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1988 and has taught since 2000. He has studied in the Zen, Theravada, and Tibetan schools and was ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996.  His training in Vipassana Meditation includes doing extended meditation retreats in Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, and India as well as numerous retreats in the U.S.  He leads retreats and teaches meditation courses nationwide.  Brian also has a private practice in Somatic Experiencing, which is a naturalistic approach to healing trauma.
• Erin Treat

  Erin Treat lives in Durango, CO and serves as a Guiding Teacher of Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center.  She is a member of the Teacher Council of Spirit Rock Meditation Center and is the Resident Teacher at the Durango Dharma Center.  Erin offers talks, leads classes, and teaches meditation retreats in the southwest and nationwide.  Her approach to sharing the dharma is influenced by her experience as a student of the Diamond Approach by A.H. Almass and by her deep love of socially engaged practice, embodiment and wild nature. Erin was born and raised in the prairie of Fargo, ND and was active in the performing arts throughout her early life.  After attending college in New York, she moved to Santa Fe, NM in 1995 to attend massage school.  She felt an unexpected sense of homecoming - an immediate connection to the cultures of the southwest as well as the magic of the red rocks, high desert, and alpine landscape of the Four Corners area. She settled in Durango in 1997.  A bodyworker and healing arts practitioner for more than 20 years, Erin enjoys working with students from around the country and especially at her home in Durango.  Erin is happiest dancing, hiking, cooking, and being in the mountains and rivers she calls home.