Dave Smith is an internationally recognized Buddhist meditation teacher, addiction treatment specialist, and published author. His background is rooted in the Insight Meditation tradition and he was empowered to teach through the Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. He has extensive experience bringing meditative interventions into jails, prisons, youth detention centers and addiction treatment facilities. Dave teaches residential meditation retreats and classes, provides trainings and consulting in both secular and Buddhist contexts, and works with students through his meditation mentoring program. He recently founded the Secular Dharma Foundation and lives in Paonia, Colorado.
Events with Dave Smith
July 7 - 13, 2026
This silent retreat integrates the Four Foundations of Mindfulness with the heart-centered practice of Metta. By uniting moment-to-moment awareness with the qualities of kindness, care, joy, and equanimity, we learn to meet life’s joys and sorrows with a steady, open presence. As the body and mind settle, an intuitive wisdom emerges, transforming our energy into a stable foundation for contentment and purpose. Teachers Vance and Dave offer a practice container grounded in a field of kind awareness. Their instructions draw on the teachings of Mahasi Sayadaw and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. The program includes meditation guidance, Dharma talks, and small-group discussions…
September 13 - 20, 2026
During this seven-day silent mindfulness retreat we will learn to pay attention with a direct and embodied knowing that leads to intuitive wisdom. Through practicing mindfulness, while being immersed in the natural world, we attune to presence and ease and cultivate kind, spacious awareness, leading to greater freedom for ourselves and our communities. We will offer a range of mindfulness instructions (including sitting, standing, and walking), guided heart practices, as well as Dharma talks, practice discussions, question and answer periods, and ample time to practice independently. This retreat is suitable for both newer and more experienced students. …