Erin Treat

Erin Treat lives in Durango, CO and has been practicing Buddhist meditation for 30 years.  In addition to serving as the Guiding Teacher of Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center since 2013,  she teaches regularly at Spirit Rock and the Insight Meditation Society.  She served for 20 years in leadership on the Teaching Council of the Durango Dharma Center.  Erin teaches the practical and the profound, from a heart grounded in respect for mystery and the many faces of awakening.

Her approach to sharing the dharma is influenced by her ongoing experience as a student of the Diamond Approach by A.H. Almaas and by Thanissara and Kittisaro’s Dharmapala Training, designed to bring forth an embodied bodhisattva ideal within the lineage of Theravada Buddhism. Erin enjoys working with small groups of committed students over time and regularly offers classes, retreats, and mentoring to students from around the country.

Erin is happiest dancing, hiking, cooking, and being in the mountains and rivers she calls home.

Upcoming Programs by Erin Treat

Land as Dharma Teacher (June)

Also With Brian Lesage

June 15 - 22, 2026

Join us in an exploration of Dharma through connection with the land of Vallecitos. This retreat is designed to offer support for experienced practitioners in insight meditation (Vipassana). When we have an established foundation in Dharma practice, we can open to discovering new ways of perceiving. As the understanding of classical Dharma deepens even further, the land itself can meet us right in each moment as teacher and guide. […]

Deepening our Ground: Cultivating Presence, Insight, and Kindness in the Deep Woods

Also With DaRa Williams

July 14 - 19, 2026

This retreat emerged from the relationship between its teachers as a result of over a decade of being together in dharma practice, teaching, and spiritual friendship. And this retreat invites the participants into relationship — with themselves, each other, the land, and all beings everywhere without exception. Awakening from the delusion of separation […]

Land as Dharma Teacher (August)

Also With Brian Lesage

August 11 - 18, 2026

Join us in an exploration of Dharma through connection with the land of Vallecitos. This retreat is designed to offer support for experienced practitioners in insight meditation (Vipassana). When we have an established foundation in Dharma practice, we can open to discovering new ways of perceiving. As the understanding of classical Dharma deepens even further, the land itself can meet us right in each moment as teacher and guide. […]

Sacred Sound, Insight, and Silence: Meditation and Music in the Deep Woods

Also With Jennifer Berezan

September 8 - 12, 2026

The retreat will combine two ancient spiritual practices—meditation and music—as a path to opening one’s heart and uncovering one’s true nature. There will be guided instruction in the fundamentals of mindfulness meditation and dharma practice, including periods of sitting and walking meditation in silence. Woven throughout the meditation practice, participants will engage in a wide range of musical experiences […]