Caldera retreat. Yoga Nidra retreat. Writing and yoga retreat Idaho. River Writing practice. These aren't marketing terms for me. They're the actual shape of five days that I've watched change people in ways I can't fully predict or plan.
After more than 25 years teaching yoga and Yoga Nidra, I've learned something about what people need most. It's rarely what they think they need when they register. It's usually something quieter. Something they didn't know they were carrying.
The Caldera Retreat returns August 27–31, 2026 at Harriman State Park, Idaho and this is the one I'd point you toward if you've been feeling the pull toward something more still, more honest, and more spacious than the life you've been living.
What Is River Writing and Why It Works
There's a practice we do at Caldera called River Writing.
Nan Seymour created it, and she describes it as "an opportunity to witness and be witnessed." She also calls it a courage class, which turns out to be accurate. Though the courage required isn't the kind you'd expect.
The instruction is almost embarrassing in its simplicity: keep the pen moving. Don't try to produce anything. Don't try to be good. Shamelessly shun spelling and syntax. Let the words come from whatever's already running underneath.
You write for eleven minutes. Without stopping.
What we write isn't meant to be published.
Then we read to each other. No preface, no apology, no caveats. Just the words as they came. And the group listens without praise, without criticism, without fixing anything. We hold the space, and at the end we say the only thing there is to say: thank you.
That's the whole protocol.
My entire Yoga Nidra Teacher Training program originated inside a single River Writing practice. Eleven minutes. One session. The idea arrived fully formed from somewhere I can't account for. True story.
Dream and Write: What Comes Out Below the Thinking Mind
We also do something called Dream and Write.
I lead a thirty-minute Yoga Nidra to drop everyone below the thinking mind into that threshold place between waking and sleep where the usual mental editor goes quiet. And then, directly out of that state, we write.
The pages that come out of those sessions don't sound like anyone's regular voice. They sound like the voice underneath. Slower. Less guarded. Often surprising, even to the person who wrote them.
This is one of the stranger and more beautiful things I've seen happen in a retreat setting. People emerge from Nidra, pick up a pen, and write things they didn't know they knew.
Five Days in Big Nature
The retreat itself is five days in Harriman State Park, Idaho. Wide, unspoiled, high-desert landscape with the kind of sky that recalibrates something in you just by looking at it.
We eat thoughtfully curated, delicious food. There's gentle yoga in the mornings, movement meditation, and time alone in some of the most beautiful country I know. A fire most nights, with singing, stories, and a lot of laughter.
Nan Seymour and Amy May co-facilitate with me. If you've done River Writing or sat in one of their circles, you already know what kind of medicine that is.
We keep the group small. On purpose.
An Invitation, Not a Push
If you've been feeling the pull toward something more still, slower, and more honest than the busy you've been living, this is the retreat I'd point you toward.
Caldera Retreat — August 27–31, 2026 Harriman State Park, Idaho | Co-facilitated with Nan Seymour and Amy May
FAQ — Caldera Retreat 2026
What is the Caldera Retreat? Caldera is a small-group yoga and writing retreat held annually in Harriman State Park, Idaho. It combines gentle yoga, Yoga Nidra, River Writing, and Dream and Write practices over five days in a natural, held environment.
What is River Writing? River Writing is a community-based writing practice created by Nan Seymour. The instruction is simple: keep the pen moving for eleven minutes without editing or stopping. Participants then read to each other and listen without comment, only witness. It is consistently one of the most cathartic and honest writing experiences people have.
What is Yoga Nidra, and do I need experience to attend? Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation practice that leads you into a deeply restful state between waking and sleep. No prior experience is required. It's accessible to beginners and valuable for longtime practitioners alike.
Is this retreat suitable for non-writers? Yes. River Writing is not about being a good writer. It's about letting what's already inside you find its way onto the page. Many participants have never considered themselves writers and that's often exactly why it works for them.
How large is the group? We keep the group intentionally small. This is not a conference or a festival. It's a circle.
Where is Harriman State Park, Idaho? Harriman State Park is located in eastern Idaho near the town of Ashton, a stunning high-desert landscape with rivers, wildlife, and wide open sky.