Family Yoga + Nature Retreat
Whitewater State Park
Altura, MN
Save the Date: April 4-6, 2025
*with potential to add a Thursday April 3rd stay before programming kicks off on Friday.
Looking for an accessible way to “camp” with your family while participating in yoga, nature play, and fly fishing?
Interested in taking yoga classes or fly fishing lessons while your kiddos are fully engaged in guided nature play with experienced outdoor educators?
We’ve got the ultimate weekend lined up for you and your family!
Whitewater State Park
Enjoy the Whitewater River through play, yoga, meditation, and fly-fishing.
The perfect combination of natural surroundings, family-based activities, lessons, and guided play.
This is a sample of what to look forward to this Spring:
There’s no such thing as bad weather!
Join Bryana Cook of Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats, Nora Woodworth of Happy Dancing Turtle - Driftless Region, Dan Ryan of Dan Ryan Guide Service, and Alayna Sobieniak & Lance Prado of Root River Rod Co.
Together, we’ve planned the ultimate yoga/nature play education/fly fishing family weekend!
There’s something for everyone in this experience. You will enjoy activities both with your kiddos, and without (while they are fully engaged & cared for).
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Nature Camp Specialist & Yoga Teacher
Nora is an outdoor educator and trained 200-hour yoga teacher.
She is Happy Dancing Turtle’s program manager & specialist, which entails designing and implementing nature educational programs for youth and adults. Many summers spent outdoors at summer camp led Nora to pursue a B.S. in Conservation and Resource Management, but her love for sharing her passion for nature led her down the environmental education route instead, obtaining an M.S. in Education and a K-6 MN Teaching license. Nora started at the Pine River location but has moved on to the Driftless Region, bringing HDT’s programs with her! She lives in Trempealeau, WI with her husband, Jake and beloved pup, Stryder. When she’s not at work, you’ll find her outdoors (no matter the season!) hiking, paddling, snowshoeing, skiing, camping, reading, hammocking, looking for critters, taking pictures, or just staring and wondering at the marvels of nature!
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Nature Camp Specialist & Yoga Teacher
Alayna was born and raised on Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, attended college on the shores of Lake Superior at Northern Michigan University, and now lives in Southeast Minnesota just a couple blocks from the Root River. She loves fresh water!
Alayna’s passion in life is introducing young children to the outdoors. She has her degree in Early Childhood Development and has taught in various settings including forest schools, Waldorf schools, and nature preschools, for the last 15 years.
She loves to spend time with her family, traveling, practicing and teaching yoga, fly fishing, hiking and cooking local, fresh foods!
Alayna completed Boreal Bliss Yoga Teacher Training in 2020 and has been retreating with them since 2017!
She also is also the second generation owner of her family business, Root River Rod Co, Fly Shop and Guide Service in Lanesboro, Minnesota with her partner Lance Prado.
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Fly Fishing Guide
Lance Prado loves to cast at anything that swims. He is the owner and Head Guide at Root River Rod Co in Lanesboro MN.
Lance spends most of his days rowing a drift boat and putting people on Trout and Small Mouth bass.
When he is not guiding, he is helping people in the Fly shop select the right flies and gear and point them in the right direction to have a great day in the Driftless. He loves introducing new anglers to the sport of fly fishing!
In his free time, he also likes to fish for muskies with his fly rod and takes trips out west and to the salt a couple times a year. When he’s not on the water he’s enjoying time with his family, snowboarding or skateboarding with his daughter, and running.
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Retreat Director & Yoga Teacher
Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats Co-Owner, LICSW, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Wilderness First Aid Certified, Children’s Yoga Calm Specialist
Bryana lives deep in the northwoods in tiny Longville, MN with her husband, Dan Ryan and their two kiddos (3 & 5 years old), dog, cat, chickens, and gardens.
She is passionate about pursuing outdoor adventure, and loves to celebrate the pairing/benefits of yoga, meditation, and breathwork. As a licensed mental health professional, she loves to connect people with the enormous benefits of yoga and nature.
Bryana enjoys teaching gentle and fluid vinyasa classes. Yoga philosophy and the subtle benefits of consistent practice are elements that she can never learn enough about.
For nearly a decade, she takes an annual trek into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) with her friend, Nora. Each year the peace & adventure of this raw wilderness revives her in unexplainable ways.
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Nature Camp Specialist & Fishing Guide
Dan Ryan is the owner/operator of Dan Ryan Guide Service located in Longville, MN. He specializes in Walleye fishing, but loves any and all varieties of fishing.
He spent his younger years fly fishing in Southern Minnesota. Most recently he has enjoyed fly fishing for salmon in Alaska.
Dan has a Master’s degree in Environmental Education. He enjoys teaching through experiential learning. In the off-season, he works at Deep Portage Environmental Learning Center in Hackensack, MN.
Dan lives in Longville with his wife, Bryana and their two boys, Lucas and Graham. He’s looking forward to making this retreat a full family affair.
Book Club Read
There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk.
This is an optional add-on to your retreat! Purchase and read before, during, or after.
We will weave themes, concepts, and quotes from the book throughout the retreat.
Lodging Options
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Cabin buyout: 5-10 people total
Fill a bunkhouse style cabin with your family or add your friends' family too!
Ideal for families attending together.
Ideal for families with older children and/or children that are capable of self-regulation and quiet time. There is a short hallway and open doors to each room. The middle room has two twin beds and a closing door.
Heated
Toilets/shower house and sinks are located a short walk outside.
Dining hall, kitchen, and programming located a short walk outside.
10 twin beds in total (this is counting just lower bunk beds).
Will need to bring your own bedding.
Cabin description: When you walk in there is an open doorway to a room with four bunkbeds (8 beds in total) to the left, and an identical open door with room on the right: four bunkbeds (8 beds). Additionally there is one bedroom between the two rooms with a door that closes and two twin beds.
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Reserve half of a bunkhouse style cabin for your family: 3-4 people total
4 twin beds (lower bunk beds).
Appropriate for 1-2 adults and 2-3 kids.
Ideal for families with older children that are capable of self-regulation and quiet time. There is a short hallway and open doors to each room. The middle room has two twin beds and a closing door.
Provide your own bedding.
Heated
Toilets/shower house and sinks are located a short walk outside.
Dining hall, kitchen, and programming located a short walk outside.
Cabin description: When you walk in there is an open doorway to a room with four bunkbeds (8 beds in total) to the left, and an identical open door with room on the right: four bunkbeds (8 beds). Additionally there is one bedroom between the two rooms with a door that closes and two twin beds.
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Private family room within a cabin: 2 people total
2 beds in your private room with closing door.
1 adult + 1 kid
Ideal for smaller families, or those with younger children and/or high-energy children that need more privacy and a quieter setting to fall asleep.
Provide own bedding.
Heated
Toilets/shower house and sinks are located a short walk outside.
Dining hall, kitchen, and programming located a short walk outside.
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Meal plans optional addition. A link for payment will be provided to registered retreaters. Meals include:
Friday Dinner
Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner
Sunday brunch
Adults: $115 per person
Kids 12 and up: $95 per person
Kids 3-11: $65 per person
Kids 2 and under: free (with equivalent adult purchase)
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Enjoy a full weekend retreat experience. Commute to and from your own home/vacation spot in the area. Option meal plan add-on is separate.
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Enjoy a full weekend retreat experience. Commute to and from your own home/vacation spot in the area. Option meal plan add-on is separate.
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Enjoy a day retreat experience. Commute to and from your own home/vacation spot in the area. Option meal plan add-on is separate.
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Enjoy a day retreat experience. Commute to and from your own home/vacation spot in the area. Option meal plan add-on is separate.ription