Restore. Recreate. Rewire.

Next Date: TBD 2026
Freeport, Maine USA

Sunset over a river with trees on both sides, some rocks and sandy shore in the foreground, and clouds in the sky.

Where all of you belongs.

In a world that rewards compartmentalization, most of us have become experts at fragmentation.

The version of you at work.
The one at home.
The one in public.
The one you’ll never show anyone (including yourself).
The one you hardly recognize anymore.

You’ve built a good life — maybe even an impressive one — but somewhere along the way, things split. You started hiding certain parts of yourself to fit in.

Your soul knows it. Your body feels it.

And you’re ready to come home to yourself.

Kai means “and” — the divine conjunction that holds opposites together. In Greek, Hawaiian, and Māori alike, it’s a word of unity and nourishment, reminding us that life’s beauty lives in “the and”: strength and softness, ambition and rest, power and peace.

True integration. The joy of true integrity.

This retreat is an invitation to remember who you are — beneath the roles, beyond the noise.

For four winter days on the coast of Maine, you’ll step out of your ordinary rhythms and into a sanctuary designed for integration.

Through group therapy sessions, reflective dialogue, embodied practices, and solitude in nature, you’ll begin to weave the scattered parts of yourself back together.

This isn’t about self-improvement. It’s about wholeness — learning to live as one seamless, authentic being again.

To move through life as you, entirely and unapologetically whole.

Feels impossible until it’s done. But believe me, it’s possible.

Illustration of a bottle with the word 'love' written with the outline of a dog, with the dog's head forming the letter 'L' and the tail forming the letter 'e'.

John Emery, Founder

Over 3 nights, we’ll explore…

Group of people sitting around campfire at night, smiling and talking.

True Integration

All of this leads here. This is where the fragments begin to meet. Where all of the pieces of you finally stop competing and start belonging to the same body. This retreat is for anyone ready to live as one seamless being again. To feel whole. To remember that every part of you—every story, every scar, every spark—belongs.

A person with freckles and green eyes looking through a glass or mirror with their hand pressed against it. The person is wearing a knit hat.

Self-Compassion

We’ll practice turning the same gentleness we give others inward. Learning to see ourselves not through criticism, but through curiosity. To forgive the missteps, soften the edges, and make peace with the inner voice that’s been talking shit for too long.

Abstract painting with colorful concentric swirls of paint on a canvas

Play & Creativity

Reclaim the joy of making a mess. Paint without purpose. Drum off-beat. Move how your body wants to move. Through art, laughter, and shared, sacred silliness, we’ll remember that aliveness isn’t earned — it’s simply embodied and expressed.

A transparent geodesic dome cabin situated on a small hill in a dense forest with sunlight filtering through the trees.

Reconnection

We begin by stepping into space that allows us to breathe. Nature will be one of our teachers and guides. Silent hikes, ocean air, firelight and moss. We’ll rediscover what it means to belong — to ourselves, to one another, and to something infinitely larger than all of us.

A person reading a book at a white table with decorative pottery and a plant.

Designing Your Life

From a rested, grounded place, we’ll envision what’s next — not the life you think you should live, but the one your soul is quietly asking for. Together we’ll sketch a 10-year dream that isn’t fueled by empty striving. A vision for your life that’s actually worth living.

Be part of our beginning.

Before chasing the enormous dream that Kai will one day become, we’re starting small — right here on the coast of Maine.

This is our first retreat. Our prototype. Our humble experiment in what happens when we step away from the noise and remember what it means to be human. The question we’re exploring is simple but radical: Will people actually hand over their phones for three days in exchange for deeper connection — with themselves, with new friends, and with the earth?

If that stirs something in you… you might be one of the twelve.

A man with short blond hair, tattoos, and wearing a black t-shirt and white pants sits on a cobblestone ground, talking to a group of young people seated around him. The group includes women with red hair, one wearing a hat, and men. Some are holding notebooks and pens. There is a water bottle, backpack, and coffee cup nearby. The setting is outdoors with trees and shaded ground.

Retreat theme: Everything belongs.

Every great transformation begins the moment we stop fighting ourselves.

This gathering is about remembering that nothing within you is broken or wasted — the light and the shadow, the ambition and the ache, the laughter and the longing.

All of it belongs.

You don’t need to be perfect, polished, or put together.

You just need to be willing.

To pause.

To listen.

To let every part of you — messy, radiant, and real — sit down at the same table and be welcomed home.

Meet the Kai team

A smiling young man with short blond hair and tattoos on his right arm, wearing a black t-shirt, standing outdoors with a green forest background.
A man playing an electric guitar in a room, wearing a white t-shirt and ripped jeans, captured in black and white.

John Emery
Creator
Read John’s Bio

Brandon Douglas
Therapist

A woman with curly hair wearing a floral jumpsuit, sitting on a wooden stool in a bright, white room with potted plants and vine decorations.
A woman sitting outdoors on a rock during sunset, wearing a jacket and sunglasses, with trees and a landscape in the background.

Sami Zafagna
Movement as Medicine

Elyse Emery
Co-Creator
A woman with short dark hair, tattoos on her arms, wearing a black shirt, sitting on a chair with her chin resting on her hand, looking at the camera with a slight smile.

Alister Gray
Co-Creator
Read Alister’s Bio

Filiz Undemir
Therapist

& guest speakers, musicians, and more…

fire and stillness, discipline and delight, effort and ease, clarity and mystery, wisdom and wonder, grief and gratitude, motion and quiet, confidence and surrender, doing and being

fire and stillness, discipline and delight, effort and ease, clarity and mystery, wisdom and wonder, grief and gratitude, motion and quiet, confidence and surrender, doing and being

Details —

When: TBD 2026

Location: Freeport, Maine
(Free transport available from Portland airport - PWM)

Limited to 12 people + 6 leaders.

All lodging, meals, and experiences included.

Cost: $1400 USD

What to expect:

  • 3 nights of cozy shared lodging at The Desert of Maine in Freeport

  • 48 hours completely phone-free (yes, actually — emergency contact provided)

  • Locally prepared meals rooted in nourishment and simplicity

  • Guided group sessions and reflective solitude

  • Evening fires, music, and sound baths

  • Walks by the ocean, yoga, art, laughter, and sleep

  • Deep rest, real connection, and a sense of belonging to something new

A marina with boats docked along a wooden pier, lobster traps stacked on the dock, and seaside buildings on the left. The water is calm with reflections of the boats and traps, and a clear blue sky with some seagulls flying overhead.
A table outdoors filled with a variety of colorful salads, fruits, bread, and drinks, with people sharing a meal in warm sunlight.
Modern bedroom with a large glass wall showing a forest scene outside. The room features a bed with orange and white pillows, a bedside table with a small device, and a gray armchair near the window. The ceiling has a geometric black metal framework.

Interested in joining us?

Take the next step

 FAQs

  • The cost covers all lodging, meals, and experiences for the four-day retreat. From the moment you arrive, everything is taken care of—nourishing meals, cozy lodging, guided sessions, and shared experiences. We want you to be free from decision fatigue so you can focus on what you came for: resting, reconnecting, and remembering what wholeness feels like.

  • Yes—and it might be the most liberating part of the whole experience. For 48 hours, you’ll hand in your phone and step fully into presence. No notifications, no scrolling, no pressure to capture or perform—just you, your breath, and the moment you’re actually in. We’ll collect your emergency contacts beforehand and provide them with a dedicated phone number that’s monitored 24/7, so you can relax knowing you’re safe and reachable if truly needed. The goal isn’t disconnection—it’s rediscovery.

  • Each cabin has two queen beds, and participants will be paired up. Sharing space is part of the experience—learning to live side by side with others on the same journey of reconnection. That said, if you require solitude for health or personal reasons, we can explore private lodging options and quote the additional cost to make sure you’re fully supported.

  • Yes—expect hiking, movement sessions in a hot yoga space, and time outdoors. Movement is one of the ways we remember ourselves. Whether it’s a gentle stretch, a winter walk, or a moment to simply breathe by the sea, we’ll meet each body with care and intention. Accommodations can always be made for ADA or individual needs.

  • We’ll provide healthy, whole foods, customized for your needs. During your intake call, we’ll discuss any dietary preferences or restrictions. Meals will be simple, local, and nourishing—designed to ground you back into your body and remind you how deeply care and connection can taste.

  • No, this is not a psychedelic retreat. All substances offered, if any, will be legal at both the local and federal level. The focus of Kai is integration through presence, breath, nature, and honest human connection with one another—our medicine is the “and” between all those parts of you that have been waiting to reunite.

  • Yes, as long as you cancel at least 30 days before the first day of the retreat. (We understand that life can shift. Our intention is to hold this space with both commitment and compassion, so we’ll honor refunds for cancellations made a month in advance—trusting that everything, even timing, belongs.)

  • Not at all. Kai isn’t about religion or dogma—it’s about being human. Whether you find meaning in nature, faith, science, or simply curiosity, this space welcomes you exactly as you are. The only requirement is a willingness to be honest, open, and real.

  • A small, intentional mix of people who feel the same pull you do — hand-selected by John and the team. Leaders, creatives, seekers, parents, and anyone ready to live with more integrity and ease. No one here has it all figured out. We’re all beginners at being whole again.

  • We’ll help make it easy. Fly into PWM Airport, and we’ll handle the rest. Freeport is about 30 minutes from Portland, Maine. We’ll coordinate airport pickups and group transportation so you arrive relaxed, not rushed. From the moment you land, the pace slows.

  • You’ll take a brief Enneagram assessment and reflect on a few prompts we’ll send. It’s not homework—it’s a snapshot of your current inner landscape so you can arrive with a deeper sense of curiosity and readiness.

  • Integration doesn’t end when you leave. You’ll walk away with new friendships, grounded practices, and a deeper sense of what “Everything Belongs” means in your real life. We’ll also share resources and gentle ways to carry the retreat home with you. Ongoing coaching and support will be available as well.