The Sacred Pause: Step out of the noise. Step into what matters.

The Sacred Pause is a yoga retreat at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island, Bahamas, for people who want to step away from daily noise and spend time on yoga, meditation and quiet reflection. The ashram describes itself as a place where there is always something inspiring happening, and it welcomes guests for a weekend workshop, an immersive course or a simple, peaceful retreat.

What to Expect

The ashram's programs are built around classical yoga and the Sivananda teachings, and the offerings around this season show the range of what a stay can hold. Teachers lead workshops on pranayama and vital energy, positive thinking, the mind and its freedom, the Bhagavad Gita, karma yoga, bhakti yoga and the four paths of yoga. Swami Paramananda, Swami Shambhudevananda, Swami Brahmananda and Bhargavi Chaitanya are among those teaching.

Other programs turn toward the body and the nervous system. Nora Benian (Sundari) teaches therapeutic yoga for the spine, hips and shoulders, using gentle practices meant to calm the nervous system and relieve pain. M. Mala Cunningham, PhD, C-IAYT, leads a three-day nervous system reset built around rest. There are also Ayurvedic retreats and cleanses, including a five-day Ayurvedic retreat with Acharya Shunya and Chef Sanjai, which uses nourishing food, daily rhythm and simple practices to support digestion and restore balance as the seasons turn.

For those drawn to devotional practice, the calendar includes kirtan and chanting. Burning Mantra, with Gopi Kallayil and fellow musicians, offers a kirtan program in the spirit of bhakti yoga. Shell and Anton of Shell Andréa Yoga and Kirtan lead Breath of Bhakti, which combines discussion, storytelling, chanting and reflection. Cat O'Connor (Pranava) leads a guided ashram retreat that blends yoga, meditation, satsang and reflective writing.

Some stays are shaped around a particular theme, such as a retreat for women over 50 on nourishing foods and lifestyle, a heart-centered healing retreat with Dr. Nicole Tetreault and Dr. Kathleen Williams, and a sound and energy healing retreat with Shamini Jain, PhD. The ashram also hosts longer training, including its 200-hour Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course, which runs four weeks.

The Setting

The retreat takes place at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Guests reserve a stay and are welcomed into the life of the ashram, where programs run alongside one another, so a visitor can choose the teaching or practice that speaks to them.

Before You Go

Programs are offered for a range of interests, from short workshops of a day or two to multi-day courses, so it helps to look at what each program covers before choosing. Some professional courses, such as Advanced Thai Yoga Massage, are designed for experienced practitioners. Others are open to anyone drawn to the practice. The ashram also runs a family yoga holiday program for children ages 4 to 12.