Move Well, Live Well - A Yoga Retreat for Pain Relief and Pain Prevention in Hawaii
5 Day Move Well, Live Well
- A Yoga Retreat for Pain Relief & Pain Prevention in Hawaii
Locale:
Kaua’i, Hawaii
*Please note most of our retreats will be held on the North Shore in Princeville, and occasionally we’ll move to the west side for a stay at Waimea Plantation Cottages~
Retreat to Hawaii for a 5 day yoga and meditation retreat for the body, mind, and spirit!
Join international yoga and meditation educator and mentor, Mary Susan Stults Sassone at home in Hawaii on the emerald island of Kaua'i.
Kaua'i, Hawaii s the fourth largest island is known as the emerald island or as the "Garden Island," and for good reason. This naturally lush and sacred little island and paradise holds endless beauty. The oldest and northernmost island in the Hawaiian chain is draped in emerald valleys, sharp mountain spires, and jagged cliffs aged by time and the elements. The mountains meet the ocean and our beach and surfing spots feature unbeatable views. Centuries of growth have formed tropical rainforests, forking rivers and cascading waterfalls! Some parts of Kauaʻi are only accessible by sea or air, revealing views beyond your imagination.
Framed by stunning cliffside views that overlook the Pacific, our retreat locale Princeville is a perfect locale to immerse in the island's natural beauty.
Sunsets and beaches in the area are picturesque, and we are surrounded by walking trails, a park within walking distance, paths down to the beach, and more.
You can also enjoy nature by walking, biking, or running along the many paths in the area, such as Princeville’s main corridor or Princeville Path. You can even take in a waterfall or two at the nearby Namolokama Mountain which can be viewed when there has been a good bit of rain. Princeville offers a strong sense of community that not only attracts locals but visitors as well.
The Princeville community continues to grow amidst Kauai’s beautiful, lush valleys and tropical forests. Through this growth, the community still values the memories and traditions of the old Kauai, as well as the area's historical ties to the Kamehameha dynasty.
You've been told yoga will help your chronic pain, but every class you try makes it worse.
Your lower back screams in downward dog. Your shoulders crunch in chaturanga. You leave feeling more frustrated than when you arrived because no one actually explains or breaks down alignment, or what your body needs or why it hurts.
This retreat is different.
Enjoy time to slow down, explore, and take a deep and nourishing dive into intelligent, prop-heavy, alignment-focused yoga where we pause and slow way down to break apart the poses your body has been fighting against. You'll get a one-on-one assessment to identify exactly what's going on in your hips, spine, or shoulders, plus a personalized practice sequence after the retreat that you can actually use at home.
We'll slow down to break down the mechanics and alignment of poses using Iyengar principles and lots of props, so you can finally understand what your body needs and build a sustainable practice that actually helps instead of hurts.
Individual alignment assessments with a teacher trained in therapeutic applications. You'll sit down one-on-one with Mary for 30-45 minutes to identify your specific pain patterns and movement compensations. Once home, Mary will create and send you a personalized practice sequence designed for your body and your practice that you can enjoy at home and continue using.
Intelligent use of props for every single pose. We're not trying to force your body into shapes it's not ready for. We'll use blocks, bolsters, straps, blankets, and chairs to support you exactly where you are. You'll learn how to set up poses at home so you can practice safely on your own.
Workshop-style teaching with longer holds and detailed breakdowns. Instead of flowing through poses quickly, we'll slow way down to explore the energetics and mechanics of each asana. You'll learn WHY a pose hurts and WHAT to do about it, not just be told to "breathe into it."
30+ years of experience. Mary studied and mentored extensively with legendary teacher Maty Ezraty until her passing. Her teaching weaves together Iyengar precision and Ashtanga structure in a way that's sustainable, intelligent, and accessible for all bodies.
Small group size for individualized attention. This retreat is intentionally kept small so Mary can work closely with each student and offer personalized guidance throughout the week.
Focus on practices you can actually maintain at home. Everything we do is designed to be sustainable and repeatable. You'll leave with tools, sequences, and understanding you can use for years, not just poses that look good but hurt your body.
I created this retreat because I've worked with so many students, practitioners, and teachers over the years who come to yoga hoping it will help their chronic pain, only to leave class feeling worse because the teacher didn't understand alignment, or how to work with their specific body.
Here's the thing about chronic pain and yoga: most yoga classes are taught to the middle of the room. Teachers cue the general version of a pose and expect everyone to figure out their own modifications. But when you're dealing with chronic pain, you need someone who understands anatomy, who can look at your body and say, "okay, this is what's actually happening here, and this is how we're going to work with it."
That's what this retreat is about. We're going to spend time and practice really diving into alignment-based yoga practices that intelligently blend Iyengar and Ashtanga traditions. I studied, assisted, and mentored extensively with master teacher and mentor Maty Ezraty for many years until her passing in 2019, and a few of the most important things she taught me was how to meet each student where they are in their own practice and in life, how to read and truly see bodies and alignment, and how to skilfully and intelligently break down the practice and the poses so students truly understand what they're doing and why.
That's what we'll do here.
Each morning we'll practice together as a group, but we'll move slowly and take time to workshop poses. I'll offer come-see-come-look moments of demo, where we break down alignment, explore the mechanics of what's happening in your body, and work with props (blocks, bolsters, straps, blankets) to support you exactly where you are. We'll focus on longer holds so you can feel what's actually happening rather than just moving through poses quickly.
You'll also get an individual alignment assessment with me. We'll sit down one-on-one and I'll look at your specific pain patterns, what you're compensating for, how you are moving, and how we can retrain your movement patterns. Then I'll create a personalized practice sequence that you will receive once you are home and can actually use. This isn't about fancy poses or flexibility. It's about understanding your body and your needs, meeting and celebrating yourself where you are on the mat, and allowing our practice to be a moment to not only return home to ourselves, but to begin to move and practice in a way that further enlivens your life on and off the yoga mat.
Our yoga practice has the power to hinder, or to heal, and when we slow down in our practice, and learn the healthy and correct alignment, energetics, how to move well and support our own body and our own practice, we are able to come in to a space and place of greater healing, thriving, and living well.
Afternoons are yours. You can rest, explore the area, journal, or just be. Some folks like to take gentle walks. Others prefer to read by the pool or take a nap. Some may walk to a beach, or explore on their own if they rent a car. There's no pressure to do anything except show up for morning practice and take care of yourself.
Evenings we'll come back together for restorative practices, gentle yin yoga, journaling, or yoga nidra. These slower practices help your nervous system settle and give your body space to integrate what we've been working on during the day.
This retreat is appropriate for all levels, all bodies, and all students and teachers, truly. You don't need to be flexible or strong. You just need to be willing to slow down and get curious about your own body and practice. I've worked with students and teachers recovering from injuries, surgeries, chronic illness, and years of pain. We'll meet you where you are.
Dates:
July 29th - August 2nd, 2026
November 4th - 8th, 2026
December 9th - 13th, 2026
Retreat Deposit: Non-Refundable $500 Deposit per student
Lodging Options and Tuition:
*Tuition includes lodging, vendor, and state taxes, as well as processing fees
Shared Lodging and Room (Twin Bed or Double Bed in Shared House or Condo): $3599 per student (includes taxes and processing fees)
Private Lodging and Queen or King Bed Room in Shared House or Condo: $3899
Private Condo Suite at Bali Hai Wyndham Resort (across street from main retreat house): $4699
