What It’s Like
We’re deliberately vague about what happens here. This is not to be mysterious, but because arriving without a picture in your head is part of how The Pause works. The days unfold in their own order, and the moments people carry longest are almost always the ones they didn’t see coming. So what follows is the shape of it, not the content.
Almost nothing is taught. There are no lectures, no slides, no framework to take home and apply.
Each day is built from a sequence of exercises — most of them “done” more than “discussed” — followed by time to make sense of what happened, alone in a journal or aloud with the group. Some are quiet and contemplative. Many involve writing. Some involve movement. Some are done in pairs. Several ask something of the body rather than the mind. A few are small ceremonies, and speak to what we find sacred.
Nothing here belongs to any tradition or doctrine, and we hold no view about what you should conclude. There is no right answer waiting at the end that we already know and you don’t. What surfaces is yours, and nothing is ever mandatory or forced. Gentleness and freedom are at the heart of The Pause.
Dates
Thursday evening, October 29 through Sunday evening, November 1, 2026, or Thursday evening, February 4 through Sunday evening, February 7, 2027. Arrival is on Thursday between 2 and 4pm; we begin with a gathering at 6pm that evening and close with dinner together at 6pm on Sunday.
Location
Cassia Hill Villa, in the hills above Galle on Sri Lanka’s southern coast. The villa is roughly three hours by road from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport. We can help arrange transport from the airport or from Galle.
What’s included
- Three nights’ accommodation at Cassia Hill Villa
- All meals (plant-based, prepared with care, nourishing without excess)
- All guided sessions and facilitation
- Materials
- A post-retreat integration call for the group
- A one-to-one session with one of the facilitators, within 30 days afterwards
What’s not included
- Flights to Sri Lanka
- Airport transfers (can be arranged)
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Visa fees (most nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival or an ETA online)
Group size
Limited to eight participants. This is intentional: small enough for genuine intimacy, large enough for the richness of different perspectives.
Cost
US$1,250 per person for a private room, or US$950 per person for a shared room (payment can be made in USD or LKR). Shared rooms are for two people; if you are coming alone and would like a shared room, we pair you with another participant of the same gender. Both include accommodation, all meals, materials, and the full experience from Thursday evening through Sunday evening.
We offer discounts and scholarships when the standard pricing would be a hardship. If that is you, please write to us at hello@findthepause.com. We don't want cost to prevent anyone from attending The Pause.
Deposit and payment
A US$500 deposit reserves your place. The balance is due on October 9, 2026 for the October retreat, or January 15, 2027 for February, and can be paid in two instalments at no extra cost, on request.
Everything you have paid is refunded in full if you cancel by October 8, 2026 for October, or January 14, 2027 for February. After that we cannot refund in cash, but your place can be transferred free of charge to a later Pause.
We can provide an invoice and a one-page letter for employer reimbursement or professional-development budgets, on request.
Extending your stay
If you’d like more time, you can stay an additional night at Cassia Hill, Sunday night through Monday morning, including Monday breakfast, for US$150. You can request this when you reserve your place, or any time before arrival.
What to bring
Comfortable clothes and an open heart. We’ll send a detailed packing list after booking.
Device-free
This is a device-free experience. You’ll be invited to leave your phone and laptop behind on arrival. Emergency contact information is provided for family members who may need to reach you.
Meals & dietary needs
All meals are plant-based: fresh, Sri Lankan-inspired, and thoughtfully prepared. If you have allergies or specific dietary requirements, let us know when booking and we’ll accommodate them.
Getting to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka offers visa-on-arrival or Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for most nationalities. Colombo (CMB) is the main international airport. We recommend arriving in Sri Lanka on Thursday morning or earlier to allow time for travel to the villa.