A summer yoga vacation in the Bahamas was supposed to be an eye-opening experience for Taylor Casey. Friends and family of the 41-year-old yoga practitioner from Chicago were thrilled to hear about it. But no one has seen or heard from her in over a week.
Who is Taylor Casey, the Chicago woman who went missing during a yoga retreat in the Bahamas?
June 27, 2024
Casey had been regularly updating her friends and family while she was at the retreat. They say she was excited to tell them about her trip and return home. Casey’s mother, Colette Seymore, told CBS News she received a photo from the beach on June 18 and a text message from her daughter saying, “I miss you, mom. I miss you. Look, I’m at the beach.”
That was the last time she heard from her daughter.
“I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others when she returned,” Seymore wrote in the press release. “Taylor would never disappear like that.”
Where is Paradise Island?
The Ashram is located on Paradise Island, a small island Connected by half-mile long bridges to downtown Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. Nassau is located on the island of New Providence.
Paradise Island is home to many tourist-friendly resorts, including the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Bahamas.
It was also the venue for the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, the gathering Taylor attended.
What is the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat?
The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat combines the practices of a traditional ashram – a spiritual monastery common in India – and a modern yoga center. The ashram offers dozens of programs and retreats throughout the year. Casey took part in the ashram’s yoga certification program, according to the center’s post.
The ashram teaches Sivananda-style yoga and has a rigorous daily routine that includes meditation, breathing exercises, yoga postures and study, according to the organization’s website. The ashram was opened in 1967 by Swami Vishnudevananda, a student of yoga master Swami Sivananda. Vishnudevananda opened a number of yoga centers in the West in the name of Sivananda’s teachings.
What’s new about the investigation?
Police were searching around the sanctuary but have now expanded their search area, Skippings said, adding that police are also reviewing video surveillance footage. Investigators have spoken to several people at the ashram and will continue to do so, she said. They have also been in touch with Casey’s family. Her mother plans to travel to the island to help with the search, the family said in its press release.
Skippings reminded the public that they can remain anonymous and still report information that assists the investigation by calling 242-300-8476.
“That’s the most important thing for us right now,” Skippings said. “We want to find Taylor.”
Kim Bellware contributed to this report.
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