A post-vacation/ Pilates retreat with Instructor Kari.

Where have you been the last three weeks?

I went to Northern California for a little scenic road trip and a wedding. While I was there I had the chance to take classes at Madeline Black’s Sonoma studio, which was really awesome. The instructor had been doing a lot of work with an osteopath and was helpful with an old injury.

After California, I went to Italy for a Pilates retreat with the instructor I learned from, Page Sieffert from Nosara, Costa Rica. We went to a tiny little village about an hour outside of Rome. The village dates back to the fall of the Roman Empire (roughly 1200 AD) and is a winding hilly maze of cobblestone streets and homes, perfectly preserved. The views from the local piazza out onto olive groves and mountains were breathtaking. We did 2 pilates classes a day— one strength oriented and the other more stretching. In between classes we did day trips, horseback riding, hikes, olive oil tastings, and a whole lot of eating the amazing food.

What made you decide to go?

Initially when I learned about the retreat I thought, “wow, how cool, but I can’t possibly go to Italy when I just spent so much time in Costa Rica.” I told my friend about it and she wanted to go and she convinced me to come along and share a room with her, and I’m so glad I did. I love Pilates and it’s always nice to take classes with the first teacher you had— it’s kind of like putting on a cozy sweater. It just feels makes you smile.

What was the most interesting/ inspiring part of your trip?

The most interesting part of the trip was probably the history of the village and meeting other fascinating women from around the Americas.

What part of your trip in terms of what you learned are you most excited to share with clients?

I really learned about flow. The mat classes in Italy had such great flow. Page is a former dancer and she’s all about movement. She really let us move and corrected form as we moved through various exercises. I’m excited to move more with clients and try to up the pace and flow.