A Pilates Retreat that will knock you off your toesocks!

No. We offer each of our retreats (except for the Teacher Trainings) just once a year around the same time.

Yes. If you are a group of friends looking for a personalized and intimate retreat experience, the Life in Movement team is happy to work with you on a bespoke retreat package

Yes. Even if you are new to Pilates, we welcome and encourage you to join. A retreat week always starts with the basics no matter how experienced the other participants might be. Both Benjamin and Heather are experienced teachers and will attend to all levels. Depending on the overall level of the group we will slowly (or quickly) build up the classes day by day. You can decide to book additional private sessions if you feel you want to work on something specific. If there is a very big difference between levels, we might offer some additional classes to the more advanced participants, but the group sessions will always be tailored to accommodate beginners.

No. We welcome all types of practitioners and students of any school of Pilates. The teaching style of this retreat will be classical based, which provides a wonderful learning opportunity for those who've never tried the classical work as well as those who know classical Pilates and want to dive deeper.

Yes. We usually offer a custom retreat price in that case. If you want to bring a child, we recommend you contact us directly to see how we can best accommodate you.

We have lots of guests traveling alone and for many it’s been the first time or the first time on retreat. Portugal is a very safe country with helpful, friendly people, many of whom speak good English. A retreat is actually a perfect setting for a first solo trip. All is organized and taken care of, but if you want to step out of your comfort zone, make friends, try something new, here is your opportunity. You will be surprised how quickly it all falls into place.

We love it when teachers join our retreat! This usually means that you are excited to continue your learning journey. Be aware that our retreats are open to all levels and that this retreat is not primarily focused on an advanced level participant. That said — as this is our most focused Pilates retreat and with highly sought after teachers, we are expecting a higher than usual level of experienced Pilates participants. If that's not enough and when we see that you can be pushed… we will do so! You can always book additional private sessions if you want to go deeper.

I get asked this a lot and unfortunately, I have yet to find the perfect Pilates retreat location that offers the possibility to add in equipment sessions. In fact, I am building this space right now in Portugal, so I invite you to support CALM Portugal, so that in a few years the answer can be ”Yes, of course!”

If you have doubts about your physical abilities in regards to the retreat and due to a chronic or acute condition, we encourage you to contact us prior to booking. That way we can advise you and make sure that you will benefit from the retreat. All participants will need to complete a health form prior to the retreat start.

For maximum benefit we encourage each guest to arrive and leave on the official retreat arrival & departure days. If you can’t make it, we will try our best to find a custom solution for you, which will, however, not affect the retreat price.

As you can imagine, we are very used to dealing with all kinds of food allergies, preferences and unusual diets. As long as you tell us ahead of time (there is a line about it in our mandatory health form) we can inform the venue and let you know how much we can accommodate you. For the most part it’s easy (ie vegan, gluten free, dairy free) and if it’s potentially tricky, we will advise you to bring your own snacks, supplements and supplies.

• you expect an exceptionally high level of Pilates instruction and are interested in learning more about the classical Pilates method.
• you are new to Pilates and are interested in getting a thorough and meaningful introduction to classical Pilates.
  
• you are an experienced practitioner or teacher who believes that we never stop learning
  
• you are looking for an advanced understanding of Pilates, including not only the 'how', but also the 'why' of the practice.
  
• you like to find out how Pilates can touch and influence your life on multiple levels.
• you would like to bring your Pilates practise to the next level and learn from some of the world's best teachers.
• you are looking for a retreat that goes deep and beyond 'great food / great location / fantastic teachers'
• you are looking for a retreat that connects movement, learning, excursions and the location into a meaningful package
• you are ready to unlock a part of your brain to channel a more direct pathway to your body.
  
• you want to leave with an understanding of the full classical mat sequence in mind and body for continued self-practice.

• being on a holiday in Portugal is more important to you than the Pilates classes. In that case, we'd recommend you book a private retreat with us, so we can tailor the Pilates program to your needs and add in more bespoke experiences.
• you are an experienced practitioner or teacher who sees no point in sharing a class with a beginner
  
• you like to be in a big group of people and prefer to keep social interactions light
  
• your main attraction to this retreat was the wine tasting and and vineyard tour. We will do this as well, but as we only have 6 days, our focus will be on Pilates and your mind and body.
• you are not ready to step out of your comfort zone to learn and possibly be surprised.
• you see the retreat as light entertainment with Pilates being just another point on the program.
• you are looking for a retreat that comes close to a teacher training with more than 3-4 hours on the mat. We are also here to have fun, to enjoy some R&R and mostly to explore how Pilates can play a role in all moments of your life.