Transformative.
Those were the words of Cindy Issac who just visited me in Turkey for a private Pilates Delight Retreat after we had first met in Bali in 2010, stayed in touch throughout the years and eventually ended up both working in Kabul, Afghanistan. A small world. I will tell you about my experience teaching Pilates in Kabul another time – for now, I would like to share with you some feedback from Cindy about her experiences with Pilates Retreat Asia:
Cindy, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a humanitarian aid worker based in Kabul, Afghanistan who loves to run and do yoga. I discovered Pilates by chance, and thanks to Mareile, who happened to have a combination yoga and Pilates retreat.
Sweet Retreat Memories – Cindy working it out on our first Pilates and Yoga Retreat back in 2010 in Bali
Was this your first retreat experience? How did it compare to your expectations or other retreats you might have been on before?
No. I have attended numerous yoga trainings and a few yoga related retreats. The one-on-one with Mareile exceeded my expectations. She was personally attentive to my needs in all ways to make sure that the whole trip was exactly what I was looking for. As I am based in Afghanistan, she selected hotels where I can truly have a zen experience and took the time to show me the beautiful town of Alacati. She also tailored the training so that I would be able to take what we learned back with me to Kabul in order to improve my own practice.
Cindy’s room at Alavaya – our favourite boutique hotel
Ok, let’s face it – Pilates is great, but how about this yummy Turkish breakfast? Heaven!
Here’s a little peak at the ‘zen’ Cindy is referring to. We agree.
What were the best moments from your trip?
The morning class at the hotel. The space was absolutely beautiful and what a way to start off the day – rolling/unrolling my spine and moving my body in a way that I never have before. I still can’t believe how much I learned in that one hour.
Tell us one thing you learned during your retreat experience that you would like to share:
I am very much into anatomy, so for me, my practice was transformed by the way she adjusted my spine by with the roll downs, but also the bridge. Specifically, she taught me to enjoy the natural curve of my spine rather than trying to alter it. It really allowed me to relax more into the poses, but also release tension in my pelvis and hips.
Thank you so much, Cindy, for sharing. If you have any questions about the Pilates Delight Retreat or any of the programmes I offer, do not hesitate to drop me a line.
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