Bessie Refalo Yoga

One of my favourite moments from our January retreat in Portugal.

Morning reformer Pilates with a small group, sunlight pouring through the windows and that feeling of having nowhere else to be.

These retreats are never just about exercise. They are a chance to slow down, move well, eat beautiful food and spend a few days somewhere warm with good company.

I realised this week that there are now only two rooms remaining for my Algarve retreat in September.

If you’ve been thinking about joining us, this might be the moment.

Reformer Retreat Rituals – Algarve
23–26 September

Message me if you’d like the details.

A small update from the cabin.

Since January I’ve slowly been shaping this space into something very intentional.

It’s not a big studio and it’s not a high-energy class environment.

It’s a quiet place to work carefully with bodies.

Many of the people who come here arrive because something isn’t quite right.
A back that keeps flaring up.
A hip that feels unreliable.
A body that feels strong in some ways but confused in others.

Often they say the same thing when they walk in:

“My physio told me I should do Pilates.”

And whilst that advice is usually well-meaning, there is often a misunderstanding about what that actually means.

Pilates today can refer to many different things – from small, clinically-informed sessions to fast-paced fitness classes.

Both have their place.

But if you’ve been advised to do Pilates because of pain, injury, hypermobility or surgery, the environment matters.

The work I do here sits somewhere between rehabilitation and movement education.
1:1- Careful progressions. Time to actually observe the body.

The cabin is equipped with a Cadillac, Reformer, Wunda Chair and Ladder Barrel, which allows the work to be far more precise than a typical class environment.

I use the space for two types of sessions:

• Clinical-style private work for clients dealing with pain, injury, hypermobility or post-surgical recovery.

• Advanced Pilates exploration for experienced movers who want to go deeper into the system and work with the full apparatus in a quieter, more focused setting.

The equipment allows the work to be supported when it needs to be therapeutic and challenging when the body is ready for more complex work.

I recently wrote a short article unpacking something I hear often - what physios usually mean when they recommend Pilates, and why the style of class matters.

You can read it on my website.
Link in bio.

I currently have 3 spaces opening in the cabin over the coming weeks for people who feel this kind of environment might suit them

I sometimes think of myself as a movement magpie.

Over the last 3 decades I’ve studied yoga in different lineages, trained in Pilates through BASI, STOTT, Breathe Education, Body Control and the London Pilates Academy.

I’ve listened.
I’ve absorbed.
I’ve practised.
I’ve questioned.

And most importantly, I’ve watched what happens on real bodies.

Not bodies on Instagram.
Not idealised shapes.
Real men and women
Real injuries.
Real stress.
Real lives.

What I’ve learned is this:

A beautiful shape does not guarantee a resilient body.

Rigidity is not resilience.

Alignment is not a crystal ball predicting injury.

What builds capacity is intelligent load, progressive exposure and a regulated nervous system.

My teaching is not about chasing aesthetic perfection.
It’s about building adaptable, confident adults.

That’s the philosophy behind my classes, my clinical work and my retreats.

If you’d like to read more, my latest article is live on the journal.

The full article is live on my website.
Link in bio ⬆️
Movement is medicine 🌱

Returning guests say everything 🤍

When someone returns for a second (or third) retreat, I know the work has landed-in the body, the nervous system, and beyond. Women travelled globally from Germany, UEA and Ireland as well as U.K. and united through a love of Reformer Pilates✨

Golden Rituals · Portugal · September
Alumni priority booking is open ✨

I’m quietly opening interest for my next Retreat Rituals in Portugal -September 2026 🌿

This will be an intimate reformer Pilates + breathwork retreat near the beach ,in a setting designed for rest, nervous system reset, and deep embodied work.

Alumni will be offered first access before any public release.

If this is calling you, send me a DM with the word RETREAT and I’ll share details privately when they’re ready.

✨ Limited spaces. Intentionally small.

Winter retreats aren’t about escaping life.
They’re about learning how to meet it.

This moment – a quiet cold plunge – says so much about why I host retreats in winter.

After children
Through perimenopause.
As our nervous systems, hormones and bodies change.

Self-care stops being about indulgence and starts being about regulation.

Cold water to reset the nervous system.
Red light therapy to support recovery and inflammation.
Steam and heat to soften, release and restore.
And movement – not to punish or “get back”, but to reconnect, stabilise and feel at home in your body again.

Winter gives us permission to slow down, to tune in, and to choose practices that actually support this season of life – rather than fighting it.

This is what retreat work looks like for me now.
Practical. Nervous-system led. Deeply human.

Movement is medicine – but only when it meets you where you are.

✨

The last day of a retreat always feels different.
Bodies tired, hearts open, something quietly shifted.

Women who arrived as strangers leaving as friends.
Layers dropped. Laughter easier. Nervous systems softer.

This is what happens when women gather with intention.
When we lift each other up instead of competing.
When there’s space to be fully human.

So grateful to co-create this with Victoria , and for every woman who stepped into the experience so openly.

If you’re curious how Victoria and I met, I share the story on the Retreat Leaders Podcast -the episode I’m a guest on is now live- link in bio ⬆️

In December I was invited onto The Retreat Leaders Podcast 🎙️

This week, the episode dropped, while I’m in Portugal hosting the first of my 2026 retreats ✨

I’ve listened to this podcast for years, so it felt like a quiet full-circle moment 💛

We spoke about what it really takes to host reformer Pilates retreats in Europe, the logistics, the creativity, and building something before the venue even exists.

🎧 Listen now, link in bio

🇮🇹 June Italy retreat, one final room available

I’ve been wintering away from social media
– a season of quiet
– of listening
– of tending to what matters

With retreat now two weeks away
– I’m emerging again
– not just with thoughts on what to pack
– but perhaps more importantly
– what needs unpacking

I’ve written a short journal piece on my website
– on preparing for retreat
– beyond the practical
– and into the nervous system 🌱

“I feel completely aligned in my body.”
That’s the moment I love most — when movement becomes more than exercise, and the body begins to trust itself again.

Pain can shift how we move, think, and feel…
but with awareness, patience, and the right support, alignment returns — from the inside out. 🌿

✨ Real words from a wonderful 1:1 client.
Movement is medicine — and with the right guidance, change can happen faster than you think💛

Tailored support really does make the difference.

🌿 Every body is different. That’s why I tailor 1:1 sessions to your needs. They are totally bespoke. In studio or via Zoom

DM if you’d like to know more or click link in bio ⬆️