Your Bali Retreat: A Look Back at December 2024's Magic
Tuesday, July 24, 2025
Every Bali Retreat we host at Sunset Pilates Retreats is tailored to the people who join us — no fixed routines or one-size-fits-all approach. In December 2024, we welcomed Amy Leclair, Paul Micayla Cotter, and Marisa Da Silva to an experience designed around thoughtful movement, local culture, and purposeful rest. Here’s how it unfolded.
Our Bali Home Away from Home
The group stayed at Villa Tao, a peaceful private space that gave everyone room to recharge. Chef-designed meals were prepared onsite, and the villa quickly became a hub for good food, deep conversations, and slow mornings. After international flights and airport pick-ups, this calm setting was the ideal start to our sweet retreat.
Pilates: Focus, Form, and Function
Our daily classes took place at the Sunset Pilates Bali – Legian Studio, where the group explored a mix of movement styles:
- Reformer Classes – for building strength and stability through controlled, intentional movement.
- HIIT-style Reformer Class – for added intensity with bursts of cardio, combining endurance with classic Pilates foundations.
The highlight for many was the Pilates Foundation Workshop, led by legendary Bali-based instructor Bu Nancy Wuisan. With decades of experience, Bu Nancy has trained countless Pilates students to go on to teach in their own countries. Her calm and methodical teaching style helped participants reconnect with the true roots of classical Pilates, emphasizing the importance of breath, correct form, and posture above all else.
Beyond the Mat: Workshops That Ground and Support
Wellness is more than physical fitness, so we were excited to include two sessions that focused on mental and emotional clarity:
- The Mindfulness & Meditation Workshop with trauma-informed psychotherapist Nikki Heyder, where she introduced breathwork, reflection, and grounding techniques that help reduce anxiety and tension.
- The Women’s Circle with Anouk, which offered a space for open conversation, community, and reflection — less about structured dialogue, more about honest connection.
Rest & Recovery
In a never-before-offered activity, we took our guests to Terapung Float Club—where they moved through a revitalizing circuit of sauna, cold plunge, and reflexology. The cold-water exposure wasn’t just for novelty — it’s been shown to activate the body’s natural stress-regulating system via the vagal brake, helping shift from high-alert to calm. A truly grounding experience that brought deep relaxation and reset the nervous system.
Later, we took everyone to a much-deserved pampering session at Kaiana Spa. From pedicures, targeted massages to full-body treatments, no retreat is complete without a girls-day out at a spa.
Exploring Bali: Culture, Coastline, and Local Flavours
In between movement and workshops, our group had time to explore:
- A beginner-friendly Surf Class in Seminyak, where expert instructors make sure you feel safe, have fun, and stand up on your board—often on your very first wave.
- A trip to Bali’s beautiful southern coast, Padang Padang Beach, to swim, relax, and soak in the crystalline views.
- A sunset visit to Uluwatu Temple to witness the iconic Kecak Dance—a must-see for anyone in Bali. With the ocean as your backdrop and the rhythmic chanting all around, it’s a powerful cultural experience that’s simply unforgettable.
Food was its own main event—because you can’t go on a retreat in Bali without diving into a full-on culinary adventure. On this particular retreat we took our girls to:
- A dinner experience at Jimbaran Fish Market, enjoying seafood by the sea.
- A Balinese cooking class, where guests prepared and shared their own creations.
- A traditional Nasi Kuning lunch and a farewell cocktail dinner at the villa.
- A relaxed evening at Made’s Warung Seminyak, a longstanding Bali favourite.
The December 2024 Bali retreat reminded us that the best kind of transformation often comes from slowing down, tuning in, eating lots of great food, and above all, connecting with others. Whether you’re drawn to movement, rest, or cultural immersion, our next retreat will evolve with your input.
What would you love to see next? Breathwork masterclasses? Traditional healing practices? Let us know — the next chapter of your Pilates retreat might just be your best one yet.
