Portugal Movement Excursion
Movement, Magic, & Memories: Our Portugal Excursion 2025
If you followed along on Instagram @Pilates4Fitness, you know that part of October was not spent in the usual spaces. Instead, I proudly joined a colleague and co-led our movement practice across the Atlantic, trading the four walls for the golden cliffs, tiled streets, and endless horizons of Portugal.
From October 11th thru 18th, we embarked on a movement excursion that was about so much more than just exercise. It was about exploring the angles of a new landscape and finding new curves within ourselves.
The Setting: Angles & Azulejos
Portugal in October was perfect —the light is softer, the air crisp, and the ocean is a deep, inviting blue. We arrived with open hearts and ready bodies.
Portugal challenged each of us in the best way possible. Whether we were navigating the steep walk up to our daily movement classes, the cobblestoned hills of Lisbon (a glute workout that requires no reformer) or finding our center on a mat overlooking the reflecting pool, the environment became our apparatus.
Highlight: Our morning mat session on the hill terrace. There is something profoundly grounding about "hugging the center line" when the horizon line is right there in front of you.
Morning Pilates Mat
We didn't just leave our stress at the airport; we moved it out of our bodies.The week was dedicated to Movement Therapy. We slowed down. We focused on the breath. We worked on the spine using the yoga bolsters in place of the spine corrector, used that core to truly ride horseback and enjoyed each other poolside chatting about travel and life.
One of my favorite sessions was sunset movement with my co-lead Anayra Calderon, we enjoyed the light and her voice to move our bodies and use our balance and stabilizers. It was a reminder that both Pilates and Yoga aren't just a series of exercises; but a way of carrying yourself through the world—tall, aligned, and resilient.
Click the image for the IG post
We wrapped up our days chasing sunsets. Portugal gave us some spectacular ones. There is nothing quite like sitting by an infinity pool, watching the sky turn from blue to fiery orange, silhouetting the tall grass.
The Nourishment: A Taste of the Good Life
You can't talk about Portugal without talking about the food. Part of the "Pilates Lifestyle" is enjoying life’s pleasures, and we certainly did that.
We fueled our movement with fresh Mediterranean flavors— foods prepared specially for us by our private chef; grilled fish, chicken and/veggies, vibrant salads, homemade dressing and yes, the occasional Pastel de Nata (because balance!). We toasted our progress with local Vinho Verde and shared stories late into the night.
The perfect end to a perfect week. Serenity found.
Costa Rica in the Rain
It rained quite a bit while we were there. As a result, it allowed me to slow down and appreciate the special peacefulness of being in a Blue Zone region of the world and the wonder of nature’s elements.
This was a Pilates Retreat with a gifted friend and teacher, Bonnie Grove, and move we did! A lot of it, in the rain, via TukTuk shuttles back and forth to a health and wellness facility that housed the Pilates Apparatus we had the pleasure of using throughout the week.
While it was wet, it was wonderful.
Yoga On the Nile
6AM Morning Movement
Yoga and movement meditation along the Nile River was all that I could have asked for. My only wish is that there were more time for more of it.
Windy Nile River Practice