Movement Half Day Retreat

Move and be moved.

Treat yourself to the ultimate self care with our half day retreat, where you will relax, destress and reinvigorate in the heart of the Inner West. Experience a Roll & Release session, Pilates Mat class, and a Slings inspired Myofascial workshop that will nurture, support and nourish. Concluding with restorative postures and a relaxation, accompanied by the soothing sounds of a live cello, the instrument's kinetic power fosters vitality. Movement and music is at the core of what it means to be human, and we have crafted this retreat intentionally to bring a deeper dimension of beauty into your life. Join Paola, Emily and Rachel for this movement experience.

In our experience, calming the nervous system down first before energising movement can have great benefit to get your natural energy back. While 3.5 hours of movement seems extensive, the morning is carefully choreographed to restore and re-energise equally.

To cultivate this we explore the following:

• WARM UP/ROLL & RELEASE: Paola’s focus is to unwind with a slow flow myofascial release class to free areas of built up tension in your body and prepare you for the afternoon of movement.
• PILATES: Emily's years of experience revitalises and reconnects with Pilates mat. 
• FASCIA FOCUSED MOVEMENT: Paola explores a Slings Myofascial Training class to promote overall postural ease and vitality. 
• RESTORATIVE POSTURES & CELLO: Paola concludes the morning with long-hold restorative postures of 3-5 minutes, eventually leading to a place of deep stillness, while enveloped by the harmonious sounds of the cello, skilfully played by Rachel. The soothing musical backdrop enhances the unwinding process, with scientific studies underscoring the positive impact of music on the nervous system and brain. This harmonious integration contributes to an overall sense of tranquility and well-being, creating a serene conclusion to the morning. 

We invite you to join us. It is an opportunity for you to treat yourself.

What is included:

• All classes
• Equipment
• Snacks

Who we are

Paola Raffinetti, Pilates instructor, Yoga teacher, Slings Myofascial Trainer and Educator, began her first Pilates training in 2001 as at it improved her performance and body awareness as a dancer. It helped her discover new ways of moving she had never had access to before. This revelation about the inter-connectedness of the mind body connection has kept her fascinated ever since. This fascination has increased exponentially with the latest research into the fascial system with Slings Myofascial Training or ‘Slings’, for short, when she began this training in 2017. By incorporating Slings in her Pilates classes, the positive overall dynamic postural affects within herself and clients have been inspiring. This continues to inform her teaching and own self practice for long term gain. Movement ease in every day life is a worthwhile endeavour.

Emily Amisano believes that everyone should have the opportunity to inhabit a responsive, strong and flexible body, and to experience a pain-free ease of movement in their daily life and activities. She comes from a 16-year career in contemporary dance, and has performed around the world in companies including Sydney Dance Company and Carte Blanche (Norway). Emily is now continuing her movement journey through teaching Pilates and Slings Myofascial Training, and aims to help each client discover the key to unwinding habitual tension and patterns that may block flowing functional movement.

Rachel Pogson, originally from Orange in rural NSW, is a freelance cellist and conductor. She studied ‘cello with Susan Blake at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Anthea Scott-Mitchell at Newcastle Conservatorium. Rachel has played as principal cellist with the Christ Church Camerata, Orange Symphony Orchestra, Newcastle Conservatorium Orchestra, Lake Macquarie Philharmonic and Scots Kirk Band. For many years, Rachel performed as part of alt-rock/folk band ‘Hudson Arc’. Rachel currently conducts numerous string orchestras across Sydney’s inner-west and maintains a wonderful studio of private ‘cello students.