Going on vacation by yourself can be the perfect opportunity to renew, recharge and reconnect with yourself. Here, four Pilates teachers who ventured out solo describe their dream trips—and how taking time for themselves made a difference in every aspect of their lives, including their Pilates practice.
“I SPENT FIVE DAYS IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK.”
—Mara Sievers, PMA®-CPT, owner of Concord Pilates in Concord, NH, and founder of Pilates Encyclopedia
WHAT INSPIRED HER TRAVEL: In my first three years of owning my studio, I didn’t take a single day off. Then I started to take Sundays off, then Saturdays, then the long weekends. Still, I worked so much that I eventually suffered severe burnout. I’d been to Acadia, which is located in Maine’s Mount Desert Island, three times prior to this visit in July 2018. It’s my happy place—I love that it has mountains and the ocean.
THE ITINERARY: I hiked every day. There is an endless choice of trails, and even though this was my fourth visit, I’ve only completed a small fraction of them. One night, I drove up to Cadillac Mountain and watched the sunset; it usually gathers quite the crowd each morning and night. (I love sleeping in, so I chose the sunset over the sunrise!)
I drove also around the island a bit and looked at places I hadn’t yet seen, took walks on the beach, and had plenty of ice cream while staring out at the ocean, clearing my head. I had broken up with my boyfriend a couple of months earlier, so it felt incredibly nourishing to reconnect with what I wanted and with whom I wanted to spend my time.
A BREAK FROM PILATES: I intentionally didn’t take any Pilates classes or do any formal practice while away. I definitely needed a break from it. I’ve been practicing for 20 years and teaching for 13—that’s a lot of Pilates. But I always travel with a half foam roller. When my calves or glutes became tight from hiking, I rolled them out.
This story is from the May - June 2019 edition of Pilates Style.
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This story is from the May - June 2019 edition of Pilates Style.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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