I live for adventure. I thrive in nature. I love Pilates.
I am Page Sieffert, owner of Pilates Nosara, a Pilates studio located on the grounds of The Bodhi Tree Resort in Nosara, Costa Rica. I am also on the faculty of Balanced Body (www.balancedbody.com)and here is my story of my life I paradise.
I was introduced to the beach town which is now my home in Nosara Costa Rica, over 15 years ago on a solo surf adventure. I needed time away from the chaos of Los Angeles and a much needed break from teaching Pilates at my former studio in Hermosa Beach, California, The Pilates Room. After an hour long drive down a horrible pothole filled road to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, I stepped onto a magical beach with perfect empty waves. The jungle set the landscape, filled with loud howler monkeys, and all kinds of animals that I had never seen before. This place became my refuge, my happy place to rejuvenate and rest.
I purchased property within days of arriving and soon after built my surf shack as a single woman barely speaking a lick of Spanish. Many called me crazy, but I knew this place was special. After over ten years of owning one of the first Pilates studios in Hermosa Beach, I was ready for a change. So why not risk it all by selling my studio and opening a studio in the middle of the jungle down a long dirt road in paradise? That is exactly what I did. Not knowing the outcome, I jumped into the adventure and opened Pilates Nosara seven years ago in Nosara, Costa Rica (www.nosara.com).
Before making my move, I contacted Balanced Body with the idea of representing them for teacher trainings in Costa Rica and they accepted. I had already taught Pilates for over 12 years and had a background in dance, yoga, Ayurveda, and nursing. I was ready to teach those that wanted to share Pilates with the world. With the help of dear friends Richard Jordan and Gary Edwards, my dream has become better than I could have ever imagined. Pilates Nosara began in the most amazing tree house like setting and has now moved into a larger location at The Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort. The studio hangs over a hill into the lush green surroundings that are the home of many monkey tribes. Imagine lifting into the pulling straps and seeing these furry friends passing by in their beautiful habitat. Being in paradise has created an ideal location for the Balanced Body Teacher trainings and Pilates Retreats.
The Balanced Body teacher training has evolved into week long trainings for each module. Traveling to our home studio in Nosara allows students to step away from their everyday life and drop fully into learning and absorbing the Pilates work. The Mat 1 weekend lecture is followed by a week of participating in studio mat classes and students teaching daily to the public to gain lots of experience and hours towards certification. I prefer that students stay two weeks for Mat 1 and 2 and the same for all of the Reformer modules in order to get a complete experience and leave feeling confident in their new role as teacher. Basically, I would call it a retreat teacher training, as students get to enjoy full use of the studio, epic beaches, surf, waterfall tours, zip-lining, ATV adventures and much more.
Our home studio of Pilates Nosara (www.pilatesnosara.com) at The Bodhi Tree Resort (www.bodhitreeyogaresort.com) has proven to be an ideal location for the growth of our Pilates Retreats. Although one can attend a yoga retreat in any location imaginable, Pilates Retreats are tougher to find, especially those with a fully equipped studio. Thus, I have created Pilates Nosara Adventure Retreats. I sat down with a friend awhile back that has an insanely successful retreat business. His words of advice were to do the things I love and that the people I want to teach will follow. So, instead of trying to reach the masses, I am following my heart and focusing our retreats on my life of adventure, my love of Pilates, and my desire to give back to the communities that we visit. At our home retreats here in Nosara Costa Rica, we practice Pilates twice daily varying between mat, equipment, release work, ball rolling etc. The in between time is spent on adventures to various locations such as breathtaking waterfalls, spending the day giving back at the monkey sanctuary, planting trees to reforest, or visiting a small coffee village in the mountains for an authentic Costa Rican lunch. Down time is spent lounging by the salt water pool with a huge healthy smoothie or getting a spa treatment. I am now encouraging any teachers to bring their tribe of students to use the beautiful studio space to host their own retreat. We also offer the option of a Personal Create Your Own Retreat where solo travelers or small groups can join us on the dates of their choice and we will look after booking their accommodations, meals, transportation, Pilates sessions, tours and activities and more.
Pilates Nosara Adventure Retreats also offers adventures around the world. Our next retreat will be in Peru. A 10 day retreat to immerse ourselves in the culture including daily morning and several afternoon Pilates sessions. Our “Give Back” will be to the children of a local mountain village. I plan on having the Retreat participants bring something to gift to the children on our visit to their village, where we will also spend the day helping them cultivate their gardens. The end of the retreat will be a trip to Machu Picchu. It should be magical!!
I have found that on these retreats we are able to reach clients that have a regular Pilates practice and want to deepen it, to those that want to begin a practice. All of these people share the common thread of needing to step away from their daily reality and often create friendships for a lifetime. As I reflect on the 18 years I have been teaching Pilates and my leap of faith to follow my heart wherever I go, I think that maybe that road filled with potholes may have a little gold under it. Join me in paradise!