Pilates in the South Pacific

November 29, 2023 - Ahead of Six Senses Fiji’s first Pilates and Wellness Retreat from May 16 to 20, 2024, Fluidform’s Kirsten King excites us about the power of Pilates. Here’s why you’ll never regret rolling out the mat.

For the past two years, Six Senses has been successfully hosting wellness events, retreats, and festivals around the world. Now, we warmly invite you to join us in our tropical island paradise of Six Senses Fiji from May 16 to 20, 2024, to reconnect with your mind and body under the expert guidance of Kirsten King, founder of Fluidform. This holistic four-day retreat starts each morning with beachside Pilates, followed by a nourishing breakfast, wellness activities, sound healing, and the opportunity to enjoy time in nature.

You can also dig deeper into your health during a consultation to find your Ayurveda body type with our Wellness Practitioner, Dr. Aju, or our Wellness Screening, which measures your physical biomarkers to offer handy intel on what’s going on inside you.

While yoga was one of the first mind-body exercise methods to create a mass following and real sense of community around the world, the Pilates movement is now thriving. Kirsten King has taken this opportunity to extend her much-loved Fluidform out of the studio to new horizons … the glorious South Pacific.

Bulletproof your body

“Pilates is a more prescribed form of movement than yoga,” says Kirsten. “We are looking to rebalance your body so that it can work at its optimum. That comes by creating flexibility in the body and muscles so that your joints can work in their full range of movement. When your joints are healthy, you are able to enjoy all the functional activities you want to do.”

The method was originally created by Joseph Pilates to strengthen and rehabilitate the mind and body, believing that mental and physical health were interrelated and focusing on the core and breath. Since Kirsten’s career began more than 20 years ago, her passion and knowledge in injury and rehabilitation have seen her work with some of Australia’s major sporting teams. Her ability to look through a detailed lens to include rehab and pre-hab, coupled with her highly personalized teaching method – traditional Pilates layered with fluid, functional movements – has established her global reputation in health and wellness.

As she explains, “Many of my clients are elite athletes. They come to bulletproof their body against injury and also improve certain statistics in their game. Pilates gives them a new sense of balance and control so they can perform their functional movements more efficiently and conserve energy. If their joints are working properly and their core is strong, they can perform better for longer. Pilates targets slow-twitch or endurance fibers while optimizing your fast-twitch fibers for short, quick bursts of energy. Where you may have previously fatigued at the 3-kilometer mark in a race, with regular Pilates, you can run for longer and still feel fantastic.”

Feel yourself again

Fluidform is also endorsed outside the sporting field, with fans including Nicole Warne and Rita Ora hailing the physical and mental benefits.

“When you are training, you perform a lot of repetitive movements,” says Kirsten. “Over time and if uncorrected, these can cause imbalance, fatigue, tiny micro-tears, and tightness. If your hips are tight, your glutes can stop supporting your body properly. The onflow effect may be felt in your knees. Any high-repetition movement must be analyzed correctly, and the right processes put in place to achieve balance. We can fix issues and even prevent surgery. Another equally important factor is the intimacy and connection with your instructor. You may come with a pain or goal in mind, or maybe you’re a new mum or suffering from trauma. Once you feel safe and start to move and breathe in a way you haven’t before, you can experience an overwhelming sense of relief and release. Touch is crucial, and knowing we take that level of care can be an emotional journey. People are often incredulous at the results, saying ‘I never thought I’d feel like me again!’”

First retreat outside Australia

With stunning architecturally designed residences and pool villas, private secluded beaches offering sparkling turquoise waters, and shared values in the wellness and health space, Six Senses Fiji will provide the perfect backdrop to experience Kirsten’s first retreat outside Australia.

Talking of her excitement, Kirsten explains she’s looking forward to, “allowing guests that moment to dive into Pilates and have those intimate conversations about their body and imbalances that potentially in the rush of their day-to-day life they don’t have time to have or don’t feel comfortable about having. I know I can educate them so they leave with some pearls of wisdom that will change their life.”

Immersing in nature adds an extra element. “You have to give in and allow your body and mind a moment to relax. Quite often in the studio, I will put my hand on a client’s sternum and ask them to breathe so they can let go and come with me. In nature, in that stunning setting, the shift in where people are at the start and end of the retreat will be significant.”

Where East meets West

First described 5,000 years ago in ancient Vedic texts, Ayurveda is a comprehensive healing system still very much in use the world over, which is a testament to the wisdom it holds. Six Senses Fiji’s Wellness Practitioner Dr. Aju will support the retreat by offering an Ayurveda consultation and advising on treatments and tonics. Today, as improper diet, stress, and environmental hazards abound, a consultation can greatly help to ensure both short-term and long-term health.

From the ancient East to modern technology, the Fluidform at Home platform and app will continue supporting guests after the retreat with the latest in functional movement, nourishing recipes, training sessions, challenges, and community engagement. The app will host a series of upcoming challenges, including a New Year’s challenge filmed at Six Senses Fiji.

What should we do to prepare for the retreat?

“If you’re at home, we advise five times a week for 20 minutes. That repetition of Fluidform movements and the commitment to regular movement result in extraordinary shifts in your body. But the best way to improve is to start, and we lower the barriers to starting, because once you start, you’ll never regret rolling out the mat. If you’re not a morning person, put the mat out before you go to bed. Before you know it, you’ve done it.”

The Pilates and Wellness Retreat with Fluidform starts from FJD 9,625 per person in a Hideaway Pool Villa and from FJD 11,044 for two in a Hideaway Pool Villa. Extra treatments, consultations, and activities are available on request.

For more information, please contact reservations-fiji-spa@sixsenses.com.