The Ken Pilates Retreat in the Dominican Republic: What Happens When Movement Meets Magic

You arrive thinking it’s just a retreat.

A little Pilates. A little sun. Maybe some clarity if you’re lucky.

But somewhere between the sound of the ocean and the first time your body really, really exhales—you realize this isn’t a vacation. It’s a shift.

The first-ever Ken Pilates Retreat took place in the Dominican Republic—a small, culturally rich country nestled on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.

To me, it’s home.

To our guests, it quickly became something sacred.

Lush palms, warm sea air, stillness that sneaks up on you. A place that knows how to hold you even before you know you need it.

This island, known for its vibrant music, deep cultural roots, and healing natural elements, was the perfect setting to host something bigger than just a “getaway.”

It became a container for transformation.

And it attracted people from all over—not just from Hoboken or New York, where our studio is based—but from France, Canada, Arkansas, California, and beyond.

So what is a Pilates retreat?

Most people have heard of yoga retreats. They’re structured, meditative, quiet. Beautiful—but often rigid.

This was different.

A Pilates retreat with us means full-body movement focused on alignment, strength, and breath. This past March, it meant 5-days, 4-nights with curated classes taught by highly trained instructors. It meant a blend of form and freedom—challenging when it should be, restorative when it needs to be. It meant dancing by the pool after class with people you just met. It meant sweating and then sound healing in the same day.

We designed every moment to be felt before it was understood.

We moved on the mat using guided cueing, not self-comparison. The method is built on classical Pilates foundations, but layered with strength training, yoga, somatic education, and flow. It’s dynamic, intelligent, and intuitive—accessible for all bodies, all levels, and all walks of life.

Some days we moved with intensity and music. Other days we moved slowly, with intention and pause.

Every class was rooted in nervous system regulation, breath-led sequencing, and proprioceptive awareness. This isn’t Pilates for show. This is Pilates for real life.

Backed by science: Functional movement improves mobility, supports the spine, and recalibrates your body’s stress response. Pair that with deep exhalations and consistent breathwork, and you’re not just getting stronger—you’re literally rebalancing your nervous system.

Backed by science: Functional movement improves mobility, supports the spine, and recalibrates your body’s stress response. Pair that with deep exhalations and consistent breathwork, and you’re not just getting stronger—you’re literally rebalancing your nervous system.

We didn’t advertise this as therapy.

But something happened in the stillness.

Tears surfaced. Laughter broke through. People left things behind that they didn’t even realize were holding them back.

There was so much joy.

We danced in white.

We laughed by the swim-up bar.

We watched strangers turn into travel companions, solo travelers find community, couples reconnect, and guests who’d never taken a Pilates class before say, “I get it now.”

One guest told me they weren’t sure why they booked. They didn’t know us. They weren’t local. But something about it felt right. And by day two, they said:

“This is exactly where I needed to be.”

That’s what we do at Ken Pilates.

Whether you walk into our Hoboken studio or join us in a beachfront sanctuary across the world, the goal is the same: to reconnect you to your body in a way that feels powerful, personal, and safe.

For five days in the Dominican Republic, we offered that reconnection.

We didn’t force it.

We just created the space—and people stepped into it.