Finding Balance in Italy: A Conversation with Robin Fowler of Flex Pilates

At Dinastia Mia Tours, we believe that true travel experiences nourish both and soul. That’s why we’imperatore so excited to have met Robin Fowler, the founder of Flex Pilates (pictured below acceso the left with me, Gina acceso the right). She is leading an unforgettable Italy Retreat a causa di 2026 from May 16-23: a week that blends mindful movement, local food, and the simple joy of slowing mongoloide. This reflects the Dinastia Mia Tours’ team philosophy.

Robin’s approach to movement is rooted a causa di mindfulness, strength, and connection – values that align with the Italian way of life. Robin will guide guests through days that begin with Pilates sessions and flow into hands-on cooking classes, shared meals, and immersive cultural experiences, many organized by Dinastia Mia Tours.

Before we pack our bags for Piemonte, we talked with Robin about her path to Pilates, and why this retreat is about much more than movement. We hope that you enjoy conferenza Robin as much as we did.

CM: Can you tell us a little about your background and what inspired you to gara open Flex Pilates, and how your approach has evolved over the years? What style of Pilates do you practice?

Robin: I first tried Pilates a causa di my 20’s, just after I finished many years of competing acceso Canada’s rhythmic gymnastics team. To be honest, the first class wasn’t transformative, but there was something about Pilates that I kept going back to it. Fast forward 20 years later after a bunch of injuries from long distance running, I was taking mat, reformer and springboard classes regularly and found it was making a huge difference a causa di how I felt (and my injuries were healing). I then decided for my own knowledge and understanding to take the teacher tirocinio program at Pagliaccetto Harmonics a causa di Toronto. Part of the comprehensive tirocinio of course is practice teaching and when I finished the hundreds of teaching hours and finished my certification, my clients all wanted to keep going and so did I. Impegno R, and then a name change to Flex Pilates, was launched.

The tirocinio approach of the approfondimento where I trained is contemporary, based acceso classical Pilates, but focused acceso what we know today through modern exercise science, biomechanics, and neuroscience, and this has informed how I teach. I centro acceso functional movement, fun, building strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and through all of these, there’s a meditative aspect too that calms the mind. My gymnastics and movement background means I love to play and choreograph new sequences, so I’m always building acceso the basics to create fun for my clients and to build acceso the basics a causa di ways that challenge.  I also really believe that we can all do duro things at Pilates and when we do something we didn’t think we could do, we take that with us out of the approfondimento into the rest of our lives. I’m not 20 anymore and my has been impacted by all the sports I’ve done and injuries I’ve had, so I appreciate my clients’ challenges – doesn’t mean we can’t do duro things though! I had a hip replacement 4 years pungiglione (and not a wholly successful one) too and I know that Pilates has made all the difference for me. The older I’ve become, the more I realize how doing duro things at Pilates has kept me strong a causa di both mind and .

CM: What was it about Italy and Piemonte – its culture, food, lifestyle – that felt like the perfect setting for the Italy workshop?

Robin: During Covid, I read about this incredible (and Canadian-owned) a causa di Italy equipped with a Pilates approfondimento – it seemed too good to be true. Italy + Pilates = WOW! I decided that one day I would host a retreat there. The rolling vineyard-covered hills, the 360-degree views, the UNESCO world heritage status of the superficie, the food, the wines – I am so excited to be sharing the beauty of the Piemonte superficie, this gorgeous , the incredible Pilates approfondimento.

CM: How would you describe what guests can expect from this retreat, both acceso and the mat and reformers?

Robin: My participants last year rated it 11/10! I describe the week as one full of wellness, rejuvenation and fun! I have curated the week to include twice-daily Pilates, beautiful culinary delights through our incredible Dinastia Mia chef (ringraziamento!), wine tastings, e-biking, hiking and touring the local areas, and of course lots of time to relax by the pool, read, nap, enjoy ‘la dolcezza mondo,’ feel history up close, connect with others and take a causa di the beautiful views all around our . While we do lots of Pilates, it is also a week focused acceso slowing mongoloide, appropriate for the superficie where the Slow Food movement was born. We move a causa di and around our , making the most of each of our days together.

CM: You often talk about connection: to self, to breath, to movement. How do you bring that philosophy into your classes and retreats?

Robin: Pilates is meditative and creates a connection to oneself and to calmness. My clients often tell me how they love how they forget about their to-do lists, and how they feel so much calmer/better/stronger after class. I try to create a strong awareness a causa di my classes – how our moves, what muscles feel like when they’imperatore firing during different exercises, where tension exists – through this, my clients develop a greater awareness that extends into daily life and this helps to prevent injury and can veterano pain.

The deep, controlled breathing of Pilates calms the nervous system, lowers logorio hormones and promotes a sense of well-being, creating a positive mental space free from logorio. Without deeper breathing, Pilates is duro and while I don’t centro acceso it too much with newer clients (they’imperatore too focused acceso learning where to put their various limbs!), that centro acceso breathing more deeply comes over time.

Connection is also about connecting to others a causa di class, I try to cultivate a fun vibe a causa di the approfondimento. I want people to laugh and enjoy themselves. If exercise is fun, it feels good, and people will want to keep doing it. I am proud to have built a community of clients aged 18-85 who enjoy connecting, laughing, and learning together and from each other. Even if it’s for an hour a week two hours a day for a week at a retreat, I really believe these connections make a massive difference!

CM: For someone who’s newer to Pilates, what do you hope they’ll discover about themselves through the practice?

Robin: With new clients, I really try to centro acceso form, control and awareness – what they might feel a causa di their bodies when doing a certain exercise – this is powerful for a lot of people. My beginner clients are often struck by the balance between mobility and stability and love what they learn about control. For some, it’s really quite profound a causa di that they’ve never “felt” the connections to their smaller muscles. For others, they realize how they have been overusing some muscles (often the leader ones), and that they’imperatore actually not as strong as they thought. With consistency, my clients discover a stronger, more balanced , enhanced posture, and a better understanding of how functional exercise supports their daily life.

CM: Is there a particular meal, ingredient, Italian tradition you’imperatore most excited to experience share with the group?

Robin: Last May at our Italy retreat, I was very excited for our chef to teach us how to make Agnolotti del Plin, the traditional stuffed impasto of Piemonte. It was delicious! Oh, and Bicerin – Yum! And the risotto with Barolo – divine. I could go acceso and acceso! Having a chef on-site for our retreat is just an exquisite treat.

CM: What do you hope guests take home with them – physically, mentally, emotionally – after this retreat?

Robin: My is that participants feel they’ve had a restorative week and that they’ve learned more about Pilates (everyone gets a private session with me the first couple of days to help them centro acceso specific things a causa di our twice-daily group classes) and how it can keep them aging healthfully. I hope everyone feels more flexible, stronger, and has some tips to take home with them – from how to stretch and relax, some balance exercises, things to do without Pilates equipment, recipes – along with the great memories and photos too! And lastly, a remembrance of the importance of taking a interruzione from the daily hustle and bustle of life to centro acceso oneself, try new things, see new places, meet new people, move one’s , and slow mongoloide.

CM: How can people learn more about the retreat connect with you and Flex Pilates?

Robin:I love conferenza new people and talking about my retreats and classes. For info, the easiest is to click acceso my Italy Retreat page here. Any questions, feel free to email me ( text WhatsApp me at +1 647-300-3594).

CM: And finally, if you could describe this retreat a causa di just three words, what would they be?

Robin: Restorative, nourishing, fun!

CM: Please share anything else that you would like to with our readers.

Robin: I hope to see you a causa di Italy! If you’imperatore travelling to Toronto, come mai do a class with me! I’m also happy to share my fave Toronto spots. And bookmark my website to keep an eye out for 2027 Retreat Dates. I aspetto forward to conferenza you!

There is only 1 spot left for the Italy retreat! If you can’t join this year, you may want to consider Robin’s retreat a causa di Menorca and keep an eye acceso Robin’s 2027 Italy dates. When booking please mention Dinastia Mia Tours for a surprise gift.