retreat team
Meet Your Sayulita Pilates Retreat Team
PILATES + TRX
Dan Walton
Dan has been a fixture in the Portland fitness community since 2006, bringing nearly two decades of experience to every session he teaches. In 2007, he founded Studio Blue Pilates in NW Portland with a simple but powerful vision: a welcoming space for everyone, regardless of age, gender, or movement background. As a certified Pilates and TRX instructor, Dan is passionate about helping clients understand their bodies in a way that's both encouraging and fun.
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In 2009, Dan led his first international retreat, blending his love of movement, travel, and experiencing different food and cultures. He loves the community the retreats foster — both during their week together and in the friendships that form long after. He often says it's like getting to spend time with extended family.
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These trips offer so much time to go deeper into the Pilates method, and people leave feeling stronger, more mobile, and more centered.
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Off the mat, you'll find Dan out in the Pacific Northwest: hiking, snowshoeing, or unwinding on a beach. That same balance of active living and genuine love of movement is what he brings to every retreat session.
ACUPUNCTURE + STRENGTH TRAINGNING
Adam Gawlak
Adam Gawlak is a licensed acupuncturist whose approach blends the wisdom of Traditional Chinese medicine with a deep understanding of movement, recovery, and the body's natural ability to heal. He believes that true wellness comes from creating balance—supporting not only physical health, but also the nervous system, emotional well-being, and our connection to ourselves.
With a background in exercise science, strength training, and acupuncture, Adam has spent years helping everyone from professional athletes and active individuals to those simply seeking to move through life with less pain and greater ease. His treatments are rooted in listening to the individual, and to the unique story each person brings.
Adam earned his Master's degree in Acupuncture from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, where he later served as a teaching assistant in anatomy, palpation, and orthopedic acupuncture. His passion for learning continues through ongoing study in movement, rehabilitation, and holistic approaches to health.
At this retreat, Adam offers acupuncture as a space for restoration, helping guests unwind, regulate the nervous system, release tension, and reconnect with themselves. Whether you're looking to deepen your Pilates practice, recover from years of accumulated stress, or simply experience profound relaxation, his treatments are designed to support you wherever you are on your journey.
Outside of the clinic, Adam finds balance in nature through trail running, snowboarding, hiking, surfing, and exploring the outdoors with his wife and their Australian Shepherd.
