Autumn reset · October 16–18, 2026
The Quiet Weekend:
two nights at the lake
Once a year the studio decamps to Birchmere Lake Lodge, 2.5 hours north of the studio. Five sessions of the deepest work we teach, meals at one long table, a sauna, a cold lake, and a Saturday afternoon with nothing in it — on purpose.
Fourteen spots, and this page is the only place they're offered. The waitlist below is first-come — we confirm by email within two days.
The weekend, hour by honest hour
The itinerary — including the empty part
Friday
- 4:00 p.m. Arrival & room keys Tea on, sauna warming, no agenda yet
- 6:00 p.m. Grounding practice Slow mat work in the boathouse studio — arrival for the body, not just the car
- 7:30 p.m. Dinner Long table, one seating, no phones by unenforced consensus
Saturday
- 7:30 a.m. Lakeside practice Sunrise mat class on the dock if the weather allows, boathouse if not
- 9:00 a.m. Breakfast Unhurried. Second coffee is structural
- 10:30 a.m. The long class Ninety minutes of the deepest work of the weekend — Mara and one other teacher, half the group each
- 12:30 p.m. Lunch, then nothing The unscheduled afternoon: trails, sauna, the cold lake, a chair with a blanket
- 5:30 p.m. Restorative session Props, breath, and the floor. The class people mention months later
- 7:30 p.m. Dinner & fireside No programming after. Fires manage themselves
Sunday
- 8:00 a.m. Closing practice A quiet, complete session that ties the weekend's work together
- 10:00 a.m. Brunch And a plan for taking one habit home — one, on purpose
- 12:00 p.m. Departure Home by mid-afternoon, moving differently
The place
Birchmere Lake Lodge, Muskoka, Ontario
A small lodge we take over entirely — a boathouse studio on the water, a wood-fired sauna, and enough armchairs that nobody has to share their silence. October in Muskoka is sweaters, loon calls, and a lake that rewards the brave with a story.
- Two nights at Birchmere Lake Lodge
- Five movement sessions — mat, small props, and two outdoor practices, weather willing
- All meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch, cooked on site
- Saturday afternoon completely, deliberately unscheduled
- Sauna and lake access (the brave swim; October is honest)
- Transport co-ordination — most guests carpool from the studio
Not included
- Travel to Muskoka
- Massage bookings at the lodge (limited, book early — around $140)
- Anything with a screen. Bring a book
Rooms & the waitlist
14 spots, first come
Shared lakeside room
$1,150
Twin beds, shared with one other guest — tell us if you're coming with a friend
Private room
$1,450
Queen bed, your own quiet. Four available
A $250 deposit holds your spot once we confirm from the waitlist; the balance is due September 15. Full refund until then, no questions — after that we refund whatever we can re-fill.
Join the waitlist
No payment now — we confirm spots by email within two days, in order.
You're on the list, friend.
In the real studio you'd have a confirmation email already, and you'd hear from Quiet Form Pilates within two days with next steps. Position and room get confirmed in booking order.