
About This Retreat
Join fitness trainers Charell and Duane Berg for an immersive retreat in the Tuscanian hills.
Charell’s Quote: ‘Wellness incorporates the body, the mind and spirit. There is no medical fix, but a way of living – a lifestyle sensitive and responsible to all dimensions of the body. It’s an approach to life we are all designed to achieve, reaching our highest potential for physical and mental wellbeing, now and forever.’
Discover the deep understanding of why movement is so essential for our total wellbeing. With 20 years’ experience as a Pilates Specialist, 27 years teaching GF programs and training high profile corporate clients, to further extensive education in fascia and functional anatomy, her programming is unique and functionally driven. Charell’s sessions will educate, improve body awareness, therefore improve how you feel and move. Each session will finish with take home self-care tips to unlock restrictions, to aid in decreasing stressors, trigger points and pain.
Duane’s Quote: ‘If your training doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you’
Functional Training can mean many things to many people and can be designed to use specific exercises that relate to different lifestyles. The exercises can be tailored to closely replicate and enhance the activities we carry out in our everyday lives. This can pertain to being sports specific or it can replicate our everyday tasks around the home, work or even leisure. Specifically designed exercises using multiple joints and facilitating increased muscle groups for a specific outcome. It can be performed at a high intensity to aid in boosting metabolism and calorie
burn after exercise, or it can be slowed down to aid in flexibility and range of movement. Each of our sessions will aim to improve strength, balance, flexibility and co-ordination.
About the retreat leaders
Charell Berg has over 26 years experience in the Wellness Industry and has defied the specialists post two spine surgeries to be now living pain free and working full time as a functional movement and Pilates specialist coach. She is lead to foster resilience of both the mind and body in each of her clients and members that she coaches. Charell is a Certified Personal Trainer and holds numerous International Certifications for Group Fitness programmes as well as a Diploma in Remedial Massage. She runs her own Pilates Studio alongside a Clinic whereby she treats holistically in the modality of Remedial Massage. Her extensive fascia and anatomy training has developed a deeper understanding of the bodies intricate workings which enables her to diagnose any pain and discomfort that her clients may be experiencing and in turn implement a plan to ease the discomfort. Charell overcame the early obstacles in her career which has only deepened her passion for wellness in everyone that crosses her path. She was honoured and awarded with ‘Group Exercise Leader’ for the State of NSW in 2022. This prestigious award was presented by Australia’s governing body for Fitness in Australia.
Duane Berg: “My passion for Fitness started many years ago as a teenager competing in short course Triathlons and racing Sailboards in Taupo, New Zealand. Winding the clock forward a few more years and that passion for Fitness moved me to helping other people with their own fitness journeys. Charell (my wife) was my biggest inspiration for motivating me to get started as a Group Fitness Instructor back in 2006. I started teaching and attained International Certifications in the programs that I had loved to participate in previously. In 2008 I was offered a Group Fitness Management role with a leading International Fitness franchise in Sydney Australia, this was a turning point for me as I was now able to have an impact, not only on the lives of the people that attended my classes, but the Instructors that taught to many more people as well. I achieved many awards in my role as a Group Fitness Manager and this led me to use that position to organize and participate in many group fitness events like Indoor Cycling & Group Fitness Marathons raising money for Charities and great local causes. I also completed two 100klm trail walks in 2009 and 2011 raising over $10,000 for Oxfam. I attained certification in Personal Training & Advanced Outdoor Group Training in 2013 and started teaching and running my own groups outdoors as well. My main business is all about building confidence, empowerment, strength, building comradery and about being more functional in our daily lives. Over the last few years my focus has been leaning towards reducing the reliance on fixed equipment and heavy weights to more functional & correctional bodyweight exercises aiding in not only more range of movement but reducing the chance of sport related injuries. My aim is to train people to know that they can still achieve their health and fitness goals with little to no equipment and that they can train anywhere!”
About the hotel
“Torre a Cona is one of the best-kept secrets of Tuscany. Immersed in the Florentine hills, with an unforgettable view of the countryside, the charming eighteenth-century villa makes an immediate impression. Surrounded by olive groves, verdant vineyards and sturdy centuries-old walls, the estate has been restored with loving care and elegance.”

Indicative Schedule
Day 1
- Arrival in Tuscany / Check-in at hotel
- Welcome dinner & Start of the Retreat
Day 2
- Morning session with Charell (60mins): Let’s reconnect to the fundamentals of the Pilates method, the 6 principles of Breathing, Precision, Concentration, Control and Fluidity. Discover the empowering results driven Pilates method when combining all of the six essentials.
- Tips (20mins): Releasing the neck and shoulders. Decreasing headache triggers and anxiety tension from the cervical spine.
- Breakfast
- Free time
- Evening Session with Duane: The Fundamentals - 45 mins with 15 mins stretch to relaxation (STR): Finding strength through progression – starting with the fundamentals of movement and how our bodies move through different planes of motion.
- Community Dinner
Day 3
- Morning session with Charell (60mins): Flow Pilates. Let’s flow and discover the dynamics and principles involved in full body integration, bringing awareness to our anatomy slings to which we can improve programming & transforming movement to enhance function.
- Tips (20mins): Releasing mid back to decrease shoulder and thoracic spine restrictions, enhancing posture and wellness.
- Breakfast
- Free time
- Evening Session with Duane: The Core - 45 mins with 15 mins STR: Using the core is paramount and the basis for every movement, we’ll work on increasing core strength and everything else will follow.
- Community Dinner
Day 4
- Morning session with Charell (60mins): Full body Pilates fit workout utilizing mini bands (provided). Enjoy discovering ways to tone, strengthen and re-balance the body in this guided workout.
- Tips (20mins): Get to know at a deeper level the lumbar spine, triggers for dysfunction and pain and how we can support this area.
- Breakfast
- Cooking Class
- Evening Session with Duane: The Intensity – 45 mins with 15 mins STR: We’ll work on how to increase the intensity through a scaling up of each of the exercises. Increasing muscle recruitment and the calorie burn.
- Community Dinner
Day 5
- Morning Session with Charell: Strength & Mobility. Incorporating Pilates principles, we are going to delve into feel good functional Pilates programming to enhance joint movement and health.
- Tips (20mins): Hips and all the triggers that can affect movement.
- Breakfast
- Free time
- Evening Session with Duane: Balance & Stability – 45 mins with 15 mins STR: Core fundamentals and how to use unilateral exercises to build stability, balance and control. This can be effective for injury prevention and rehabilitation.
- Farewell Dinner
Day 6
- Farewell Breakfast
- Check-out / Departure
- Retreat Ends
Start your
journey
Event Highlights
5-night accommodation
5 breakfast meals
5 dinner meals
Cooking class activity
All sessions with Charell & Duane Berg
Prices
3400€/per person
in Double Occ. room
Prices
4600€/per person
in Single Occ. room
what’s included
- 5-night accommodation
- 5 breakfast meals
- 5 dinner meals
- Cooking class activity
- All sessions with Charell & Duane Berg
what’s not included
- Airfare to/from Italy and Rome or Florence
- Arrival and departure land transfers in Tuscany
- Accommodation tax per person per overnight stay
- Tea, lunch, soft drinks and beverages
- Whatever is not mentioned clearly in the inclusions
more info
Language: English
Airport Transfer: Available upon request
Cancellation Policy: Deposit amount is non-refundable | Should you wish to cancel your participation one month or less before the start of the retreat, 100% of cancellation fees are applied.
Important Info: In case there are Covid-19 restrictions or restrictions related to any other pandemic that prevent guests from traveling the total amount paid will be refunded.
Dietary Needs: Should you have any special dietary need/allergy, kindly let us know in advance in order to be able to better accommodate you in the best possible way.
Transport: For Charell and Duane’s retreat in Tuscany, you can fly into 3 different airports: