Words: Lara Pacillo // Photos: Lili Montesi
For the last three years, Capri Montesi has been guiding people back into their bodies.
The 25-year-old teaches others how to move deeper into the present state through Pilates, using movement as an anchor for the mind and a reset for the nervous system. All of it happens in a sun-filled room of her Adelaide Hills home where she runs Stanza Studio.
Capri sees it as an privilege to help others become a more centred version of themselves in a space that feels more like a sanctuary than a studio.
“In all the craziness of life, people forget to think about how they are living in their body,” she says.
“We are mostly either in our head or outside of our body, thinking about the next thing. So it is really a time where people can, even just for an hour, escape from their life, get into their body and focus on how they are breathing for 60 minutes, which can shift the whole tone of their day.”
Capri has taught in studios around Adelaide since 2018, but craved the depth and intimacy that personalised classes bring.
“I love working one on one and having that deep connection,” she says.
“Yes, group classes give you an escape, but I sometimes found them a little transactional, a little in and out. You do not always get the chance to understand what someone really needs.
“Having the space in my home feels more personalised. We both get more out of the session.”
The name Stanza captures the essence of the studio where the Italian word for room holds both the literal and the symbolic.
“It means a room as in four walls, but also room to grow, to move, to shift something inside yourself,” Capri explains.
“Pilates is the entry point, not the whole story.”
This summer, Capri is expanding that idea into a new environment with her first micro retreat.
Running from Saturday 31 January to Sunday 1 February, the retreat will be held at the heritage-listed Dickson on Marola amidst the foothills of Morialta Conservation Park.
The weekend folds together Pilates, hiking, swimming and slow rituals that bring the body back into focus during a time of seasonal rush.
Guests can join for a single day or lock in for the whole weekend with an overnight stay.
The retreat is a natural evolution for Stanza, building on Capri’s private sessions for birthdays, bridal groups and small celebrations, as well as virtual classes.
“I want to nurture the community I have made. I hope the retreat brings that,” Capri says.
“It is the same feel, intimacy and intent as the studio, just in a different space.”
Capri is channelling her Italian heritage through the food, working with Venetian restaurant Francesco’s Osteria for dinner, while her cook sister creates breakfast and lunch. The meals are treated as part of the practice rather than an add on.
“I want people to slow down and focus on what they are experiencing in that moment. Relax into a beautiful space, set an intention in the morning, move through the day and then finish with reflection,” Capri says.
“It is inward, but you are also sharing that experience with a small group around you.”
The location itself is a highlight. Capri fell in love with Dickson on Marola’s mid-century architecture, soft natural light and greenery. Sitting amongst the Adelaide Hills, it is familiar yet transporting.
“I feel like a lot of people in Adelaide have never experienced something that feels like a European style retreat,” she says.
“I wanted it to be accessible, but still feel like a holiday. That sense of relaxing while also reconnecting to your body.”
For Capri, the goal is to show people how to carry small rituals back into their week.
“Understanding and learning how to practise these everyday things with mindfulness, like going for a hike, drinking tea, sharing a meal or an hour of movement,” she says.
“I see so many of my clients carrying stress in their shoulders, hips, everywhere. It gets into our body. We hold worry without realising it.
“I want the retreat to be inward, but also connective. A sense of community through a shared return to self.”
Stanza Studio Morialta Micro Retreat: 31 January to 1 February 2026
