Pilates & Dance with... Mark Wuest
20. - 30. November 2026
Mark Wuest is a dancer, choreographer, and yoga teacher based in Zurich with a long-standing international career. Raised in the United States, he began his journey as a competitive swimmer and later worked as a professional dancer and choreographer. For more than 40 years, he has been dedicated to bodywork, yoga, and Pilates, sharing this extensive experience through his diverse teaching. In November, he will offering Pilates classes and dance specials at Hotel Schwarzschmied.
Mark Wuest is a dancer, choreographer, and yoga teacher based in Zurich with a long-standing international career. Raised in the United States, he began his journey as a competitive swimmer and later worked as a professional dancer and choreographer. For more than 40 years, he has been dedicated to bodywork, yoga, and Pilates, sharing this extensive experience through his diverse teaching. In November, he will offering Pilates classes and dance specials at Hotel Schwarzschmied.
What role do Pilates and dance play in your life?
Movement and body awareness have always been important themes in my life. Pilates, dance, and yoga bring these elements together, sometimes with a focus on building strength, sometimes on improving posture, increasing flexibility, or simply enjoying movement. Over time, this passion has become my vocation.
What would you most like to pass on to your students?
We are creatures of habit, and we can use that to our advantage. Good posture, efficient movement, healthy breathing - all of this can be learned and applied. With enough practice, it eventually becomes smooth and automatic, turning into a healthy habit. I want to help my students develop a positive relationship with their bodies: it is a wonderful thing to be in your own body. Instead of stress and disappointment, we should see our body as our home - a place where we can feel comfortable and at ease.
What would you describe as the core of your philosophy?
A small amount of effort can lead to very meaningful results. We are always in our bodies, so how we feel within them truly matters. With the right kind of movement and a bit of focused awareness, we can create significant change and have a profound impact on our lives.
What role do Pilates and dance play in your life?
Movement and body awareness have always been important themes in my life. Pilates, dance, and yoga bring these elements together, sometimes with a focus on building strength, sometimes on improving posture, increasing flexibility, or simply enjoying movement. Over time, this passion has become my vocation.
What would you most like to pass on to your students?
We are creatures of habit, and we can use that to our advantage. Good posture, efficient movement, healthy breathing - all of this can be learned and applied. With enough practice, it eventually becomes smooth and automatic, turning into a healthy habit. I want to help my students develop a positive relationship with their bodies: it is a wonderful thing to be in your own body. Instead of stress and disappointment, we should see our body as our home - a place where we can feel comfortable and at ease.
What would you describe as the core of your philosophy?
A small amount of effort can lead to very meaningful results. We are always in our bodies, so how we feel within them truly matters. With the right kind of movement and a bit of focused awareness, we can create significant change and have a profound impact on our lives.
Workshops & Specials
22 & 29 November 2026: Dance-Special
90 minutes of music and movement: We begin with a gentle warm-up, followed by exercises that focus on posture, coordination, and expression. Shorter and longer step sequences guide you playfully through different qualities of movement, before a small, clearly guided improvisation opens space for your own expression. The session concludes with a relaxing warm-down. Inspired by ballet, modern, contemporary, and Latin dance - mindful, stress-free, and with a sense of lightness.
90 minutes of music and movement: We begin with a gentle warm-up, followed by exercises that focus on posture, coordination, and expression. Shorter and longer step sequences guide you playfully through different qualities of movement, before a small, clearly guided improvisation opens space for your own expression. The session concludes with a relaxing warm-down. Inspired by ballet, modern, contemporary, and Latin dance - mindful, stress-free, and with a sense of lightness.
Yoga Teacher in Residence
We regularly welcome a diverse range of talented yoga teachers who lead our open classes at Hotel Schwarzschmied and spend time with us as Yoga Teachers in Residence. Each of them brings their own unique style and expertise, offering our guests a rich and inspiring yoga experience. Look forward to a varied time of wellbeing and relaxation.
Read more
We regularly welcome a diverse range of talented yoga teachers who lead our open classes at Hotel Schwarzschmied and spend time with us as Yoga Teachers in Residence. Each of them brings their own unique style and expertise, offering our guests a rich and inspiring yoga experience. Look forward to a varied time of wellbeing and relaxation.
Read more
Upcoming Retreats
Stine Lethan invites you to an extended Yoga Embodiment Weekend – A Journey to Yourself
Are you looking for deceleration far from your everyday life? Do you want to delve deeper into your yoga practice? Do you want to gather yourself and find your inner center?
This retreat offers a clear focus on the essentials in the moment – silence, clarity, and grounding within yourself. We will detox and slow down through all facets of yogic teachings: physical, mental, and emotional.
Meet yourself in the process of change and healing through the Yoga Embodiment practice. The master classes provide impulses and, with their open workshop principle, are both healing and invigorating. Stine creates theme-based classes that show participants their own potential and set impulses for growth.
Program
Thursday
5:00 – 7:30 pm Arrival, Sacred Circle + Jetlag Yoga
Friday & Saturday
8:00 – 10:00 am Yoga Practice
5:00 – 7:00 pm Yoga Practice
Sunday
8:00 – 10:00 am Yoga Practice
- For yogis with basic knowledge in Vinyasa Flow -
- Asana, Pranayama, Meditation, Yin, Journaling, Chanting, Ecstatic Dance, Sacred Circle, Coaching Embodiment -
- 3 nights at Hotel Schwarzschmied
- Breakfast at "La Fucina" restaurant
- Lunch or Dinner at our slow food restaurants "La Fucina" or Bistro "Luce" (for an extra charge)
- Yoga equipment (yoga mat, pillow, yoga blocks) provided free of charge
- Grander water in the entire house
- Mobilcard for usage of public transport
Stine is a renowned Yoga Embodiment teacher with 18 years of teaching experience. She is a life coach and former professional dancer, which makes her teaching style unique – holistic, therapeutic, and heartfelt. She lived in Berlin for 25 years, where she completed her yoga training in Vinyasa Flow with a master’s degree in Anusara Yoga. For 16 years, she taught at @spirityogaberlin, one of the largest yoga Vinyasa and training institutes in Berlin, where she also worked as a mentor for yoga teacher trainings.
10. - 13. September 2026
The Ride & Release Edition is a retreat for women who want to combine physical challenge on the road bike with mindful deceleration through yoga and wellness.
In the midst of the South Tyrolean vineyards, a special combination awaits you: guided road bike rides with the female cycling force and regenerative yoga. The retreat combines the best of two worlds: active road cycling stages through the breathtaking landscape and somatic yoga in the light-filled glass house of Villa Arnica.
In the mornings and evenings, we will jointly immerse ourselves in mindful yoga and meditation practices. Here, you will not only find recovery for strained muscles but also valuable time for yourself. The female cycling force will then accompany you with safe guidance, offer you room to learn, and convey a great sense of community, allowing you to experience road cycling anew.
The retreat is aimed at women who are looking for both challenge and deceleration - without sacrificing indulgence.
Program
Sunday
3.00 PM Welcome & Introduction to Group Riding
4.00 PM Yoga & Meditation Session with Liz
7.30 PM Uhr Communal Dinner
Monday
7.30 AM Meditation & Somatic Flow Yoga
11.00 AM Ride Out: Day trip with FCF with Coffee Stop Workshop (approx. 70–100 km, 800–1500 altitude meters)
5.00 PM Workshop with FCF
8.00 PM Communal Dinner
Tuesday & Wednesday
7.30 AM Meditation & Somatic Flow Yoga
10.00 AM Ride Out: Day trip with FCF with Coffee Stop Workshop (approx. 70–100 km, 800–1500 altitude meters)
6.30 PM Uhr Somatic Yin Yoga or Nidra x Sound
8.00 PM Communal Dinner
Thursday
7.30 AM Meditation & Somatic Flow Yoga
8.30 AM Closing Circle
11.00 AM Check Out & Bye Bye
*Possible program changes are reserved
- for women with road cycling experience -
- yoga, meditation, road cycling -
Info & Requirements
- Average pace: approx. 24-26 km/h
- Group riding with guides at the front and back
- Focus on safe communication and coordinated group dynamics
- Optional technique input and group exercises for deepening skills
- Prerequisites: Helmet, clipless pedals, lights, puncture kit, and a well-maintained road bike, as well as first experience in road cycling and group riding
- No pressure to perform: The focus is on riding, experiencing, and growing together - not on competition
- 4 nights at Hotel Schwarzschmied
- Breakfast and Dinner at "La Fucina" restaurant
- Lunch at our slow food bistro "Luce" (for an extra charge)
- 3 guided full-day tours with experienced guides from the Female Cycling Force in Munich
- 1 workshop with the Female Cycling Force
- 5–6 yoga or meditation sessions with Liz
- Yoga equipment (yoga mat, pillow, yoga blocks) provided free of charge
- Grander water in the entire house
- Mobilcard for usage of public transport
Liz Ehrenecker teaches, shares, and lives modern spirituality. Her work enbodies vitality, connection, and zest for life. She places particular emphasis on somatics and embodiment, which is reflected in her passion for somatic yin yoga. Liz teaches yoga in Munich and is represented throughout Europe with her yoga retreats and teacher trainings.
The female cycling force aims to create a vibrant and supportive community for female cyclists. As an initiative committed to increasing the presence of women in cycling, the female cycling force offers weekly rides as well as retreats at various levels throughout the season. Here, women can network, learn from one another, and collectively experience the joy of the sport.
13. - 17. September 2026
Inside Flow is a symbiosis of breath, movement and music. In this popular class format, you move fluently on beat to modern music and learn step by step a yoga choreography.
Inside Flow is derived from Vinyasa Flow Yoga, with the synchronization of breath and movement at its core. A constant flow, without beginning, without end. The individual asanas fade into the background, while transitions and flowing movements take center stage. Music becomes an essential part, giving heart and expression to the practice.
The result is a flow, meditation in movement, where the body releases happiness hormones and you experience a flow state on the mat that can be addictive. If you enjoy moving to music and already have some yoga experience, Inside Flow is just right for you!
Program
Thursday
5:00 – 6:30 pm Welcome Class
Friday
8:00 – 9:30 am Align & Flow – Alignment for Vinyasa Flow
4:30 – 6:00 pm Inside Flow – A Yoga Choreography on Beat
Saturday
8:00 – 9:30 am Align & Flow – Alignment for Vinyasa Flow
4:30 – 6:00 pm Inside Flow – A Yoga Choreography on Beat
Sunday
9:00 – 10:00 am Inside Flow – A Yoga Choreography on Beat
- for yogis with first experience -
- Vinyasa Yoga, Inside Flow -
- 3 nights at Hotel Schwarzschmied
- Breakfast at “La Fucina”
- Lunch or dinner in our Slow Food restaurants “La Fucina” or Bistro “Luce” (for an extra charge)
- Yoga equipment (mat, meditation cushion, yoga blocks) provided free of charge
- Grander water available throughout the hotel
- Mobility card for unlimited use of all public transport
Anna is an Inside Flow Senior Teacher and lives in Frankfurt. She travels as a trainer for Inside Yoga and Inside Flow throughout the German-speaking region as well as internationally. Her yoga classes come straight from the heart – she gently guides you through dynamic flows that allow you to sensitively feel into your body, tune your heartbeat to the beat of the music, and bring body awareness, thoughts, and emotions together. Her intention is to help you deepen the connection to your body and get to know yourself a little better.
