Contortion Retreat
At Casa Chango in Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Instructor: Amy Goh
August 24-31, 2024
One BIPOC Scholarship is available for this retreat. Apply here.
Spend a WEEK in PARADISE with new friends, the beach, delicious, fresh, local food, and learn loads of new skills!
During the retreat, expect to have a comprehensive overview of how to train all aspects of the body in a sustainable way. Whether you’re new to contortion and seek a safe starting point or wish to further develop your contortion skills, our program accommodates participants of all levels, providing progressions that challenge everyone. Our curriculum encompasses not only contortion but also hand balance, partner contortion, and the sequencing of skills. Tactile corrections and spotting will be provided, depending on the comfort level of the student (you are free to opt out of this).
We will be working through different components of flexibility, including how to cool down, warm up, open the upper back, neck, and hips + lower back. Components of class will also be dedicated to active flexibility so your lines look amazing upside down. Each day will have two sections: conditioning in the morning (including active leg flexibility) and contortion skill work in the afternoons.
In terms of themes, we’ll begin by establishing the fundamentals of spine warm-up and cooldown techniques. The rest of the days will focus on different skills such as cobra/ teardrop, upper back/ chest stands, needles/ active leg flex, all contortion inversions and culminating with sequencing and partner contortion on the last day. We recommend that you have some flexibility training experience, but contortion experience itself is not necessary. Our program is designed to accommodate a diverse range of participants, ensuring an enriching and challenging experience for everyone.
This retreat will have 2 daily classes.
MORNING CLASS 10.30am-11.30am
As not everyone can/ likes to train contortion in the morning, we will be concentrating on using mornings to condition our bodies for backbending and leg scales. Classes will be separated by skill group, covering a wide range of topics.
Day 1/4: Conditioning for Contortion This class will focus on how to condition your low abs, upper and low core and shoulders for contortion moves. You will not only learn how to strengthen your back, but also your front and lower abs to stabilize contortion moves. Emphasis will be put into strengthening the muscles around your shoulder blades and hips (lats/serratus “shoulder girdle” and side/under glutes) for hypermobile athletes.
Day 2/5: Active Leg Flexibility This class will focus on active side and back leg extension for moves such as standing leg scales, penche and inverted skills. Resistance bands will be used in a variety of standing, supine and inverted drills so students are able to train their hips at their end ranges. Some passive stretching will also be provided for those who need it, with a focus on muscular engagement over passively sitting in stretches.
Day 3: Straight hand balance This class will focus on hollow body and shoulder strength (elevation and protraction of shoulder blades a.k.a “shoulder shrug”) for straight handstands, which will also be translatable to contortion skills. Different types of drills will be focussed on: Maintaining right body position (hollow body), proprioception drills (moving legs upside down), press work and tuck/more advanced shapes for those who need an extra challenge. Progressions will be provided for everyone, depending on their skill level.
AFTERNOON CLASS 1.30-3.30PM
Each class will cover a mix of different contortion skills. Sequencing will be added to each class to challenge student’s endurance.
Day 1: Intro To Contortion Foundations We will learn how to warm up and cool down the entire body. We will touch on basic skills such as bridge, cobra and front/ side splits. Entry-level sequences will be provided towards the end of class to build stamina and endurance.
Day 2: Skill Work Lower Body We will focus on skills such as dropback, teardrop, cobra, needle, camel, mountain and other low body heavy skills. Classes will end with a sequence combining some of these skills.
Day 3: Skill Work Upper Body We will focus on upper back and shoulders for skills such as bridges, chest stands and Mexican bridges/ handstands. There will be time dedicated to inversions such as contortion handstand and snake handstand.
Day 4: Everything Upside Down We will work on all inversions: crocs, elbow stands and handstands. We will be working on a mixture of drills of 3 categories: deepening flexibility and enhancing strength for contortion handstands, proprioception drills (being able to move your legs upside down without losing balance) and press work. A short sequence will be provided at the end of class.
Day 5: Sequencing + Partner Contortion We will be warm up completely and work on sequencing various skills together. Partner contortion for different levels will be provided for those who want to try flying and basing. No matter what your level, there will be a place for you! Progressions will be provided for everyone depending on their skill level. On site spotting/ tactile corrections will be given unless students opt out of this.
The rest of our time can be spent eating amazing, healthy food, swimming in the warm ocean, reading in hammocks, and breathing the tropical air. There will be time to explore local markets and beaches as well as the local night life.
Flexibility Training Experience Required
Prerequisites include: Bridge and one split (doesn’t need to be flat).
Daily Schedule Sample: Everything is optional!
- 8-9:30 am: Coffee, Tea and Breakfast
- 10:30am-12:30pm: Morning session
- 1pm: Lunch
- 2-3:30pm: Pool-time, siesta, relaxing
- 3:30pm: Afternoon Treat
- 4:30-6:30pm: Contortion
- 7pm: Dinner
- 8-10pm: Free time & evening activities
We’ll take you to our favorite beach for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and releasing baby turtles into the sea.
Space is limited, so sign up now!
Your Instructor
Amy Goh embarked on her journey into contortion and handbalance as an adult, taking her first steps at the age of 27. This later start allowed her to intimately understand the unique challenges of training in these disciplines as a mature individual. She founded Elastischool in 2020 with the goal of introducing students of all levels to the art of contortion. Over the years, she has honed her expertise in guiding both herself and a diverse range of students, from novices to professionals. Many of her students have even transitioned to pursuing contortion as a professional career.
Central to Amy’s coaching philosophy is a dedicated emphasis on cultivating strength and stability, particularly at the end of one’s range of motion. Her approach prioritizes injury prevention and ensuring that students train within their individual boundaries. Amy’s coaching philosophy is anchored in the pursuit of sustainability, aiming to establish a robust foundation of strength and flexibility to sustain a lifelong practice of contortion.
Amy maintains open lines of communication with fellow coaches, continually seeking the most effective techniques for training bodies of various types, including those with hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or inherent stiffness. She firmly believes that the attainment of splits and backbends is within reach for individuals of any age, viewing contortion as a discipline that not only hones the physical form but also nurtures the mind. Through the gentle expansion and broadening of the mind, the body naturally follows suit.
Amy is super knowledgeable on not just contortion but bodily anatomy which makes her ability to troubleshoot incredible. Her cueing make sense for my brain and she’s able to explain things in a way that makes sense even to those who aren’t anatomical knowledge rockstars. She pushes you outside your comfort zone but very respectful of previous injuries and keeps you safe throughout your lesson. 10/10 recommend
Amy Scarlett Rosvally @thepolecomedian
Amy/ Elastischool is one of the few people I trust learning flexibility from because I learned that I have a hypermobile connective tissue disorder. Amy is neurodivergent so I like: the information that she shares generously; that she has thought about all the possibilities for contortion in her own body as well as for students (so I feel like I’m in safe hands); her integrity; the healthy mentality that she encourages towards training and art; and that she is exacting in her own practice and coaching methods.
Vania Chan
I’ve been working with Amy since 2020 and the amount of information and knowledge she has is astonishing. She has an all knowing/seeing eye and an ability to speak magic over ur movements. Nothing can get passed Amy. She’s taught me more than just flexibility though, I’ve learned to calm down, I’ve learned to breathe, I’ve learned about differences between pain and discomfort. I’ve also learned so much about myself and my relationship with my body and my soul. The first time I saw my feet coming toward my head in scorpion, my life was forever changed and all that came from my trust in the amazing coach and human/alien that is Amy. I would recommend her classes and workshops to anyone looking for a contortion coach that can provide consistency and building blocks for your own practice. Bonus: one of my favorite things about Amy is her constant learning to improve herself and her contortion/hand balancing skills. At any given day, you’ll see her working with her own coach, doing homework, and learning more and more about performing and perfecting her skills for the stage – always conditioning, always strengthening and always improving. It’s so inspiring to see and helped me to create my own discipline. When I’m feeling moody or sad and don’t want to train, I think… WHAT WOULD AMY DO. PUSH-UPS!!!!
@backbreakerb/ Brittany
Retreat Pricing (in USD):
| Room | Early Bird Price until April 15, 2024 | Full Price |
| Shared Dorm (gender mixed) | $2050 | $2350 |
| Shared Private Room (2 friends sharing a room) 1 king size bed or 2 individual beds | $2250 | $2550 |
| Private Room with Shared Bathroom | $2550 | $2850 |
| Private Room with Private Bathroom | $2850 | $3150 |
| Private Room with Private Bathroom and Air Conditioning | $3150 | $3450 |
Full tuition is due by July 15, 2024.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples must sign up together.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples/SO’s are welcome at an additional price.
What’s included:
- Ground transportation to/from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to our accommodations*
- Arrive on August 24. Depart on August 31.
- Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
- Daily meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snacks
- 2 Daily classes (4-6 hours total/day)
- Contortion photoshoot
- Evening activities
- Trips to local beaches, baby turtle release, and night market
- 24 hour use of Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, and Community Spaces
- High Speed Starlink Wifi Internet
- Evening Jacuzzi soaks
Sweet Retreats has encouraged me to be a better version of myself both physically in the circus arts and also personally in my interactions with friends and the community. The instructors at Sweet Retreats are not only world class performers, they are also some of the most caring, beautiful, and authentic individuals. I’m so fortunate to have discovered this paradise of athletic endeavors, delicious food, unending laughter, and all within the gorgeous surrounding.
Liz Marotte, Oakland, CA
Questions? Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com.
Links for more information:
- Accommodations – room descriptions
- Meals and Food*
- How to get here. Info and advice on booking your travel to Puerto Escondido.**
- Weather in Puerto Escondido
- Testimonials
- Excursions
Discounts
- Sign up early to get the Early Bird Discount
- Sign up with a friend and get a $100 referral discount. (You get $100 discount for each person you refer to any of our focused retreats. No limits!)
- Sign up on our mailing list to find out about more discounts.
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