Meet Andres Bacigalupo, a Chilean Pilates instructor based in subtropical Bermuda, where sunshine is the default and the perfect beaches look like screensavers.

Andres teaches Romana pilates (based on the instructions of the Joseph Pilates protégé) at Bodyworks Studio. We connected with him after he contacted us to say he’s really into our All-Over Oil. We wanted to know more about his approach to health and beauty, as well as get some Pilates tips to share with you.

What is the philosophy and approach to Romana’s Pilates?

When Joseph Pilates passed away, he left his studio and work with Romana Kryzanowska. She was his chosen protégée. Romana had been trained by, and worked closely with, Joe Pilates for decades. Of all the Pilates elders (those who trained with Joseph Pilates directly), Romana worked with him the longest and had the deepest understanding of his work.

Everyone studying Pilates today can trace their roots back to Romana in one way or another. Either their teacher, or their teacher’s teacher, or their teacher’s teacher’s teacher, was trained with, or by, Romana. The closer this connection is, the closer the work is to the way it was intended to be by Joseph Pilates himself.

What does a day in your life look like when you’re teaching?

I normally wake up around 6:30am, play some music, watch the sunrise, and prepare coffee and a shake to take to work. I then dry brush, take a shower, use the All-Over Oil and do my skincare routine. Then I get on my bike and start teaching from 8am until around 2pm.

What are some achievable things people can do daily at home to benefit their bodies? Say if they only had 2-5 minutes?

I would say, do the ‘roll-down’ exercise that helps to open the lower back, stretches and strengthens the whole spine, and works the abdominals. Do it for 2 – 5 minutes and you will see and feel the benefits every time.

What’s your skincare philosophy? Do you keep it simple? Do you try lots of new products or stick to the same?

My skincare philosophy is to keep it simple, but use really good ingredients that benefit my whole self. I normally don’t try a lot of new products, but depending on the country I’m in, or the time of year, I add or subtract some. At the moment, I use a rosewater serum, All-Over Oil, and sunscreen.

How do you use your All-Over Oil?

I use the oil in a lot of ways: all over my body every time I take a shower to keep the moisture locked in, after swimming in the sea, when I do gua sha. And I cleanse my face with it, removing it with a warm muslin cloth, before the rest of my skincare in the AM and PM.

Is there anything, outside of your practice, that helps you quieten your mind and get into your body?

Diving into the ocean with my snorkel so I get to see the underwater world. Driving my motorbike early in the morning. Sunrise and sunsets, and watching the ocean waves hitting the shore.

Is there a part of the body you think is often taken for granted? 

The neck! In this modern life with all the screens, our neck is under constant strain and tension.

What’s your favourite scent (not necessarily a perfume, it could be a plant or a place) and why? 

It’s so difficult to answer this question, but to name a few – after the rain when the sun starts to warm the soil. Natural fleece (it reminds me of my childhood). Frangipani flowers (Bermuda smells like them). Magnolia flowers at night. The smell of the ocean. Green tea or black tea.

How does your environment affect how you feel about yourself?

It really affects me, so I try to keep a tidy house and live as simply as I can. Bermuda is an island that makes you slow down and reconnect with your natural rhythms. And every time I’m feeling off I go for a trail walk or swim in the ocean, that’s my best therapy.

Do you have any beauty or relaxation tools you really love using?

A few years ago I started to incorporate an amazing dry brush and gua sha ritual. I have an ionic dry brush for the body that’s really a life changer, and a soft one for the face. 

For Pilates, choosing one tool is difficult, but I love the small barrels, and the spine and foot corrector because it opens the body in the right places – especially the hips, chest and shoulders. The toe corrector aligns, stretches and strengthens your muscles, from the hips to the toes, and you can travel with it!