Golden lighting, rattan equipment baskets and greenery give the reformer room a bohemian atmosphere (All photos: Low Yen Yeing/ The Edge)
As a young boy growing up in Mönchengladbach, Germany, Joseph Pilates battled asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, spending much of his early years frail. Born in 1883 to a gymnast father and naturopath mother, the lad was surrounded by fitness ideologies from a young age. Determined not to let his conditions define him, he experimented with various forms of exercise and wellness techniques to fortify his physical and mental power, believing that staying in shape was not only essential to maintaining one’s health but also boosting longevity and vitality.
During WWI, Joseph was interned by British troops at Lancaster Castle and then Knockaloe on the Isle of Man. It was then that he devised an original conditioning regiment focusing on the key pillars of strength, flexibility and command over one’s own body. He taught fellow inmates, and rumour has it that when a deadly influenza outbreak ravaged his camp in 1918, none of his students succumbed to the virus. He called his method Contrology (the practice was eponymously renamed after its founder’s death in 1967), inventing various apparatus of all shapes and sizes to complement his repertoires, which emphasised quality of movement over quantity.
Today, the exercise that transformed a sickly boy into a robust man who lived until the ripe, old age of 83 has skyrocketed to international renown, becoming one of the most popular fitness niches of the 2020s. Many engage with it as a means to stay and look fit and are still largely oblivious to its roots in healing both physical and emotional ailments. Founder of Forza Pilates Sasha Sabapathy is one individual on a mission to recentre wellness at the heart of the practice.
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It all began in 2018, when Sasha returned to London (the city she lived and went to school in as a teen) after working in New York City for a few years. Her job in the Big Apple had been with a digital agency focused on consumer brands, unearthing her life’s calling in the health and wellness space. Back in the UK, Sasha opened up her first business — Glow Bar, a one-stop shop in Central London merging natural health products inspired by traditional Asian remedies with the science-backed therapies popular in the West. “I loved helping people feel good and it was a respite from everyday life. You came in to do an infrared sauna session, then got a latte with beneficial herbs and superfoods after, then purchased herbal tonics to use at home,” she recounts.
In 2021, when Sasha was pregnant with her first child, Covid-19 struck, forcing her to shut down Glow Bar. With little government support, keeping an independent company in the heart of the city afloat was near impossible, and it only got tougher when her daughter was born. “After I gave birth, I had no extra support, as my family was in Malaysia. My husband’s Italian and his folks were in Italy. We couldn’t figure out how to keep Glow Bar going while looking after a newborn,” she notes. To prioritise her family, she made the difficult decision to permanently close down her boutique and become a stay-at-home mum.
After closing down Glow Bar, going into another venture was the last thing on Sasha’s mind. When she relocated to Kuala Lumpur, however, the mushrooming of contemporary studios using newfangled methods removed from the core principles of the practice worried her. She also noticed that many places focused primarily on the physical work and gave little thought to community building and even aesthetics — elements that can help keep students motivated and consistent. “You spend money on memberships and lessons, time in traffic to get to the gym or studio. It’s energy and time taken away from being with loved ones. To make that sacrifice just to go somewhere you feel stiff or unsafe and are rushed out as if you don’t matter should never be the point.”
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All of this led to her earning her instructor’s certification and, in July, opening Forza Pilates in Bukit Damansara. Split between two units at opposite ends of the shoplot on Jalan Setiakasih 5 (the mat studio occupies one side, while the other houses the reformer and private session rooms), every nook, cranny and detail at Forza has been meticulously planned to curate a holistic experience that places clients at the core.
Upon walking in, visitors are greeted by the soothing scent of Palo Santo, putting them in the right mindset for an effective and meaningful workout. Equipment by some of the best manufacturers in the market, such as Merrithew reformers and Gratz magic circles, demonstrate how quality and safety take top priority. Warm statement lighting, draped fabric installations, artwork and even a pair of Sicilian Testa di Moro ceramics (head-shaped sculptures symbolising good luck — an homage to Sasha’s husband’s love for design and her own adoration for Italian culture) adorn the spaces.
Bursts of colour light up the lounges, where plush seating and coffee tables covered in books, candles and freshly picked flowers welcome students to slow down and take a moment for themselves. Each class ends with refreshing cold eucalyptus-scented towels, and the assortment of drinks and bites from Huckleberry (made with quality ingredients for guilt-free indulgence) is hard to say no to.
Even more important than these luxe touches, though, is Forza’s focus on authentic, classical techniques, taught by kind, knowledgeable instructors to ensure you are in good hands from start to finish. “I like to think of us as the bridge between classical and contemporary Pilates,” Sasha explains. “In classical, we really believe that by doing an exercise over and over again and working on your precision, you get better at it, stronger and more flexible. It’s not about how dynamic you are but how much control you have in the movement pattern, where you are balancing your body. I want students to progress through a system that is effective.”
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In addition, the other offerings — yoga, breathwork and sound healing — are not positioned as separate, unrelated practices, but complementary to Pilates. “Joseph was obsessed with fitness and did so many types of practices and modalities, such as yoga and boxing. So, we also have yoga-inspired classes — Stretch, which is Hatha Vinyasa-style; and Slow, which is more Yin-influenced. Pilates can’t be the only thing you do because the body needs more variation than that.”
At the end of the day, having a balanced and wholesome approach to all we do is the key objective Sasha hopes all clients take away from their time with Forza. Movement is just one aspect of the grander picture; hitting all the bases, from nutrition and sleep to connecting with nature and loved ones, is crucial. Life is not without its stresses and struggles, but determination to show up for ourselves with intention, whether by cooking a nourishing meal or going to that workout class you signed up for weeks ago, just might be the secret to making the puzzle we call life less of an uphill battle.
This article first appeared on Sept 1, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
