“PROF. PILATES’ HEALTH STUDIOS

Where flat feet, curvature of the spine, protruding stomach, stooped shoulders, hollow chest, hollow back, bow legs, and knocked-kneed conditions are cured through corrective exercises.”

CURED! He believed so much in his Contrology exercises that he also wrote:

“Truth will prevail and that is why I know that my teaching will reach the masses and finally be adopted as universal.”

Amazing. It’s true. Pilates explosion is really only just begun. The health clubs are providing Pilates mat classes for “free” with the memberships and even adding on elite studios within their clubs.

But will anything ever replace the true one on one training session with a private instructor. NO. Joe Pilates did teach in some small groups, but mostly for *play* and for *fun* - we have seen film of him running through fields with the men he was “teaching.” No. The true work was done in a private one on one session where he was NOT shy about pushing here and demanding there, just to get the spine to bend. It’s all about the spine!

So listen to your teacher carefully in class, no matter if you are in the masses or watching a DVD. Would Joe be upset at this mass produced explosion of Pilates? Certainly not! It was his vision, we believe. You may even find yourself *cured* into GOOD HEALTH.

Comments are welcome!

Debbie

Nothing happens overnight, but it does seem that Pilates brings instant results! Joe Pilates said, “In 10 sessions, you will feel a difference, in 20, see a difference, and in 30, you will have a whole new body.” I can honestly say that this is true. I’ve dropped pant sizes and gained muscle tone where I thought none was possible. After sitting at a desk for 10 years, then pregnant and/or nursing for 9 years, Pilates came into my life and has changed me to the person I was meant to be.

What changes has Pilates helped you with? Feel free to share! Happy Summer!

“Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”

What really strikes me is the pleasure part. So many of us are working really hours beyond what is seemingly realistic. Fortunately for me, I enjoy what I do for work. Upon returning home, however, there’s not much of that good energy left. For pleasure. I seem to have forgotten how to have fun. There’s either a lack of time or just the real need to rest so that I can truly find pleasure.

Granted we are in the midst of raising teenagers, so a good sense of humor is definitely in order and in small supply. I seem to be able to *perform” many tasks (multitasking queen) with ease (thank you Pilates for stamina and a good mind). My Spring renewal goal just HAS to be the pleasure part - what will truly make me feel pleasure?

One thing is for certain, Pilates has allowed me to continue to do things that I enjoy - skiing, rollerblading, cooking, swimming - at a level that most people at my age could not. My desire, I think, is to enjoy the company of loved ones - time feels precious and short. Time to slow down, take a look, a really good look around me, and enjoy the moments.

Welcome Spring Renewal!

While my mission at the studio is to inspire people of all ages and fitness levels to experience Pilates in their own bodies, the task at any given moment while teaching Pilates is daunting. At times, it feels impossible. Yet, if I stay *true* to the original Method, classical order, and draw upon my own experience, my teaching becomes empathetic and real. Authentic. That is exactly why people return for more.

I can only be who I am and share what I experience in the moment, in each breath of movement. This is enough. I am so grateful to be who I am and where I am in life, with some experience under my belt and humility as my guide. I look to the elders for guidance and to the apprentices for inspiration to always elevate my craft. Something I intend to do for many, many breaths to come.

Did Joe worry about perfection? Well, he pushed here and poked there. Honestly, I think he would be pleased. His Pilates exercises are alive and well.

Then, tonight, I went back to the studio after dinner tonight feeling very down and blue. One of the most fascinating things about Pilates - to me - is that it ELEVATES THE SPIRIT. I was mostly teaching, but I did manage to get in a little movement tonight. I’m still emotionally drained, but my body feels invigorated. A good night’s rest now, and I’m sure the mood will lift. Elevate.

It’s amazing to me that Joseph Pilates was so far ahead of his time, that he really embraced whole body health - body, mind, and spirit. I am grateful for his vision and will move on, not dwell. Just one movement to the next, one breath into the other.

The answer is no. The willingness to change, for me, usually comes out of some sort of pain or humiliation - perhaps that’s just human nature. Or the body’s own innate ability to let us know how we are feeling, that’s it’s time for change.

A friend recently described a good writer as “a good typist who knows how to listen.” Am I listening? Maybe, some days. If I slow down enough. I’m a mover, though, and sometimes I just need to move my body to really know where it is I am tight, where my breath is not flowing, where there is weakness. Amazingly, the movements of Pilates has that ability to transform me.

It’s been a process!! While I was always active as a kid, always outside in the cool New Hampshire air - summers by the ocean in Maine and winters on the slopes of New England’s beautiful mountains - I was also a rebellious teenager who turned into a very hardworking 20 year old who suddenly felt quite large. Hormones? Perhaps partly. Partly lack of movement. It was sometime around my late 20’s that I started yoga, began the journey with the breath, slowed down a little to actually feel my body. In my 30’s I was pregnant and nursing for 9 years straight - a sudden and dramatic change as well as transitioning right into pre-menopause. I relish the nostalgia of staying home with my kids while they were young, learning to take naps with them, go for a stroll, play at the park. It was really by accident I discovered Pilates.

I was at my health club one day after nursing all four children, that I saw what I thought was an “ab” class. Needless to say, it was my first Pilates class and I could barely do *tree!* How could I not sit up holding on to my leg!! One thing led to another - and I waited 3 long months to get into a private lesson with my teacher - and it’s been a journey and will continue to be!

What’s YOUR journey! How are you feeling? I’ve been thinking a lot about change and how if we are the slightest bit willing to show up for the change that is possible - what your mind can conceive your body can achieve - miracles do happen.

Enjoy this season of change! Hope to see you at the studio. Let me know your thoughts!