Pilates Principles

I apologize for the delay in posts. I actually posted this on my other blog thinking I had posted on here. I will be back to a weekly schedule now!

Over the next few weeks we are going to look in-depth look at the Pilates Principles, what they mean in Pilates and how they can apply to other areas of your life. Here is a quick summary of the principals from www.pilates.about.com:

1. Centering: Physically bringing the focus to the center of the body, the powerhouse area between the lower ribs and pubic bone. Energetically, Pilates exercises are sourced from center.
   
   
2. Concentration: If one brings full attention to the exercise and does it with full commitment, maximum value will be obtained from each movement.
   
   
3. Control: Every Pilates exercise is done with complete muscular control. No body part is left to its own devices.
   
   
4. Precision: In Pilates, awareness is sustained throughout each movement. There is an appropriate placement, alignment relative to other body parts, and trajectory for each part of the body.
   
   
5. Breath: Joseph Pilates emphasized using a very full breath in his exercises. He advocated thinking of the lungs as a bellows -- using them strongly to pump the air fully in and out of the body. Most Pilates exercises coordinate with the breath, and using the breath properly is an integral part of Pilates exercise.
   
   
6. Flow: Pilates exercise is done in a flowing manner. Fluidity, grace, and ease are goals applied to all exercises. The energy of an exercise connects all body parts and flows through the body in an even way. Pilates equipment, like the reformer, are very good mirrors of one's flow and concentration as they tend to bang around and suddenly become quite "machine-like" if one loses ones control and flow.