I was recently having lunch with one of my favorite Pilates friends when we started to talk about Pilates and our respective businesses.  We dived into a conversation about what Pilates is.....meaning it’s more than an exercise regimen.  We chatted about how we each try to inspire others to take their Pilates off the mat into their daily life.  That led us to start thinking about Pilates as a Lifestyle.  

You may be scratching your head when reading that statement so let me elaborate a bit.  Most of us know the history of Pilates, Joe Pilates came to the US in the 1920s.  Worked with injured dancers from the New York Ballet, etc.  I think there’s more to the story or better said, “More to the Method of PIlates”.  Joe meant for Contrology/Pilates to be more than a way to exercise.  He saw Pilates as a way of life, “a lifestyle”, in modern terms.  

When reading many of his quotes they aren’t solely addressing the Pilates method. These quotes talk of a healthy mind and how to attain it; a healthy body and how to achieve one not only through exercise but also through healthy habits.  Here are a few of the many habits Joe referenced. 

• Inhale fully and exhale completely 
• Get yourself as much sunshine and air as you can
• Focus on making each day the best day
• Use your intelligence in respect to your diet and sleeping habits

This got me thinking, how I as a Pilates “Geek”/ Instructor/ Studio Owner could better convey these messages.  How does Pilates leave the mat and become a lifestyle????

I think this BLOG is a start to sharing those ideas.  And bi weekly I’d like to share with you my thoughts about how Pilates can be more than exercise class.  How it can become a Lifestyle. 

I would love to hear your thoughts!!!  Please comment below.

Marion : ))
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Last week I planted a seed....Let’s think of Pilates as more than a fitness routine.  Let’s consider Pilates as a “LifeStyle”.  So what does that mean???

Most of us think as Pilates as a way to exercise.  But Joe Pilates leaves us with so much more to think about.  He leaves a legacy of quotes many which speak of more than a way of exercising. They speak of a way thinking about oneself, more importantly they speak to a way of “Being”.

Below is a quote from Joe Pilates that highlights this idea.  The quote does not mention “the Method of Pilates” even once.  Joe talks about Man’s/Woman’s use of intelligence to determine what is right for his/her body regarding diet, sleep and exercise.  He’s speaks of those who do use their “smarts” in this regard as “taking the very best preventive medicines”.  He also mentions that those medicines are found “freely and abundantly in nature”.
I think that helps us understand how Pilates is more than exercise.  It is a “Lifestyle”.  

Now here comes the challenge.....how do we make all that happen.  We live in quite a different world than Joe did.  Joe lived in the US from approx 1920’s - 1966.  Life was so much less modernized than it is today.  As I write those worlds, a thought floats into my head, “Is that just an excuse or is it really true?”  Every generation has had it’s modernization challenges.  We seem to be ever more efficient with so many technological advances.  Maybe it’s a matter of priorities and not thinking we HAVE to do it all!!!!!

Here’s my first step relative to diet.  As a woman of 53 years I have found that my body has changed incredibly over the years.  When I say “body”, I mean everything - metabolism, food allergies, energy, stamina just to name a few.  I don’t always feel like myself, or how I would like to feel.

Since I love to cook I am always looking for new ideas.  Back in March I found a unique cookbook, “Cooking for Homrmone Ballance”, by Magdalena Wszelaki.   Don’t be deterred by the title.  There are some truly terrific recipes.  And the good news is they are good for us all, especially us Ladies.  Check out the recipes and if the title intrigues you to dive deeper, you won’t be disappointed as Magdalena shares her wealth of scientifically based knowledge to help women manage the different phases of their lives through food!  (I kinda think this might be part of the idea at which Joe  was getting.)

https://hormonesbalance.com/cfb/
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Would love to hear your thoughts below.
Chat soon,

Marion​

To be Neutral or to be Imprinted that is the question?  What am I talking about, you say to yourself! 
Here’s the situation…..In Pilates there is two ways for your pelvis to be either neutral or imprinted.

·         Neutral Pelvis is the alignment of the ASIS (Anterior Superior Iliac Spine – aka Hip Points) and the Pubic Bone in line with each other in the Coronal Plane, which allows for a neutral spine, a spine that honors the natural curvature of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.

·         Imprinted Pelvis allows the ASIS (aka hip points) to be lower that your pelvic bone; it is the act of using the muscles to draw the lower spine down towards the floor, therefore imprinting the spine. 

So why is this question so important?  
The optimal and most efficient way to work your body – spine and pelvis is in neutral.  If your pelvis is neutral it allows your spine to be neutral, in it’s natural form. 

Why aren’t we all working from a Neutral Spine? 
Here’s the challenge there are different positions that our pelvis” lives in” based on our life experience : Anterior Tilted Pelvis, maybe Neutral or Posterior Tilted Pelvis.  
Additionally 75% - 85% Americans have or will experience back pain and/or injury, which may alter the pelvic position.  And lastly many of us lack the abdominal strength to work our bodies in a neutral position.  
Here’s how to work towards a healthy spine.  I suggest when beginning Pilates start with an imprinted spine as your strength, knowledge and ability improves move into a neutral pelvis.  If you've been instructed by a Doctor or Health Profession to maintain an imprinted spine, follow that direction always. 

Here are some pictures to illustrate the positions   


Let’s go back to last weeks ab curl and practice it with an imprinted spine and with a  neutral spine.

Exercise -  Ab Curl/  Ab Curl with rotation target - abdominals including obliques.

Supine Position  - on your back with your knees bent soles of the feet on the floor, hands behind your head, shoulder blades pulling down your back

Imprinted Pelvis Movement – Exhale, engage your abdominals, allow the abs to pull your spine down to the floor, lift your chest curling your head, neck and shoulders  forward, gaze at your belly button, release by lowering down.  Repeat 6 times.

Neutral  Pelvis Movement – Exhale, engage your abdominals, pull them into your spine and give them a little lift up into the ribs not allowing your pelvis to change shape, lift your chest curling your head, neck and shoulders forward, gaze at your belly button, release by lowering down.  Repeat 6 times.

Try your Ab Curl with Rotation with an Imprinted Spine and a Neutral Spine. 
Ab Curl with Rotation - repeat movement instructions above.  At the top of the movement rotate your left armpit toward right hip, keep lifting the chest and rotate right armpit toward left hip, return to center and lower down.

Be careful when practicing each exercise not to clench your glutes or tuck your hips under.  The movement should be muscular.

Happy Practice!  Let me know how you do, I'm always interested.

Best-

Marion

Hello My Friends,


One of the best ways to start a new activity, especially one that may be unfamiliar, or to continue a loved activity after class is over,  is to have a simple way to learn and to reference the moves on your own.  So I decided that a Pilates Move of the Week would be a good idea to support this philosophy.  These weekly exercises will connect together to create a Pilates workout.

Here's the first:

Abdominal curl/  Abdominal curl with rotation 
Target - abdominals including obliques.

Set up  - on your back with your knees bent soles of the feet on the floor, hands behind your head, shoulder blades pulling down your back, reference photo 1.

Movement – Exhale, engage your abdominals, lift your chest curling your head, neck and shoulders  forward, gaze at your belly button, release by lowering down, reference photo 2.  Repeat 6 times.  

Ab Curl with Rotation - repeat movement instructions above.  At the top of the moment rotate your left armpit toward right thigh, keep lifting the chest and rotate right armpit toward left thigh without moving your hips, return too center and lower down. Repeat 4 - 6 times

Notice what’s happening in your body:

• Check for abdominal engagement - proper pilates abdominal engagement happens on an exhale, the belly button pulls into the spine and lifts up to the rib cage, without engaging your glutes or your hip flexors.  Imagine you're moving your lower ribs towards your hip bones as your navel draws up and into the spine.
• Lift your chest let your head follow, your hands are at the base of your skull to support the head. Be careful not to pull your head forward with hands 

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Hello,

Happy Anniversary Mind-Body Connection!!!  Mind-Body Connection turns 4 years old March 29th.  How quickly the time has flown by.  Strolling down memory lane, I remember the first sight of the studio, and it was not too pretty!  I also remember Gretchen and Karen sitting on the studio step wondering if I had lost my mind as I shared what I saw possible for the space.  Fortunately they both were supportive and the work began.  It was a labor of love.  After about 4 weeks we had a workable space.  The equipment arrived the studio was set up and April 1st our first client began training.

It’s a wonderful feeling to see a business grow; it’s even more wonderful to meet the clients who make a business come to life.  We are truly grateful to all of you who allow us to do what we love to do!  Thank you for supporting us, believing in us and sharing your ideas with us.  We are forever grateful.

To show our appreciation we are offering all our existing clients 10% off their next purchase.  We are also offering a special for all NEW clients, 1 week of FREE classes.  So if you know anyone who you think should be coming to Mind-Body Connection pass the word along.  For anyone you refer who signs up for a package, you will receive a free class.  We have advertised this special in the Spectrum for the next two weeks so don’t be surprised if you see some new faces in classes.

Thank you again for being part of Mind-Body Connection!