why apparatus work?

joe pilates created apparatuses like the cadillac, the reformer and wunda chair to help people find their core muscles and better understand how the body works. his intentions were for students to use parts of this equipment as extensions of their limbs (through the straps and springs). he found that some people really needed the closed chain to identify and engage their core.

for example, doing leg circles on the reformer will encourage the student to stabilize their hips with core muscles as they experience the light resistance from the straps. or, those who use their legs with roll ups might benefit from doing roll downs on the cadillac and front rowing on the reformer help isolate the deep muscles in the torso that articulate the spine in a rolling motion.

in my own teaching practice, i prefer using the gratz equipment (shown in this photo of a gratz reformer) for many reasons including their stability, industrial feel and the fact that they represent what is a classic method of pilates for me.

we work within what is called the box of the body - the natural lines that our shoulders and hips form. the work is initiated within this box and then is sent out towards the limbs to complete the movement. strength from the limbs alone doesn't encourage a balanced body, strength from the core to support movement in the limbs does.

pilates for a great posture

acquiring strong abs is one good reason to practice pilates. practicing it with a deeper understanding of "the method" and how it encourages proper posture and better holistic wellness, might just be the best.

joseph pilates says famously in his 'return to life through contrology' book, "a body freed from nervous tension and over-fatigue is the ideal shelter provided by nature for housing a well-balanced mind that is always fully capable of meeting all the complex problems of modern living."

it's now well-known that the benefits of proper posture are many - read more about it here. with over hundreds and hundreds of exercises, the pilates method aims to create the most ideal posture for the human body.

practicing pilates will certainly yield a beautiful body; however, the ultimate benefit to a steady practice is that you will live a life with less stress, more energy and better rest. you will exceed plateaus in physical activities. you will face the world with more confidence. you will experience less daily back aches. whether you sit, stand or move around in your job, you'll be able to execute your work with more ease. what better way is there to live?

the yoga/pilates connection

here's a nicely written article about those curious about the connection. you don't have to chose one or the other - you can practice both!

cyclical thoughts

we recently entered into the autumnal equinox which symbolizes many things, the bounty of nature in the year that had passed; the harvest of fruits or even a melancholy association signifying the impending cold weather, depending on the culture.

i know that autumn for me has always been a good time to evaluate the "fruits" and contributions of my existence. during this time, i myself just got a new tattoo with symbols extracted from a philippine mandala that (to oversimplify) signified my commitment to teaching as part of this community. i did it to reinforce a fulfilled - and happy - sense of union with the world around me. as a yogi who practices transcendental meditation, it was just a logical symbol to chose.

as we go through this life, it's really important to check in with oneself on occasion, perform a "gut check" if you will. we should be happy with our present existence, celebrating our our lives thusfar. sometimes it's what we imagined for ourselves, sometimes it's a total surprise!

whatever you have in your present, always make sure to find the happiness in it. celebrate who you are and what you've done. the best way to be prepared for an uncertain future is to relish in today.

update on pilates today

this is a great in depth article from a fitness trade point of view. it's pretty cool that pilates is reported to be the nation's fastest growing activity, up 450% since 2000! read here to get a big picture on where this method is today and where it's headed

how a strong core helps your play

one of my newer students shared a great story with me the other day. after a couple months of pilates, apparently he was able to use his newly found core muscles to prevent a small basketball injury!

prone to turning his ankles, during one game, he caught and re-centered himself just before he was about to land improperly. he said that before, he would have just landed and then hurt himself (and in turn, putting himself out of commission, unable to enjoy more play time with his friends). since he felt more centered and stronger with his core, he quickly recognized the danger and avoided landing wrong all together. after several lessons, he had quickly developed more control over his overall movement.

pilates is amazing for applications in cross diagonal, multi-directional movement, as in playing basketball. this is why pro-basketball players like kobe bryant, lebron james and jason kidd practice pilates. the more stable your core muscles are that support the movement of your limbs around your spine and torso, the more control you will have over your body. it all makes perfect sense, the better functioning your axis, or midline is, the more control you will have over movement around this axis.

it's pure physics. think about a spinning top. a top that is spinning upright on its tip will spin much longer than one that is spinning on an angle. as a matter of fact, the one spun on an angle will quickly topple over. a strong core is analogous to the straight axis upon which the top spins by centrifugal force. the stronger the core is, the faster and more effective the spinning movement is and can be.

whether you're a recreational athlete or one that makes a living off of your sport, pilates will not only help your execution, more importantly, it will help you with injury prevention so you can keep playing for a long time!

continuing education

one day i was talking about handstands with a friend of mine after taking a yoga class. i revealed to him that my tense shoulders were what made them challenging for me and that coming to classes really helped me find methods to relax them. he responded by asking, "a pilates teacher has tense shoulders?" i said, "why yes i do!"

teachers all around are human beings too, with strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else. we are all results of heredity and conditioning. my students come to me for my expertise and i do my best to provide thoughtful and customized coaching. conversely, i seek the same in my teachers. specific to the above-mentioned case, i do attend yoga and pilates classes partly to remove tension from my shoulders.

when looking for a teacher or a coach, i find it best to find those who continue to challenge themselves and stay open to learning. the human body is a magnificent wonder, with the potential to reach some incredible states - both in health and disease. if you really think about it, our bodies are perpetually in motion, with cells dying and regenerating everyday. we must continue to evolve as our bodies do every day; therefore, there is no finish line when it comes to learning or teaching. there are endless corrections and progressions we can make with our wellness and daily existence.

so to my friend who questioned my tight shoulders, please remember, teachers need to be taken care of too. john wooden, one who inspired so very many beyond basketball, really said it so well - "it's what you learn after you know it all that counts." better believe that those teachers and coaches who stay open to learning are the ones that will take care of you the best.