Monthly Focus - August

 Whole Body Movement

Pilates is about integration: integrating movement into a flowing whole body experience, integrating the mind and body to create clarity and purpose and integrating mind, body and spirit to create a life of balance.

In contrast to other exercise methods that focus on isolating specific muscles, the Pilates Method looks at the body as a whole unit.  Joseph Pilates believed that developing the minor muscles naturally helped to strengthen the major muscles.   But, once someone starts practicing the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning, one realizes that it is much more than that.  It is a system that focuses on complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.

At Body Balance Institute we practice and teach whole body movement.  Whole Body Movement means nothing works independently; all body parts work together.  We are a sum of the parts, but no part of our body can work optimally as an independent unit. 

 “I invented all these machines in Germany. I used to exercise rheumatic patients.  I thought, why use my strength?  So I made a machine to do it for me.  Look, you see?  It resists your movements, in just the right way, so those inner muscles really have to work against it.  That way you can concentrate on the movement!  You must always do it slowly and smoothly... Then your whole body is in it. ”

–Joseph Pilates

Monthly Focus - May

Centering

Centering represents the act of drawing your own mental and physical focus during exercise to the core or the center of your body.  The center of your body, often called the “powerhouse” or “core”, refers to the area between your ribs and hips and includes the upper and lower back muscles. The center is where power is generated within the body and it is also the source of stability and support for every kind of movement we make.  All movement radiates from the center outward in Pilates.  Once we focus intently on the core work, we can begin to add in other points of focus.

In our every day lives, the term “staying centered,” relates to remaining mentally calm, collected and balanced in the midst of our often-chaotic lives. We can apply this to our physical activity as well. Learning to work from your core can help you feel strong, powerful and calm and you are less likely to feel overwhelmed or out of control.

This month, bring your focus inward.

“Self-confidence, poise, consciousness of possessing the power to accomplish our desires, with renewed lively interest in life, are the natural results of the practice of Contrology.”

–Joseph Pilates