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 - June

Rhythm and Flow

One of the underlying principles of Pilates, Gyrotonic®, Elevated Movement and Qi Gong is moving with a sense of rhythm and flow.  Flow creates smooth, graceful and functional movements.  It decreases the amount of stress placed on our joints and develops movement patterns that integrate our body into a smooth flowing whole.

At Body Balance Institute every movement has a specific rhythm attached to it. The goal is to maintain continuity from repetition to repetition and from exercise to exercise. Creating smooth transitions helps our body learn to move with grace and efficiency, which improves performance and decreases injury. It is also the way our bodies were designed to move naturally and intuitively.  This is the state of being 100 % mentally and physically immersed in the moment of the movement.  In flow, the emotions are positive and energized, which leads to increased endurance.  While connecting precise movement, intention and rhythm, creates flow.

“Contrology (Pilates) is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Through Contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities.”

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–Joseph Pilates