And why it made me want to train as a Pilates teacher
“Change happens through movement, and movement heals” JOSEPH PILATES
Most of us are speeding around living a high octane hectic lifestyle. We buzz from pillar to post, floating above our heads wondering if there is anything more to life than this constant pressure. A feeling of groundlessness, where we feel we miss home but it doesn’t quite make sense.
That home, is ourselves, our body, the space that we usually avoid occupying, instead living in the insanity of the mind.
However, in order to land, to ground, to bring any sense of balance and calm, our body is the first place to attend. For it is only our body that exists in the present. It cannot exist in the past or the future. Our body is the gift that can draw us out of our minds and back to this moment, to the present.
Pilates helps me to do just that; using exercises to bring us into our very core, connecting with our centre, to stabilise and strengthen us for whatever lies ahead. The aches and pains we experience are our bodies trying to get our attention. Most of the time, we need to strengthen and stretch in order to release the pain that sticks around for so long.
I believe through movement, we can become balanced in ourselves and our bodies.
Joseph & Clara Pilates created this work, which they originally called “Contrology” so every body could feel freedom of movement. Pilates is not only a discipline in itself, it supports every other physical discipline, improving alignment, breathing and core strength. Pilates has many functions to it and has developed over the years through the incredible First Generation Teachers that studied under Joseph and Clara Pilates. One such teacher was Ron Fletcher who carried the Pilates work to the west coast of the USA in 1971, infusing elements of dance from the Martha Graham lineage. It is his discipline of Pilates that I study.
The gifts and wisdom I discovered through Pilates and the benefits it brought me are too many to count but inlcude:
- Connecting with and learning to listen to the wisdom my body holds.
- Strength and stability I never thought I could achieve before.
- Respect and appreciation for the resilience of my mind and body.
- Feeling calmer and more centred in my every day life.
- More in command of my mind when faced with challenges.
Taking the Fletcher Pilates principles into my life has helped me to navigate challenging times and provides me with the health and vitality to allow my mind and body to experience life with less resistance than before. I am truly grateful for the freedom this work has given me to fully enjoy life.
The gift of grounding into our body and the present moment is a gift worth sharing.