 Somewhere along the way, Reformer Pilates has earned a reputation as the gold standard of Pilates. While the reformer is an incredibly versatile and effective piece of equipment, the real work begins and ends on the Mat.
You see, Joseph Pilates invented the machines and equipment to support people in building the strength and flexibility necessary to achieve the ultimate goal of performing the Advanced Mat work unassisted. That’s right–the reformer was an intro to the more advanced work- mat work! The ultimate test in strength is pushing and pulling your own body weight around unassisted, which is exactly what we do on the mat. So where exactly did mat Pilates come from? Origin of Pilates Classical Pilates as we know it today was invented by Joseph Pilates. Joseph grew up in Dusseldorf, Germany with a naturopath mother and a gymnast father. As a child, he suffered from rheumatic fever, rickets and asthma which saw him bullied by other children. As a result, he became very dedicated to fitness, yoga, bodybuilding and gymnastics. At the outbreak of WWI, Joseph volunteered to be a hospital attendant at a camp in the Isle of Man. It was there that what we know as the modern day reformer and affiliate pilates equipment was spawned. He used bed springs to provide resistance to enable bed bound patients the ability to exercise. Around the year 1925, Pilates migrated to New York where he set up his own Pilates studio with his wife Clara. In New York he refined his pilates methods and concepts and started bringing the whole focus to “contrology”, or ‘using the mind to control the muscles.’ He paid special attention to the core postural muscles that keep the body balanced and provide support for the spine. He also started teaching an awareness of breath in exercise and how to use the breath while in movement to keep the body stable and balanced. He taught well into the 1960’s and had a strong following consisting mostly of ballerinas and dancers. March Matness Romana Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates’ infamous protege, once said in an interview with Washington Post in 2003: “The apparatus are good, but the mat work is everything. If you can do the mat work perfectly, you don't need the apparatus. But people love toys.” While we all love the Pilates apparatus with its endless versatility for challenge, in March we honor where it all started… on the mat. Follow us on social media for March Matness, where we’ll post a video of a Pilates mat exercise every day for the entire month!
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 What do the Elephant, Crab, Swan, and Snake all have in common?
Yes they’re all animals. But they are also exercises from the Pilates Repertoire! Joseph Pilates, the guy who created Pilates before it was Pilates, was SO ahead of his time. Without the benefit of technology or the world wide web, he developed a whole system of movement. He took inspiration from modalities such as Zen Buddhism, the ancient Greeks, martial arts and, of course, the study of animals. He says in his book ‘Return To Life’, that “true rhythm and control is observed both in domestic pets and wild animals – without exception.” The beauty of animal movement is something that every one of us has surely admired in some way at some point. Whether it is the gait of a dog chasing a truck, the rhythm of a dolphin speeding through the water, or the precision of a bird flying through the sky, marveling in the movements of animals is not new to us. However, being open to the notion that we are animals too, and imagining that we can move with the very same agility, precision, and stealth of our graceful animal friends is an interesting way to explore movement. There is indeed something majestic and graceful about watching animals flow and move through their natural habitats. The sense of confidence and ease they embody when they move their bodies is a beautiful thing. And it’s that beauty that Joseph Pilates wanted to bring back to the human experience of movement. He did say: “Your body will be as supple as a cat’s.” The problem is, over time, we as humans (as opposed to our animal friends) have struggled more and more to move with ease, flow, and strength. What happened? Civilization, that’s what. I’m not saying the civilized world is bad. But with every step forward, something has to be sacrificed. Take cell phones, for example. Such an AMAZING invention! But as a result of this invention, we hunch over more, we move our bodies less, we call a colleague instead of walk to their desk, our posture suffers, and our brains suffer as we try to multitask. We start to lose some of our body’s natural alignment, we lose flexibility, we lose functionality of our joints…we get stiffer, more stressed out, and sicker. The antidote? Pilates. Pilates brings our body BACK into its natural movement patterns. It helps us remember how we used to move– as babies, as animals, as nature intended. And it does so for every body. Whether you’ve worked out for years or not at all, whether you’re pregnant or post menopausal, male or female, young or old, Pilates caters to you. So when you’re ready to move with more agility and ease, give us a call to get started. We can’t wait to meet you.  It’s February (can you believe it!?). While this is the month most people think about the ones they love, I want to take this opportunity to talk about something else– SELF love. It can be tempting to search for external ways to find a sense of self-worth and happiness. It might sound cliche, but it’s not “out there” that we’ll find it, it’s “in here,”.
You can call it a lot of things- self love, self esteem, confidence- but whatever you call it, it’s how we really feel about ourselves deep down. Do you LOVE yourself- imperfections and all? Or do you feel like you won’t be happy (with yourself or your life) until you’re ___ (fill in the blank: thinner, prettier, fitter, wealthier, partnered…etc etc!)? Think about how you talk to your best friend. You might say things like:
Now think about some of the things we say to ourselves:
Can you imagine saying those things to your best friend? It sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Because those things aren’t loving. They aren’t supportive. They aren’t helpful. They won’t get someone through the storms of life, and they won’t make someone shine. We want to support and encourage the people we love, rather than beating them down. So this February, try treating yourself like you would your best friend. Especially in your thoughts and words, but also in your actions. Make yourself a priority, the way you make a date with your best friend a priority. Nurture yourself with wholesome food that supports your goals. Move your body- with or without friends! Let this month be about the love you have for YOU. Join us on Saturday, Feb 11th for a Galentine's Mat Class and some bubbly after. Sign up through our website or the Mindbody app. |
Heather GradkeI'm BASI Faculty and Certified Pilates Instructor by day, somewhat competent mom by night. I am married to the love of my life and somewhat charismatic Rustin Gradke. I have 4 kids that are wonderful sometimes but mostly they just eat a lot. I'm a lover of God and movement and the occasional bowl of queso. Archives
October 2024
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