It's been a busy month this month! We have four new instructors - all starting this month. All of them are great.
Here is a brief bio on one of our new instructors, Jamien Cvjetnicanin:
Jamien Cvjetnicanin just moved here from New York. She holds a BA with distinction from UNC-Chapel Hill in Human Movement Science and has taught Pilates for nine years. She also teaches dance and Gyrotonic and performs professionally in ballet and modern dance. Originally from North Carolina, Jamien has been dancing since she was 5. She started doing Pilates when she was a teenager as part of her dance training. Jamien has extensive teaching experience and her students at Conscious Body Pilates, so far, all say she's great! She teaches both privates/duets and group mat classes.
She is available Tues 8am-3pm, Wed 5 to 8pm, Thurs 1pm to 8pm, Fri 5 to 8pm, Sat afternoons and Sunday mornings. To book an appointment or class with Jamien, please contact the studio at (206) 709-2673.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
A Walk in the Park with Pilates
For one of my clients, a walk in the park will never be the same for him.
I had the most inspiring conversation with James, a client who has been coming for private sessions once a week for the past 3 months. He walks to work everyday and he was describing to me how it almost felt as if he was gliding as he was walking down a certain path the other day. He says he walks differently with a new awareness since he starting coming to Pilates. (He's now on his 8th session and I can already see the difference in his core strength.) "I walk differently when I know I'm coming to Pilates," he told me. "If that's what it takes, I said, then that's great!"
What amazes me is how much of what he learns in our work together he takes into his daily life.
We worked on standing and squatting in our last session. I described how he could be doing Pilates just while he's standing at work, by keeping his weight evenly distributed over the center of his feet, slightly bending his knees (not locking them), keeping his belly pulled to his spine to engage his core, and keeping his shoulders relaxed and pulled back slightly. Then we learned how to squat - which he found revolutionary.
The squat is often done incorrectly - usually by putting too much weight into the knees. I showed him how to first engage his core, then bend at the knees, and then hinge at the hips, reaching his arms forward and maintaining a neutral pelvis while he squats. (James bends and lifts a lot for his work.) The knees should never go too far over the toes - if they do, it can put too much pressure on the knee joint. By hinging at the hips and sticking out your butt (think of the last time you used a port-a-potty) you distribute your weight differently, taking the weight from the front of your body to the center of your body. When you return back to a standing position, consciously press your weight into your feet and use the "ground force" to help you stand back up. (This is a concept from Aston Patterning that I've begun to incorporate into my teaching.)
We did about 3 squats this way and he said it totally changed his understanding of how to squat, bend, and lift. Wow! These are the moments every Pilates instructor looks forward to - the moment a student changes their awareness and discovers a new way of moving -- the moment that a person's "walk in the park" will never be the same. :)
I had the most inspiring conversation with James, a client who has been coming for private sessions once a week for the past 3 months. He walks to work everyday and he was describing to me how it almost felt as if he was gliding as he was walking down a certain path the other day. He says he walks differently with a new awareness since he starting coming to Pilates. (He's now on his 8th session and I can already see the difference in his core strength.) "I walk differently when I know I'm coming to Pilates," he told me. "If that's what it takes, I said, then that's great!"
What amazes me is how much of what he learns in our work together he takes into his daily life.
We worked on standing and squatting in our last session. I described how he could be doing Pilates just while he's standing at work, by keeping his weight evenly distributed over the center of his feet, slightly bending his knees (not locking them), keeping his belly pulled to his spine to engage his core, and keeping his shoulders relaxed and pulled back slightly. Then we learned how to squat - which he found revolutionary.
The squat is often done incorrectly - usually by putting too much weight into the knees. I showed him how to first engage his core, then bend at the knees, and then hinge at the hips, reaching his arms forward and maintaining a neutral pelvis while he squats. (James bends and lifts a lot for his work.) The knees should never go too far over the toes - if they do, it can put too much pressure on the knee joint. By hinging at the hips and sticking out your butt (think of the last time you used a port-a-potty) you distribute your weight differently, taking the weight from the front of your body to the center of your body. When you return back to a standing position, consciously press your weight into your feet and use the "ground force" to help you stand back up. (This is a concept from Aston Patterning that I've begun to incorporate into my teaching.)
We did about 3 squats this way and he said it totally changed his understanding of how to squat, bend, and lift. Wow! These are the moments every Pilates instructor looks forward to - the moment a student changes their awareness and discovers a new way of moving -- the moment that a person's "walk in the park" will never be the same. :)
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Beginners Mat Classes
We teach a number of Beginners Mat Classes at our studio. The beginners classes are Mon 11am, Wed 6pm, Thurs 6:30am, and Sat 10am. Check the mat class schedule on our website for more information.
The beginners mat classes are for total beginners and for students who want to hone their Pilates "chops" before moving onto the more challenging Intermediate classes.
I find that the great thing about teaching beginner classes is being able to see the rapid progression that most students go through. Each week I add a few more new exercises. By the last two classes, some students are breezing through the warmup and giving me a look of "OK, that was easy. Show me what else you got."
I try keep the class challenging, while at the same time focusing on the basics. While I understand the desire for even more challenge, it's always a good idea to take it slow and master the basic moves before moving onto the next level. I think of the basic matwork exercises as scales for warming up on an instrument or the basic rudiments for a drummer. If you want to master your instrument, you never abandon your scales or rudiments. The great dancer Mikhail Barishnikov once said that he always returns to the basic barre routine he learned as a child in his warmup. The further you progress, the more you realize it's these basic moves that contain the building blocks that allow you to perform the harder moves. So even if they get a little boring, it's good to keep doing them.
Here's an example of a basic Pilates matwork routine that I teach:
Warmup:
Breathing
Neutral Pelvis
Imprint & Release
Hip Release
Spinal Rotation
Hip Rolls
Cat Stretch
Arm Circles
Scapula Isolation
Head Nods
Mat Exercises:
Ab Prep
Breaststroke Prep
Hundred
Half Roll Back
Rolling like a Ball
Twist
One Leg Circle
Single Leg Stretch
Obliques
Shoulder Bridge (Prep)
Side Kick
Side Leg Series
Spine Stretch Forward
Swimming (Prep)
Swan (Prep)
Side Bend (Prep)
Push Up (Prep)
The "Preps" are beginner versions of the full exercise. Once you master the preps, you can then move on to the more challenging, full exercises in the Intermediate and Advanced levels.
The beginners mat classes are for total beginners and for students who want to hone their Pilates "chops" before moving onto the more challenging Intermediate classes.
I find that the great thing about teaching beginner classes is being able to see the rapid progression that most students go through. Each week I add a few more new exercises. By the last two classes, some students are breezing through the warmup and giving me a look of "OK, that was easy. Show me what else you got."
I try keep the class challenging, while at the same time focusing on the basics. While I understand the desire for even more challenge, it's always a good idea to take it slow and master the basic moves before moving onto the next level. I think of the basic matwork exercises as scales for warming up on an instrument or the basic rudiments for a drummer. If you want to master your instrument, you never abandon your scales or rudiments. The great dancer Mikhail Barishnikov once said that he always returns to the basic barre routine he learned as a child in his warmup. The further you progress, the more you realize it's these basic moves that contain the building blocks that allow you to perform the harder moves. So even if they get a little boring, it's good to keep doing them.
Here's an example of a basic Pilates matwork routine that I teach:
Warmup:
Breathing
Neutral Pelvis
Imprint & Release
Hip Release
Spinal Rotation
Hip Rolls
Cat Stretch
Arm Circles
Scapula Isolation
Head Nods
Mat Exercises:
Ab Prep
Breaststroke Prep
Hundred
Half Roll Back
Rolling like a Ball
Twist
One Leg Circle
Single Leg Stretch
Obliques
Shoulder Bridge (Prep)
Side Kick
Side Leg Series
Spine Stretch Forward
Swimming (Prep)
Swan (Prep)
Side Bend (Prep)
Push Up (Prep)
The "Preps" are beginner versions of the full exercise. Once you master the preps, you can then move on to the more challenging, full exercises in the Intermediate and Advanced levels.
Can Pilates Really Strengthen, Stretch, and Balance Your Body?
I wrote an article on Pilates for the Madison Park Times which should be published in their next issue. Here's a preview of the article...
Eighty years ago, a German-born immigrant named Joseph Pilates came to this country and brought a revolutionary new form of exercise he called “The Pilates Method.” He believed so strongly in this method that when he was 86, he proclaimed “the whole country, the whole world should be doing my exercises. They’d be happier.” While the whole world isn’t doing his exercises, they’re definitely starting to take more of an interest in Pilates. But few people really understand what it is. So as a Pilates Instructor, I’d like to offer a brief summary and hopefully shed some light on this not-very-well-understood method of health and fitness.
History
Born in Germany in 1880, Pilates was a boxer, skier, and gymnast. A sickly child who worked hard to overcome his physical limitations, he studied everything from yoga to circus performance. He developed his own system over 20 years, drawing from both Eastern disciplines like yoga and Western traditions such as ancient Greek regimens.
During WWI, Pilates was placed in an internment camp in England where he developed the system now known as “matwork” which he then called “Contrology.” He later took the springs from a bed to invent his first piece of equipment to rehabilitate wounded and bedridden soldiers. This was the first Pilates “Reformer”, still used today. Today, his contraptions, with names like the “Universal Reformer”, “Cadillac”, and “Wunda Chair” still haven’t changed very much from his original designs. The ingeniously designed equipment provides support and resistance to the body as it learns to move with greater efficiency and ease.
Many years later in 1926, Joseph Pilates and his wife Clara came to this country and settled in New York City. He opened a studio and it was there that he taught students the method that has been passed down by his original students, known as “the Pilates elders” since then.
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a system of movement and exercise designed to strengthen, stretch and balance the entire body. It combines slow, controlled movements, coordinated with precise breathing patterns. The breath and movement together focus the mind, relax the body, and develops greater mental and physical coordination.
Core Strength
A key principle in Pilates is learning how to properly engage and strengthen the core. The “core” consists of deep postural muscles that include the Transversus Abdominis and Internal Obliques, as well as the deep spinal stabilizers called Multifidus and the pelvic floor muscles. When all of these muscles are engaged, they act as a kind of girdle, forming a cylinder from the base of your trunk to your lower ribcage. From this starting point, you learn to move the rest of your body with greater control and awareness. Pilates does not isolate muscle groups – instead it trains the whole body, starting from the core and integrating the movement of the arms and legs while maintaining this core stability. Another key Pilates principle is the concept of “neutral pelvis” or “neutral spine”, which is the ideal spinal alignment maintained by engaging the core muscles to hold the pelvis and lumbar spine in proper alignment while moving the rest of the body.
Stretching
Pilates exercise also increases flexibility and supports a healthy back by using gentle stretching and slow, articulated movements of the spine. A balanced Pilates workout incoporates stretching and movement of the spine in all planes of movement: flexion (bending forward), extension (bending back), rotation (twisting), and lateral sidebending (bending sideways). Many Chiropractors and Physical Therapists recommend Pilates programs for their patients for this reason.
Balancing the Body
Another major benefit of Pilates exercise is improving posture by correcting muscle imbalances.This re-balancing is achieved by lengthening muscles that have shortened and strengthening weak and elongated muscles. Think of a person who sits at a computer for long periods (like you for instance!) Sitting in a bent knee position day after day, year after year, you develop shortened hamstrings and elongated and weak quadriceps. Your Pilates program would include stretches for the hamstrings, and strengthening exercises for the quadriceps – all while maintaining core stability.
Now, if someone ever asks you “What is Pilates?” just remember these three things – strengthen, stretch, and balance.
To find out more about Pilates, visit the Pilates Method Alliance web site.
Eighty years ago, a German-born immigrant named Joseph Pilates came to this country and brought a revolutionary new form of exercise he called “The Pilates Method.” He believed so strongly in this method that when he was 86, he proclaimed “the whole country, the whole world should be doing my exercises. They’d be happier.” While the whole world isn’t doing his exercises, they’re definitely starting to take more of an interest in Pilates. But few people really understand what it is. So as a Pilates Instructor, I’d like to offer a brief summary and hopefully shed some light on this not-very-well-understood method of health and fitness.
History
Born in Germany in 1880, Pilates was a boxer, skier, and gymnast. A sickly child who worked hard to overcome his physical limitations, he studied everything from yoga to circus performance. He developed his own system over 20 years, drawing from both Eastern disciplines like yoga and Western traditions such as ancient Greek regimens.
During WWI, Pilates was placed in an internment camp in England where he developed the system now known as “matwork” which he then called “Contrology.” He later took the springs from a bed to invent his first piece of equipment to rehabilitate wounded and bedridden soldiers. This was the first Pilates “Reformer”, still used today. Today, his contraptions, with names like the “Universal Reformer”, “Cadillac”, and “Wunda Chair” still haven’t changed very much from his original designs. The ingeniously designed equipment provides support and resistance to the body as it learns to move with greater efficiency and ease.
Many years later in 1926, Joseph Pilates and his wife Clara came to this country and settled in New York City. He opened a studio and it was there that he taught students the method that has been passed down by his original students, known as “the Pilates elders” since then.
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a system of movement and exercise designed to strengthen, stretch and balance the entire body. It combines slow, controlled movements, coordinated with precise breathing patterns. The breath and movement together focus the mind, relax the body, and develops greater mental and physical coordination.
Core Strength
A key principle in Pilates is learning how to properly engage and strengthen the core. The “core” consists of deep postural muscles that include the Transversus Abdominis and Internal Obliques, as well as the deep spinal stabilizers called Multifidus and the pelvic floor muscles. When all of these muscles are engaged, they act as a kind of girdle, forming a cylinder from the base of your trunk to your lower ribcage. From this starting point, you learn to move the rest of your body with greater control and awareness. Pilates does not isolate muscle groups – instead it trains the whole body, starting from the core and integrating the movement of the arms and legs while maintaining this core stability. Another key Pilates principle is the concept of “neutral pelvis” or “neutral spine”, which is the ideal spinal alignment maintained by engaging the core muscles to hold the pelvis and lumbar spine in proper alignment while moving the rest of the body.
Stretching
Pilates exercise also increases flexibility and supports a healthy back by using gentle stretching and slow, articulated movements of the spine. A balanced Pilates workout incoporates stretching and movement of the spine in all planes of movement: flexion (bending forward), extension (bending back), rotation (twisting), and lateral sidebending (bending sideways). Many Chiropractors and Physical Therapists recommend Pilates programs for their patients for this reason.
Balancing the Body
Another major benefit of Pilates exercise is improving posture by correcting muscle imbalances.This re-balancing is achieved by lengthening muscles that have shortened and strengthening weak and elongated muscles. Think of a person who sits at a computer for long periods (like you for instance!) Sitting in a bent knee position day after day, year after year, you develop shortened hamstrings and elongated and weak quadriceps. Your Pilates program would include stretches for the hamstrings, and strengthening exercises for the quadriceps – all while maintaining core stability.
Now, if someone ever asks you “What is Pilates?” just remember these three things – strengthen, stretch, and balance.
To find out more about Pilates, visit the Pilates Method Alliance web site.
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