Pilates
/pi-ˈla-teez/ noun
Building strength, control and mindful movement
Classical Pilates
Classical Pilates is a complete system of intelligent, mindful movement based on the original work of Joseph Pilates, who called his method Contrology. It develops strength, mobility, control, coordination and balance through precise, purposeful movement.
Although Pilates is now often associated primarily with the Reformer & the Matwork, these two applications are only a part of a much larger system. Classical Pilates uses the Mat alongside purpose-designed apparatus including the Reformer, Chairs, Barrels, Wall Unit and smaller pieces of equipment. Each has a particular role, allowing the body to be supported, challenged and strengthened in different ways.
My Classical training comes through teachers taught directly by Romana Kryzanowska, one of Joseph Pilates’ most influential protégés. I have enormous respect for the method passed down through this lineage — particularly its emphasis on The Order, progression, precision and the individual body.
Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.
Joseph Pilates
A complete system — not just the Reformer
Joseph Pilates designed his apparatus to work together as a complete system. Springs don't simply provide resistance; they can also provide assistance and feedback, helping you to develop the strength, control and understanding that is required for movements that may not yet be accessible without support.
Someone who cannot perform a Roll Up successfully on the Mat, for example, may be able to explore the same movement with spring assistance on the Cadillac/Wall unit. Another exercise may be better approached using the Reformer, Chair, Barrel or a different piece of apparatus. This is why having access to the whole Classical studio is so valuable.
Sometimes we may concentrate on one piece of apparatus; at other times I may use several within the same session. My experience allows me to select the most appropriate place within the system to help your body develop. Rather than trying to make your body fit an exercise, the breadth of the Classical system gives me different ways to bring the work to your body.
The Six Principles
Six principles are traditionally used to express the foundations of the Classical Pilates method:
Centring — Movement is organised from your centre, traditionally referred to within Classical Pilates as the Powerhouse. This extends beyond the abdominals and provides the foundation from which we move.
Concentration — The mind guides the body. Exercises are performed with attention rather than on autopilot.
Centring — Concentration — Control — Precision — Breath — Flow
Control — Movement is deliberate and purposeful rather than being dictated by momentum, gravity or habit.
Precision — Quality matters more than quantity. Every exercise has an intention and every movement has a purpose.
Breath — Joseph Pilates placed great importance on breathing fully, particularly complete exhalation. Breath becomes part of the rhythm of the work.
Flow — As strength, control and familiarity develop, one movement begins to transition naturally into the next, creating the flowing quality characteristic of Classical Pilates.
The Order — progression with purpose
Within the Classical tradition, exercises are taught in an established order and progression rather than continually changed simply for variety.
On the Reformer, we begin with the Basic work, developing the strength, control, coordination and understanding required before progressing through the Intermediate repertoire and, when appropriate, introducing selected Advanced exercises.
Repetition is important. As your body becomes stronger and your understanding develops, familiar exercises continue to reveal greater depth, precision and control.
But respecting The Order does not mean forcing every body through exactly the same programme.
Previous injuries, surgery, individual anatomy, strength, mobility and movement history all influence how I teach you & just as importantly, I listen to you & help you to ‘Listen to your body’
If an exercise causes pain or discomfort, or simply doesn't feel right, I want to know. Rather than asking you to push through it, I take the time to explore what you are experiencing and how we can approach the challenge differently. I may adapt the exercise, change the range or resistance, or take the movement to another piece of apparatus where you can experience its intention in a way that is both challenging, constructive & inspiring.
I respect The Order, but I also respect the body in front of me.
The Matwork
The Classical Matwork is perhaps the purest expression of your own strength and control. Joseph Pilates published a sequence of 34 Mat exercises in his book ‘Return to Life Through Contrology’, beginning with The Hundred and ending with The Push Up.
Although the Mat can appear simpler than the apparatus, it is some of the most challenging work within Pilates. There are no springs to assist you and no apparatus to provide support or feedback — your body becomes the equipment.
This is one of the reasons the apparatus is so valuable. It can help you develop the strength, technique and understanding required for movements that may eventually become possible independently on the Mat.
Progress is individual. An exercise may need to be adapted, approached elsewhere within the system or, when appropriate, omitted altogether. Completing an exercise is never more important than the person doing it.
Listening to your body
I want you to understand what we are doing, why we are doing it and what we are working towards.
I don't want you to leave a session feeling that you have failed because you couldn't perform an exercise. If something doesn't feel right, we explore why and find an appropriate way forward.
Pilates should challenge you — but that challenge should be constructive, not destructive.
With the complete Classical system available to us, there is almost always another way to explore a movement, develop the strength it requires or find an appropriate challenge for the body you have today.
My aim is not simply to teach you more exercises. It is to help you become stronger, more capable and more aware of your own body — giving you the understanding and confidence to move fluidly through life with ease and grace, whatever your age.