Pilates Themes

Fall Pilates Theme 2011

The next exercise in the Pilates mat work, following 'single leg stretch' is 'double leg stretch'. This exercise is introduced at beginner level and increases in intensity by lowering leg height from vertical to eye level, making sure not to allow the pelvis to anterior tilt as the legs extend forward. 'Toe taps' are great warm-ups for 'double leg stretch', as you can emphasize drawing the abdomen into the back body as the leg goes away from from the body on the inhalation, just as in 'double leg stretch'.

When teaching ‘double leg stretch’, again emphasize stretching the legs to firm up the front thigh fully to strengthen the quadriceps.. Focus on looking at the navel and holding the c-scoop position still. The 5th press point stays up off the floor especially, when the arms stretch overhead, as the tendency is to lower the upper body as the arms reach back. If anything, try to lift the upper body higher as the arms reach back.

In c-scoop exercises as you look to the navel with the head in 'chin nod' position, you can always concentrate on keeping the pelvis in neutral position, by avoiding a posterior tilt in the pelvis and keep the front seam of one pants parallel to the floor and you can also emphasize drawing the lower abdominal wall flat towards the back body as you inhale.

 Summer Pilates Theme 2011

The next exercise in the Pilates mat work, following ‘rolling like a ball’ you flow right into 'single leg stretch'. This exercise is done at all levels, increasing intensity by lowering the leg height from vertical to eye level.

When teaching ‘single leg stretch’ emphasize really stretching the leg and firming up the front thigh fully to strengthen the quadriceps which provide the knees with support. Focus on looking at the navel and holding the c-scoop position still, so there is not lateral or up and down movement in the upper body and the 5th press point stays up off the floor while the eyes focus on the navel in chin nod position.

In c-scoop exercises as you look to the navel in chin nod, you can always concentrate on keeping the pelvis in neutral position, by avoiding a posterior tilt in the pelvis and keep the front seam of one pants parallel to the floor and you can also emphasize drawing the lower abdominal wall flat towards the back body as you inhale.

Spring Pilates Theme 2011

The next exercise in the Pilates mat work, following ‘leg circles’, is ‘rolling like a ball’. This exercise is added in the beginner level program.

To loosen the lower back before doing ‘rolling like a ball’ the warm-ups pelvic front back and circles can be done as well as the optional cat stretch exercises.

When teaching ‘rolling like ball’ emphasize that the spine is like the bottom of a rocking chair, in c-scoop, the curve stays constant as you roll back and forth. The distance between the thighs and chest stay constant. You always look to the navel when you are in c-scoop and the rolling action is initiated from the “powerhouse”.

You do not roll past the 5th press-point. The movement is contained and controlled. The rhythm is even; inhaling back, exhaling forward, 5-6 repetitions and when you are done you roll right into the next exercise, ‘single leg stretch’.

Winter 2011

The leg circles exercise is the next exercise to explore building up from fundamentals to the full exercise.

Good warm-ups for leg circles include knee sides, heel slides, and heel slide knee side combinations which become knee circles. So you could do 5 repetitions of all three options.

The knee circles are done in both directions (always circle inwardly towards centerline first when doing leg circling movement in pilates mat), or you can choose to do just one or two of the warm-ups.

In the warm-ups, focus on keeping the hips still by land marking the peace fingers on the hip bones to feel that the hips down move and cue to use/engage/activate the ‘powerhouse’ or second press point (transverses abdominus and multifidus muscles that stabilize the pelvis) to achieve this.

Then you can do the modified basic level of leg circles with the leg in table top to focus on the femur ball rolling in the hip socket of the pelvis. Then you do leg circles, focusing on really straightening the leg with the ankle extended (point foot with toes relaxed) and really emphasize elongating the leg so that the knee if fully stretched and it feels like someone is pulling it to maximize quadriceps strengthening and psoas eccentric firing.

The size of the circle ranges between the size of an orange to the size of a hula hoop depending on one’s ability to keep the pelvis still. Encourage students to press the palms and back arms into the floor to stabilize the upper body and keep the ribs knitted and down or 4th press point engaged I usually do 8 leg circles in each direction with a knee to chest stretch in between sides as I find 5, the traditional number of repetitions for this exercise, is not quite enough with all the cueing required so I give a few extra to get the exercise going and to change sides.

The opposite leg can be bent or stretched; if it is bent, I remind students to keep the knee still and if the knee is moving to decrease the size of the circle so that stability of the pelvis can be maintained as the leg circles around. If it is stretched, then I focus on elongating the leg and stretching the knee fully just like the circling leg.
 

Fall 2010

Rollover is an advanced exercise but the warm-ups either one-leg roll-over prep or roll-over prep can be done instead.

With either of these two exercises you can further warm-up or prepare by doing front/back to help your students to find neutral pelvis and then have them place the heels of their hands at the top of their thighs and with the pelvis in neutral position on an inhale (as this prepares for roll-over breathing) you press the thighs away with your hands and flatten the lower abdomen or engage 'the powerhouse' and relax on the exhale.

By doing this you train the body to keep the pelvis in neutral position rather than tilting forwards into an anterior tilt as the thighs move forward in space away from the body on an inhalation.

This cueing encourages students to engage the transversus abdominus and the multifidus ('the powerhouse' muscles) to active core strength for stability while at the same time doing an inhalation which is opposite to what the body naturally wants to do and so require concentration and practice.

Then, as you do either of the two prep options (start with one-leg roll-over prep and then do roll-over prep either in the same class progressively on do one-leg on class and two-leg the following after which you could introduce the roll-over with just a slight pelvic lift and then a full and then the roll-over and students can stick with what they are able to do either the prep, slight lift or full exercise) and encourage the same awareness and muscle activation as the  extended legs go away from the body on the inhale.

This way you gradually build up the ability, strength and muscle co-ordination to properly and safely execute the roll-up.
 

Summer 2010

It is getting harder to come up with Pilates themes as the classical system is limited in terms of themes, especially in comparison to yoga where there are infinite possibilities for teaching themes, so I have decided to go into fundamentals of individual exercises and building them up. You can do one exercise like this each class to improve your students' mastery of that exercise, or you can teach a whole class that is fundamentals focused. This type of class is less vigorous but its always great to review fundamentals; even if you are physically fit, you can always refine and improve execution and self-awareness.This season I am focusing on 'The Hundred'. I should have started with 'The Hundred' in the spring as it is the first exercise; I did 'Roll-Up' instead, but from now on I will go in order.

To build fundamentals for The Hundred, then once you have completed the 'Pillar Warm-Up' move into 5 count ribcage breathing as preparation for the rhythm of the breathing in 'The Hundred'.

Then, it is important that everyone understands how to do a proper 'C-Scoop' as this is the first exercise in the mat-work and is done in c-scoop, it make sense to teach 'C-Scoop' as a fundamental warm-up if you are emphasizing fundamentals of this exercise.

This includes explaining how to engage the lats and how to do chin nod and then combining both hugging the body with 'ab curls' for 3-5 reps. Then you can use the 'Arms Up/Down' warm up from fingers to ceiling to the sides of the body on an exhale and then combine with 'C-Scoop' to teach how the arms move in one single movement into position next to pelvis when you lift the 5th press point off the floor into 'C-Scoop' and repeat this 3-5 reps checking to see that your students are starting with a 'Chin Nod' first and are lifting from the 5th press point and not the head.

Then start the actual 'Hundred' exercise and walk around to check that everyone's 5th press-point is off the floor. If it is not, put your hand behind their back between the shoulder blades and lift the 5th press point up. Also check that everyone is looking at their navel ('Chin Nod') and remind them to check neutral pelvis; the tendency is to tilt the pelvis into a posterior tilt, so if that is happening the student should press their pubic bone to their tailbone so that the front seam of their pants is level to the floor. Also get them to look at the abdomen and to aim to draw the navel to the spine as they inhale so that they are hallowing or flattening the lower belly during inhalation. This is the essence of pilates breathing and is really emphasized in 'Ab Curls' but is done in all the exercises and is especially difficult in
'C-Scoop' exercises.

The last thing to check for is the arm movement, make sure that the upper body is not moving, it is still so that the 'S-Scoop' position of the body is frozen in space and only the arms move. I also check to see the size of the arm movement and place my hands between the person's hands about 8 inches apart and tell them hit my bottom and top hand to make sure they are using the right range of motion.

Finally, I also cue that it is like their arms are moving through molasses or a think substances so the arm movement is firm and strong to engage a circulatory warm-up as 'The Hundred' is the circulatory warm-up.
Once you cue your students to come out of the 'C-Scoop' after 10 sets or 10 arm pumps, then you get everyone to relax the next either by doing neck rolls or chin nods or circles to release any tension in the next to complete 'The Hundred' exercise.
 

Spring 2010

It is getting harder to come up with Pilates themes as the classical system is limited in terms of themes, especially in comparison to yoga where there are infinite possibilities for teaching themes, so I have decided to go into fundamentals of individual exercises and building them up.

This month I am focusing on 'The Roll Up'. It is great to break it down and build it up slowly to give your students the experience of greater ease or new found success in this challenging exercise.

So you will first teach the modified basic variation, but even before you teach roll-back, sometimes called roll-down, in neutral position get your students to pelvic rocks/clock to feel the difference between tilting the pelvis forward and tilting the pelvis backwards, then focus on the backwards tilt which is imprinting the spine and then going to neutral position, after 5 repetitions of each, have your students roll onto one side and use their hands to push the floor away to transition in to 'roll-back'.

Teach roll back progressively, once press point at a time, in other words, exhale to tailbone a couple times, then powerhouse then third press point, reminding them at the start of the exercise that they are going to roll the pelvis back just like you just finished with in the 'pelvic rock warm-up.

Then teach ab prep as usual, emphasizing the 4th press point knitting the ribs and anchoring down as you relax the elbows side.

Then do 'arms up down warm-up', isolating it from fingers to the ceiling and exhale as the arms go back to the floor focusing on knitting the ribs and anchoring the 4th press point explaining to your students that all that is missing from roll up at this point is how to use the 4th press point to get from c-scoop to the end position of roll-back/down where the 3rd press point is on the floor.

Then do the modified roll up, inhale fingers to the ceiling, exhale chin nod lift the 5th press point off the floor arms parallel to the floor into c-scoop and reach forwards as you anchor the 4th press point to get it off the floor, keep the arms parallel to the floor as you roll up and as you roll down, widening the collar bones so that the movement is from the pillar rather than the shoulders.

Repeat 5-6 times.

Winter 2010

The Power of Pillar

Focus on the pillar throughout the class. Start with the Pillar warm up and the focus on it throughout class, especially in side kick series, swan prep, swimming and mermaid. Keep the focus on the pillar of strength throughout class. At the end of class get your students to feel their inner strength and how physical strength can merge into emotional and mental strength. Remember your inner strength is available to you anytime you need it.

Winter 2009

Since the winter months can cause muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulders. I have explored teaching pilates with a strong focus on keeping the neck, shoulders and jaw relaxed. I start the class bringing everyone’s awareness to the jaw and unhooking it so that the roof of the mouth rises and the back of the tongue drops into the mouth. Then I get them to do a neck stretch to relax the neck followed by the pillar warm up where I give a strong focus to sensing how the neck is part of the spine and get them to use their hands at the base of the skull to pull upwards as I cue ‘reach the head out of the neck’.

Throughout the rest of the class I continue to remind the students to keep their neck on their spine as they do their matwork and every so often in between exercises I have them do neck rolls, capitat nods or circles. At the end of class I have them do neck presses and more neck stretching and remind everyone that it is a flexible neck that gives us the ability to have many perspectives in life and a stiff neck can lead to rigid thinking, so keep you neck, jaw and shoulders relaxed and put your tension into your ‘powerhouse’, your center of gravity. I also focus on the short relaxation at the end of the class on the connection between relaxation in the jaw and the breath being initiated from the ‘powerhouse’.

I was really  inspired to focus my teaching on releasing neck and shoulder tension after reading Eric Franklin’s book, ‘Relax Your Neck, Liberate Your Shoulders’ which I took out from the liabrary by the way because I had no money at that time (yeah for libraries, they are heaven when you are broke!!!). At that time, I began to really emphasize in my teaching to let go through the occipital (base of the skull) and temporal-mandibular(jaw) joints and I noticed that there is a relationship between the jaw being relaxed and the breath falling into the body so that it moves from the center of gravity or ‘powerhouse’.

Years before when I studied acting I had also explored how releasing the jaw and opening the back of the throat is connected to opening the energy in  the lower belly which is the second chakra (svadishthana) and our emotion and sexuality energy center. What makes an actor successful? The ability to express emotion and of course the ability to make the opposite sex and same sex gay people want them sexually, right? Notice when you are watching actors in film how often they have their mouths slightly open; it is an actor trick. So the exploration of the connection between the jaw openness and the energy openness in the lower belly is a powerful one worth exploring. It also forms a connection between the throat chakra (visuddhi) and the lower belly chakra (svadisthana) both chakras linked to creativity. When these two chakras are vibrating together one is literally a creative ‘powerhouse’.

February 2009

Like the yoga theme I want to focus on two qualities in the mat work, intensity and relaxation. To do this, it is very simple, when cueing the execution of the mat exercises I do so with rhythm to keep the movement flowing and attention to detail to get my students to engage maximum strength to create intensity and then in between the exercises I cue to focus on relaxation, by letting go of tension, reconnecting to the breath and melting into gravity. I do this through out the whole class to create a feeling of 'giving it' and then 'letting it go' or intensity and relaxation. This works really well. The class flows and the result is a great workout that is also very calming.

Spring 2009

Every once in a while I like to teach and review proper c-scoop position very clearly at the beginning of class and than emphasize it throughout the entire class. First I focus on using 'pelvic rocks' to find neutral pelvis (the imaginary line from the pubic bone to navel is parallel with the floor or ceiling). Then in the 'pillar warm-up' I emphasize the pelvic stability attained by the first three press points and do one or two pelvic stability exercises such as 'knee folds' or 'heel slides', then I continue the 'pillar warm-up' and really emphasize the lengthening of the spine as we move up to the crown of the head. 

I now get the students review how to use their lats by laying on one side and feeling them and then relaxing them, etc. Then I review the 'chin nod' and getting into c-scoop by starting with a chin nod and then lifting the 5th press point off the floor by using the lats and really lengthening the spine and reaching the crown of the head forward and to look forward at their navel. I get them to do this a few time and then to hold the c-scoop position and to focus on drawing the navel to the spine as they inhale so that the lower belly doesn't pop up on the inhalation during c-scoop. I also have them watch the pelvis to make sure they maintain neutral pelvis in c-scoop rather then letting it tilt backward or into a posterior position. Then I go into the hundred and continue to cue proper c-scoop.

Once leg movement is involved, such as in single leg stretch, double leg stretch, etc, I remind them to look at the navel and to draw it into the spine as they inhale so that as the legs go forwards they are able to keep the pelvis stable and neutral rather than allowing the pelvis to forward tilt and the lower belly to bulge outwards. I continue to emphasize the proper c-scoop throughout the class in all exercises that involve a c-scoop position.

Summer 2009

In this class focus on the breath. Start with the pillar warm up and take time to place the hands on the side ribs and back ribs to fully connect to ribcage or thoracic breathing. Then emphasize breath in all of the exercises. Breath loud for your students to hear the rhythm of the breath to help them to deepen the breath and intensify the energizing nature of the matwork. Have them 'roll the breath out of the lungs' as they doing rolling movements and have them focus on 'drawing the navel to the spine' and 'breathing into the lower back ribs' as they inhale. Have them 'wring the air out of the lungs' on the exhale in criss cross. In other words use every breathing cue you know and teach breathing throughout the whole class.

In the side kicks where no specific breath is instructed, remind your students to stay aware of their breath as they breathe in whatever rhythms feel good to their bodies remaining aware of keeping the breath deep and full. Then at the end of class keep reminding the studens to breath deeply as they stretch and once they relax draw their awareness inward to the natural flow of the breath and to ideally allow it to be initiated from the powerhouse, one's center of gravity.

Fall 2009

In this class build up each exercise with a fundamental warm-up and skip exercises to make up for the time spent on the warm-ups.

For the hundred, do arms up down to work on the arm movement, only taking the fingers to the ceiling and then do this going into c-scoop a few times, emphasizing that you don't lift with your head, that you lift from the 5th press point and then start the hundred.

For roll-up teach roll-down and ab prep from the modified basic program as fundamental building blocks and then teach arms up down focusing on the arm movement from fingers to the ceiling back, while keeping the 4th press point knitted and then teach roll up.

For leg circles, teach knee sides as a warm-up with the fingers on the hips emphasizing the powerhouse.

For single leg stretch, teach knee folds with the fingers on the hips and ribs, emphasizing pelvic stability. Repeat the same knee fold warm-up before double leg stretch.

And so on, choosing exercises that you have warm-ups for and building them up slowly.