The weather is still grey and January is long. If like me, you are prone to feeling down at this time of year, you may benefit from reading the following, taken from book (The How of Happiness) by positivity psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky. I come back to these points whenever I need a lift. Get outside […]
I love pilates for so many different reasons. Initially, I was drawn in by the sheer physicality of doing pilates movements. I don’t mean that that it was physically very challenging or very hard (… pilates has a reputation for being ‘hard’ but it need not be when done safely and with awareness of the
Pilates: mind and body Read More »
Did you know you move your head minutely approx 600 times per hour?! Your skull is heavy (about 5kg) and ideally should balance directly above the shoulders with a natural curve of the cervical spine. This is the case whether you are: standing up lying on your back (either flat on the mat OR with
Head and neck alignment Read More »
Good alignment is important – your pilates class is a chance to retrain muscle habits. Quick posture checks before and during any movement can help you avoid injury and get maximum benefit from your class. Here is what you need to know: Stand up straight. When I ask you to stand up tall, that means keeping
Getting the most out of your pilates class Read More »
For me, pilates is about finding my sense of balance, flexibility and strength from my feet through my core, up through my shoulder girdle and out through my crown, along with – critically – learning how to relax and let your body be still, as you lie on your mat, fully supported by mother earth.
Why do I teach pilates? Read More »
I am feeling a bit sluggish and slow today. I thought I knew why but now I’m not so sure. I felt that I was suffering the ill-effects of too much food, wine and indulgence in general during my recent holiday break in beautiful Donegal. Hmmm, I swam and
This is the time of year when gardens promise both home-grown food and fantastic floral displays. It’s easy to get over-enthusiastic and overdo it. Today I dug up many giant daisies, montbretia and other perennials that I had planted a few years ago in this prime spot in the garden near the house. I am
Pilates in the garden Read More »
Just as healthy feet make for good alignment further up, so too will solid floor on this studio in the making. Renovation? Hmmm, more correctly, destruction and reconstruction to create a beautiful space for pilates at my home started on 2nd February. Very exciting. Also very disruptive and very dusty! But it’ll be worth it…….
By the Monday after the New Year, we’ll be ‘back to normal’. I keep hearing this sentiment and chuckle to myself about what exactly is ‘normal’. One thing is certain, the post-Christmas turning of the year is when many people feel the need to clear out and detox after the indulgences of the season. Let’s
Breathing patterns differ among exercise regimes – particularly between yoga and pilates. Using the breath with awareness is one of the six principles of pilates; it is also the area that can cause a lot of confusion in the beginning! This is an attempt to explain it in simple terms: In pilates breathing, you inhale through the nose and exhale through
