I’ve got a good friend who has lived through all the challenges one person doesn’t deserve to face in one lifetime – one very tragic accident that affected her whole family, and then – just when things were sort of on an even keel – a life-threatening illness for my friend (from which she has […]
It’s great to be alive Read More »
Doing pilates regularly can certainly help with toning muscle and improving posture (so you feel and look better), but it is only part of the picture. Try including this life-changing bread as well! One of the often-quoted sayings of Joseph Pilates is that “in 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 you will
Put good things in your body! Read More »
As you probably know, building core strength is one of the key benefits of pilates. But what you may not know is that there is a lot more to the core muscles than the abdominal or tummy muscles. The Psoas muscle (pronounced ‘so-as’) is the epitome of the core. The spine and the muscles closest
Psoas is at your core Read More »
My dearest OH [my husband] reluctantly took his first session of pilates on the ‘Reformer’ with me recently…. not him in the photo! I know some people have no idea what Pilates is, never mind what a Reformer is. (Read FAQ for background info on Pilates itself.) But let me explain that a Reformer is
A ‘Rolls-Royce Rack’: new name for the Reformer? Read More »
One of areas of difficulty I regularly observe in my clients is in the shoulders and neck. Many people are habitually tense in the shoulders. The head is often held forward, out of alignment with the cervical spine. All those hours staring at a smartphone, doing computer work – or slouching starting with the lumbar
Lift the crown of the head while dropping the shoulders Read More »
When a friend asked me this question recently, without thinking much I replied that I wanted ‘nothing to go wrong’. But later on, I thought, no, I can do better than that. Here are my hopes for the year coming up (note: I am not calling them resolutions; I never keep them!) Do you
What do you want from 2014? Read More »
“The body doesn’t care whether we call it Pilates, yoga, Alexander, Feldenkrais, Nia, Continuum—or, for that matter, washing the dishes. What it does care about is if we’re moving with awareness.” So says Wendy LeBlanc-Arbuckle, in the current issue of Pilates Style magazine. I completely agree with her. I started out doing yoga in my
Pilates, yoga, Feldenkrais or whatever – the name doesn’t really matter Read More »
Is it ever too hot to do pilates? As I sit here ‘glowing’ from doing nothing on a scorcher of a day in Ireland, [28 degrees celsius as I write], I do not feel like moving much. I certainly not feel like a vigorous, fast-paced pilates workout! I feel like laying back and sipping water,
Too hot for pilates? Read More »
Last time I wrote about becoming aware of where your head is in relation to the top of your spine. This post is about your feet — your incredibly important connection to mother earth. The deeper my knowledge of pilates, the more I understand that the feet are the body’s foundation – the tools of
Feet are your tools of balance, mobility and posture Read More »
One of the best things about doing pilates regularly is that you develop awareness of your posture – and you improve it steadily and surely. As a pilates teacher, I am always proud when I see my clients stand tall and connected with their bodies.Poor posture makes your back vulnerable to fatigue, strain, and injuries.
Noticing where your head is becomes a habit Read More »
