Joe's Pila-T-Shop

Live Pilates. Experience "the Ecstasy of Living"

Joseph Pilates: the man, the myth, the legend

"Daily, from sunrise to sunset, the radio, newspapers and magazines broadcast to the world how to maintain health, how to regain health... the conflicting information, expressive of the different opinions of these various health authorities , has proved to be nothing less than confusion..." -- Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates was driven by his passion and belief that everyone is entitled to normal health and that achieving it doesn't have to be so complicated.  Its a matter of living a balanced lifestyle.  He criticized "modern day society" for its contributions to "present health ills"; blaming people's relentless pursuit of material gain and social status at the expense of their well-being.  And he criticized the vain attempts to return to health through the gimmicks, "serum and injections" advertised by "so-called health specialists".  He believed that "it extracts money from the public without corresponding benefit to the public and for good measure... adds to their suffering and misery".  He referred to it as "hocus pocus".

Sound familiar?  If only he could see today's sedentary, money-driven society with its obesity epidemic and resultant health-related issues.  Add to that, the myriad of quick and effortless options to stay young, fit and fabulous for a price. Mr. Pilates believed that if we merely honored the laws of nature, the path of least resistance, we would experience normal health and "the ecstasy of living".  He believed in a balanced, holistic lifestyle that honors our innate need for enjoyable work, recreation with friends and family, proper exercise, rest and food as fuel. He also felt that our mind, body and spirit should function as a coordinated whole. 

The more I read Mr. Pilates' words in his books "Return to Life Through Contrology" and "Your Health" I'm reminded that Pilates is a lifestyle; not just an exercise method that I'm supposed to practice for a few hours/week.  I completely agree with Joe's ideal of balance and find it a constant challenge to apply.  It's so easy for me to get caught up in "survival mode" and allow work to crowd everything else out that's important.  My goal is to place more value on the health of my mind, body and spirit... stick to the basics... follow my intuition...honor my need for balance... live a life less complicated and less consumed with getting ahead.

Let's live Pilates and experience "the ecstasy of living".

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Pilates for Life!

Joseph Pilates: The man, the myth, the legend

"Contrology is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and in the way you work." -- Joseph Pilates

According to Joe, our Pilates practice transcends the few hours per week we spend in the studio.  It becomes a way of life.  It energizes us, teaches us how to move efficiently, how to breathe fully and provides us with a sense of confidence and well-being.

I recently started teaching Pilates at a country club where the median age of our clients is about 60 years old.  Most of them are de-conditioned, arthritic and frustrated with the effects of age.   But they are some of the most appreciative clients I've ever had.  It's almost as if Pilates helps them re-claim their bodies.  They realize that age doesn't necessarily have to dictate their fitness level; that they can train their mind to have mastery over their own bodies.  Today, one of my clients couldn't wait to tell me how much better her arthritic hips felt after her first session with me.  She told me that, even her daughter noticed that she was walking differently. 

Because of the genius of Joseph Pilates, we (Pilates instructors) get to be facilitators of these types of life-altering transformations.  I can't think of a better career!   

Athletic Pilates Neophytes

Joseph Pilates: the man, the myth, the legend

“How many beginners are amazed and chagrined (even trained athletes in the public eye) to discover how few (if any) Contrology exercises they are able to execute properly!” – Joseph Pilates

Here’s an embarrassing fact about myself.  It was the early nineties and I had been in the fitness industry for a few years.  I taught traditional hi-lo impact aerobics, body sculpting and hip-hop but was drawn to the idea of teaching Pilates instead.  So, I went to the Pilates Studio in NYC and told them that I wanted to sign up for the certification program.  Mind you, this was the current home of Romana’s certification program.  They asked me about my Pilates experience of which I had none; except for the mat classes I had taken in my early teens at The Dance Theater of Harlem.  Understandably, they looked at me as if I had eight heads.  I reasoned with them that I was a professional dancer, an experienced fitness instructor and surely strong enough and coordinated enough to absorb this new movement vocabulary.(My own ignorance is embarrassing)

But, ever determined, I listened to them and committed to the 60 Pilates sessions required before consideration into the program.  Like all the other new clients, they started me with the beginner system… and, to my surprise, it kicked my butt!  Surely, you can begin Pilates training with great body awareness and a measure of strength and coordination. But to truly embody Pilates and all of its movement principles is an incredible challenge… even to “highly conditioned” folks.  It was a life changing experience that made me even more motivated to teach. 

Joseph Pilates words above remind us that all new clients are beginners despite their fitness history.  A dancer or athlete might progress faster because of their keen body-awareness and ability to absorb cues, but we’d be doing them a real disservice to skip the foundation of the beginner system.  I remember from my own experience as a neophyte to Pilates, that I could use my “strength” to muscle through exercises. But my strength came from my extremities (arms & legs), not my “powerhouse”.  It took time and effort to re-train my neuro-muscular pathways to initiate movement from my core.  As Joe said, “Through Contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities”. 

It's up to us as Pilates instructors to challenge our new yet athletic clients within the beginner system. Plus,  we have to know when and how to systematically progress them.  I think that's part of the fun of teaching.  It never gets stale because each client's needs are unique and different. 

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

"Physical Fitness is the 1st Requisite of Happiness"

Joseph Pilates: the man, the myth, the legend

I think I just discovered one of my favorite quotes from Joseph Pilates.  In his book, Return to Life Through Contrology he states, "...as we mature, we find ourselves living in bodies not always complimentary to our ego."  I found that to be comical.  Being in my late 30s, I understand the ego blow of not inhabiting the same body I had in my 20s.  I'm sure many of you can relate.  But he went on to discuss how we allow ourselves to become de-conditioned to the extent that "our bodies are slumped, our shoulders are stooped, our eyes are hollow, our muscles are flabby and our vitality extremely lowered."  According to Joe, our physical condition is the direct result of our own lifestyle choices.  We choose to allow work and other responsibilities to crowd out the importance of self-care. 

January is the month that most of us "re-commit" to getting back into shape.  No doubt our health is important to us.  So, we muster up the resolve to workout regularly and change our eating habits.  I know I did.  Joe believed that "if you faithfully perform Contrology (Pilates) exercises... four times a week for just three months.... you will find your body development approaching the ideal, accompanied by renewed mental vigor and spiritual enhancement".  Maybe four times a week seems daunting.  But regardless the number of times per week you do Pilates, consistency is the key to experiencing results.  It's such a unique form of exercise because it's not just about burning calories or getting ripped abs.  It's a conscious form of exercise carefully designed to help our bodies function most optimally. And when our bodies are in optimal condition, it feels liberating.  It enhances every aspect of our lives; changing the way we look, feel and move in our bodies.  It boosts our confidence and lightens our spirit.  We have the energy, strength, flexibility and agility to just about anything; despite our age. 

Here are some of the benefits of Pilates:

- Improve strength, flexibility and balance.
- Tone and build long, lean muscles without bulk.
- Challenge deep abdominal muscles to support the core.
- Engage the mind and enhance body awareness.
- Create efficient movement patterns making the body less prone to pain & injury.
- Reduce stress, relieve tension and  boost energy.
- Restore postural alignment.
- Create a strong, flexible spine.
- Promote injury recovery.
- Increase joint range of motion.
- Improve circulation.
- Heighten neuromuscular coordination.
- Relieve back pain and joint stress.
- Correct over-training of muscle groups which can lead to stress and injury.
- Enhance mobility, agility and stamina.
- Compliment sports training and develop functional fitness for daily life activity.
- Improve the way your body looks and feels.

Hopefully, our health and fitness goals won't fall by the wayside in February.  Hopefully, we can maintain our resolve to create balance in our lives, realizing the truth behind Joseph Pilates' words when he stated, "Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness."

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Joseph Pilates: His-tory in a nutshell

Joseph Pilates: The man, the myth, the legend

1880: Joseph Hubertus Pilates, the German-born genius began his life as a sickly child suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever.  Through his own investigative research, hard work and determination he amazingly rehabilitated himself to the extent that he became a model for anatomy charts at age 14 and experienced success as a boxer and gymnast.  Joe was also a skilled skier and diver.  Yes, from sickly to an all-around athlete.      

1912: Joe moved to England to further his training as a boxer .  However, he ended up utilizing  his           well developed strength, flexibility and stamina as a circus performer, performing a Greek statue act with his brother. By 1914, he was a star!  Quite an amazing accomplishment in itself. 

1914: WWI broke out and he and other Germans were sent to an internment camp in Lancaster.  There, he taught wrestling and self-defense to other German nationals which probably boosted both strength and morale.  This is also where the seeds of his work began to grow into the system we today call Pilates.   

Joe was later transferred to a second camp where he worked with internees who suffered from wartime diseases and incarceration.   By ingeniously rigging mattress springs, he began converting hospital           beds into exercise apparatus for the bedridden!  His relentless determination, ingenuity and compassion  must have been an incredible inspiration to those he cared for. 

1918: The influenza epidemic broke out and none of Joe's followers succumbed; even though the camps were hit the hardest.  The internees must have felt especially thankful and empowered.  What great testimony to the efficacy of his holistic approach to fitness!

1925: Joe had returned to Germany after the war and began training  the Hamburg Military Police in self defense and physical fitness.  He was even invited to train the New German Army but refused due to conflicting political beliefs.  If fact, he decided to leave Germany altogether and further his boxing training   in the US.  While on the boat en route to America, he helped rehabilitate a woman suffering from arthritic pain.  That woman, Clara, became his wife.         

1926: Joe and Clara arrived in NYC where they opened their first gym at 939 8th Avenue.  The Art Of Contrology aka Pilates is born in America!  Joe and Clara's students were primarily dancers because their gym shared the same building as many dance studios and rehearsal spaces.  World famous choreographers such as George Balanchine, Martha Graham and Jerome Robbins would constantly           send their dancers to Joe to "get fixed".  This is why, today,  so many people associate Pilates with dancers.

1967: Joe died at age 87.  Clara continued to run the studio until her own death in 1977.  The good news is that Joe's legacy continues.  There are myriads of Joe's Disciples intent on maintaining the integrity of his work.  Pilates is now available worldwide via certified instructors at pilates studios, gyms, physical therapy and chiropractic offices and through Pilates books and DVDs.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Joseph Pilates: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Joseph Pilates: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Most Pilates instructors would do anything for the chance to teleport back to mid-century New York City for the rare privilege of training with Joseph and Clara Pilates in their 8th  Ave. studio.  Since that's not an option I'm aware of, the next best thing is to train with those that did such as Romana Kryzanowska, Kathy Grant, Ron Fletcher, Lolita San Miguel or Mary Bowen. But we can also learn about him and the philosophies, beliefs and ideals that shaped his Method through his books "Return to Contrology" and "Your Health".

I think that the more we know about Joe, the more it informs our own personal Pilates practice and our ability to teach it.  Plus, it's really cool to read about how revolutionary he was for his time and how he was viewed by his peers.  What a difference a few decades can make.  Years after his death, suddenly the world (including health care professionals) has embraced the validity and efficacy of his work.  Not only that, but they're capitalizing on it by adding their own little twists and modifications to his well conceived exercise system.

Joe's Pila-T-Shop's mission was born out of my desire to re-direct focus back to Joseph Pilates as his name gets lost in the shuffle of over-commercialization.  As an instructor, I noticed that far too many of my clients thought that Pilates was some recent fitness phenomenon created for dancers and a great way to achieve a "dancers body". I think it's a privilege and a responsibility to  be Joe's "legacy keepers".  Wow, that sounds important, huh?  But it's true.  There's only a tiny group of people left that actually trained with Joe.  So, the more we (the second & third generation teachers) can learn about Joe, the better we'll be able to maintain integrity to the exercise system that bears his name.  And, we can confidently pass on his legacy to future generations of instructors and clients. 

Every Wednesday my BLOG is dedicated to getting to know Joe. I hope you join me!

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira