Mind Body – Shannon Anderson

A Science-Backed Gratitude Practice

Usually I like to highlight gratitude for the November newsletter.

But before we get to that, I realize there has been a lot of anxiety surrounding the recent election.

As I schedule the newsletter in advance, I’m aware that it will be released the day after the election.

So whether the results are in or the country is still holding its breath awaiting the outcome –

I want to remind you to…

Pause…

And Breathe!

Now back to the regularly scheduled newsletter.

There are many ways to practice gratitude.

But I heard about an interesting technique from the book “Gratitude Works” by Robert Emmons.

When practicing gratitude, we tend to think of making a list of all the things we are grateful for.

Instead try picking one person or thing you are grateful for.

And then list 5 specific things about that one person you are grateful for.

For example, I’m grateful for you –

1) Thank you for reading the newsletter.

2) Thank you for your time and attention.

3) I appreciate your care and dedication.

4) I’m grateful for your trust and for allowing me to assist in your wellness journey.

5) And thank you for sharing your stories with me.

I’m amazed at how you apply the Pilates principles to your own life and unique situations in ways that are so inspiring.

As we head into the Holidays, I hope you’ll carve out some time for yourself to pause…breath…and practice gratitude in your own way.

Wishing you and your loved ones many moments of joy and Thanksgiving!

With Gratitude & Appreciation,

Shannon

Peaceful Pilates

“The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They’d be happier” Joseph Pilates

In developing his method, Joseph Pilates’ goal wasn’t just to make people strong physically. He wanted people whole and at their best in every way – body, mind and spirit. He believed that if everyone practiced his method that they would not only be stronger, they would also be happier. The goal wasn’t just about six-pack abs, but joy and fulfillment.

He thought if people were happier the world would be a better place. A little Pilates practice might lead to world peace? Or so Mr. Pilates believed. An idealist, a dreamer and visionary, Mr. Pilates wanted the full development of each individual and the proper development for the planet.

As you carve you some time for self-care through the holiday season and through out the year, may you experience all the benefits Pilates has to offer – body, mind and spirit! May you find yourself strengthen and refreshed – even a little happier! May you have peace and joy and may that overflow to those closest to you.

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed, beautiful season!

Merry Christmas &
Happy New Year!

Warmly,
Shannon

Practicing Gratitude And 6 Body Facts That May Surprise You!

*“Movement should be approached like life –*
*with enthusiasm, joy and gratitude –*
*for movement is life, and life is movement,*
*and we get out of it what we put into it.”*

*~ Ron Fletcher*
First Generation Master Pilates Teacher

An entire day is devoted to “Thanksgiving” later this month. Rather than limiting “thanks” to one day, consider practicing gratitude every day.

To fuel inspiration – here are some interesting facts about the amazing human body…

One person is composed of –

206 bones¹
over 600 muscles²
4,000 tendons³
900 ligaments⁴
79 organs⁵
30 trillion cells⁶

Exercise benefits the body and mind and gratitude benefits the mind and body too.

So before the Thanksgiving Holiday officially begins, you can start celebrating early and continue through the Holiday season.

As Joseph Pilates said –

“Every moment of our life can be the beginning of great things.”⁷

Wishing you and your loved ones

A Happy Thanksgiving!

¹https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/bones ²https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/muscles ³https://southernhillshospital.com/about/newsroom/framing-within-our-bodies ⁴https://southernhillshospital.com/about/newsroom/framing-within-our-bodies ⁵https://www.healthline.com/health/largest-organs-in-the-body ⁶ https://www.healthline.com/health/number-of-cells-in-body#daily-production⁷https://craftwrites.com/joseph-pilates-quotes/

Good Habits Beyond the New Year

The New Year starts with good intentions, but by February most resolutions have fallen by the wayside. Whether or not you like to set goals for the New Year, developing new good habits can be challenging.

In his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear, presents a helpful and realistic approach. Based on Mr. Clear’s insights, here are a few quick tips for developing good habits anytime of year.

– A particularly useful concept is “Habit Stacking”. Add the new habit to something you already do. For example, when you brush your teeth or after you walk the dog, do a lower body stretch. Stacking it onto another habit you already have helps the new habit stick.

– You may be relieved to hear that “Motivation is overrated; environment often matters more.”* or at least that’s the title of one of the chapters in Mr. Clear’s book. It makes sense to set your environment with cues for the new habit (healthy food in the front of the fridge). This “makes it obvious”.

– Closely tying with another step “make it easy”. Convenience is important. If the healthy food is easy to access and the unhealthy food inconvenient, this can support you in creating better eating habits and eliminating bad ones.

Developing new habits doesn’t have to be extreme. It can be in small degrees or atomic. As Mr. Clear advocates, daily improving just one percent adds up over time and changes the whole trajectory.

While New Year’s resolutions might seem grand, it’s those small incremental consistent changes that can bring about the transformation that was truly the aim in the first place.

If you want to dive deeper, here is the link to Atomic Habits by James Clear. It is an easy, interesting read. This article summarized just a few of the ideas that are in his book.

*chapter 6, pages 80-90.

Peaceful Holidays!

Continuing the theme from last month’s newsletter about “How To Stay on Track Through the Holidays”, this month we are shifting focus from the body to the mind and spirit.

Pilates said his method is the “complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.”*

It’s all the parts working together in harmony.

As the Holidays approach, practicing self-care will support you on all levels.

When you nourish your body through nutrition and exercise, you feel better. A good workout helps you not only physically but it also clears your mind. The increased circulation from working out benefits your body and your brain. Your awareness, focus, energy and concentration improve.

A regular Pilates practice also gives a little space for yourself – a retreat, a get-away and a reset. Some peace and quiet amidst all the activities.

As you care for yourself, body & mind, you can bring the best version of yourself to life.

You can enjoy more of the activities and people you love! And they can enjoy you – your presence is the best gift!

So nurture yourself as it lifts you and those around you. Your spirit will be elevated by quality time with your loved ones and their spirits will be brightened by your light.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas

And Happy New Year!

*Pilates, Joseph H. and William John Miller. Return to Life Through Contrology. Pilates’ Primer: The Millennium Edition. Presentation Dynamics, republished 1998, p 9.

Summer Ready: Simple Tips to Look and Feel Your Best

With springtime inspiration in the air, now is a wonderful time to start preparing for summer. With less than 8 weeks until the beginning of June and less than 12 weeks until the official solstice on June 20, summer is just around the corner. While the spring weather is nice and the possibility of getting out more after a year of restrictions, now is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and prepare for summer activities and perhaps festivities. So here are a few tips to help you shed some pounds and reinvigorate your body and mind.

Movement

In addition to your Pilates practice, daily movement yields great benefits. Simply going for a walk or putting on some tunes and dancing – whatever gets you moving. It doesn’t have to be for an hour. Just 10 minutes makes a difference. Even count your chores – if you are gardening or tending to something that requires some movement then factor that in. Keep in mind if you are trying to lose weight, cardio is going to play an even more important role.

Nutrition

As you already know, nutrition is key. A nourishing diet has both health and weight loss benefits. If finding the right approach for you with so many diet fads out there seems overwhelming, then just take baby steps.
Maybe try drinking more water as it will help both hydration and satiation so you feel fuller. Or try eating a light and early dinner. Digestion is one of the most energy draining activities the body does (which is why you feel tired after you eat). Eating early will give a head start to that digestion process and then the body can focus more energy to clean out and repairs overnight.Pick one thing – eating early or drinking more water or whatever you feel you need. Then just focus on that for a few weeks. As you gain confidence and a new healthy habit, then add on and take another step.

Sleep

This one may sound counterintuitive. Rest so you can lose weight? But getting proper sleep is important for health overall and can have benefits in losing weight. If the body doesn’t have a chance to do it’s overnight maintenance and repairs, then there’s less energy going to weight loss as your body tries to make up for lost rest. You are not only less likely to want to move and exercise but also internally your body will be doing the same, focusing on maintaining rather than extra exertion.

Several years ago, I had a colleague, who wanted to lose some weight. Now keep in mind she made adjustments to her nutrition and was exercising but there wasn’t progress. Then after a few weeks when she started to get more sleep immediately she began dropping pounds.

Specific Training

In the past, I’ve mentioned how specific training is important. There are a couple of caveats to consider. One is to train specifically for a sport or activity. For example, if you will be traveling this summer and plan on hiking or rowing, then obviously you will want to build up your walking and endurance for hiking or upper body for rowing. The second thing to consider is the area you want to specifically train. Perhaps you don’t have any sports or activities planned, but you want to tone up your arms or abs. Then target that specific area for training. Again, keep it simple and pick one area to focus on and develop a daily practice for it. A regular practice of 5-10 minutes everyday is going to bring noticeable changes.

I hope this inspired you to move and to enjoy the outdoors while the weather is fair. Maybe you were also reminded of some simple lifestyle habits that you want to get back to doing and this newsletter gave you that encouragement to practice good self-care. Hope this helps you feel your best and be Summer Ready!

Happy Spring!

Shannon

Attitude of Gratitude

As the season of Thanksgiving approaches, it seems an appropriate time to consider the mind-body connection. This is a category Pilates is often placed into. Mind-body connection can sometimes sound a little vague or even weird.

What is the mind-body connection? Most simply, it is the brain-body connection. The muscles do not act alone. They receive a message from somewhere (the brain). This can also be called the neuromuscular (nerve-muscle) connection.

As students learn, the Pilates exercises are not only challenging physically but also often a workout for the brain too. As students try new movement patterns, like learning a new language, students have to “think” and not just “work out” but “work in” as well.

In addition to the physical neuromuscular connection, there is another layer to explore with the mind and body and that is the psychological component. Mindset can make a difference. A positive outlook can accelerate progress, increase determination and ultimately physical gains.

Interestingly, when there is emotional stress in other areas of life, it can show up in the body. If there are anxious thoughts, it seems it isn’t long until that old pain (back, neck, shoulder, knee…) may start popping up again.

When it comes to fitness, the focus is often on the external – looking a certain way. But more importantly is the internal – that systems are healthy and things aligned to function optimally for years to come.

While the focus in Pilates is often on improving alignment, the intention isn’t to highlight what is wrong. There is so much more that goes right in the body any given day (heart pumping, lungs breathing, cells renewing….) than what’s wrong.

Joseph Pilates defined his method as the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit. It is interesting to note that he didn’t say control but coordination. That both the brain and the body are functioning optimally so you can live fully and reach your highest potential.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it is the perfect time to find gratitude for all that your body does for you everyday. And the perfect time to offer yourself a little extra self care through regular movement like Pilates or even simply going outdoors for a walk on a nice day. Moving is one of the best ways to refresh and reconnect both the mind and body.