Millions of people all over the world practice Pilates and even swear by it. What is it about Pilates that makes it so different from other exercise methods? Sure, Pilates is the exercise method from Joseph Pilates and it strengthens the core, improves coordination and balance. There is mat work and specialty equipment, but it goes beyond that. What is that special thing students feel and experience but may not always be able to put into words.
Pilates is more than just exercises and movements. It is a method with a system and philosophy behind it. Mr. Pilates called his method “Contrology” and defined it “as the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit”.*
Over time the Pilates Pinciples have developed. These principles weren’t something Pilates specifically defined himself, but his overall philosophy was in the 1945 book Return to Life. Based on his book, the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA), a professional association, has set out three guiding Pilates principles and then eight movement principles. The three guiding principles are whole body health, whole body commitment and breath. The eight Pilates principles as defined by the PMA are – whole body movement, breath, balanced muscle development, concentration, control, centering, precision and rhythm.**
The Fletcher Pilates school also includes awareness, oppositional energy, spirit and endurance as part of the Pilates Principles. A good example of endurance is the 100’s exercise!
Though the principles might vary slightly between different schools and the branches of the Pilates lineage, the existence of the principles are generally agreed upon in the Pilates community. The principles are more of a topic for Pilates teachers and within teacher training schools, but an awareness of these principles empowers clients to define and understand their Pilates journey. It can frame that special experience and gives life to the movements beyond the machines.
Sometimes these principles can sound the same. If you are centered, won’t you have good balance? What is the difference? Each of the principles has a definition that represents something specific. The next newsletter is going to answer this question breaking down and clarifing the difference between some of the key Pilates principles.
*Pilates, Joseph H. and William John Miller. Return to Life Through Contrology. Pilates’ Primer: The Millennium Edition. Presentation Dynamics, republished 1998, p 9.
**Lessen, Deborah, editor and et al. The PMA Pilates Certification Exam Study Guide. Miami: Pilates Method Alliance Inc, 2005.