Issue #428
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Go with the Flow
by Dianne Gard
My focus today is less technique and rather a lesson I learned from observing the life of an amazing person, my Aunt Flo, who recently passed at age 95. Her faith and trust enabled her to truly “Go with the Flo(w)” of life. This adds dimension to the Flow principle of Pilates. I am sure we have had days where we don’t feel like practicing, and find those are the days we need it most. My mindset says to ease into it. Breathe. Concentrate (hello more Pilates principals). Follow the movement as it unfolds. Meet the challenges as they arise. Feel your body sensations. Soon I am flowing. The gift of the classical mat exercise rhythms, as dictated by Joe, guides me through even advanced movements. I feel my heart, body and spirit relax, even though, paradoxically, I am working hard. My body knows these exercises, so I trust them. I liken it to an ocean wave and I see again how the natural tide of repetition creating efficiency of movement carries me.
I recently heard again on a Pilates podcast that, as teachers, we are helping to make people connected to their bodies not only for healthy movement’s sake, but to create a heart connection through greater awareness of their feelings. We sometimes confuse feelings with emotions. Feelings are our body sensations: soft, tight, knotted, jittery, heavy, etc. We tend to be a “neck-up” culture, often in our minds, neglecting the messages constantly given by our bodies. Body sensations/feelings are amazing navigational guides for our life if we learn to listen to them, and Pilates is a fantastic way to really encourage neck-up AND neck-down awareness.
I might choose some of these cues when I see clients tensing in a challenging (level-appropriate) exercise: “Notice how your body feels right now. Try closing your eyes for a few moments. Where do you feel tension? If you feel resistance, perhaps allow your breath to carry you through the work. Imagine using the least amount of energy to accomplish the exercise. Where can you soften? Trust yourself.” Usually I immediately see a shift in body tension, better exercise execution, and continuity; less stopping/starting. I tend to not cue muscles as I think if the setup and load are appropriate, the body knows how to respond and work in balance. I love the quote: “Wherever there’s tension, it requires attention.” (Gabor Mate). Not that we shouldn’t work hard. Rather, notice where we are fighting the exercise that blocks better connection to our ease of movement, inner calm, and ultimately, heart.
Guiding clients to begin remembering exercises and their order as soon as possible also assists fluid movement into the next exercise and allows teachers more nuanced cues without pause. Understanding how the systematic order creates stepping-stones to advanced exercises also assists memory. I often say, “Feel how this feels in your body now. [Teaser] is going to incorporate this exercise later, so you already have the building blocks that you’re using now.” Periodical reminders of the thematics of the exercises I find worthwhile, even with advanced clients, to keep the connection and focus for integrated flow. The result of ownership and self-trust created invites their “inner teacher” to appear and give the body answers it already knows in meeting challenging exercises. We are actually learning a type of self-directed neuroplasticity rewiring by empowering new and more positive responses when challenged in our workout. We can then apply this in life when that same internal body tension arises to help de-escalate a situation and move through it. I think there is a bit of peace and heart offered there, and it takes practice, but that is Pilates: a moving, flowing practice, not a ‘perfectness.’ Compassion with ourselves while exploring truths that arise when connecting to our physical feelings allows us to be more compassionate with others. On a continuum that body/heart flow and awareness can’t but help manifest into our daily world as greater kindness, and the world surely needs all the kindness and loving energy we can channel right now. Our profession absolutely affects the flow of mind, body, and spirit.
As the world currently feels so heavy we can take our practice, as Joe taught us, into our daily life. Can we all find a flow, even in the midst of unmentionable atrocities and sadness going on, personal challenges, and overwhelmed hearts? I believe it is so important to rekindle our own inward continuity each day and connect with our best selves so that we can authentically help others connect with their best selves. Through our daily practice we connect our bodies and hearts to not only share our authentic selves as we teach, but to ourselves, too, where sometimes we need it most. We cannot project flow out if we do not flow within. Every little bit to awaken and renew peace inside only helps us help others connect to themselves and find their peace, which in turn radiates more love and peace into the world. “Until we find peace in ourselves, we’ll never find it in each other.” (Peter Levine). I truly believe this, and see it, and it is part of why I continue to have a passion to teach and practice this beautiful method Joe gifted us all these years later. I try to make a habit before my daily sessions to think of each client, asking to give them what they need that day, and, to be a blessing to them. To me, this is another facet of flow…the power of energy.
In conclusion, I heard as a beginning Pilates practitioner that the more advanced we become in our Pilates exercises the easier they should look to the observer. Can we use this lesson to remain fluid even when the path is hard? Can we be courageous (a derivative of the French word, “coeur”/ heart), and keep dancing with the waters, rather than against them, with open hearts? Surrender to the exercise, to what it’s teaching us that day, to breath, to connection to our body and it’s truth, to ‘coeur-age’ within telling us that we have the strength to mindfully and heart-fully cascade through the day with respect and kindness, for ourselves and others, whatever it holds for us. May we all “Go with the Flo(w)”, and in doing so, as teachers, add our bit of peace to this world. Each of us, in our own special way.
Dianne’s love of movement, and background in multiple styles of dance, as well as a desire to help others, became the “strong whisper” that led her from a corporate environment to becoming a nationally certified Pilates teacher over fifteen years ago. A continuing education devotee, she is certified as a Scoliosis Coach and holds certification for coursework in Dance Movement Therapy. She has been a guest speaker and presenter at health events throughout the years. Dianne feels truly privileged and grateful to share the movement of Pilates as her career, and to witness its healing, for body and soul.