Junk Fitness – by Lauren Thompson

Issue #387 Wednesday, December 14, 2022 Junk Fitness by Lauren Thompson Unhealthy food and unneeded possessions are what comes to mind for most of us when we hear the word “junk,” but we can fill our lives with all sorts of junk. In 2018, “junk values” became a hot catch phrase, […]

Observation: a Trainable Skill – by Gretchen Roscoe, CRT, RCP, NCPT

Issue #386 Wednesday, December 7, 2022 Observation: a Trainable Skill by Gretchen Roscoe, CRT, RCP, NCPT Just because you see something different (or differently!) from someone else in movement patterns of humans, that doesn’t mean they’re right and you’re wrong. We observe everything through our experience of honing our expertise at […]

Revelations from a Pilates Purist – by Clare Dunphy

Issue #384- Wednesday, November 16, 2022 Revelations from a Pilates Purist by Clare Dunphy This article is about taking chances, questioning the status quo, and challenging one’s beliefs.  I’ve always told myself I knew the answers to keeping Pilates alive and well for future generations.  Here’s why I was wrong.  […]

Living with Paradox – by Lauren Thompson

Issue #380 – Wednesday, October 5, 2022 Living with Paradox by Lauren Thompson  Paradox has become an increasingly apparent dynamic in our lives. Most of us have been feeling a persistent level of tension buzzing in our atmosphere from living between polarities. Learning to live with paradox has been a focus […]

Pilates and Kung Fu – by Reiner Grootenhuis

Issue #402 – Wednesday, June 7, 2023 Pilates and Kung Fu by Reiner Grootenhuis Some of my V-bed observations are listed further below if you have time and interest. Reiner started his professional career studying psychology, all the while studying Weng Chun, the martial and healing arts of the South […]

Pat Guyton Remembers Bruce King

Issue #373 – Wednesday, June 22, 2022 Pat Guyton Remembers Bruce King “Movement in correct alignment produces correct muscular development.” Bruce King  As students we meet our teachers at one point in their teaching life. We are influenced by our teachers and by their practice of Pilates. Each of our teachers […]

Pilates: More than Just the Exercises – by Miguel Bengoa

Issue #368 Wednesday May 11, 2022 Pilates: More than Just the Exercises by Miguel Bengoa Before I became a Pilates teacher… I was a language teacher.  A very “learner focussed” teacher one: Students of language were “learners” learning skills, not studying “rules”. We studied what the learners brought in and […]

Wall Of Fame Fridays – by Cathy Strack

Issue #366 – Wednesday, April 20, 2022 TheWall Of Fame Fridays by Cathy Strack Joe Pilates taught his method to many famous men and women during his lifetime. The walls of his studio at 939 Eighth Avenue in New York City were covered with photographs signed by many of his students […]

An Embodied Approach to Pilates – by Allie Greene

Issue #365 Wednesday, April 13, 2022 An Embodied Approach to Pilates by Allie Greene Allie, what is an embodied approach to movement? An embodied approach is from the “first person” perspective. This is our personal sensations, feelings, thoughts and how we experience the world – what it is like to be […]

Lost in Translation, Part II – by Amy Alpers

Issue #363 – Wednesday, March 23, 2022 How the Pilates Method Has Changed Over the Years by Amy Alpers In my last article on this subject, I discussed several key differences between the way Romana taught certain Pilates exercises in the 1980s/90s, versus the way they are shown on archival […]

Keep on Moving – A Family Affair – by Joanna Fergusson

Issue #362 – Wednesday, March 16, 2022 Keep on Moving – A Family Affair by Joanna Fergusson My mother has always been very active but alas, not so much recently. Four years ago, she underwent treatment for cancer. She already had osteoarthritis that was just about manageable, but the treatment aggravated […]

Traveling Pilates – by Tricia Whitlock

Issue #360 – Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Traveling Pilates by Tricia Whitlock What is your biggest challenge as a studio owner? For me, it’s staffing my studio with qualified instructors to match changing seasonal demands, as well as normal attrition. Several years ago, a mentor heard me complaining about this […]

Pilates for Clients with Memory Loss – by Eme Cole

Issue #358 – February 2, 2022 Pilates for Clients with Memory Loss by Eme Cole I feel certain that if you’re subscribed to this newsletter, you understand that Pilates has many incredible benefits. I think that the ability to do Pilates for your entire life might very well be at the […]

Some Pilates History and a Pilates Myth

Issue #355 – Wednesday, December 15, 2021 Some Pilates History and a Pilates Myth A myth and some science from Adam McAtee Back when I was a novice Pilates teacher, I came from a belief that Pilates was limited to “the order” and “real teachers” not only knew the order and […]

When GOOD Teaching IS Your Business – by Chantill Lopez

Issue #352 – Wednesday, November 17, 2021 When GOOD Teaching IS Your Business(Whose Business is Bad Teaching? Part 3)Awareness of Other + Context by Chantill Lopez Being a teacher and being a parent are the two most transformative experiences I’ve ever had.   Both force you to be uncomfortable in the […]

Let’s Talk Springs – by Reiner Grootenhuis

Issue #350 – Wednesday, November 3, 2021 Let’s Talk Springs by Reiner Grootenhuis For us Pilates apparatus fans, springs are an essential part of the method. For each exercise and client, we try to choose the best spring setting for the body in front of us. Depending on the apparatus, […]

In Defense of the Diaphragm – by Karena Thek

Issue #349- Wednesday, October 20, 2021 In Defense of the Diaphragm by Karena Thek So, Brett, you say that focusing on the breath changes how we breathe automatically, sometimes not for the better. Agreed. You also said that focusing on breathing techniques can bring tension to the thoracic, shoulder girdle, […]

Mind The Gap! – by Clare Dunphy

Issue #348- Wednesday, October 13, 2021 Mind The Gap! by Clare Dunphy I’m really excited about how technology is connecting us and making it possible to share the work of Joe and Clara Pilates with each other across the globe. I’m grateful for the imaginative ways our community has found […]

Teasers For Tatas

Issue #347- Wednesday, October 6, 2021 Teasers For Tatas by Melissa Miles October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when dedicated organizations across the globe drape themselves in pink and remind women everywhere to screen via self-exams and mammograms since early detection is closely correlated with long term survivorship. It’s a time […]

The Wunda Chair – by Christina Maria Gadar

Issue #346- Wednesday, September 22, 2021 The Wunda Chair by Christina Maria Gadar Joseph Pilates described his method of exercise as the science of controlling the body, mind, and spirit, and coordinating all three. But in addition to being the genius who developed Contrology, he was also a furniture builder who […]

Teaching Eccentric Exercises, My 3 ‘goto’s – by Mara Sievers

Issue #342 – August 25, 2021 Teaching Eccentric Exercises, My 3 ‘goto’s by Mara Sievers You’ve probably learned about concentric, isometric and eccentric muscle contraction in your Pilates training. But do you feel confident that you can apply this information to the exercises you teach and how you cue the movement? […]

Sensing, Feeling…and Pilates. Somatics..What’s That? – by Patricia Issit

Issue #337 Wednesday June 2, 2021 Sensing, Feeling…and Pilates. Somatics..What’s That? by Patricia Issit Somatics is a “broad brush” term describing many approaches to embodied movement practices. Put briefly, a somatic approach develops perceptual, kinesthetic and proprioceptive sensitivity with the purpose of developing awareness of soma, the felt body self. […]

Golden Gals – by Penelope Wasserman

Issue #331 – Wednesday April 7, 2021 Golden Gals by Penelope Wasserman My personal Pilates practice began in 1999 and it soon became clear to me that this was not like any gym or dance studio experience I had ever known. Although I never considered myself athletic – I had no interest in […]

Is Pilates an Embodied Practice? by Joanne Elphinston

Issue #329 – Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Is Pilates an Embodied Practice? by Joanne Elphinston The term “embodiment” is trending widely through the movement, psychology and emotional wellbeing fields at present; movement professionals in multiple professions have been quick to claim it as a benefit of their practice. Often promoted as […]