Is Pilates Effective
Hey there, so you're wondering, "Is Pilates effective?" Well, hold on a sec, 'cause it depends on what you mean by effective. Are we talking weight loss, looking smoking hot, or boosting heart health? Sure, Pilates can check those boxes, but let's dive into what it's really all about.
Pilates and Yoga, are all about getting to know your body, mind, emotions and various aspects of your self. At its core it is an exercise in sensitivity. Probably not what you’re thinking though. I mean sensitive in the way of responsive. You know when a fly lands on you and you feel it and shoo it away. Something like that.
If you haven’t noticed our lifestyle precludes our responsiveness to our bodies needs, from the neck pain you get during your computer workday, to the tingling fingers you get holding your phone, to the urge to pee that you have to stifle for an indeterminant amount of time, we have been trained to ignore and therefore have been desensitized.
To know how to respond to your body and its sensations you first need to feel them and acknowledge them. For this a practice of presence or meditation is needed. This is one of the coolest things about pilates and yoga, is that you do not have to have 3 and 4 separate practices for body, and mind and emotion. The one practice incorporates and addresses them all. The movement in yoga and pilates IS meditation.
Once you have begun to notice your sensation more, you no longer tolerate abuses to your body. Addtionally in practicing you develop knowledge of the body to know what is the response needed when you do have a pain or issue come up.
Another thing the practice of noticing does is shows us our emotional and mental struggles. The practice of moving your body smartly, you are able to change your mind states and even kick some ingrained emotional patterns and trauma to the curb. It's like a workout for your soul.
But how does Pilates work its magic? With a stellar teacher at the helm, you're not following some rulebook or a rigid idea of "proper alignment." Nope, you're aligning based on sensation – how your body feels. This brings us to the sweet spot where our body parts are in the best position to do their job. The perfect balance between energy and rest that keeps us ready for anything life throws at us. No crumbling or breaking under pressure – just a body that's agile, youthful, and less prone to injuries.
Liberating the Life in Your Body is about bringing you back to your natural state of mobility, with increased strength and mental composure. Does that sound like the kind of effectiveness you're after? Its a lifelong practice that continues to deliver at every age and circumstance you may find yourself in… Ready? 🚀✨