What is Pilates?
This is like asking “what is travel?”. Each trip, while different, involves specific essentials, expert guidance, and the ability to navigate while immersing oneself in a “process” to ensure a rich experience.
The expertise of your guide becomes the key element in the quality of your experience.
Since 2001, when the trademark on the use of the word Pilates was lifted, there has been an ongoing debate over what exactly Pilates is. In an attempt to package the method, it evolved into a set of around 20 exercises called Classical or fundamental Pilates allegedly passed down from the original protégé’s of Joseph Pilates. We see these exercises on DVDs, in books, and in classes. There are also a broad variety of Pilates products out there that have little to do with Pilates’ original approach
or mindset.
Over 100 years ago, in rural Germany, a brilliant, but sickly boy named Joseph Pilates spent many hours restricted to sitting and watching the world outside his window. He became a keen observer of the anatomy of movement. He watched animals, babies, and people in general. His curiosity centered on how to optimize physical capability and push past the limitations of his illness. He was also an inventor. The innovative Pilates applied all of his philosophical and practical technique first to himself, and then to those around him. He eventually became an athlete and circus performer, and even mastered self-defense to the point he was assigned to teach the German Army.
During World War I, Pilates developed methods for rehabilitating wounded soldiers using, among other things, bed springs attached to the wall. He went on to further develop his body conditioning method which he called “Contrology”. Contrology, now known as Pilates, involves interfacing the instructor’s “eye of expertise” with the client’s body. The goal of Pilates is to restore balance, strength, flexibility, alignment, and joint function. It can also restore one’s relationship with self. Once a “secret” of the dance world, Pilates is now available to all.
Pilates is a creative philosophy. It transcends any simple list of exercises. Your properly trained instructor embodies this complex method, and, through interfacing with your body, creates an experience that is both rich and personal.