Before You Begin
BREATHING
Essential to the whole practice. Pilates breathing is lateral and, unlike breathing in yoga, you will exhale through your mouth while drawing your navel to spine and therefore engaging your abdominals just through the breath.
To practice, place your hands on your ribs to inhale into your sides and the back of the ribcage – this will fill your
lungs fully. You will feel your ribs expanding under your hands.
Keep your stomach firm on the exhale, as you pull your navel to spine. Your ribs will close underneath your hands. Keeping your stomach muscles pulled in is not only important for the aesthetics but it also protects your back!
NEUTRAL SPINE
Your natural curve of your lower back as you lie down. No arching or pressing down, just in between. You tailbone is dropped into the floor so that you do not feel neither the top or the bottom of the pelvis.
In case of a pronounced Lordosis (arching), you can adjust
your position by raising your feet slightly on a small stool or a yoga block when lying down.
If your spine is Kyphotic (hunched), you would feel more comfortable with a slightly raised head when lying down. A small cushion or a folded towel underneath your head will help.
INCORRECT
INCORRECT
CORRECT
YOUR CORE
To find your core when lying down, simply pull in your bellybutton towards your spine. Not so far that you can not breathe or your ribs start sticking out. Your core muscles will be felt in the area between your hip bones, bellybutton and pubic bone.
PELVIC FLOOR
“Wee muscles”. To find them, try to hold the flow of urine for a few seconds. Pelvic floor can be strengthened with Kegel exercises.
SHOULDER STABILISATION
To keep your shoulders in a correct position, lift both your shoulders up to your ears and roll them backwards, allowing your shoulder blades (scapula) slide down your spine.
Stabilised and yet relaxed, your scapula supports your arms as as you lift them. In correct placement, when raising your arm, your shoulder will be moving away from your ear, not towards it.
Raise a toast, not the shoulder!