Beauty and Integrity

Personal, Pilates

There’s no Beauty Without Integrity

Often Training initiatives try to lean on a certain theme or anchor that keeps it all together. It helps you remember things and see some consistency across different topics. Most of the times, these “slogans” don’t stick and I quickly forget them. That was not the case with this training.  There’s no Beauty without Integrity not only help me look at each exercise in a certain way, it changes how I perceive any Pilates movement. Indeed, you can fly and spiral all you want on the floor or on the machines. But the reality is that there’s very rarely a situation where you are truly secure to anything when doing Pilates. You need to find that stability yourself, in your own body, so that position can free you up to move with the flow and Beauty that only Pilates can provide.  Here are some Observations from this event. Although, in the end, it was the topic that was the most valuable. May we always find the Integrity you need to achieve the Beauty we seek. 
pilates, beauty, integrity
Roll Down
Beauty is on the top, so you really need to rely on the Arm Lines. That is, connect your arms to your core so you feel steady. Your pelvis will then be your anchor.  The integrity is provided by the pelvis and leg, letting you free to move your upper body.

To Consider

  • If the bar lifts up, there’s a part of the spine that is stiff, not rolling during the exercise
  • If the bar lifts down, we are pushing it down by, flexing our upper back.
  • You want a straight line from the spring to the shoulder.

 

Dance with the springs and equipment. The springs are our partners

  With this exercise, we are constantly stretching Superficial Back and Front Lines. We aim to find a balance between both and, by doing this, we “naturally” end up engaging and finding our Deep Front Line (inner core). To support, remember that the Rectus Abdominis (Superficial Front Line) attaches to the Deep Front Line at the Pubic Bone. 

Ped-i-Pull: Arm Series

Getting started:

It’s important to take the time to really stand and feel grounded before starting. There’s no rush. For that, your pelvis should be in a neutral position so you can stay on your Deep Front Line (connecting and feeling your core, and the most inner level).

  • If you can only feel until the solar plexus and not the pubic bone than your pelvis is, most likely, misaligned.
  • If the foundation is right (feet, legs), then you will feel your hamstrings.

The hips are connected to your diaphragm. Hence if your femur is not “dropping” consider relaxing the diaphragm. It’s very important that all points in the path of your body are participating. So, reach from the fingertip, then the rest of the finger, the hand, the wrist, etc… This is integrity in tension! It is through the soft tissue, not bones, that we stretch so every part of the body has the same information (there’s flow). Keep contact and tension throughout the movement. 

Movement

When the arms are above 90 degrees, the main line is the Superficial Front Arm Line When the arms are below 90 degrees, the main line is the Superficial Back Arm Line  When we raise our arm, the shoulder blade has to go down for proposer head position and more efficiency.   

For something to go up, something must go down

The pec minor is connected to the lower trapezium.    If shoulder blade is pointing out, then the pec minor is probably too short at the moment. 

  • Ped-i-pull is probably not ideal for this
  • Pulling Straps might be a better exercise at this point

  To roll back up, we need to get and maintain the right angle so that there’s a strong connection between the head (Superficial Back Arm Line) and the Pelvis (Superficial Front Arm Line).    

Teaser Preparation

Movement Notes

  • For the first 3 cms, bend the elbows diagonally our and towards the ears without moving the monkey bar. 
  • Put the arms on the “shelve” to keep the connection when going up.