We frequently use the word "feel" while teaching Pilates. Maybe you’ve heard common phrases such as "feel your back on the mat," "feel your back off the mat," and "feel the connection between your feet and your hips?”
We want to acknowledge two things:
- Feeling can be quite challenging
- There is no right or wrong way to feel.
But what exactly does the action of "feeling" entail? In Pilates, the sophisticated explanation of how we feel involves three concepts: proprioception, kinesthesia, and interoception.
Proprioception refers to the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation, resulting from stimuli within the body – consider it as the mind-body connection. Kinesthesia, on the other hand, involves a more conscious awareness of how a movement is performed and is typically behavioral in origin – it's about recognizing movement patterns. Lastly, interoception describes our conscious experience of internal body sensations – for instance, hunger or shortness of breath.
So, the next time you hear the instruction to feel, remember that there are multiple ways to approach it. You can feel the outside of your body in space. You can feel your movement. You can feel the inside of your body. The important thing is that you’re paying attention.
WEEKLY CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
Monday, May 29th @ 12PM with Destinie
Last Monday Nicole taught us “core-supported” spinal flexion to help us roll on our backs onto our heads–NBD. Today’s class builds on this theme, focusing on “core-supported” spinal extension to help us rock on our stomachs. But what else supports spinal extension? Hip extension. So, we’ll address those tight hip flexors, too!
Wednesday, May 31st @ 8AM with Destinie
BYOR – Bring Your Own Requests!
BLOG POST SHOUT OUT
We've had a busy year at Pilates in Common: organizing special events, launching a blog, revamping our newsletter, and now we’re pleased to introduce Allied Professionals. We're collaborating with other health and wellness experts, acknowledging that Pilates is just one facet of self-care.
Learn how holistically minded and skilled chiropractors, Dr. Brian Rizzo and Dr. Kai Hua Hsu from Midpoint Sports Chiropractic approach their craft. We’re thrilled to have them as part of our allied profession community. Click the pic to learn more.
Know an allied professional we should meet? Drop us an email!
DEEP DIVE
The rainbow itself is in flexion, yet the reflection of the rainbow is in extension. Flexion occurs when the angle between two joints decreases while extension occurs when the angle between two joints increases. One rainbow, one plane of motion, but two types of movement! What’s interesting about these movements in the spine is that they partner each other on opposite sides on the vertebrae.
As diligent Pilates practitioners, we're well-acquainted with "long," core-supported flexion. This understanding, or our sense of how flexion "feels," aids us in achieving "long," core-supported extension. The goal for healthy spinal movement is that the joint angles on the side opposite the movement remain decompressed.
