The Six Principles Of Pilates - Flow
Possibly my favourite of the principles, but one that I feel sometimes comes at a later date once everything else has been taken on board.
In order to flow we need all of the principles to be in alignment so that we don’t lose any of the incredible benefits of each exercise.
The idea behind Pilates was always to have flowing movement, to create movement with grace and poise. To allow your body to move with elegance and flow, free from stiffness or restriction.
The original works that Joseph created were designed to be practiced in sequence so that the performer could remember what came next and allow the energy created within the body to continue moving. Afterall our natural movement is designed to be continuous, there are no breaks in the continual flow of energy through your body so why should there be within your practice.
For instance the original matwork created has transitions between each exercise which actually allow it to be one continuous movement. For roughly 40 minutes you should be able to flow through each exercise, expertly flowing into the next so that there appears to be no beginning or end.
As you can imagine this requires a great level of strength and stamina, and for most it can take a very long time to work up to the full aspect of flowing seamlessly. I for one still have yet to master it, but then that is the true beauty of Pilates. It is a constant practice, not for perfection but instead for progress. Inch by inch, day by day your strength, stamina will build, helping you to create seamless, flowing and elegant movement that will not only be present in your practice but in your everyday habitual movements too.
“Contrology is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakenly reflected in the way you walk in the way you play and the way you work”