Pilates and the study of control:

“Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.” Joseph Pilates

We slowed the movements down this past week in Pilates reformer & mat class. 

Concentration, control, intention, attention.

When we move on the reformer and try to control the springs with our minds and bodies, I can see the connection happening. Strength and stability occur. Blood rises to faces, and hearing people breathe makes me smile. In mat classes, I see that concentration and flow as students move from exercise to exercise. It makes me happy, knowing their minds and bodies are receiving such a gift. 

I can tell when someone's mind wanders. It might wander to the errands that need to be done, or an issue with a friend or family member. The springs start to bounce, and the connection is lost. More often, the person realizes what has happened. 

Joseph Pilates, the man behind this exercise system, called it Contrology, the study of control.

When Joseph talked about control, it was used positively: how can we get our brain and body to move together in unison? How can we find stability, strength, and power as we open the springs and close them without them bouncing? 

“Contrology is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and work. “

I always tell my students that we do Pilates to prepare us for everything we want to do in life. This is the intention of Joseph Pilates’ work.

So, how do we move with intention and control?

Think about the muscles you are trying to work and how you can stabilize the other muscles in your body to move efficiently and in balance. Be present in our body's movements.

I saw the quote below yesterday and laughed, thinking about what Joseph Pilates knew before we even considered research. He saw it in his students and wrote these ideas in “Return to Life Through Contrology” in 1945. His words are still relevant today. 

“Additionally, a growing body of literature reveals that controlling physical movements is necessary for improving attention and concentration. A 2015 study of mindful movement and skilled attention by Dav Clark, Frank Schumann, and Stewart Mostofsky stated that the process of controlling attentional movement cannot be cleanly separated from the selection of physical movements. In other words, motor control is the key to mind control.”– Kam Knight, Concentration​

PS. I went rock climbing last week, and knew my Pilates practice was what allowed me to climb to the top with no problems:). Talk about control and concentration!