Like most every Pilates Trainer who have taught the work for decades, I find my gratitude within the method for all it has given to me and how it has served me throughout the years. While I respect and learn from those teachers who choose to expand upon and borrow from the original work to fit their creative desires, I have personally witnessed my own creativity grow by challenging myself to STAY within the method, as designed, and with purpose. More importantly, I have witnessed clients/students achieve undeniable life-changing results within this discipline.

I believe the work has some critically important goals that ought to be achieved by all, even when an exercise is 1) appropriately modified or 2) progressed with variations. 

Those goals are to achieve specificity while performing the following:

3 exercise in the sagittal plane: the Hundred, Spine Stretch and Swan
1 exercise in the lateral plane: Mermaid
1 exercise in the transverse plane: Spine Twist

Everyone can perform some version of all the above, whether it be at a fundamental level of pre-Pilates, all the way to the other end of the spectrum of Super Advanced. Just like the never ending journey of studying Yoga, so ought too be the journey of studying Pilates. I believe while advancing within each step of the Pilates Classical Method, one of the 5 exercises above will be the basis for what is being advanced.  

THE HUNDRED – stabilization of the Pilates Box: the rib cage, the pelvis, and the scapula. Developing breathe control. 

SPINE STRETCH – flexion of all vertebrae evenly throughout while maintaining pelvic and scapula stabilization. 

SWAN – extension of all vertebrae evenly throughout while maintaining pelvic and scapula stabilization. 

MERMAID – pelvic stabilization couple with unilateral scapula stabilization and oppositional scapula upward rotation. 

SPINE TWIST – While the full expression of the exercise is not traditionally taught at the beginning level, some pre-Pilates version of it ought to be taught from day 1.  Pelvic stabilization coupled with ribcage mobility: this strengthens the obliques and while stretching the erector spinae.

No matter how de-conditioned or super advanced each client may be, I ask myself everyday how I can get them to perform some version of these 5 exercises and I call them by name to provide perspective and purpose each time. Not shying away from discussing why we are doing it, helps them see the creativity of it, regardless of their level. Rather than re-inventing a wheel that’s already been created, I find love in making the wheel smoother for everyone, one step at a time and I have to be creative to make it happen.  

SECOND THOUGHTS: 
I struggled whether or not to include BRIDGE in this group, but ultimately, I concluded that the fundamental, basic bridge is really just a version of the Hundred, stabilization of the pelvis and the rib cage, while the full expression is really just a version of Swan, extension of all vertebrae evenly throughout while maintaining pelvic and scapula stabilization. The articulation of the spine from the tailbone upward does prepare us for the expressions of Semi-circle on Reformer or Rolling In and Out/Ferris Wheel on the Cadillac.  

Let me know your thoughts. Should it be included a one that continues to progress in other ways?

Classic Pilates
3303 Lee Pkwy #105, Dallas, TX
www.classicpilatesstudio.com
BOOK YOUR SESSION HERE

#classicpilatesstudio
#classicpilatesstudiodallas #pilatesbylesley #dallaspilates #comeplay  #movementheals #insidethePilatesBox #classicpilates

#ClassicPilatesStudio, #ClassicPilatesStudioDallas, #PilatesByLesley, #DallasPilates, #ComePlay, #MovementHeals, #InsideThePilatesBox, #ClassicPilates, #RedCord

(original post) December 10, 2019

Healing In Motion

~

Healing In Motion ~

So, what does one do after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis? Well, after all of the activities one does to manage the shocking news and the onslaught of doctors appointments slows down, for me, I saw this as a new era of self-education. My journey thus far shifted perspectives from “How does this fit into my life” to “How can I own this experience as growth within my life”.

As an educator of human movement with over 30 years of experience, I knew from the start I was forever going to move differently, post treatments and surgeries, and thus I would gain more lived experiences I could share with others in the future. This led me to connect with an organization called CETI (Cancer Education Teaching Institute). CETI, led by Andrea Leonard, is an international educational institution which is considered the gold-standard of education in oncology exercise and has trained more individuals than any other organization in the world.*  It was just what I needed personally: connecting the dots of my own treatments to my experience as a movement educator, specifically as a Personal Pilates Trainer, Barteniff Fundamentals and Redcord Trainer. I chose this program to gain the knowledge that would eventually empower anyone going through or post cancer treatments by regaining their range of motion and strength to resume any physical activity or sport they wish to do.

Anyone accepted into this program must have extensive training and certifications within their own specialty – be it Personal Trainer, Yoga, Pilates, Physical Therapy or Nutrition. I was lucky enough to have all the above in my cohort allowing us to ask questions and learn from one another’s expertise. I happen to be selected as the group’s “Guinea pig” for our Anatomical Assessment, which is how a Trainer or Therapist will start any personalized program for a client or patient. My participation allowed my classmates to create their own program for me given my 1) scoliosis 2) lateral mastectomy 3) preparations for the other lateral mastectomy 4) address my lymphedema and neuropathy. Each classmate provided a personalized plan from their expertise, and it was interesting to see the overlaps and their differences in perspectives.

If you live in North Texas, you can join my free Pilates class geared to cancer patients and survivors every Monday, 5:30PM at the Red Door, 1st floor of the Cancer Center on the Presbyterian of Dallas Campus. I also volunteer to teach a free Mindful Movement Dance class on Tuesdays, 5:30PM at the same location. Come play with me! Visit www.cancersupporttexas.org/dallas-clubhouse/ for more detail. We are healing in motion at the Cancer Support Community of North Texas where programs are free day and night. For those of you living outside this region, please visit www.thecancerspecialist.com/user-directory/ to search for the nearest Cancer Exercise Specialist in your area.

For private or semi-private custom physical training programs for you or a loved one who is in or post cancer treatment,  please contact me directly for guidance.  Here is a great beginners stretch that can be performed 6 weeks post-surgery:  The Door Frame Chest Stretch:

1)     Stand at the edge of the wall with the rest of body outside of the door.

2)     Place the palm of your hand (of your affected arm) flat against the wall resting the elbow at a 90-degree angle.

3)     Firmly pressing the forearm into the wall, walk a few steps forward of the elbow through the door frame, gently stretching the pectoral and anterior rotator cuff muscles.

4)     Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and remember to breathe. If you find the stretch is too painful, walk back just a bit, but continue to hold.

5)     Slowly walk in to recover. Do a couple of shoulder rolls to reset, then repeat 3 to 5 times.

Also remember as the great movement healer Moshé Feldenkrais said, Movement heals.

(original post May 9, 2023

REDcord is the perfect compliment to your classical Pilates training. It works your transverse abdominis front, side and back all at the same time. For those who are struggling to access your transverse in your Pilates sessions and find yourself frustrated, try a REDcord class or two. Once you access that "feeling" it is so much easier to identify and access in your Pilates spring sessions or the mat work.

REDCORD CLASSES:
Classic Pilates
3303 Lee Pkwy #105, Dallas, TX
www.classicpilatesstudio.com
BOOK YOUR SESSION HERE

#classicpilatesstudio
#classicpilatesstudiodallas #pilatesbylesley #dallaspilates #comeplay  #movementheals #insidethePilatesBox #classicpilates

(original post) October 2, 2018

The Mermaid exercise can be performed on the Mat, the Cadillac /Tower, the Wunda Low Chair, both the High and Low Barrels and of course the Reformer. The primary purpose of Mermaid is to stretch the lateral trunk flexors and improve mobility throughout the spine. The Mermaid stretch is excellent for working on postural problems caused by weight bearing too heavily on one side like carrying a heavy purse or bag on one shoulder or holding an infant on one hip as this will cause that side to close up. I personally know this exercise is great for my scoliosis. While most scoliosis is described as a 3-dimensional disfiguration of the spinal column, meaning that it can developed misaligning shapes in all directions, including forwards and backwards, it is most often characterized by a lateral curve. Mermaid is considered by most Pilates instructors to be of a beginner/intermediate exercise. It is a wonderful way to release all of the muscles around the waist and rib cage that are worked in so many Pilates exercises.

Classic Pilates
3303 Lee Pkwy #105, Dallas, TX
www.classicpilatesstudio.com
BOOK YOUR SESSION HERE

#classicpilatesstudio
#classicpilatesstudiodallas #pilatesbylesley #dallaspilates #comeplay  #movementheals #insidethePilatesBox #classicpilates

(original post) SEPTEMBER 12, 2017