The Pilates Principles Series – 1
The Pilates Principles: They maketh the method.
The six original principles of the Pilates Method are:
BREATHING ? CENTREING ? CONTROL ? CONCENTRATION ? FLOW – PRECISION
The Pilates Method is firmly founded in this set of principles that make the method what it is. The principles of the Pilates method not only bind the various Pilates method approaches together but the principles are the overriding philosophy bequeathed to us by the legendary Joseph Pilates.
Over the next six articles we will examine these Principles in greater depth so as to offer you a richer understanding of how they will guide you in your quest for Pilates health and happiness.
Just know that we are looking at the principles given in alphabetical order ? they are all as important as each other!
BREATHING
Breath is life. Inhalation and exhalation ? respiration. Breathing works the internal organs, circulates life giving oxygen and expels toxins.
Breathing can be used to assist movement, challenge movement, energise and create movement both internally and externally. Breathing will also?
- Calm the mind and body
- Encourage concentration and focus
- Assist in appropriate muscle recruitment
- Specifically assist in abdominal activation
- Assist or challenge stability
- Release tension
- Create a rhythm in the body for movement
- Increase efficiency of movement
Joseph Pilates studied animals as well as humans in the pursuit of knowledge and the development of his method. He came to believe that humans were not breathing sufficiently whereas animals breathed deep into their bodies. In his method he incorporated exercises that specifically deepened and focused on breathing (eg: The Hundred) as well as indicating breath patterns to assist or challenge movements in other exercises. It is said by those who worked with Joe directly that he didn?t necessarily dictate breath patterns for all the exercises but focused you on breathing fully at all times.
?In d?air and out d?air!..?, he would say with the movements. He wanted you to get a full exhalation to empty the lungs of every last molecule of air, whereby a deep responsive inhalation of oxygen rich air would automatically follow. I clear that his focus was to fully utilise the lungs and not allow any part of the respiratory system to become dormant.
Over the years many of the first and second generation Pilates teachers have devised additional specific breath patterns for the movements in the Pilates Method. This comes through our ever-increasing knowledge of human physiology and the functions of the respiratory system interlaced with new research on human tissue and movement, and the rise of syndromes attributable to the techno age ? like sitting over a computer for hours on end. Breathing becomes increasingly important and requires extra focus to combat sitting positions and modern day stresses that compress the lungs and cause us to breathe shallowly and insufficiently.
Breathing fully is most important. When doing Pilates there is a specific type of breathing often referred to that allows or greater core control as well as deep access to the lobes of the lungs. This is known as ?lateral breathing?, 
where the aim is to move the breath into the deep lateral regions of the lungs by breathing into the back and sides of the low ribcage. I hard to do. Try this to get your breath deeper and wider:-
Activity: Place your hands on the bottom of your rib cage at the back. As you exhale feel your hands sink toward each other; then send your inhalation into your hands which will spread your back and open your hands away and up. You should feel all the muscles in the low back and ribs move in both directions. Don?t worry if it takes a little practice ? i the practice that is doing you the most good!
If you struggle with the breath patterns when doing Pilates don't worry ? just keep it simple and as Joe said, make sure you just keep breathing in and out fully. Bear in mind that the exhalation or breath out will help you to draw your abdominals in, so that can often be a good way to tie the breath and movement together as you train your body over time.
Just don't forget to BREATHE?ahhhhhhhhh!
About the author
Sally Anderson is often referred to as ‘Australia’s expert in Pilates’. A renowned author, Pilates educator and guest speaker on the subject of Pilates on the global circuit, Sally is the founder and director of Pilates International, which incorporates both the Pilates International Studios and the government accredited teacher training centre, PilatesITC.
Visit Sally on her website or join Pilates international on Facebook.
