Our Fall "Great Start" six week series ended last week, and the participants are now flowing into our Level 1 Group Equipment classes, so it seems appropriate that we end our review of the six Pilates Principles with "Flowing Movement". Over the last six weeks, our newbies learned about controlling movement, concentrating and engaging all parts of their mind, moving from their center, breathing properly, and moving with precision. The final step is to put all that together

Did you see the "OCD Test" going around on Facebook recently? Not surprisingly, your Pilates trainers had a good laugh about scoring 100%! I realize that true OCD can a serious psychological disorder and I don't mean to make light of anyone who suffers from the condition. I sometimes joke with my clients, however, that being a Pilates teacher encourages my own OCD tendencies, meaning that it increases my focus and awareness on the minute details. I've been known to walk

A few weeks ago, I was working with a long time client, who usually takes Group Reformer classes, in a rare private session. This client has extremely tight hamstrings that have been chronically strained. During Short Box series, she was always focused on her hamstrings, because they were the tightest part of her body. So I had her keep her knee bent during Tree on the short box, and the light bulb went off. "Oh," she said, "this is a AB exercise!" I laughed and said "Of

How many of you played the "Concentration" game when you were little? I remember playing with my grandmother, on the floor in her living room. with just a regular deck of cards. Turning over one card and trying to remember, now where was that queen I just saw? It was challenging and fun and fully engaged my mind, which is why the game is called "concentration". The next Pilates principle our "Great Start" clients are focusing on is Concentration. After understanding the co