“The Pilates Method teaches you to be in control of your body and not at it’s mercy…” Joseph Pilates
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Pilates is a form of exercise focused on finding the muscles of your Powerhouse (core) and strengthening this area to support your spine. If you are consistent in taking practice you will reap the benefits of better posture, a strong centre, increased flexibility, a toned body and a sense of well being. You will leave your workout feeling invigorated and standing a little taller!
The name Pilates (pronounced puh-laa-teez) comes from Joseph Pilates who developed this system of physical fitness in the early 20th century. He originally referred to his method as Contrology and adhered to the following six principles:
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CENTERING: The main focus point of the method. All the work starts from and is sustained through your Center. Joseph Pilates called this center your ”Powerhouse”.
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CONCENTRATION: To fully benefit from the workout, the exercises are executed with focused concentration. It is the mind that guides the body. You centre the mind with the body in action. We bring the 5 aspects of the mind into the workout: intelligence; intuition; imagination; will & memory.
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CONTROL: When the work is done from the centre and with full concentration you are in control of the movements performed. Joseph Pilates called his method “The Art of Contrology”
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PRECISION: The exercises were designed with a precise goal in mind to reach the full benefit of each and every exercise. You must pay the upmost attention to detail. All exercises have a clear structure, a precision form, and an optimal dynamic. Work with quality instead of quantity.
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BREATH: All exercises are done with rhythm of the breath. In most instances you inhale on the point of effort to send fresh oxygen to the muscles when they most need it. The exhalation is to wring all the stale air out of the lungs.
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FLOW: The full workout is a flowing succession of exercises performed with vigorous dynamics. There is minimum of movement, especially in the transitions, for maximum flow.
Pilates has proven itself for almost a century as an effective and safe method of exercise when taught and applied correctly.
Who was Joseph Pilates?
Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. As a child he suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever and consequently dedicated his entire life to becoming physically stronger. He studied body building and gymnastics as a teenager and later moved to England earning a living as a boxer, circus performer and self-defence trainer. During World War I he was interned with other German citizens, near Lancaster, who he trained in fitness and exercise. It was here that the beginnings of the Pilates method began to take form. After the war Pilates immigrated to America by ship which is where he met his future wife Clara. Together they started a fitness studio in New York and taught their students well into the 1960’s. They established a strong following within the dance and performing arts community and referred to their method of “Contrology” as the complete co-ordination of the body, mind and spirit. Joseph Pilates died in 1967 at the age of 84.
Who was Romana?
Romana Kryzanowska was a teenage ballerina who trained with George Balanchine at the School of American Ballet where she suffered an ankle injury. She was referred to Joseph Pilates for rehabilitation. She continued to work with him for 5 years until she married and moved to Peru teaching Pilates at her home. She later moved back to New York working with Joseph (who she referred to as ‘Uncle Joe’) and Clara until 1967 when Joseph passed away. Romana later inherited the studio and continued to preserve the Pilates legacy by travelling the world to educate the next generation of Pilates instructors. Romana’s daughter Sari Mejia Santo taught at her mother’s side for 3 decades and her granddaughter, Daria Pace, later joined them. Keeping the method within the family was to ensure that “Uncle Joe’s” work was kept pure to prepare instructors for a lifetime of learning and teaching Pilates the way Joseph Pilates intended.
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Romana's Pilates Certification
Romana’s Pilates Instructors will build you a complete workout classically tailored to your needs and ability improving your natural rhythm and co-ordination, getting you moving and feeling better.
The Pilates Certification is rigorous and extensive involving several hundred hours of theory, observation, practical and written exams. There is no cutting corners and every student must successfully pass performance assessments on all key pieces of Pilates equipment. They must learn how to devise a systematic workout personalised to each individual’s needs and abilities. When you work with a Romana’s Pilates instructor you can be confident you are getting quality and experience from a teacher that has not only learnt the method in its truest form but also the original philosophy behind it.
