What It Means to Really Learn Pilates

Joseph Pilates’ original studio looked very different from the private Pilates sessions we know today. Clients learned their order. They knew how to set up their equipment. They came in and practiced, while Joe and his teachers moved around the studio offering corrections and instruction.

There’s something about that model that I love.

Private sessions give us the opportunity for much more individual attention, but I don’t think we should lose the self-sufficiency that was built into the original method.

Knowing where you are going next. Learning how to set up your Reformer. Understanding why we use a particular spring. Recognizing the principles of the method rather than simply following instructions.

You don’t learn all of this at once. It develops over time.

And the teacher is still very much teaching—watching, correcting, refining and helping you make new connections. But as the client becomes more familiar with the work, there is a shift. Pilates starts to belong to them.

That, to me, is part of really learning the method.

Here are some benefits:

• Creates flow — knowing the order allows the workout to move continuously, which is an important part of Classical Pilates.

• Deepens concentration — you’re actively participating rather than simply following instructions.

• Develops body awareness — you learn to recognize your own positioning, alignment, effort, and movement patterns.

• Creates ownership — Pilates becomes your practice, not something a teacher does to or for you.

• Allows the teacher to teach at a deeper level — instead of spending the session repeatedly directing setup and sequence, the teacher can focus on refinement, connections, and helping you progress.

  If you want to learn more about Joesph Pilates and his exercise method here is an amazing book he wrote. https://a.co/d/0hFwz6B5

  I have written many more Pilates articles that I put up on my website.