Principles of Pilates: Concentration

We are gaining momentum as we learn about the Six Principles of Pilates. Last week I talked about the breathing that we use in Pilates, and now we are moving on to Concentration. 

Concentration: The mind-body connection, where the mind directs the body into action.

Pilates exercises can be done without much concentration at all; but then is it still Pilates? The main reason you need concentration in Pilates is to help you find control, one of the other principles of Pilates. Joseph Pilates called his method of exercise Contrology, which shows just how important it is! And in order to move with control, you need to concentrate. 

Finding The Mind-Body Connection

There is no such thing as perfect Pilates, so you can relax if you find coordinating your movements challenging sometimes. Everyone starts with different levels of strength, experience with exercise, or other forms of movement (sports, dance, martial arts, etc). This means that some people will find that mind-body connection faster than others, and that’s okay.  

Concentration on how you are moving can and will change over time. At first you’re learning the exercises, how to use the apparatuses, what the apparatuses are all called, and trying to remember to breathe. That takes a lot of concentration alone! But once you’ve figured out the basics, you can start to uncover the other connections. That’s where your Pilates instructor comes in.

My Role As Your Teacher

As a Pilates teacher, I try my best not to overwhelm a newer Pilates student with too many corrections. In the beginning I want to ensure they’re getting the general movement sequence and are moving safely. Over time I then work on making small changes with each exercise.

If you take the single leg circle exercise on the mat as an example, there are a lot of things to concentrate on. 

• Arms long, pressing into the mat.
• One leg up at 90 degrees (or as close to that as possible), with the foot pointed.
• The other leg is lengthened out on the mat, the foot is flexed.
• As you circle your leg, rotate your spine so that one hip lifts off the mat
•  As you circle your leg back to where it started, your hip will come back down to the mat.  

When people are learning Pilates, it’s common that one shoulder lifts as their hip does, the lower leg may slide side to side, or their wrists will lift up. At first I’ll let these things go, but with time I’ll start to point them out and cue them to focus on correcting them. As their concentration moves to the right places, they find better connections and can perform the exercises with more precision.

It’s A Process

As you learn Pilates, you’ll start concentrating on more aspects of each exercise. But rather than them “piling up”, these things will become second nature the more you practice. If you find that your mind wanders in the beginning of your Pilates journey, that’s normal! As you build awareness of your movements and the intricacies of Pilates, you’ll start focusing more on the workout. Soon, “zoning-in” to the workout will become almost meditative. 

As we work through the six principles of Pilates, you’ll start to see how each one works together with the others. We’ve covered breath and concentration; up next is centering.