Principles of Pilates: Flowing Movement

In last week’s blog post about Control, I mentioned how all of the principles of Pilates need to work together. Finding flowing movement in your practice is no different, with control and concentration playing a big part. I find that flow takes a while for most people, and I still have my own struggles with it. That’s because you need to understand each exercise and the sequence of movements before you can find your flow; and only then can you apply flowing movement to your whole workout. 

Flowing Movement In Each Exercise

When you find your flow within an exercise, it will look smooth and connected. This takes time to learn! When you are learning Pilates, your instructor will break down each exercise into parts: how to set up the apparatus, how to set up your body to start, each part of the exercise, and how the exercise ends. Add in the breathing, and that’s a lot of parts to one exercise. 

With time and a lot of practice, however, all of the parts will start to flow together. For example, when you first learn double leg stretch, you’ll be thinking about curling up, raising your arms, pushing your legs out in front of you, and finding length before curling up again. One day, though, I promise you it will all come together, almost as if you are swimming or soaring through the movement. It becomes graceful.

Some exercises have fewer steps, so you will find flow more easily. But as you get into the more complex exercises and incorporate the apparatuses, there are more and more steps. One way to get better at the more intermediate and advanced exercises is to practice the pre-Pilates and foundational exercises. The more focus and control you have in those movements, the easier it will be to find your flow within the more challenging exercises. 

Flowing Movement During Transitions

Another place you find flowing movement in Pilates is in the transitions from one exercise to the next. The full Pilates workout can really be one long, smooth sequence as you transition seamlessly between exercises. It will take you some time to work up to this level of flow, but you can also work on transitions within small sets of exercises. 

In the classical order of Pilates, there are several series of exercises. For example, the stomach series on the mat is made up of five exercises that you can flow through without stopping in between. There is also the stomach massage series, the footwork, the long stretch series, and both long and short box series. A good way to find your flow is to think of these sets of exercises as one exercise with multiple arm or leg positions. 

The Beauty of Pilates

Maybe it’s because of my dance background, but I love how it looks when a group of people experienced in Pilates flow together in sync. They all know the next step, and, much like a choreographed dance, the movements are controlled and purposeful. With practice, you’ll find your flow, too.