Clarity on What Pilates Is

I was listening to a podcast recently where the discussion was all about the Pilates elders (the teachers who trained directly with Joseph Pilates)  and how each of them taught the method slightly differently. Not because they were doing something wrong, but because they were human. Different bodies, different imbalances, different strengths. Joe met each of them where they were, and they carried what they learned forward in their own way. What stayed consistent was the mission: the exercises, moving from your center, and learning control. The variations existed for a purpose. 

I’ve written before about Classical and Contemporary Pilates, and how both trace back to the same source. The truth is, the work has evolved everywhere, but it’s all still Pilates. What we’re seeing now at the peak of Pilates trendiness, is that everything is being called Pilates. Sculpt classes. Exercises on reformers that have nothing to do with the system. Reformers and chairs being used with props. Or teachers adding more springs “to make it harder”, when the opposite is true in a true Pilates session. I even saw an ad for a Pilates diet once. And wall Pilates was everywhere for a while. 

I Didn’t Know Much In the Beginning, Either

When I started Pilates, I really didn’t know what I was getting into. I thought it was something like yoga. I only knew about the mat work. I had never heard the words classical or contemporary. I just showed up and started learning. It was only later that I understood I was being taught classical Pilates.

Once I started attending conferences and workshops, I tried all the different teachers and classes. Here’s what I noticed: almost every single time, things felt familiar. Everyone taught the footwork, the hundred, short spine, teaser, etc. Despite the fact that some lineages teach different variations or use different apparatuses, it still felt like Pilates – because it was! There has only been one session where I walked out feeling genuinely confused about what we were doing. 

Why Pilates Lineage Matters

Every teacher who presented at those conferences could tell you their lineage. Lineage is simply how your teacher connects back to Joseph Pilates. When I took my teacher training program we were taught about the Pilates elders. There was a list of the more well known Pilates teachers who had trained directly with Mr. Pilates who had gone on to open studios, create training programs, presented at workshops and shared the method. Some are still teaching and presenting today.  There were others who continued teaching the method but more quietly.  Happily sharing their knowledge and expertise with clients and apprenticing teachers but staying more low key.  Either way, from what I have learned from teachers who have trained directly under “elders” and from attending some workshops presented by elders, is that they all had the same mission.

That mission is to help people to move better, feel more connected to their bodies, and to use what Pilates gives them in the rest of their daily lives.   

Each person who was trained by Joe says that they were all trained slightly differently. They all did the same exercises in their practice, but there may have been a different focus on that exercise depending on what they needed. A student who was very capable and strong might be given a much more difficult version of an exercise than a beginner, not to confuse them, but to challenge them at the right level. This was always Joe’s goal: meet people where they are, correct their imbalances, improve their posture and breathing, and help them avoid injury.  

I once had a teacher ask me about an exercise she’d seen done in different ways, and she wanted to know which one was the “right” way. My answer was all of them! One of the ways was designed to be less challenging for a beginner. The second option was better for clients with tight pecs and upper back. And the third version she saw was very difficult and being performed by a very skilled, strong, client. No matter your ability, Joe has created a version of Pilates that works for you.

The Problem with Trendy Pilates

What’s being marketed as Pilates right now is very often about aesthetics. It’s external. It’s about how you look doing it, or how it will make you look afterward. And a lot of it isn’t Pilates at all.  

Real Pilates is very much internal. It’s about being better connected to yourself and how you move. It can also be an incredible workout! What sold me on Pilates was when my master teacher would have me adjust my body position by a couple millimeters or refocus on the movement in the smallest of ways, and suddenly it was so much more challenging.  

Over time and years of practice, the exercises are much more familiar and easier to execute. But you also get much more out of the exercises because you’re aware of how to use and move your body. It becomes a deeper, richer practice. 

Remember: Pilates is Structured for a Reason

Joe created an order and structure to his system. He gave people what they were ready for when they were ready. The elders and their apprentices brought in more formal structure over time. The principles of Pilates came from apprentices of Romana’s.  I heard Rael Isacowitz speak of how he created blocks that helped teachers to design classes.  Ron Fletcher heard Joe speak about the importance of the breath so much, but he didn’t really teach it; so Ron created a whole breathing routine that is part of the Fletcher system.  

Whether you practice classical or contemporary Pilates, if you can track your teacher training back to Joe, then you have a true Pilates lineage. It all came from him. Don’t be afraid to ask your Pilates instructor about their lineage – they will likely be very excited to tell you! The Pilates method is worth understanding, protecting, and sharing honestly. That’s what the elders did and that’s what good teachers continue to do.