Inner IDEA is a site worth a visit, I often reference their material and here is another little gem, from Christine Romani-Ruby, Physiotherapist specialising in Pilates.
When teaching any Pilates mat move, it is logical to follow these four steps:
1. Lay the foundation.
2. Find the centre.
3. Hold still and move.
4. Flow.
Lay the Foundation. Think of this as building the basement. Begin with alignment. I recommend employing verbal visual cues that stimulate the mind, rather than using your body. You want your clients to take in the information and process it—not just to mimic you. Be specific, be precise and expect perfect practice. Proceed quickly into the movement so that your students’ minds don’t wander. Keep talking to hold their attention. Avoid counting; instead keep the pace with your voice and your cues.
Find the Centre. Using the breath, bring attention to the powerhouse (the rectangular area of the torso). Discuss its position and the engagement of the abdominal area as well as the expansion of the rib cage with the breath. It is essential to involve the powerhouse in each exercise.
Hold Still and Move. Think of a few familiar Pilates mat exercises. In each of them, certain segments of the body move, while others hold still. At times the parts even alternate in their movement. This is the most important concept to focus on in a class of beginners. In life we learn to move whatever we need to complete the task at hand, but this is not always the most efficient use of the body. Pilates teaches us to learn the movement available at each joint and how to isolate that movement to just that joint. Joe Pilates described this as “moving without tenseness,” using only the muscle and joint needed for the task—nothing more. If you think of this as you build each exercise, you will have great success with new students and continue to challenge your long-term clients.
When a student holds still and moves, he gains core stability and flexibility. For example, in leg circle, the student holds his pelvis in neutral and circumducts his hip. He gains stability in the pelvic girdle and increases flexibility in the gluteals and hamstrings. Think of the many other exercises that begin with this one basic task, “Hold still and move.” The list is endless: hundred, seated twist, spine stretch, rolling like a ball and so on.
Flow. Last but not least, flow. Connect to the foundation, to the center, to the movement and go, go, go. . . . This is the fun part, but it takes the first three steps to get there. If we start with flow, we often lose the connection with the mind and the precision that our original “professor” looked for. A good grade requires this perfect practice, and we should encourage it in our classroom.
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