The original mat order in Joseph Pilates book 'Return to Life' is a great one to memorize and enjoy no matter where you are. But, it can be hard to learn from pictures or you might just want to be able to get a quick reminder on how to do an exercise. Below is the order that I use based on the order in Joseph Pilates book and also the classical mat order that Jay Grimes and many other classical Pilates teachers use.
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If you're wondering that there's a classical Pilates? Yes, just like other fitness modalities there are different versions. Classical Pilates is based off of Joseph Pilates orders and his intentions, and is how I like to teach Pilates. Is there a better version of Pilates? No, the best version is the one that you enjoy for your body. And that is amazing. And that's what I would love for you to explore. Because I think it's important to not get in the nuances of which one is better, but instead which one is better for you.
Because I believe that everyone should have a personal practice, memorizing the order, from 'Return to Life,' or from my deck can be really difficult. Like, have you ever tried to memorize anything recently? And so I find that by having a practice in your body and experience in the movements in your body, not just seen, but actually doing it makes it so much easier to memorize the order so you can have personal practice whether you have access to this video. Or if you're somewhere where there's no access to internet. It's important that you can lay down on the ground and have a personal Pilates practice that makes you do your life better.
Click on each exercise to watch a tutorial and read more specifics on how to do it.
My love, you just did it! You just did the full order. And whether or not you skipped some, or omitted some, replaced them with something that you're more able to do right now, you did this. And it's so important that you hear that from someone. Because too often, Pilates can attract people who want to be perfect, and have this control and do it right. And guess what, every day is a new day to be inside your body. So I want you to sit here and just take a moment and celebrate what you did do. And recognize that it's brave and courageous to replace something with what you couldn't do yet, with something that you could, right? If you weren't able to do something yet, it is brave and courageous to replace it with something you can do right now. That's what we like to say, at OnlinePilatesClasses.com'.
To our members, we drop a new class every single week for the mat, and the reformer, and every single month on the mat, reformer, tower and chair. If you only have access to the floor, then check out the mat exercise options, because this is what Joseph Pilates created first. This is what he wanted us all to do. But it's a practice. And even if you're a teacher, you still have to give yourself permission to be in practice, to be in process. And that's what we like to do. We like to remind you through accountability, through the amazing community, and through also giving you feedback on your form. In fact, only OPC members can get a feedback on their form, in real time in our live class that we do every month together. And also you can send video and when you're ready.
It is important to me that you continue to become your own teacher. It's one of the most amazing things you can get for yourself because how you talk to yourself here on this mat is how you are going to train yourself for obstacles and challenges in your life. That is what we believe in OnlinePilatesClasses.com'. And so if you would like to try out, what it's like to be in community, to have accountability, to have someone use the exercise to teach you how to teach yourself. So if you want to try that out, check us out here. Thank you so much for letting me teach you today. Thank you so much for let me nerd out with you. This is my favorite thing to do. My favorite thing is to like really let people fall in love with the mat because that's what I fell in love with first. And if you have questions, join us on Sundays at 9am Pacific Time where I answer your questions live. Have an amazing day.
xx-LL
I love pizza, and I could eat it almost every day. But I don't want to eat the exact same pizza every day ' if I did, I wouldn't love it as much. Too much of the same makes anything less interesting. In the end, I always come back to my favorite Neapolitan-style pizza Margherita, and that is the pie that all others are judged against. I feel the same way about my Pilates Mat.
I have been teaching a Pilates Mat class on the same day and time in the same studio for the past 12 years. To this day, I am always surprised (and grateful) that people show up week after week, month after month, and year after year. They continue to progress and get better, which is very rewarding to witness in that environment. The concept of group fitness (perhaps particularly in a health club) thrives on new and different with lots of bells and whistles. I teach mostly without props and without music ' the total opposite. Yet they still come'. or maybe that is why they come.
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As a classically trained teacher, I believe deeply in the integrity of the sequence. I've learned to use it as my personal teaching trademark, the foundation of every class I teach. Strangely, the sameness is what makes it unique. Adding, subtracting, creating themes, changing the orientation of the room, translating exercises from other equipment keep us engaged. Still, we always come back to the same exercises. The trick is to create a challenging workout that feels 'new'; somehow unique, yet familiar.
The classical Pilates Mat sequence is my favorite recipe, with so many ways to spice it up to keep it fresh and fun. Why not go from Rolling like a Ball into Teaser? Or sneak the Tree in before Open Leg Rocker? Speaking of Open Leg Rocker, why not do a single-leg Rocker from that Tree and take that into Single Straight Leg Stretch? Another nice combo is Neck Pull into Jackknife into Boomerang. Once you start playing around with exercises, the Pilates that lives in your teacher's body just comes out ' it intrinsically knows what it wants to do next. Sometimes the best classes are improv (although I do always recommend some preparation for teaching classes).
But for my own practice, I always Return to Life with Joseph Pilates 34 exercises, and it feels like coming home. After all these years of practicing, it has become a safe haven where I can feel the work and tune into my body without judging ' a moving meditation. Thirty-four exercises, 30 minutes, me, and the mat, that's all I need.
Check out our Contrology (classical) apparatus!
Sue Spinelli is a PMA NCPT since . She is a Regional Pilates Manager for Equinox and oversees Pilates studios in Florida, Chicago, Washington DC, and Texas, and serves as a Senior Lead Teacher Trainer for the Equinox Pilates Institute. Sue completed her comprehensive training with Peak Pilates in and has studied with first- and second-generation teachers in the classical style. When not in the studio, you can find her either in the kitchen cooking up some healthy gourmet meals or enjoying a day at the beach with her husband at their home in Hollywood, Florida.
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