Breath, Control and Flow

"Control" is one of the by-words of the Pilates method, but so is "Flow", and I think these two are a wonderful counter-balance to each other. Too much control and you get locked down and to tight to move gracefully and easily. I see this a lot in exercise classes. Taking it too seriously or just wanting to work really hard can actually block your energy and progress. Too much flow and you lose the control and concentration you need for the precision required in Pilates.

I find that it is the breath that connects the control and flow elements in an easy and effective way. The breathing process reflects that control and flow dynamic perfectly, with the controlled in-breath and the flow/release out-breath. The breath is very much emphasized in Pilates. Many exercises have breathing directions that go with them. Nevertheless, people do tend to forget to breathe fully, but it is really a big key to bringing together all of the key elements of Pilates. So just remember to breathe and the rest will come more naturally.

For more on breathing in the Pilates way, there is a sequential breathing exercise in the Exercises - warm up/ prep section.