Discover Classical Pilates: 30-Minute Mat Workout

30-minute Pilates Mat Workout

Hello, I’m Lesley Logan, co-founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com™ and today we’re doing a 30-minute Mat Workout based on Return to Life by Joseph Pilates, his order, and also the order that I included in my flashcards that Jay Grimes taught me and many other classical teachers use today. All right, so I first started studying Pilates as client in 2005, but as a teacher in 2008, and I was lucky enough to study with somebody trained by Romana. Romana was one of Joseph Pilates’ clients. And that order that they taught me was amazing. It made so much sense. I got super, super strong. And then in 2016, I did a training with Jay Grimes and the people that he teaches with like Sandy Shimoda and Karen Frischmann. And that Mat order was just so fun. It’s what we’re gonna learn a lot about today. I will also be calling out which exercises are from “Return to Life,” and which exercises have been added in by some of Joseph Pilates’ clients.

Classical Pilates is based on Joseph Pilates’s orders

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.

Leave your comments below

If you have any questions about the order or the exercises, how it works, please put them in the comments below. I love to answer those every single Sunday at our live Q&A at 9am Pacific Time, and make sure you subscribe to this channel so you never miss out any other tutorials, any of the informational Mythbusters we’d love to do and of course Pilates workouts on all types of equipment.

Welcome to OnlinePilatesClasses.com™. The most supportive Pilates loving community across the globe. Enjoy new weekly classes from our amazing teachers. Download the OnlinePilatesClasses.com™ app today.

Alright, with that. Let’s get started.

Here is the Mat Pilates exercise order:

Pilates can attract people who want to be perfect

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™.

Check out the Pilates Mat exercise options

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.

Continue to become your own teacher

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.

By lesley.logan

Lesley Logan, NCPT, is the founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com, the first free online catalogue of Pilates exercise tutorial videos, where you can also find weekly online mat classes and workshops. When not teaching from her studio in Los Angeles, Lesley can be found traveling the world leading Pilates retreats, or offering Pilates business coaching to studio owners and other instructors through her private mastermind group. Connect with Lesley on instagram @lesley.logan or through the contact page on this site.

View all of lesley.logan's posts.