Elephant is one of the toughest exercises for me. The lift, the reach and against gravity! AHH! So, this week, let’s not only work on our Elephant on the Reformer but also all the places where the Elephant exists!

xx~LL

Spring has sprung and we can use the Theraband to feel like we’ve added springs to our Pilates mat work! If you don’t have a thera-band do not worry. You’ll still get a great workout. We will be exploring some of the Reformer exercises on our Mat and also what some Mat exercises would feel like with a little extra resistance.

See you on your mat!

xx-LL

One of my most top watched Youtube tutorials is the Long Stretch Series. Every time I film a new video breaking it down it’s instantly popular. It was also my first video I ever posted to Youtube. So, this week’s Mat class will take the Long Stretch Series off the Reformer and ask how to get long, get up, get down and yes, we will even do the Elephant.

For those of you on the Reformer we will thread this series through some of the basic exercises and then a grand finale that you can join in, either on your Reformer or on the Floor (if you’re needing another option).

See you in class,

xx~LL

This week’s class is inspired by the OG Rolling Back. We’ll play with the version as it is in Joseph Pilates book Return to Life and how it can help feed the rest of our Mat practice. We will also play with the Return to Life versions of a few other exercises as March Matness continues!

xx-LL

Ps have you read the book? It’s fun to read more than once!

Often we think about what we can’t do, the modifications we need to make for ourselves, the right areas that feel like limitations or simply the stress of the day wearing on us and making us feel like we are not as strong as we usually are.

This week’s class is my “what can I do” class. Can you do the exercise you usually skip?

Can you go a little deeper?

Can you try something new?

Will you surprise yourself?

I bet you will!

I did as I filmed this week’s class.

xx-LL

It’s easy to think that Rolling like a ball is just a back massage. Or that Seal is weird – and don’t even try open leg rocker. But…. there is so much good stuff happening in these rolling exercises. And even if you think your tailbone will hate it, trust me, if you’re doing it right you will not be perching on your coccyx.

Grab a mat (and if you are sensitive maybe another one or a small folded blanket) and get ready to feel the full body strength of all the rolling exercises. Understanding Pilates rolling exercises will change your entire Pilates practice. Are you ready?

xx-LL

Somethings in life you can just “wing it.” But, in Pilates the set up is at least half the battle. And, while it’s important to move it’s also important to set yourself up for success. Even if you just hold it!

This week we will still get our move on but we will discuss the set up more in depth that usual. And, if you decide to hold it for the length of the exercise awesome or you can flow through until we set up the next one. This week the in between is your call and I’ll handle all the good stuff to get you anchored in place.

xx-LL

A wall is an excellent source of feedback. It’s the prop we all have handy and it can help us dive deeper into our own practice. In this weeks Mat class we use the wall to give us information and to support us in much of our practice. On the Reformer we use the idea of the “wall” as our carriage. How can our legs use the wall? Our feet use the floor?

Get ready to use your imagination!!

xx~LL

Good morning, aloha! Welcome to Maui, I’m here with Arlene again.

It is Day 2 and we are about to do a mat class. This one is actually going to introduce some archival standing stuff. And then see how that just warms up the body and then doing the rest of our mat work. So, I hope you enjoy it!

xx-LL

It’s been awhile since we did all of the mat in 30 min! And, here’s the thing, I know for many of you every exercise is not possible. I will be calling options from the beginning of the Mat to replace the end ones. So, you’ll get lots of practice!

For the Reformer while we can’t do the entire Reformer in 30 min we are going to have a good flow and get pretty close. Please feel free to take your time, pause me if you want to juice any exercises out. And, I will try to call out the next exercise info on the last rep of the exercise before so you have time to plan your transition. Are you ready?

xx~LL

It’s a common cue in any Pilates class and exercise for a teacher to ask you to “find your length” or, reach in two directions. But, you are also supposed to keep everything connected at the same time.

In this week’s mat pilates class we will explore finding the length in our bodies but without letting it all hang out!

Can’t wait to hear how this feels for you!

See you on your mat!

xx-LL

So, this week, I hope you are ready to connect to your seat! Because we will use some of my favorite ways to feel your booty in both your Mat and Reformer work.

For the Mat if you have a Magic circle bring it. If not a ball or your amazing imagination will do. We will start the class with some ways to wake up your seat and connect more to your center.

On the Reformer we will play around with what to press more into or less into to find your seat as we flow from start to finish. My hope is that at the end of the week you and your thut (you know your butt below the butt) have found each other created a relationship and are ready to flow.

xx~LL

P.S. What was your favorite thuttocks connection? Share in the comments below!

Sometimes we are all about the Mat! And, well, these are mat classes so it’s pretty hard not to be all about the mat work. But, the rest of the Pilates method was designed to support us when we are on the mat. So, this week, while we mat out we will be gaining strength and inspiration from Pilates exercises typically done on the other pieces of equipment!

See you on your mat,

xx-LL

When doing Pilates it’s easy to get obsessed with your core or keeping your shoulders out of your ears. But, the more connected you are to your seat, your booty, the stronger your entire body will feel. Some of those notorious hip grippy exercises like Spine stretch forward teaser will become more tolerable and you may even find you enjoy them a little bit when you activate your butt! Let’s work your booty and more in this week’s class.

See you on your mat,

xx-LL

Do you ever wonder how you are so strong on one side in one exercise and then in another exercise it switches? No, just me? Ha! I am pretty sure we are all in the same boat when it comes to being asymmetrical! So, this week we take on our sides! One side at a time that is.

On the mat we will play more with exercises that are play with asymmetry and then seeing how we can take what we learned and change up how we do our symmetrical exercises.

Then, over on the Reformer we play around with exercises where we take away one leg or one arm. Get ready to do Stomach Massage with one leg! It’ll be fun I promise.

Can’t wait to see a side of you!

xx~LL

P.S. Which side will you be doing twice next time?