Hey hey, if you’ve got a magic circle get it! If you don’t, you will be able to use a ball for some things. In this week’s class, I want the Magic Circle to support us where it can. Sometimes the circle gets a bad rap.

I mean, think about all the things you’ve called your magic circle…

But, there are a few ways it can support us.

On the Mat we’ll begin with it on the 100 and then sprinkle it in throughout our practice. On the Reformer we’ll use it a few times to find some additional ways to feel, explore or even try and exercise out.

See you in class,

xx~LL

The SideKicks used to just include the Front and Back. But many of Joseph Pilates students have added a few variations to this. Why? Because the sidekicks are so important. Our side strength is what helps us do movements in multiple planes at once.

Think about how you move in life. When you are taking your groceries from the cart to your trunk you are lifting, twisting, bending and turning. Having strong obliques and glutes is key to stabilizing and agility. I mean, these muscles have to be able to do movements in both directions.

This week, we are taking the strength of our sidekicks through our mat work. Get ready to feel your hips in a whole new way!

See you on your mat,

xx-LL

What if we didn’t start with the Hundred? What if we started with Pushups? Would that make Teaser easier? Harder?

This week let’s flip class around to see the magic behind the madness of Pilates! It may just answer most of your Mat related questions.

See you on the mat!

xx-LL

Aloha, Arlene here! This is my studio Bodywork & Pilates in Maui, Hawaii. We’re to have an amazing mat class so I’m glad you can join us!

I’m going to go over getting more length in your spine and pulling in your abs. I’m going to be throwing in some extra teasers in there.

Arlene

Ever have a teacher who asks you to, “Give them one more?” Well, if you haven’t you will this week. And, if you have then you may not be looking forward to this class but I promise I won’t ask for one more rep. Instead, I will be asking for one more inch.

Yes, an inch! Because I want more length from you. It’s so easy to do what you usually do or reach from your joints. In this week’s class, we will reach from different parts of our spine in every exercise.

Are you ready to feel taller?

xx-LL

What’s this exercise for? Single Leg Kick is probably THE exercise that I get questions on!

Luckily for us, this is the 13th exercise in our order. This week feel something new in the Single Leg Kick and how it really sets you up for exercises that would otherwise be so hard to do without the wonderful strength the Single Leg Kick gives us!

See you on your mat,

xx-LL

This week we focus our thoughts on how wide our backs can get! There is a difference between rounding your shoulders and widening your back. And, this key difference will not only make you stronger but it will make all those overhead and rolling exercises more possible!

• Want Control Balance to feel lifted and strong?
• Wish you could clap your feet 3x during Seal?
• Want your ribs to stay connected?

Then, it’s time to open your mind to the wide back!

xx-LL

In life, balance is essential. And, not just so you can balance on one leg to do Tree Pose in Yoga or some other one-legged standing pose in Pilates or fitness. Actually, in your day to day life you have to stand on one leg to put on your pants, get into your car or kick a bag!

We feel how every exercise helps ready us for the Kneeling Side Kicks. You’ll feel stronger when class is over!

xx-LL

How does 1 little extra lb change your entire practice? I am not talking about your scale! I am talking about your mat work! What happens to how you feel your practice when you take one lb and add it in to almost every exercise?

Find out this week in class! It’s fun! And, if you don’t have a 1lb you can try a theraband or go weightless and imagine what 1 lb feels like. The mind is a pretty powerful thing!

Can’t wait to hear how what new discoveries you had.

xx-LL

A TheraBand is useful in so many ways! It can help you stretch, challenge your strength and even be the springs and opposition that our Pilates equipment provides. So, bringing it to class this week we will find out how many ways the TheraBand can help us and a few exercises where it challenges our work!

And, the best part about this prop is if you don’t have one you’re still good to go for this week’s class. If you’re traveling, you can pack this prop in a side pocket of any bag. So no excuses!

See you on your mat,

xx-LL

Opening your front without closing your back!

This week’s class is a special request from one of YOU! While I don’t work hours in front of my computer I too am on my devices or working hours rounded forwarded working with a client.

In today’s day, it’s more common that we are rounding forward than sitting or standing tall. But, how do you open your chest without crunching your shoulders blades onto your back and causing your shoulders to rise into your ears?

This week’s class is going to take a tour through our regular mat order but with an open front and a wide back!

See you on your mat!

xx-LL

As the end of the year approaches it has me thinking about the end of our mat order: The Push-ups. When I first started teaching I would wonder why they came at the end.  Why not at the beginning or somewhere in the middle?

This week we will take a look at how we are being prepared for the push-ups our entire mat practice and also how the Push-ups wrap up our mat work with a tight bow!

Are you ready to wrap up this year, enjoy the end of the mat work and put a bow on all of it?  Yep, me too!

xx-LL

Ok, I’m coming clean! I absolutely hate stretching post a run or workout with my trainer. I mean, I would rather do a full on mat workout after a run or training session than sit and stretch or roll. And while there are plenty of opinions on whether or not stretching even works. What I can say from experience is that using Pilates as my cross training has kept me injury free even when I was a competitive runner. So, this week’s class is taking the mat workout as a post-run/spin/elliptical or cross-training workout. How can we use the mat to open up what those workouts tighten up? How can we strengthen what those workouts overlook and how can we check in with where our body is that day?

I hope you enjoy this weeks mat class!

xx-LL

It’s funny how we fall into our feet. Have you ever noticed how you stand? Do you stand more on one side of your foot or the other? I stand heavily into my heels. But, the more I focus on my whole foot the more my entire body gets stronger, more connected.

In this weeks Mat class we are going to focus on how our feet allow us to connect more to our entire body. Leg Pulls will feel soo good when you stand in your feet. Side Kicks will feel so stable when you connect to the outside of your foot!

And on the Reformer we will use the springs and our feet to share information to our entire practice! Ever wondered how the horseback flex and point actually makes the exercise more possible? Wonder no more!

Share your feet discoveries in this weeks class comments and in our group page.

xx~LL

Ok, so for my Mat lovers this theme might not be something you know. But, don’t worry! What we will be going over in this class will make you feel your “longest round shape” in every flexion exercise and your arm-to-back connection. It’s a mini version of what I taught in Rio and it made me feel my center in so many ways! No props needed for this one.

For you Reformer lovers I strongly encourage you to do the Mat this week too! Because, it will set you up for a stomach massage filled Reformer (without doing stomach massage all the time).

Hopefully, you’ll feel the massage or at least your stomach in every minute of your workout!

xx~LL