This week we will be changing it all up! What happens when you mix up what you think you’re supposed to do in a Pilates exercise? What if you think about something opposite? Or, change the order? Let’s find out together! I’ll see you on your MAT!

xx-LL

It’s soo easy to feel like your legs just hang off your hip flexors, pull on your back and make you feel like you’re two halves instead of a whole. So, in this weeks Mat and Reformer classes we are going to explore where are legs are moving from and how that helps us in each of our exercises. I’m bringing in some of the subscriber favorites like one leg teaser and one leg stomach massage.

See you in class!

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

Joseph Pilates created the Mat work first, then saw how hard it was for people (I mean, you know) and designed the Reformer. In this week’s mat class we’ll take some of the exercises from last week and continue to add on! If you’ve never been on a Reformer don’t worry. The Reformer exercises were born from the Mat so you’ll recognize a lot of the spine shapes.

See you on your Reforming mat,

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

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

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

Open Leg Rocker and Rowing are some favs amongst OPC members. Sorry not sorry if they are not a fav of yours, haha (join the FB group and share your favs to inspire future classes). I thought it would be fun to explore how these two exercises fuel each other.

On the Mat please have a set of 1 or 2 lb. weights nearby or bring an awesome imagination. For the Reformer, make sure you review the Open Leg Rocker on the Mat before hitting play on this weeks class. You’ll want to have it in your Pilates mind’s eye.

See ya in class!

xx-LL

This week, our first week adding in the Reformer classes we are bringing a little Reformer to our Mat! If you have 1 lb. weights bring them with you to your mat. We will be incorporating the love of Rowing and some other Reformer exercises to your Mat practice as we have been the last couple weeks in honor of Spring and the springs on the Reformer. These exercises are designed to help you get more connection to your back and your mat!

And, for those of you taking Reformer class, welcome to the first Reformer class on OPC! This week’s class we will focus on what’s connecting to where. While it seems easier to work on these connections on our Reformer there are so many places where we can disconnect that it makes for a fun flow!Grab your mat and or Reformer and let’s get ready to flow!

xx~LL

P.S. After class be sure to use the comment box to share what you loved, questions you had and any wins!

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

We spend a lot of time focusing on the “actions” of the exercises and to a good amount the set ups. But, it’s easy to skip or “rest” through the transitions. And, something so special about Pilates is that there are transitions!

I had a teacher that for a while would not let me do the exercise if I lost my connection to my center as I transitioned. Yep, it was tough!

I promise this class will be fun and full of explorations. And I hope you find some transitions you like that you can keep in your Pilates bag and use in future classes!

Nothing needed extra for either the Mat or the Reformer class. Just bring your fabulous self!

See ya in class,

xx~LL

Aloha! It’s our final sunset class here in Maui. We are about to have a nice stretchy class because we are going to get dressed up and have a Maui gala with hula dancers and amazing food (because who doesn’t want to have a gala?). So come, stretch with me and then we’ll go eat!

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!

Sometimes I don’t know what to do in my Pilates practice so I just do 1 of everything. Yep, you can learn a lot about yourself when you do just 1 rep of your workout.

This week on the mat we will start with a 1 rep drill. This will take less than 10 minutes and then we will have 20 minutes to go back through our mat to explore where we can connect more.

On the Reformer we will warm up and then do the best we can with all the exercises if we just do 1 freaking great rep! How well will you connect when you only get one chance to do it?

See ya in class!

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