Aloha, welcome to the last full day of our retreat. This morning’s class is going to focus on the crab. Because you can crab sooner than you think! So all of the class is going to lead us up to get into that exercise.

I hope you enjoy it!

xx-LL

Another request from the OPC members group is this week’s class inspo! Keep posting the questions you have in the group as they help me create new classes around what you need and want!

Shoulder Bridge can seem like a piece of cake from first glance. But, then you get in there and it’s not what you think!

Should you use the hands under the hips? What if you can’t get them under you? What if it hurts your wrists? And, then, there’s the hips dropping, the leg lower and lifting…it’s harder than we think!

So, this week on the mat we will deconstruct Your Shoulder Bridge and find something that works for you and you can build upon. And, on the Reformer we will use the springs and straps to connect our back side and open our front side!

See you in class

xx~LL

I know you’ve been so focused on your reach, connecting to your center, equal stretch and strength. But, how often are you thinking about your wrists?

This week on the Mat we’ll play with the thera-band and weights and how holding them affects our arm-to-back-to-center connection. And, on the Reformer we have lots to talk about!

See you in class,

xx~LL

We start our work standing and we end our work standing. What happens on the mat in between is the magic that allows standing at the end to be more invigorating and for many of us possible!

This week, let’s find the magic of the transitions and nuances of the exercises to help us go from the mat to standing on our two feet with strength and control!

xx-LL

Whether you love or hate the Teaser it’s probably here to stay! And, with so many variations and ways to do it around the studio, it’s easy to think it’s our peak Pilates pose! While it’s not – and all exercises are created equal – it’s integral to your practice to squeeze all the stretch and strength out of it!

So, this week, we dive into many ways to Teaser!

Are you ready?

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

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

I know you love the Reformer! Who doesn’t?! Well, in this week’s class the Reformer meets your mat. Get ready to footwork, row and snake away on your mat. Who needs a reformer when you’ve got your imagination and your muscles?

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

Grab your Magic Circle for some of my favorite ways to use the Magic Circle! On the Mat, we’ll be using it every few exercises to wake up some more dormant muscles. You know those ones that like to rest while others work?! And, on the Reformer, we’ll use it to enhance a few exercises and teach some others.

No circle, no problem! You’ll just do the exercises like they were intended and use your imagination along the way.

Ready for some magic?

xx~LL

The midline is an often underused area of our bodies. It’s easy to think you are squeezing your inner thighs only to find out when you get to the shoulder bridge that your knees roll out and you’re not engaging your inner thighs at all!

This week LL focuses on finding that inner thigh connection with or without a prop. She uses a magic circle. You can use one if you have one or a squishy ball or yoga block will work as well. If you don’t have any props you won’t need them. Your imagination and attention to detail will wake up your inner thighs as well.

See you on your mat,

xx-LL

I know most of us are always looking to shed the weight whether physical or figurative. But, this week, I do want to bring a little weight into our practice. Just a little bit. Like 1lb or 2 lbs.

If you’ve got little hand weights bring them with you. If you’re traveling or at your office and you don’t no worries! The mind is a beautiful thing. Grab your real or imaginary hand weights and join me as we explore what a little weight can do for our Pilates practice.

xx-LL

When life gets crazy it’s so important to get “grounded.” But, what does that even mean? And, with the holiday craze who has the time to shop, work, go to parties, workout and then “get grounded?” 

What if we can combine our workouts and our grounding? This week we will focus on how the mat or floor below us actually is our partner in Pilates crime!

Are you ready to hit your mat and finish feeling more connected to you and your mind?  Me too!

xx-LL

In this week’s class, LL wants you to feel your body go in two different directions. Normally in life, we prefer not to be pulled all over the place but in this case, on your Pilates mat, you will love how this tug of war feels inside your body. Plus, connecting your body to Pilates and your mind on your mat will allow the outside world to disappear. So, what are you waiting for? Put those people vying for your attention on hold. Snag some floor space and enjoy the work of Pilates in your body.

xx-LL

By request, we are starting an exploration of extension. This will be one of many that we do. This week, we explore what it means to find length in the spine without doing massive backbends. I used to think that extension could only exist if my feet were touching my head. But, after lots of studying in my own body, I have found that the more I allow the extension to stay away from my lower back and work its way up my spine the more strength I feel in my body. In this week’s class enjoy the mini extension exploration. And, take it a few times because the thing about relearning extension is the more you do it the more your body remembers!

See you on your mat,

xx-LL