Teaser is probably one of the most photographed exercises in Pilates. Which makes people think it's a "peak pose." But, it's anything but! It's simply another layer to your Pilates practice. This week we will acknowledge how each exercise contributes to your ability to do Teaser (someday) and then how Teaser teaches you where to get curious in your practice.
On the Mat we will use light weights for one round of Teaser as they can be helpful for those still adding into their practice.
No props on the Reformer.
See you in class,
xx~LL
MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, light weights and a Mat!
>> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.
REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self and a Reformer!
>> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.
We are all going to feel like Super Humans after this month!!
Whenever I’m in a hard exercise (for me) where I’m holding myself up with my arms and reaching my legs away I picture myself with super human strength!!! I can do ANYTHING! It makes me smile and helps me stay STRONG.
This month our exercise is Up Stretch and when you think about it - reaching your legs away and staying strong over the carriage may feel a lot like flying!
We’ll be focusing on stabilizing our strong cores while staying equally balanced in our arms and legs. We are giving you some amazing building blocks by merging strength and stretch in all directions. You are going to get a little bit of everything that you can use to connect to your Up Stretch (and even your Roll Up and Knee Stretches Off).
Chair: Please have a foam roller and a balance pad available. We are going to challenge your balance safely.
xx-LL
It's tempting to focus so much on what we weren't able to do in our workout that day. But, how often are we considering what new connections we had compared to yesterday or the last time we moved? In this week's workout, we are vibing with Britany and focusing on the strength we have today compared to yesterday. And not letting things get in our way!
This week, remember, if you can't do something yet let's replace it with something that you can do!
Props: No specific props. But, please bring anything that you usually use to find your connections!
See ya in class,
xx~LL 💋
MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, and a mat!
>> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.
REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, and a reformer!
>> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.
What do these three things have in common?
They are great examples of how we can change leg position or the action of our legs to either connect us more to our center or challenge our connection!
In this week’s class, we’ll focus on what happens when our legs are in frog position vs long legs vs making circles with our legs. If something isn’t feeling quite right, we can explore how might we change it slightly to be more connected to our bodies.
Props:
Mat - small ball
Reformer - small ball, wedge, pole
See you in class,
Rachel
MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, small ball and a mat!
>> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.
REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, small ball, wedge, pole and a reformer!
>> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.
Anchors Aweigh is often misspelled as Anchors Away! Did you know this? And did you know this - The expression anchors aweigh means all the anchors are clear of the sea bottom, and the ship begins its voyage. So, I actually thought I was being clever when I changed it to Anchors Aweigh because I want to use the 1 lb weights as a prop. Also, I want to use this theme to bring focus and clarity during each exercise about what's not moving vs. what is moving. And really keeping what’s not supposed to move as still and stable as can be. May be harder than you think to do, so let’s have fun with it! Think of it as a game.
Mat prop: 1 lb weights (water bottles or soup cans as substitutions ) + pole (dowel/broomstick/swiffer as substitutions)
Reformer prop: 1 lb weights (water bottles or soup cans as substitutions ) + pole (dowel/broomstick/swiffer as substitutions)
See you in class,
Christine
MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, 1 lb weights, pole and a mat!
>> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.
REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, 1 lb weights, pole and a reformer!
>> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.
We’re going to focus on the muscles that help us get up/down to a chair, toilet, in/out of a car, and to the ground without the use of our hands to help.
As we age, we can lose strength, flexibility, mobility in these leg and core muscles which results in us using our arms and hands to get up and down.
Let’s keep these bodies as young as we can by practicing getting up and down with only our legs, our center, and our strong back.
Reformer: No props needed
Cadillac/Tower: Reformer box
Mat: Theraband
Chair: No props needed
See ya in class,
xx-LL 💋
Grip strength as well as upper body strength plays an important role in so many different exercises throughout the mat and all apparatus. Our grip can influence the connection from our wrists - to our arms - to our back. And building strength in our chest and upper back can help us connect more to our center in every exercise.
All month long we’ll explore the feeling, the strength, and the position of our hands and upper body to see how our exercises change with a little extra focus. We’ll also play with ways to gain more strength and awareness in our chest and upper back to create even more connections to the exercises.
Props:
Chair - short pole* and a foam roller for balance
*A thicker pole or roll down bar size might feel nice, but no worries you’ll find your connections no matter what you have on hand!
Mat: a pole
Reformer: No props needed
Cadillac: No props needed
See ya in class,
xx-LL 💋
Finding some love for Roll Up and Open Leg Rocker isn't easy! But, these two exercises unlock the potential for so many other exercises. And what we don't like we often need. So, let's dive into what we need to rock our Roll Ups and Open leg Rockers and see how that changes the rest of our practice in the meantime.
Mat: Magic Circle, Pole or Theraband
Reformer: have your shortbox pole near by
xx~LL
MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, Magic Circle, Pole or Theraband and a mat!
>> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.
REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, short box and a reformer!
>> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.
