Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Breath: The Olive Oil of any Pilates Exercise!


We’ve all heard of super foods and the “miracles” that they create…But whenever I hear someone speak of the benefits of olive oil, I find myself wondering how awesome I’d be if I could take a shot of olive oil at every meal.  Seriously I’ve almost bought a shot glass for this very purpose…It’s so simple and easy to use, and olive oil can literally cure ills.  The “miracle” that I feel in olive oil is that it is not pharmaceutical.  olive oils aren’t concocted in chemistry labs; olives grow on trees and are pressed for oil.  Why isn’t olive oil the most obvious choice?  Why don’t we start with olive oil?  Actually many recipes do start with olive oil…

This brings me to the Pilates Exercise of the Day Recipe Cards.  So far we have created recipes for agile feet and strong and flexible ankles, and for the last ten days the Pilates Exercise of the day has been a different breath pattern.  I’m sure that you have been waiting with baited breath for the breath recipe card.  Well, my friends that would be like handing you a recipe card listing ten different kinds of olive oil and calling it soup.  Breath is the beginning; it is the place to start.  It is the one principle of pilates that is consistent in all of the pilates studies and writings.  Breath is the olive oil of any Pilates Recipe.

Just this morning I was working with a new client, and she told me about a muscle spasm underneath her shoulder blade that happened every time she performed certain actions.  As she was talking about the movement that this mystery spasm prohibited, I started mapping out a strategy in my mind, a recipe of sorts.   Well this recipe started with breath.  I watched the action of her breath. Then I placed my hand on the place that hurt, asked her to breath into my hand.  She took a few breaths, and I felt the tissue under my hand expand.   Suddenly, she sat up and said, “It’s gone!”  And then preceded to do all of the movements that she had just told me were impossible because of this pain underneath her shoulder blade.  Now, this was no miracle. It just so happens that she had never cooked with olive oil before.  

Is a years worth of pain relieved every time I ask someone to breath into my hand?  Is breath that much of a miracle?  Of course not!  This woman had tried many things to relieve this pain, but this was the first time that her “recipe” had breath as the first ingredient.  During the session, we continued to move and correct muscular imbalances that may have helped to cause the pain, but we started with breath, just like lots of great and healthy recipes start with Olive Oil.   

So now below when I list links to the breath patterns on the Pilates Exercise of the Day Blog, consider it as a shelf full of gourmet olive oils.  Each with subtle variations to get the most out of any Pilates exercise. 

Katrina Hawley C.M.A, R.S.M.E
Co-Director of The Pilates Studio

P.S.  As I was sitting at Esselon café typing this blog post Jenni one of the fabulous instructors at The Pilates Studio, who you might only know as the model in the Pilates Exercise of the Day Blog, came in and asked about the post.  As we were chatting, she laughed and told me how sore her deep abdominal muscles were the day after we took all of the breath pattern pictures. …Hmmm another reason to always start with the breath!



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