Moving Breath Pilates

Pilates Principles

Welcome to an excerpt from the PCI Newsletter on the Pilates Principles. In this issue we feature teacher trainee Karen Lutzer from PCI Affiliate Studio, Lead Pilates in Saskatoon, Canada, owned by Jana Danielson.

Quality versus Quantity Quality by definition is the "standard of how good something is as measured against other similar things" and "general excellence". In contrast, quantity is defined as "a certain amount or number". Contrology, now known as Pilates, is about the quality of performing an exercise to a standard developed by Joseph Pilates and not the quantity or number of exercises a person can complete. The functional objective of the Pilates series of standardized exercises is to improve a person's quality of life "the benefits of Contrology depend solely upon your performing the exercises exactly to instructions", pg 201 The number of repetitions of each Pilates exercise is kept low, with the exception of exercises with beats. Joseph stated that you should " never to repeat the selected exercise(s) more than the prescribed number of times since more harm will result than good.. Because this infraction creates muscular fatique-poison There is really no need for tired muscles.",pg 311. Quality through striving to achieve excellence in how a Pilates practitioner should live their life is also found in Joseph Pilates belief of whole body commitment. In Return to Life, he outlines a standard of how a person should live including details on proper posture, sleeping quarters and eating habits to achieve an improved quality of life. Performing the Pilates repertoire to the standard of excellence developed by Joseph Pilates and striving to live your life through a whole body commitment by achieving a standard of excellence will increase your quality of life, allowing you to "achieve happiness, for is not real happiness truly born of the realization of worthwhile work well done" pp341. References: 1. Pilates, J. Return to Life. 3 Miami: Pilates Method Alliance Inc., 2005. 2. Soans, C. Oxford Dictionary of Current English. 3. New York. Oxford University Press. 1993.