Moving Breath Pilates

About the Pilates Method and Moving Breath Pilates…

Born in 1883 in Germany, Joseph Pilates suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. He would watch the young children playing outside from his bedroom window and longed to participate. As a result, he dedicated his entire life to becoming physically stronger and healthier, studying and participating in a wide range of activities from bodybuilding and gymnastics, to boxing, yoga, diving and martial arts. Joe believed that the root of people’s poor health was inefficient breathing, poor posture, and our “modern” lifestyle, so he devised a series of exercises and training techniques to improve health.

In 1912 Joe moved to England working as a self-defense instructor for detectives at Scotland Yard. During World War I, Pilates was interned as a German national at a camp in Lancaster, England, and later transferred to the Isle of Man. Here, Joe refined his ideas and techniques while training other fellow internees. Joe did this by rigging bed springs to hospital beds enabling bed-ridden patients to exercise against resistance. Thus, the engineering of the Universal Reformer and other Pilates equipment began. The Spanish Influenza epidemic struck England around 1918 killing 21 million worldwide but remarkably, not one of Joe’s patients died.

In 1926, Pilates moved to New York and with his wife Clara set up a studio. Joe and Clara originally called his method “Contrology”, which encouraged the use of the mind to control the body, focusing the attention particularly on core postural muscles which balance and provide support for the spine. Pilates exercises gently teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, emphasizing slow, flowing motion that does not strain the joints. The Pilates method first gained popularity in New York City in the dance community, where Joe rehabilitated injured dancers and began to be known for his remarkable healing powers.

One of those dancers was Eve Gentry who worked closely with Joe for over 22 years as a friend and his longest client. Joe rehabilitated Eve through injuries and even a complete mastectomy. Eve moved to Santa Fe where she started her own studio and added her own rehabilitative expertise to her instruction. Michele Larsson, another injured dancer, studied with Eve Gentry for 12 years. Michele passed on her knowledge to Virginia Nicholas, M.A., R.N., owner of Moving Breath Pilates, and handpicked Virginia to carry on the training of Pilates instructors.

At Moving Breath Pilates we embrace the work of Joseph Pilates and the rehabilitative techniques used by Eve Gentry. We tailor each class to our clients and how they are feeling that day. We, and our clients, believe in the healing properties of Pilates because we’ve seen it work. Whether you come into the studio for instruction, or simply spend 10 minutes a day at home doing Pilates, the exercises will stretch, strengthen and balance your body, increasing lung capacity, circulation, muscular and mental coordination, core strength, and flexibility, without any stress to the joints. This means that doing Pilates exercises will leave you feeling better, more energized and more cheerful that day and for days to follow. And, you can do Pilates exercises at home, no special equipment needed.

If you would like to benefit from the expertise of Virginia Nicholas, M.A., R.N. or one of her highly trained instructors feel free to contact us at 480-731-3101 or by email at MovingBreathPilates@gmail.com. You can also learn more about our studio online at www.MovingBreath.com. At Moving Breath Pilates, we have the full range of Pilates equipment, designed to gently aid you in executing the exercises, as well as highly trained instructors who will help you achieve your movement goals. We hope to hear from you!

“Above all, learn how to breathe correctly”- Joseph Pilates