Techniques To Stay Focused During Pilates
Welcome to the second part of our guest blog by Gillian Booth from acorepilates - in this one she explores the techniques to stay focused during Pilates:
Focusing during Pilates is key to getting the most out of your practice. Mindful movement and awareness will help you get the most out of every exercise. To stay focused while doing Pilates, here are three techniques that can help:
Take a few moments before each exercise to connect with your body and clear your mind. It’s important to be present in the moment and focus on how your body feels. Taking even just a few seconds to pause, breathe, and center yourself can make a world of difference when performing Pilates movements.
Pay attention to your breath as you move through each exercise. Connecting with your breath will keep you grounded and help you stay in tune with what’s happening within your body. Notice how each inhale and exhale helps to create more space for movement and relaxation.
Focus on the details of each movement. Pay attention to how the muscles feel as they stretch or engage during an exercise, or notice how an action creates balance throughout the body. Bring an awareness to the connection between your breathing and your core will help with the flow of movement. Keeping these small details in mind will help you move more efficiently and get the most out of each exercise.
If you’re thinking about trying Pilates and either have been away from your mat for a while or you are a complete beginner here are some worthwhile tips.
Be Patient with Yourself:
Pilates is fun and enjoyable to do but it can also appear to be quite challenging, especially at the start. Be patient with yourself. It takes time to learn the flow of the routine, the terminology, the breathing, and the actual exercise. Your teacher is there to guide and support you so don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. First and foremost Pilates is there to be appreciated and enjoyed, so keep your sense of humour, and go easy on yourself as you work on your techniques. Know your limitations and respect what your body is telling you.
2. Take Care of Your Whole Self:
You’ll do much better at Pilates when you feel your best overall so aim to take care of your whole self. This includes eating healthily, exercising in other ways to build strength and endurance, and pacing yourself both in your work and personal life. Preventative care and actions are the key to success. You should also get enough sleep and take breaks and rest when you need it.
3. Practice to Get Better:
Make it a part of your routine and try and practice regularly, finding time in your day to review some of the moves and breathing exercises. Even 10 minutes a day of exercises and experimenting with what you learned in class can be helpful, and can be more beneficial than an hour once a week.
4. Avoid Comparisons:
Your mat should be a place of calmness, reduced stress, and relaxation. You can make this even better by avoiding comparisons and not worrying about how your practice compares to others and how you look in class. Instead look inwards and evaluate and monitor your own progress. The reality is that there will always be other people who may be more flexible and experienced than you. Keep in mind that it’s not a competition but an opportunity to focus on yourself, reduce stress, and gain strength, mobility and flexibility. Appreciate how much you’re improving over time and that you have a newfound sense of healing as it relates to your mind, body, and spirit.
As Mindfulness & Pilates work so well together, we’re holding a Morning Retreat on Saturday 23rd September at The Place to Pause & Breathe in Bonnybridge. This will be a seasonal morning – opening to Autumn. If you're interested in finding out more, click here for more details.
If you're reading this blog after the event has passed, email me for information about further dates: susie@pauseandbreathe.co.uk