Classical Pilates for Modern Life
(Harmonious Pilates, Inc. original publication)
by Joanna Telacka
Classical Pilates Teacher
Business Owner
Triathlete
November 9th, 2023
Shining light on Pilates truths, honoring Joseph Pilates,
and supporting you in your Pilates journey.
Don't do THIS to your neck/head
Notice how the neck is positioned.
In the picture to the left the chin is pointed towards the chest and the neck muscles are elongated.
In the picture to the right, the chin is pointed upwards, and the back of the neck muscles are shortened.
Try to observe for yourself the correct and incorrect position of the neck in the pictures below. Look carefully at the last set. You can see my eyes. Can you tell what I'm looking at?
How did you do?
Correct form in the pictures on the left and not so correct in the pictures on the right?
Yes.:)
In the last set of pictures, when my neck is positioned incorrectly, my chin is pointing upwards and I'm looking at my knees.
When my neck is in the correct position, I am looking at my tummy which keeps the back of the neck elongated/decompressed.
Often where the eyes go the head follows, so realizing what we are looking at when performing the exercises can help correct the misalignment of the head and neck. :)
Joseph Pilates on his method of Contrology
"Never slouch, as doing so compresses the lungs, overcrowds other vital organs, rounds the back, and throws you off balance created by poising the weight of your body on the balls of your feet."
Return To Life
My two cents and
Your first step toward a lasting change
Next time or first time you do Pilates exercises pay attention to where your head/ neck is when you are stationary, as well as when you are moving.
When you make the correction, you will feel the difference and discover that your abdominal muscles just contracted and you will feel aligned and centered.
The elongation, and decompression that occur in your neck lead to lasting results of improving neck health and posture.
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My goal is to reach as many people as I can to help them have a better quality of life through Pilates philosophy and movement technique.
Thank you :)
Joanna
Copyright@Harmonious Pilates, Inc 2023
