- What is Contrology
- Benefits of The Spine Twist
- You are in charge
- Recipe with Control Oolong Tea coming soon
Author: Andrea Cooper, Owner and Founder of PILATEA®
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What is Contrology
The original name of the Pilates Method was Contrology. Pilates and his wife finished developing the method in the early 1920’s and opened the ‘Body Conditioning Gym’ in 1926 in New York City. Contrology wasn’t changed to the Pilates Method until after Joseph Pilates’ death in 1967.
The principle, Control, is when you start learning deliberate command of your breath and body movements. Moving with intention gives you tutorship over your body and respect for it's present condition. You learn to move to your limits while still honoring your current limitations.
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Benefits of The Spine Twist
Rotating the spine helps you move in all directions more easily because most of the muscles attaching to the spine run obliquely (on an angle). So, twisting literally stretches AND strengthens muscles that help you side bend, flex, extend and rotate the spine. You can practice a spine twist and that one exercise packs a 4 in 1 punch.
Let's do a test.
Sitting in a chair with your feet comfortably apart, reach your arms forward and fold forward over your legs. You might notice your back is stiff and achy. Ok, let’s do some spine twists. Afterward we will repeat a forward fold.
Sit up straight and open your arms out to the side.
Inhale to prepare.
Exhale, twist to the right.
Look over your right shoulder.
Reach your arms apart from each other.
Inhale, return back to center.
Exhale, twist to the left.
Turn your head left.
Keep reaching through your arms.
Return to center.
Good! Again.
Inhale to prepare.
Exhale, twist right.
Lengthen your neck, arms and waist as you twist.
Inhale, return to center.
Exhale, twist left.
Get taller as you twist.
Return to center.
Now reach your arms forward and fold forward over your legs again. Can you bend with more ease?
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You are in charge
Step 4. Control: You are in charge. Restore your power by owning your journey.
Ok, we have seen the gap between where we are and where we want to be. Now what?
All sorts of things have contributed to where we are over which we have no control. Trauma, abuse, accidents, unforeseen health conditions, other people. Fortunately, we can practice managing how we treat ourselves and what steps we take to move forward.
Even if you aren’t fully responsible for your current situation, you are responsible for the change you want to create. The magic of having your journey be purely yours is that you have the power to do something about it.
Shift your inner dialogue from, “This is something that is happening to me” to “This is something that I might be allowing to happen and that I can change."
Taking responsibility of your journey moving forward will set you free and sanction your progress.
“The Pilates method teaches you to be in control of your body and not at its mercy.” -Joseph Pilates-
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Next Up
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* The information included in this website is not to be construed as or substituted for medical or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.