Centering is one of the Six Principles of Pilates. In order they read: Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath, Flow. Looking at them, one gets an idea of how the Method works. There is an order and design of development. Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. You can envision the whole, and yet see where an individual may work. They are always all worked on in a session, and yet, there is more focus depending on the student/client working.

Back to Centering. Being taught by Romana and Sari, this is the constant focus. Everything came back to this spot, no matter how advanced you were in your body or the Method. Granted, the more advanced the individual, the less they are only focusing on Centering. At that point, they are more working on Precision, Breath and Flow. That's why when you see Advanced Pilates, it looks like a dance.

I find Centering one of the hardest principles, ideas, to get across to a client. Luckily, it's something I've had to work hard on from the inside out. I have Scoliosis. My "natural" center is sitting off to my left hip, and twisting/collapsing in my left side. When I would be adjusted on the Reformer, it felt off or uneven. Uncomfortable. I would move my body back to what felt comfortable. Until my teacher had me look at my body during the correction, I didn't understand. It didn't feel correct. Yet visually, I could see the correction that needed to be made. It was working to hold all of that and do the movement. See the progression: Centering, Concentration, Control.

This is where I try to guide clients. Through this feeling. Because I believe one of the best ways to do Pilates is feeling! And that can be a challenge, too. Not everyone understands their own feelings. Right? There's a book by Louise Hay, "You Can Heal Your Life", where she guides you to understand feeling in your body. We all have feelings, and yet even when we are consciously working on them, it's not always easy to distinguish.

I like to get clients feeling their body in many ways. One is by trying to make them aware of their body in a session. Sometimes it's just the act of paying attention. Not that you may be able to adjust anything in the body or exercise. The focus may just be awareness. If they have a decent awareness, I move the focus to feeling what the awareness. Some will be able to feel it, some not right away. Depending on what they are able to feel, I may move the said exercise to another piece of apparatus. The whole point of using the equipment is to help create an opposition in the body. If you can't seem to find it in one place, try another. Just like "real life". Sometimes it's not the apparatus you may use to find the body, it may be another exercise. Maybe you're doing trying to get them to carve into their Powerhouse, and yet to find out how to do that you may need to take them out of their Powerhouse. It's being open. It's being aware. It's being committed to doing the work.

Not all clients will be interested in doing this work. You try to read their body and move them forward safely. It doesn't mean they can't do more advanced exercises. It's just finding what will work, and give them a workout. Pilates is a workout!

How do you work on Centering in your body? What has helped you progress? What is it that still mystifies you? I would love to hear from!

Love, Light and Blessings,

Julia