The third in our series of The Six Principles of Pilates is Control. Contrology, what Joseph Pilates called his method, is the "art of control". (Romana would always remind us that "He didn't want it named after himself!". Mind/Body connection. Willful execution of precise movement. If that sounds like a lot of work, you are 100% correct! It's one of the reasons I feel most people don't like Pilates. Not only are the movements hard to execute, but the effort to make it a beautiful dance is a whole other category. And when you see advanced Pilates at it's finest, that's exactly what it is, a beautiful dance.

Control. Sounds like something we need to get away from in life. Yet, when you truly understand the concept of "control", what you are really understanding is how it is executed, right? Like, control is not having "control" over others or situations. "Control" is having a deep connection within us. Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Again, a lot of work! Who wants to do that? When you start looking at the first three principles, you start to see that it's not just a bunch of exercises. You start to see and understand the method and the deep workout.

Think of all the mindless garbage that consumes our everyday lives. Go ahead, make a list. What jumps off the top of your head is easy. Anytime we are creating a new habit, think of all the work it takes to focus on just doing that one new habit! Maybe you consume three coffee's a day, and now you are only consuming two. Think of what it takes to make that happen until it starts to feel normal or comfortable. You have to go within yourself. It becomes a meditation. And mindful movement is just that, a mediation. A moving meditation. Get where it can become a beautiful dance? In movement and real life?

If you're someone like me, "control" can be a bit of an issue. I can overdue that aspect, if I'm not careful. This is where the more advanced principle of Flow becomes something I need to strive for, to get me moving and out of my head. I can overthink and not move or look to be so precise that I can beat an exercise to death. And that's not overall how Pilates is done. It's good to have laser focus when working on an exercise that may be harder for you to do, but your whole workout shouldn't be just a few exercises. Your workout should be as much as you can possibly do within an hour's time. That's how Romana taught, that's how Sari teaches. You have to be careful with wanting too much control. You know, just like real life. It can be harmful.

And if you're the opposite of me, and need to find a little control, maybe this principle is the one you work on a little more. For you, this may feel like you're being slowed down. It's probably not as bad as it feels. You're just not used to the feeling, and the best way to do Pilates is to feel!

Where are you in your Pilates workout? Are you familiar with this notion and execution in your movement? Feel free to reach out with any questions. I'd love to hear from you!

Love, Light, Pilates and Blessings,

Julia xo