How Pilates Assists in Transformation

Pilates is a major catalyst for transformation. I have witnessed Pilates change people. This change often starts in the mind. Pilates helps you to see what your body can do. There are lots of times I ask a student to do something and they respond with my least favorite phrase, I can’t. The funny thing is most of the time they can do it and they do. There is often a look of surprise on their face when they do the thing. They are surprised they can do it. They are surprised that it wasn’t as hard as they thought. Maybe it was hard but they were able to accomplish it anyway. This is one of my favorite parts of being a Pilates teacher. Seeing the student have a doubt about their abilities and then seeing the look on their face when they bust that myth right way.

I won’t try to hoodwink you and tell you Pilates is easy, because it’s not easy. Pilates is challenging because it asks for complete coordination of body, mind and spirit. If you are thinking about what you need to buy at Target, instead of what your body is doing, your experience will be different than if you are focused on your body. Pilates asks you to leave your troubles at the door. Pilates asks you to give your all to each repetition of each exercise. Pilates asks you to use what you have and let go of what you don’t. If you tried lifting your head off the mat and that did not work for you no problem. You can modify and you can do it without judging yourself or the movement.

Pilates asks for consistency. If you continue to show up and do the work you will see results. Change will occur on some level. Maybe it starts with your mindset. Maybe you are able to let go of the lack of belief in yourself and your body. Maybe you learn to trust yourself a little more. Maybe you learn to say I’ll try instead of I can’t. Pilates is the act of practicing the movement. Pilates is not the art of perfecting the movement. Practice of Pilates can make you really confident in the movement. The confidence the movement provides spreads throughout your body and eventually reaches your mind. When you are super confident in your body that confidence often translates to other parts of your life. I have seen students use that confidence in themselves to transform their lives. They have stood up for themselves at work. They have left bad relationships. They have looked fear in the face and said no thank you. They have used that confidence to do things they always wanted to do but fear held them back in the past. Having confidence in your body and it’s abilities will help you to do so many things.

I have watched my own body transform. When I got back into Pilates consistently in 2010 I developed strength that was lacking from a 15 year battle with Lyme Disease. Before I got back into consistent Pilates with an instructor and on my own, my muscles had atrophied. I couldn’t stand up after sitting for a long period of time. My legs gave out and I fell in the floor. I couldn’t hold onto pencils without dropping them ten times. Nine years later, I help pick up people. I can not only support my own body, but I can help support the bodies of my students. My atrophied muscles have new life and definition. My constant pain has turned into a less frequent annoyance. I am strong and confident in myself and my body now. I don’t worry about my ability to do an exercise. I instead see what I am capable of and what I might need to work toward. Writing this post has helped me to see how far I’ve come. I have stood up for myself. I let go of bad relationships. I take risks. I pursued and achieved things I never thought possible for myself. I learned to say I’ll try instead of I can’t. How has Pilates helped you transform? It’s more than just your body. I would love to hear about your experience or experiences from your clients! Let me know in the comments!