What is 'PILATES'?

Pilates is a form of exercise that was developed in the 1920s by Joseph Hubertus Pilates (1880 – 1967). Having grown up weak and sickly, he suffered from a variety of diseases during his youth. Determined to overcome his weaknesses, Joseph Pilates began exercising and developing his own methods to achieve greater health. Over time, he became a competitive athlete in gymnastics, diving, and skiing.

Pilates was not always named after its creator. Originally, Joseph Pilates called his system Contrology, focusing on the foundational principles of mind-body control and core strength. He began teaching his system in London, England during WWI while being detained because of his nationality on the Isle of Man. During this period Joseph Pilates was able to further develop his methods and raise the health of other internees and disabled individuals in the camp hospital.

Eventually, Joseph Pilates immigrated to the United States where he was able to set up a training center in New York City with his wife. His methods quickly became popular with dancers, gymnasts, actors, and other athletes for the superior levels of body control his students developed.

Joseph Pilates continued the development of his methods for over 80 years. During this time, his students were primarily fit and healthy individuals, which lead to many advanced forms of training that required complex machines to perform the exercises. After his death, many of the well-trained students brought his methods to a greater population by focusing on the needs of beginners.

Principles of Pilates

Pilates incorporates a variety of principles reflecting the influences of yoga, Alexander Technique, meditation, gymnastics, and dance. Pilates instruction always includes the following principles to maintain its efficiency and effectiveness.

Concentration

During each Pilates exercise, keep the mind alert by focusing on every movement. This will develop the mind-body connection, allowing you to relax and use only the necessary muscles. The cultivation of mindfulness on the action you are performing will enhance your control of the mind in all aspects of life.

Control

Each movement should be performed precisely to work the muscles effectively and avoid injury. You will develop this ability gradually by repeating the exercises with consciousness. You may not be able to move your body in the ideal manner initially, but your ability to control your body will increase with each Pilates session.

Center

The source of the body's power and movement originates from an area that Pilates instructors often refer to as the core or powerhouse. The muscles of the abdomen, hips, and lower back form this center. They function to stabilize and protect the body during movement.

Breath

Correct breathing is essential to health. It is common to either hold your breath or improperly breathe using only the upper third of the lung during exercise. Pilates trains you to perform lateral breathing using the diaphragm that allows the lungs to more effectively expand and achieve maximum efficiency of breathe. During Pilates exercises, it is important to exhale during exertion and inhale during recovery.

Fluidity

Each movement during Pilates should be performed in a flowing manner, avoiding jerky movements. Each exercise should be continuously with no breaks or variations in the speed of movement. By developing this fluid feel, you will cultivate the graceful movement of a dancer.

Precision

The performance of each movement in Pilates requires precision. Practice may be necessary to develop a through understanding of the exercises; however, learning the exact movements will prevent injury and provide maximum health benefit.

Routine

Repeated practice is an essential component of developing your mind-body connection and strengthening your body. Following a pre-determined routine for successive Pilates sessions will allow you to familiarize yourself with the mechanics of each exercise, developing deeper connections with each session.

Isolation

Isolation involves the focus of your mind on the specific muscles used during a movement. By mentally connecting with each Pilates movement, you will increase your mind's specific control of each part of your body. This ability will eventually allow you coordinate and balance your entire body with every movement.

Thai Massage

In its native tongue, Thai Massage is called Nuat Phaen Boran, which translates as Ancient Massage or Traditional Massage. Thai Massage is also often referred to as Traditional Thai Massage, Thai Yoga Massage, Passive Yoga, or Assisted Yoga. The development of Thai Massage started approximately 2,500 years ago with Shivago Komarpaj, also known as Jivaka Kumarabhacca; a traditional Ayurvedic doctor who was the personal physician to the Buddha. Over time, this system of massage traveled across Asia to Thailand, with the Buddhist religion. Along the way, elements of Chinese Medicine were incorporated into the methods of Thai Massage.

Today, there are several different styles of Thai Massage practiced all over Thailand. The most prominent style of Thai Massage is taught at Wat Pho, a temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Many foreigners travel to the northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai to learn from a long-standing branch of the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Massage School.

What is a Thai Massage Like?

Thai Massage is often described as a unique blend of acupressure, reflexology, and yoga stretches. Thai Medicine combines both Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine theory. A person’s life force circulates their body through energy pathways called sen, similar in layout to Chinese Medicine’s meridians and Ayurveda’s nadis. While there are thousands of sen in the body, most Thai Massage focuses on treating specific acupressure points along the 10 most important sen.

Thai Massage is considered a spiritual practice for both the practitioner and patient. Each session is traditionally begun and ended with a prayer, honoring the teacher. Specific precepts are followed by traditional practitioners to maintain Buddhist morality, humility, and cleanliness of mind and body.

When you receive Thai Massage, it is customary to be fully clothed except for your feet and wearing pajamas or other loose clothing. Thai Massage is given on a mat laid upon the floor, with no oils being used during the treatment. In some cases, a steamed herbal liniment may be applied with a towel to the skin; the combination of heat and herbs enhances the healing process.

Thai Massages start with you lying on your back, and with the practitioner beginning by working on your feet. Foot massage is an important component of Thai Massage and is also practiced independently of full body massages. The practitioner continues by massaging your body through a series of choreographic movements. These movements resemble various yoga postures; however, they do not require any effort by you. This aspect of Thai Massage has led some to playfully call it “lazy man’s yoga”, since the practitioner does all the work of stretching your body. The practitioner utilizes both of their hands and feet to position and counter-balance your body into the various stretches. The combination of gentle pressure all over your body and the passive stretching will open the energy lines in your body, improving your health. The coordination of both patient and practitioner moving into these postures can also help you to relax and let go, allowing your body to be moved beneficially.

A full Thai Massage can last over two hours, as every part of your body is massaged and stretched. While this may seem long to some people, the meditative atmosphere and relaxed state of your body will allow the time to pass quickly.