Mindfulness at the End of Every Class

At the end of every Pilates session, we take five minutes for mindfulness and reflection. This is a gentle, intentional time to still the mind and relax the body, allowing the benefits of your practice to fully settle. Using the breath as a guide, we encourage deep relaxation, helping tension to melt away and creating a sense of calm and balance throughout the body.

Mindfulness is a vital part of wellbeing. It helps quiet the mental chatter, reduce stress, and cultivate awareness of the present moment. In Pilates, combining mindful movement with this short period of stillness enhances both physical and mental health, supporting resilience, focus, and a sense of inner calm.

This mindful closure is a beautiful way to finish each class — leaving you feeling cantered, refreshed, and deeply connected to your body and breath. It’s not just an end; it’s an essential part of the practice, reminding us that Pilates nourishes the body, mind, and spirit.

A sample closing reflection at the end of class

As we come to the end of our practice today, I would like you to take a quiet moment to recognise what you’ve just done for yourself.

It’s the middle of January. The days are short, the light is low, the warmth feels far away — and yet you showed up. You carved a precious hour out of busy lives, tired minds, long to-do lists, and chose to invest in your body and your future self. That choice alone is powerful.

In this hour you haven’t just “worked out.” You’ve gently pummelled and awakened every organ, encouraging circulation to flow more freely and digestion to find its natural rhythm again. You’ve invited synovial fluid to bathe your joints, oiling hinges that carry you through every single day. You’ve strengthened muscles you rely on without thinking, and lengthened the ones that quietly hold your posture, your balance, your confidence.

You’ve reminded your body how beautifully it is designed to move.

Pilates is subtle, but it is profound. It doesn’t shout — it whispers to the nervous system, settles the breath, reconnects mind and muscle, and rebuilds you from the inside out. And today, even in the heart of winter, when energy is scarce and the world feels a little heavier, you chose to honour yourself.

So, leave this room feeling taller, freer, more spacious — not just in your body, but in your spirit. Feel proud of yourself. This is what self-care really looks like: quiet, consistent, and deeply transformative.

Thank yourself for being here today. Your future body is already grateful

Strong Spine, Strong Life: The Power of Pilates for Spinal Health. 

Pilates can transform spinal health, not only by relieving pain or improving posture, but by restoring balance, awareness, and freedom in the body.

The Pilates Perspective on the Spine

Joseph Pilates called the spine the “tree of life.” He believed that a flexible spine is a youthful spine, and that “you’re only as old as your spine feels.”

Pilates doesn’t just strengthen muscles — it re-educates the body to move from its center, to support the spine with balance and control.

At the heart of Pilates is the concept of the “Powerhouse” — the deep muscles of the abdomen, back, pelvis, and hips. When this area is strong and active, the spine feels light, supported, and free to move.

When we talk about spinal health in Pilates, we’re not just talking about flexibility or strength. We’re talking about integration — how the spine and the rest of the body communicate and cooperate.

Your spine is your lifeline. It’s the bridge between your brain and your body, carrying every message that allows you to move, feel, and live. It’s also a storyteller. It tells the story of how you sit, how you stand, how you manage stress, and even how you feel emotionally.

But for most of us, the story has a few plot twists: Hours sitting at a desk. Looking down at our phones. Carrying tension in the neck or lower back. That’s where Pilates comes in — not as a quick fix, but as a re-education in how to move from the inside out.

The Marvel of the Spine

Imagine the spine like a stack of pearls — 33 vertebrae, each separated by tiny discs that act like cushions. Those pearls form three natural curves:

· A gentle curve at the neck — the cervical spine — supporting the head like a balancing globe.

· A wider curve in the chest — the thoracic spine — anchoring the ribs and protecting the heart and lungs.

· A deeper curve in the lower back — the lumbar spine — your main weight-bearing powerhouse.

When those curves are balanced, energy flows smoothly through the body. But when we slouch, twist awkwardly, or tighten certain muscles, those curves lose their harmony. The spine stiffens, discs compress, and pain whispers — sometimes shouts — for attention.

Pilates teaches us to restore the natural S-shape, bringing length and buoyancy back into the spine — like re-stringing a musical instrument so it can play in tune again.

The Muscular Symphony Supporting the Spine

Your spine doesn’t stand alone — it’s supported by a team of muscles that need to work in harmony. Here are some of the key players.

1. The Hamstrings – The Gentle Anchors

The hamstrings run down the back of your thighs. When they’re tight, they pull on the pelvis, tucking it under and flattening the natural lumbar curve. That’s one reason many people feel lower back tension after long periods of sitting.

Pilates Solution: In movements like the Roll Down or Spine Stretch Forward, we lengthen the hamstrings gently while keeping the spine articulated. Imagine peeling your spine off the wall one vertebra at a time — the more those hamstrings release, the freer your lower back becomes.

2. The Hip Flexors – The Gatekeepers of the Hips

The hip flexors, especially the psoas, connect your spine directly to your legs. When they’re short or overactive, they pull the lumbar spine forward, exaggerating its curve and creating compression.

Pilates Solution: Exercises like the Lunge Stretch or Leg Circles on the mat open the hip flexors and remind the body how to move with balance. In Single Leg Stretch, for example, you maintain core control while lengthening the leg away — training the hip flexors to work without stealing stability from the spine.

3. The Quadratus Lumborum (QL) – The Silent Stabiliser

The QL sits deep in the lower back, connecting your ribs to your pelvis — a kind of internal guy wire on each side. If one side is tighter or stronger than the other, it can tilt the pelvis, creating asymmetry and lower back pain. The QL muscles will also overcompensate if the glutes, hips, TA are weak and not showing up and doing the job they are designed for, causing a grumpy, dull, tired feeling in the lower back – sound familiar?

Pilates Solution: Side-bending movements like Mermaid Stretch or Side Kick Series strengthen and lengthen the QL evenly. Picture your ribs gliding away from your hips like an accordion opening — that’s your QL finding its balance.

4. The Magic Muscle: Your Transverse Abdominis (TA)

The Transverse Abdominis (TA) is often called the “magic muscle” in Pilates — and for good reason.

It’s the deepest layer of your abdominal muscles, wrapping around your torso like a natural corset.

When it’s strong and activated, it gently pulls your tummy in, supports your spine, and stabilises your whole body from the inside out.

When it’s weak or inactive, the spine is like a tent without tension in its ropes — unstable and vulnerable. When it’s strong, every movement feels lighter and safer.

Pilates Solution: In exercises like Hundred, Pelvic Curl, or Dead Bug, we draw the navel gently inward and upward on the exhale. That deep engagement supports the lumbar spine, protecting it during motion. You can even feel it now: take a breath in, and as you exhale, imagine zipping up from pubic bone to navel — that’s your TVA waking up to hug your spine.

In a nutshell, your TA muscle:

1. Protects Your Spine – The TA acts like a built-in back brace, keeping your spine safe during movement.

2. Improves Posture – With better core support, you naturally stand taller and move more gracefully.

3. Flattens the Belly – Because it tightens inward (not outward like crunches), it helps create a slimmer, stronger waistline.

4. Enhances Balance & Control – A stable core means smoother, more controlled movements — the essence of Pilates!

5. Reduces Back Pain – Supporting the lower back takes pressure off your spine and relieves tension.

Learning to activate and strengthen your TA can truly transform how you move, stand, and feel every day. It gives you inner strength, spinal protection, and a sense of confidence and control in your body — both in Pilates and in daily life.

When all of these muscles are strong and balanced- in harmony, your spine feels lighter, longer, more mobile and will sing a beautiful tune.

The Origins - Who Was Joseph Pilates?

Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in a town called Mönchengladbach in 1883. 

As a young man, Joseph Pilates was a sickly child. He suffered from rheumatic fever, rickets, and asthma. He was so affected, in fact, that his parents were told he may die as a child. Defiantly, Joseph Pilates did not give up or wallow in his illness.

Instead, Joseph Pilates dedicated himself to getting his body back in shape through physical training. He also went outside to exercise and focused on improving his breathing to better his asthma.

At the age of 19, Joseph Pilates took his newfound fitness skills on the road. He began making a living as a circus performer and professional boxer in England.

World War I was about to begin, and as a German, this meant Joseph Pilates would have to go into a British enemies citizens internment camp on English territory. At the camp, Joseph Pilates assisted others in recuperating from injuries. This was done through therapeutic exercises. He removed and attached bed springs to the beds the soldiers were lying in. In this way, he created resistance machines using the bed springs that the ailing soldiers could work out with.

After the war, Joseph moved back to Germany to continue his work on various types of physical exercises. This included working as a physical trainer for the Hamburg military police for a short time where he focused on self defence and other exercises. Before World War II, he left Germany for the United States. Joseph met Clara, his future wife, on the passenger ship that brought him there.

Together, he and his wife Clara (a nurse) opened a fitness studio in New York City in the 1920's. It specialised in what they called Contrology, a type of fitness they invented.

Contrology (later to become “Pilates”), focused on core strength, alignment of the spine, and awareness of the breath. Their studio became famous throughout New York and trained those who are known as the Pilates elders. The Pilates taught together until the 1960's.