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Mentoring Refined Pilates Teachers

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Blog, Fun, Online Classes, Original Pilates Equipment., Pilates, Pilates Instructor Training

✨ PERFECTING THE SWAN ON THE HIGH BARREL ✨

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I love the high barrel as a piece of equipment and the round surface of the barrel is friendly towards the body, and the feeling of being high up gives you a different perspective. For older students, it’s a change to be looking and perceiving, from a higher place.

Starting position

Always really take your time to set up your starting position. Avoid rushing. If you start well, the rest of the exercise will follow in a good way

Lie over the top of the barrel spread your toes and place them on the lower rung of the barrel. Wiggle them before to get a sense of the space between the toes. The toes are apart and the heels together, in a soft “V” or first position. The knees are open shoulder width apart. It’s important to engage as many of the toes as you can on the lower rung because they will be an important site support when you start the exercise.

Draping yourself over the barrel, on your tummy, make sure that the hips are on the same level as the shoulders. Relax in the hip joint and allow the coccyx, or tailbone, to soften and hang towards gravity.

The softly, straight, arms are relaxed forward, next to your ears. Make sure the head is completely surrendered towards gravity. I find it useful to relax between the top vertebra of the neck and the vertebra that is melded in to your occiput.

Remember that your pubic phone will always be in touch with the surface of the barrel, especially when you go into the arches. It is a site of support, it supports your arch, so it is , leans against the surface of the barrel.

TAKE A NICE DEEP BREATH IN

The breathing is rich but never strained.

The breath always initiates the movement. It starts just a little bit before the movement.

Make sure that your toes, the pads of your toes, are strongly against the bar, feel the pubic bone firmly against the surface of the barrel and begin the third spinal succession following the front surface of the spine sending one vertebrae at a time up and back, opening spaces between each vertebra. Look at my previous blog where the third spinal succession is explained in detail. https://jennycolebourne.com/the-third-spinal-succession/ The process starts at the toes, ends up at the top of the head, culminating in you feeling an energetic line extending from the top of the head. 

The arms come naturally up next to the ears.

It’s very important to be very soft at the back of you, very soft in between the shoulder blades. Softening in that space, helps you open the collarbone and send the shoulder joint back of the collarbone. The spinal succession is always the first thing to study after that you can begin, “decorating the cake” Begin enhancing the movement with the breath. Let the in breath take the ribs up and back supporting your arch.

BREATHE OUT FULLY

Send very positive energy from the toes, in between the legs, out through the centre of the spine, moving into the second position of the spine, on a diagonal. The spine is straight. When I say the spine is straight, it’s moving along an axis, the natural curves of the spine, and the flexibility of the spine, are still present on that axis. It feels a little bit like you’re superwoman or superman as you lengthen forward. The legs straighten, the crown of the head is lengthening on a diagonal forward. if you would like more details about the second position of the spine, and how to achieve it, check out my blog . https://jennycolebourne.com/second-spinal-succession-and-position-for-refined-pilates-and-yoga/

BREATHE IN EASILY AND DEEPLY

When you breathe, it should be rich but easeful. Never strain.

This time be very firm with the legs. They stay straight. You may feel the movement more restricted. Avoid your thoughts getting stuck there. Follow the instructions for the third position of the spine. As you arch, feel the energy passing up from the pads of the toes, through the front of the legs, through the front of the vertebrae.  It is even more important to be very soft at the back of you, at the same time, as you really use the pads of your feet and press with them. Feel energy passing from the parts of your toes out through the fingertips.

BREATHE OUT COMPLETELY

You have two movements on the out breath.  

Return, using your feet, using the straight energetic line  to go to the diagonal, superwoman, superman, second position of the spine, a straight spine, lengthening out of the crown of the head. 

Then you bend your knees and relax back down into the beginning position, being careful to keep the shoulders in in the same line as the hips. Relax the hip joint and let the tail hang.

REPETITIONS

The Swan is repeated, with care and attention to detail, 3 to 5 times

Each repetition is different. 

Listen to the body and respond to the changes that occur throughout the movement.

The Swan is an intermediate exercise. It is an exercise that calls for flow and grace.

EVERYONE CAN ENJOY THIS EXERCISE

As long as attention and loving care are applied to the details of how we do each movement, to a certain extent these things are covered in our basic lessons, that prepare us for a more advanced Pilates practice, as long as this is paid attention to, I see no reason why most people of all ages shouldn’t do the exercise of all ages do this exercise with the exception of pregnant mothers after the third month

The Swan is wonderful for everyone. It’s fun. It’s pleasurable.

 It’s particularly beneficial to people that have tendency to kyphosis and to scoliosis.

Enjoy being a swan on the High Barrel.

Thank you to Anastazia Filippopoulou, my teacher trainee, for letting me take these photographs and to share them with you.

Check out the video of the Swan on High Barrel on You Tube https://youtu.be/px6leaEHyEI
Blog

ELEGANT FREE LONG LEG EXTENSIONS

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PART 1

PART 1

P

Leg extensions are beautiful.

When a movement is done beautifully, it is “right”.

When a movement is done beautifully, with harmony, it heals.

art 1.RLeg extensions are beautiful. When a movement is done beautifully, it is “right”.When a movement is done beautifully, with harmony, it heals.

When a movement is done beautifully, it brings joy to the soul.

When a movement is done beautifully, to the person doing, it feels good, to the person observing it, it is art.

This experience is available to all humans. There are no age, race, body type barriers.

To do a movement beautifully it takes time, patience, discipline, awareness, open mindedness and love. It is never achieved through forcing.

It is worth it.

There are many places and ways of approaching the elegant, long leg. This is just one, and the principals of it can be applied to many movements in Pilates, Yoga and life.

PLEASE REFER TO MY BLOG ON LEG ALIGNMENT. ALL OF THE PRINCIPLES OF LEG ALIGNMENT ARE APPLIED HERE. https://jennycolebourne.com/good-leg-alignment-is-essential-for-everyone/

STARTING PLACE

It is always important to start well.

Lie on your back. 

Start by being humble.

Start by paying attention to your body, as it is at this point in time, without any need to judge it.

THE BEST WAY TO START A PILATES, YOGA, REIKI, CRANIAL SACRAL SESSION OR DANCE PRACTICE.

There is no separation between body, mind and spirit.

We are magnificent. We are much more than we realise.

Whatever happens, avoid judging anything. STOP criticising. Experience, explore and enjoy your whole self, in either movement, or stillness.

Take the stance that you do not “know” anything. Leave yourself available to new experiences, and leave the door open, to be surprised.

So let’s say we are lying down ( we can practice these principles just as easily sitting or standing).

Let your brain relax and begin sensing the body, through the cells of the body.

I grew up, as a dancer, learning the mind/ body connection. Bossing and pushing my body around with my brain. It is only quite recently, through Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, to whom I am eternally grateful, that I started to explore, connecting with my body directly through the cells. I, now, find it crazy that I didn’t do this before! There are millions of cells in the body all carrying not only information about, how that part of the body was formed, how it is now, and it’s ancestry.

The nice thing is that, it is direct information, with total lack of judging.

GRAVITY

Surrender the whole of the back of your body to gravity. Be aware that this very different to pushing the back into the floor. Evtually you will have a feeling of being supported.

BREATH

Float on the breath. Let the breath flow, naturally, with ease.

NOTE

All of the above are continuous explorations. We become more and more familiar with them.

THE TRIANGLE OF THE PELVIS

The “triangle of the pelvis” includes the pubic synthesis and the front edges of the iliac crests. These three, boney points, are parallel to the floor, throughout this exercise. At no point does the pubic synthesis go back or front of the front of the iliac crests.  

Decide which side of your body is more present. Let’s say it is the left side.

BREATHE IN 

Bend the left knee into the chest. Keep the leg in parallel.

Place the hands, one on top of the other just below the knee at the beginning of the shin bone.

The elbows are bent to the side and the shoulders are relaxed. Surrender the weight of the upper back to gravity.

BREATHE OUT

Gently pull the knee into the chest, maintaining the parallel position. Make sure the two halves of the pelvis are evenly on the mat.

BREATHE IN

Hold the knee where it has arrived to.

BREATHE OUT

Make sure the two halves of the back of pelvis are evenly on the mat. Relax, very deep in front of the hip joint. Gently pull the knee into the chest, maintaining the parallel position.

BREATHE IN

Maintain the position of the knee.

BREATHE OUT

Relax the lower back and ease the knee further into the chest, maintaining the parallel position. Make sure the triangle of the pelvis is parallel to the floor.

BREATHE IN

Don’t allow the knee to move out of the stretch.

BREATHE OUT

Relax the back of the thigh and ease the knee further into the chest. Maintain the parallel position. Make sure the two halves of the back of pelvis are evenly on the mat.

BREATHE IN

Fill the back of the lungs with air. Maintain the position of the knee.

BREATHE OUT

Notice if you have any personal areas of tightness or unease. Use your out breath to soften and relax there. See if you can ease the knees closer.

BREATHE IN

Surrender the weight of the upper back to gravity. Maintain the position of the knee.

BREATHE OUT

Very consciously relax and let go of the other leg. Let it hang down.

BREATHE IN

Release the left leg. Let it slide down, along the floor.

BREATHE EASILY

Give yourself time to notice how the left leg feels in comparison the the right.

When you are ready, start on the other side.

NOTE

Take your time. As you become more familiar with recognising personal areas of tightness and resistance you may not need to go through this specific sequence. Your practice will become more personalised. Just make sure you give yourself the luxury of plenty of time and always do the same amount of breaths on each side. Even if, one side is more apparently problematic that the other.

Thank you Sophia Karasso, dancer and Refined Pilates Teacher Training student for posing for the photos and doing the short videos.

Blog

THE FOOT WORK ON THE PILATES REFORMER IS THERAPEUTIC FOR BACK PAIN. PART 2.

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Part 2

BREATHE DEEPLY AND EASILY

Don’t be afraid to experiment with breath. Pilates did! 

Jerome Andrews taught us exercises with “sighing” breath, for releasing; holding the the breath out, to utilise the healing effect, of the *“still point” and deep, rich in breaths, followed by a soft, blowing, long, out breath. All of these are different and serve different purposes  and intentions. 

When we release the breathing diaphragm, we release the largest concentration of fascia in our body. This alone can result in relief from back pain.

Colour the breath. Fill it with intention. Breathing in power and energy. Breathing out tension, negative thoughts and judgements of our body. 

Let go of the old. Draw in, the the new and the positive.

NEVER FORCE YOUR BREATH

Over time the muscles supporting your breathing system will strengthen. The tension patterns in the fascia of the breathing diaphragm will release and let go. The breath will naturally expand. Until then go with what is easy for you. Float on the breath.

USE YOUR BREATH INTENTIONALLY.

Breath is a conduit to filling each of your cells not just with oxygen, but with positive energy.

Here is an example to practice.

Today:-

Each time I breathe in I think. 

“I breathe in energy.” I have practiced this when coming to an ashtanga practice, seemly exhausted, and not knowing how I will get through it. It works! I was so surprised at my practice that day. I started feeling by I might not get through it and finished with the glow and satisfaction of a deep session. I can’t remember what happened exactly but it was good.

“I breathe in light.”

“I breathe in strength.”

“I breathe in clarity.”

“I breathe in knowledge.”

“I breathe in change.”

“I breathe in perfect leg alignment.”

Make an ever expanding personal list and chose one to focus on. 

The out breath is a letting go process.

“I breathe out tiredness.”

“I breathe out previous negative thoughts about my body.”

“I breathe out and I surrender more to gravity.”

“I breathe out, and use my sites of support, to release my joints, and keep them relaxed.”

“I breathe out and feel my spine long and relaxed.”

FLOAT ON YOUR BREATH. FLOAT ON HAPPINESS.

BREATHING EASILY IS FREEDOM. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

HAVE YOU OBSERVED PEOPLE WITH SCOLIOSIS, KYPHOSIS DO NOT BREATHE EASILY?

Using the breath well will help these students overcome their problems.

PEOPLE WHO ARE ANXIOUS MAKE THEIR BREATHING SMALL.

It is like they want to hide and to make themselves as small as possible. Deep, regular breathing gives a sense of calm, peace and focus.

THE BREATHING IN THE FOOT WORK ON THE PILATES REFORMER PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN HEALING BACK PAIN.

I chose even breaths. The in breath lasts as long as the out breath. The in breath is strong as the out breath. It is like a circle. I find the Ujjayi breath from yoga is the most effective. Students’ breathing rapidly improves as does their focus. It is a strong practice.

Variation 1

Let’s chose a breath pattern for our foot work. Let’s choose BREATHE OUT to push out and BREATHE IN to come down. 

I know this is the opposite way to the way to the way it is often taught. 

Ok. What does this way offer?

When you BREATHE OUT the breathing diaphragm goes up. This gives you more space, internally, to energise the muscles of the pelvic floor for support.

When you BREATHE OUT the belly naturally drops. Take advantage of nature and allow the deep abdominal muscles to drop and engage, naturally, without tension.

When you BREATHE OUT it is a process of surrender and therefore as we travel back we can enhance the sense of surrendering the back of the body to gravity. 

Once again, THIS IS NOT PUSHING THE BACK DOWN. 

Surrendering the upper back in this way, magically releases, the habitual tension, in the shoulders and upper back. Watch magic happen!

So what does the IN BREATH on the way down offer us?

We can learnt use THE IN BREATH in such a way that we emphasise filling the back of the lungs. This helps us once again to come into touch ever more deeply with the back of the body’s connection with the surface of the bed and the surrendering to gravity.

THE IN BREATH has a sense of suspension. Dancers use it, to seem to hover in the air, at the height of a jump.

THE IN BREATH naturally creates more space between the last rib and the iliac crests. It literally creates more space in the spine. 

Expansion. 

We can consciously use this to open up the spaces between each vertebra. 

Variation 2.

CHANGING THE BREATH TO THE OTHER WAY ROUND

CHANGING THE BREATH TO THE OTHER WAY ROUND is not wrong. 

It offers the feeling as you push out of filling the back of the lungs and emphasising the connection with the back of the body to the surface of the mat, of being supported, of taking in energy.

The out breath on the way down can be used to release tension in the joints, and be more relaxed.

WE NEED TO BE RELAXED TO BREATH WELL.

I just prefer the first way. I can get more juice out of the exercise.

Variation 3. 

WHAT IF WE USE MORE BREATHS?

Aaaa this is my favourite way:

BREATHE OUT to push out. Read all the notes above and from the previous blog.

BREATH IN AT THE TOP OF THE MOVEMENT AND STAY.

Visualise a line of light extending back in the space above the crown of the head. ( The point where the sutures meet, about one third back from the hair line, the place that is soft on a baby.)

Our imagination is a powerful tool and just doing this will create more space in the spine.

Be careful not to change the position of your ankles.

BREATHE OUT. STAY WHERE YOU ARE.

Feel like you are hanging from that line of light all the way down to your toes, arches or heels (depending on which position of the feet you are using). 

Consciously release any tension you may have mistakenly placed in the hip joints.

If you are working in parallel. Visualise the angle of your thigh bones. Check this out in your favourite anatomy book! Many, many, many of of us carry a mistaken image of our thigh bones in our psyche. 

Double check if your tail bones are released, the end of your spine. This can result is a deep pain relief at the base of the spine and a widening at the back of the pelvis.

BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT A NEW SENSATION IN YOUR BODY. 

It can be a bit scary.

BREATHE IN. THE MACHINE  WILL STAY WHERE IT IS for the very first part of the movement to travel down. 

Careful not to change your ankles if you are on the toes. 

Continue to feel like the line extending from the crown of the head is being pulled out into the space behind you. As our beloved Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen says “space has magnetism”. 

Careful not to accidentally tense any part of the spine.

The machine will stay for the first part of the movement BECAUSE YOU HAVE LENGTHENED AND CREATED MORE SPACE IN THE SPINE.

You will get taller with each repetition.

You will feel a pleasant opening in the front of the hip joints which is super therapeutic.

Follow the instructions above and in the previous blog to come down. 

REMEMBER WHEN YOU GO TO PUSH OUT AGAIN YOU WILL BE IN A NEW POSITION OF THE BODY. BE CONSCIOUS, AWARE AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.

This is why the Pilates method does not have many repetitions. 

Each time is different. 

Each repetition evokes further change.

Just in case you missed it this is the link for part 1. https://jennycolebourne.com/the-foot-work-on-the-pilates-reformer-is-therapeutic-for-back-pain/

These are the links to some You Tube videos about foot work on the Reformer that you may find interesting.

https://youtu.be/Vnfw4wkG35k

https://youtu.be/zvWamobo9FI

https://youtu.be/7oYZGrLAOw8

  • “The Still Point” is a description used in Cranial Sacral Therapy. The body comes to a place of quiet, where the cranial rhythms stop. This can last a varying amount of time. The system spontaneously starts up again, often in a more balanced, easeful way.

During the “still point” the body can go into an unwinding process. The unwinding movements come from deep in the body, and can range from small and subtle, to quite large. They happen spontaneously and have nothing to do with the logical mind. It is important not to judge them because the results are always therapeutic/positive. “Still Points” can occur during movements or exercises. The Head Stand in yoga is said to bring you into this state. The 100s in Pilates, with the breath held out, as Jerome taught it, can lead us into a “still point”. 

Blog, Jerome Andrews, Refined Pilates

THE THIRD SPINAL SUCCESSION

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Jerome Andrews told we that Pilates referred to the arching of the back as the “Third Spinal Succession” and an arched position as the “Third Position” of the Spine.

Refer to my blogs for detailed descriptions of all the other spinal positions and successions. https://jennycolebourne.com/jerome-andrews-pilates-the-first-spinal-succession/ https://jennycolebourne.com/second-spinal-succession-and-position-for-refined-pilates-and-yoga/ https://jennycolebourne.com/fourth-spinal-succession-the-mermaid/

Pilates believed that a flexible strong spine was healthy. We need to move the spine fully in all directions.

HE CONSTANTLY MOVED BEYOND HIS PERCEIVED LIMITATIONS.

I understood from Jerome that it was required, (especially as a dancer), that he move right to the end of a movement, and then he explored how to go safely beyond that. He constantly moved beyond his perceived limitations.

DEEP WORK TRANSFORMS A PERSON PHYSICALLY PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY 

Such deep work transforms a person physically, psychologically and spiritually. 

This transformation is not done by forcing and pushing (there is enough abuse in our world) but by a keen awareness of the body, at each moment in time, focus, and detailed, dedicated application of the principals of the method, the technique. Pilates stressed concentration as a key factor. For sure you need concentration, meticulous application and a deep, non judgemental relationship with the body.

TRULY MOVE VERTEBRA BY VERTEBRA BONE BY BONE

As with all the spinal successions it is important to move, truly, not approximately, truly, vertebra by vertebra, bone by bone. If you practice this with awareness you will never injure yourself. 

Each succession can be initiated at the tip of the tail, or coccyx, which comes all the way down to the level of the anus. Or it can start from the top of the spine. I think of the bones of the skull as the first vertebrae. This is how it is thought of in cranial sacral therapy. It makes sense, as the brain and the spine are one system, A system embraced and supported by the cerebral spinal fluid.

Depending on the movement the succession goes from top to bottom or bottom to top.

THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SPINE HAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FEEL, DESIGN AND QUALITY

When moving into the “Third Spinal Succession” our focus is on the front edge of the spine. It is important to be aware that the front edge of the spine has a completely different feel, design and quality from the back edge of the spine. It is a different experience. The spaces in between the vertebrae open like fans.

In order to allow this huge opening in the front of the body, the back of the body needs to be soft. It partners the front of the body by narrowing, not be forcing, but rather by surrender.

  THE THIRD SPINAL SUCCESSION IS ECSTATIC

An arching movement is ecstatic. Special filming techniques reveal that there are small “explosions” in the chakras at the front of the body. These “explosions” lead to a person being more open. It is not just physically beautiful.

EMOTIONAL RELEASE

I remember quite early on in my career I was teaching a beautiful, professional, contemporary dancer. We had come to the end of class and I asked her to do a relaxation on the Spine Corrector. This exercise involved arching back over the barrel. Suddenly she burst into tears. She cried and cried. Although it was the first time that I had experienced a student having such an emotional release. I knew it was possible, in theory, and here it was happening before my eyes. I knew enough to give her the space to cry. Afterwards she shared with me that although she was very flexible, and a beautiful mover, she had always felt a small area of tightness in the chest. She said that when she did the exercise she felt like an energetic “pop” and burst into tears. It was completely unexpected. After she cryed, the tightness was gone.

You might want to look at this “Down Stretch” video as an example of “Third  Spinal Succession”. https://youtu.be/X2kwH1LvnyI 
Blog, Pilates, Pilates Instructor Training, Refined Pilates, Yoga, Zoom

SOUL OF THE FOOT PART 2.

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Check our my previous blog https://jennycolebourne.com/the-soul-of-the-foot-part-1/

SOFTENING THE SOLE OF THE FOOT

Have a look at my You Tube video https://youtu.be/JvlADcvaahU

SMALL EQUIPMENT

A humble tennis ball.

SUGGESTION

Make this exercise part of your warm up.

REPETITIONS

3-5 in each position.

RECOMMENDATIONS

This is an exercise, which is good for everyone.

It is very important a person has a lot of tension in the feet.

These exercises are excellent for people who have been through chemotherapy or suffer from numb feet.

Elders may need this exercise more.

Ballet dancers often need this work because of the effect of point work on their feet.

Pregnant women may find relief with these exercises. 

Stand on both feet in parallel and find the classic parallel position

Stand with your heels directly under the sit bones. (To find your sit bones (the Ischial Tuberosity), sit on the floor and rock from side to side. Feel those bones? They are what we dancers refer to as sit bones.)

Imagine two parallel lines. Use the line of your floorboards to align your feet if you have them, or use a ruler. Place the inside edge of the joint of the big toe and the inside edge of the heel against these parallel lines. Close your eyes and in a gentle, non-judgmental way tune into your body. How do your feet feel against the floor?

After tuning in to your body take the tennis ball and place it under your left foot between the first and the second toe. Gently roll the foot over the ball and as you do so feel as if you are molding the foot to the ball. Roll the foot over the ball using a medium pressure until you reach the middle of the arch of the foot.  If you come to a place on the foot, which is painful, stop for a moment and imagine that area softening. Wait until the pain dissipates and then move on. Your aim is to allow the spaces between the metatarsals to open and spread.

Repeat this process between the 2nd and third toe and then between the third and fourth and so on and of course on both feet.

After you have completed the exercise once again tune in to your body and notice how the soles of the feet now feel against the floor.

TOE CIRCLES

Look out for my You Tube video.

REPETITIONS.

3-5 in each direction.

RECOMMENDATION

This is an exercise, which is good for all.

Very important if you feel a person has a lot of tension in the feet.

These exercises are excellent for people who have been through chemotherapy or suffer from numb feet.

Elders may need this more.

Ballet dancers often need this work because of the effect of point work on their feet.

Pregnant women may find relief with this. 

Sit crossed legged on the floor or in any position that is comfortable for you. You can sit on a chair if you like. 

Take a hold of the left foot. Hold all the toes with the left hand except for the big one. Keep them still and steady. Take a hold of the big toe with the right hand and gently lengthen the toe and make 3 – 5 circles with the big toe first in one direction and then in the other. Explore the edges of the circle. 

Move on to the next toe supporting the other toes with the left hand and describing the circles with the right. Continue until you have done the exercise with each toe and then, do the exercise on the other foot.

Stand up and check how your feet feel against the floor.

ENCOURAGING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BIG AND THE SECOND TOE

REPETITIONS

3-5 in each position.

RECOMMENDATIONS

This is an exercise, which is good for all.

Very important if you feel a person has a lot of tension in the feet.

Elders may need this more.

Ballet dancers often need this work because of the effect of point work on their feet.

Pregnant women may find relief with this. 

This exercise is particularly important for people with back problems.

Sit crossed legged on the floor or in any position that is comfortable for you.

Take a hold of the left foot. Hold all the toes except for the big one

Take a hold of the left foot. Hold all the toes with the left hand except for the big one. Place the right thumb against the joint of the big toe in order to support it and with the other fingers gently lengthen the big toe and encourage the space between the big toe and the second toe. Bring the toenail in a line with the joint and not past it. Keep the toes on the same level.

STRENGTHENING THE ARCH OF THE FOOT

Look out for my You Tube video.

REPETITIONS

3-5.

RECOMMENDATION

This is an exercise, which is good for all.

Pregnant women may find relief with this. 

This exercise is particularly important for people with back problems.

It is good for people with fallen arches or flat feet. 

STARTING POSITION

Start by standing in the classic parallel position.

Draw the toes towards the heels, and the heels towards the toes, as if you were sucking the arches up. Hold for a bit and then very deliberately and carefully place the feet back against the floor being very aware of the alignment and the 5 points.

STRENGTHENING THE ARCH WALKS

Look out for my You Tube video.

REPETITIONS

As much as you feel you need. I used to do this morning and night like cleaning my teeth!

RECOMENDATIONS

This is an exercise, which is good for all.

Pregnant women may find relief with this. 

This exercise is particularly important for people with back problems.

It is good for people with fallen arches or flat feet. 

Once again draw your arches up and then simply go for a walk for as long as you want like that. When you want to stop very deliberately bring the feet back into the correct alignment with a conscious awareness of the 5 points.

The alignment of the feet is very important. The feet support the weight of the body any misalignment will cause strain somewhere. If the feet are not aligned the rest of the body will not be aligned.

Copyright : Jenny Colebourne.

Blog, Illium Center of Light, Jerome Andrews, Refined Pilates

FOURTH SPINAL SUCCESSION. THE MERMAID.

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I have shared with you that Jerome Andrews said that Joseph Pilates spoke about 4 spinal positions or successions. I have written blogs on the first 2. See my blog on the First Spinal succession here https://jennycolebourne.com/jerome-andrews-pilates-the-first-spinal-succession/(opens in a new tab), about the Second Spinal Succession https://jennycolebourne.com/second-spinal-succession-and-position-for-refined-pilates-and-yoga/(opens in a new tab) Here is the 4th.

The fourth spinal succession has to do with lateral bending.

The Mermaid is the perfect exercise to explore this.

MERMAID.

RECOMMENDED.

This exercise is good for everyone. The starting position may sometimes bother those with knee problems but you do have more than one starting position to choose from. Hopefully one will suit the student.

PREGNANCY 🙂

Pregnant women can do this exercise throughout their pregnancy.  At a certain point when the belly gets larger it is better to sit cross legged or in the second starting position.

LEVEL.

Intermediate.

REPETITIONS.

 3 – 5 on each side.

NOTES.

This exercise is performed  in smooth, continuous way, with flow. The breath is always just as important as the movement.

Jenny with Pilates student and dancer Ariadne Kitsou

STARTING POSITION.

Sit on the left hip with both legs bent. The knees are pointing forward and form a zig zag. Relax in the right hip and lower it to the floor. Have the spine long and proud. The pelvis is square to the front. The arms are at the sides of the body, gently rounded as if framing the body.

There is an alternative starting position which is called 4th position in contemporary dance. This is the position shown in the picture. Sit on the left hip. Both knees are bent but this time the front leg is bent at a  45% angle and the shin bone is parallel to the front of the mat. The right knee is bent inwards and goes behind the body. Once again relax in the right hip and has far as possible lower it to the mat. The pelvis is square to the front. The arms are at the sides of the body, gently rounded as if framing the body.

Your focus is in the *middle body.

The arm can come a little closer to the ear.

BREATHE IN.
Being careful not to hyper extend the elbow, feeling the support of the left lung and shoulder blade, raise the left arm to the side and above the head in a wide, graceful arc. Keep the shoulder soft, slide the shoulder blade downwards without strain and bring the arm as close as possible to the ear. Make sure the hand and fingers have shape but that they are not tense. Once there is tension in the hand and fingers there will be tension in the shoulder. Feel the fingers extending out into space.
Feel the sit bones rooted and the crown of the head lengthening to the sky.

The arm could come closer to the ear.

BREATHE OUT.
Lengthen the spine, keep the left hip rooted to the floor and lifting up and over, bent the spine to the right. Keep the body on one plane, this is just a lateral movement which means  both shoulders will be flat to the front. The head moves as a continuation of the spine. Think of the crown of the head as being the last vertebra. At the same time the right elbow comes to the mat directly under the shoulder joint. The forearm  and the palm of the hand are parallel to the front of the mat. Make sure the underneath arm does not block your stretch. Slide it further out if you need to. Feel as though the fingertips and the crown of the head are being drawn out into space. The side of the body facing the mat should soften and condense in order to allow the the stretch in the side of the body facing the ceiling.

BREATHE IN.
Stay in the stretch. Feel of the side of the ribs, facing the ceiling, filling with your breath.

BREATHE OUT.
Deepen into the stretch by relaxing where you feel a resistance or pulling and surrendering the torso and arm to gravity. Remember to keep the opposite hip grounded. Imagine the side of the spine facing the ceiling and how the spaces in between each the vertebrae will be open like a fan.

BREATHE IN.
Roll back up vertebra by vertebra, starting, truly, from the very base of the spine, the tip of the coccyx. You place one vertebra on the other as you move up. This is the fourth spinal succession. As you come up have a picture in your head of where you will return to. You will return to your axis feeling the sit bones like they have roots going deep into the earth and the crown of the head lengthening up into space.

BREATHE OUT

Open the arm to the side and bring it down beside you.

*Middle Body. Imagine your body as if it were in 3 slices. Front body, back body and between those is the middle body.

Blog, Refined Pilates

LEG OPENINGS ARE IMPORTANT FOR IMPROVING SCOLIOSIS KYPHOSIS AND BACK ACHE

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Important Information for both Pilates and Yoga Instructors and Practitioners.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR LEG ALIGNMENT

There are many exercises and asanas which involve opening the legs with large and small equipment and without equipment. It is vitally important that good leg alignment is continuously maintained. You will never injure yourself if you are patient and respect this. You can find details in my blog on this site https://jennycolebourne.com/good-leg-alignment-is-essential-for-everyone/

TREAT YOUR BODY WITH LOVING KINDNESS

It is a golden rule that you should NEVER push, force or strain when you are exercising. Respect and love your body with kindness. The truth is if you co operate with your body and gently relax and surrender into a stretch your body will open like a flower. Moving or stretching, with harshness, will only lead to more body resistance and injury. Do you like to be pushed around? Probably not. Your body is the same.

THE BREATHING DIAPHRAGM HAS THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF FASCIA

When we think of diaphragms of the body, the first one we think of, is the breathing diaphragm. The breathing diaphragm is obviously, vitally, important. It plays a crucial role as to how much oxygen reaches the millions of cells of our body. It has the highest concentration of fascia in the body. Fascia can store psychological and physical trauma which can lead to postural dysfunction, strain and pain.

THE BODY’S DIAPHRAGMS

The breathing diaphragm is just one of a series of diaphragms in our body. The one diaphragm is balanced on top of the other. The one affects the other. 

The pelvic diaphragm is positively opened when we do leg openings and than in turn had helps the breathing diaphragm to release. You will notice that your own breath, and the breathing of your students, becomes deeper as you do leg openings. In turn, the thoracic inlet softens. Necks release. The positive wave of release continues up through the crown of the head, resulting in a longer spine and a happier human.

A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I remember many years ago, long before we had the knowledge of fascia that we do today, I was suffering from quite severe and debilitating back pain. In those days I had a shiatsu therapist at Illium Center. I asked her to give me a treatment. I remember I had intense pain as she applied pressure to points around my should blade. It was very painful. All of a sudden it was as if the the top of my head blew off or popped open. AND there it was, MAGIC, my back pain was gone!

LEG OPENINGS HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON SCOLIOSIS, KYPHOSIS AND BACK ACHE.

SOME EXAMPLES OF LEG OPENS IN THE PILATES TECHNIQUE AND YOGA.

(This is not meant to be an exhaustive list but just some examples.)

PILATES

Mat Work.

Spine Stretch

Saw

Open Leg Rocker.

Reformer

Second position using the full opening in the leg work series.

(See my video on You Tube.) https://youtu.be/zvWamobo9FI

Leg Openings with Assistance. (I will be releasing a new video on this shortly and teaching a special class about it.)

Leg springs. (These can also be done on the Cadillac.)

Standing Splits

Wunda Chair

Spine Stretch

Front and Side Lunges.

Baby Barrel and Spine Corrector.

Circles

Splits 

Helicopter

(This series can be done during mat work with a small soft ball under the sacrum.)

YOGA

Deep Forward Bends standing and seated.

Hanuman.

Enjoy exercising consciously. Enjoy your observations and the deep changes in your body.

Blog, Illium Center of Light

Jerome Andrews’ Pilates. THE FIRST SPINAL SUCCESSION.

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PILATES USED FOUR POSITIONS OF THE SPINE

Jerome Andrews’ explained that Joseph Pilates referred to four positions of the spine.
The first position of the spine was a rounded back, or what is sometimes referred to as the “C” curve.
The easiest way to explore the first position of the spine is on all fours. it is important that the thigh bone and the arm bones are perpendicular to the floor. Imagine that you have roots extending from the knees going deep into the earth. The knees are in a straight line with the hip joints. The arms are straight. It is important that we avoid hyper extending or tensing the elbows. The palm of the hand is fully in touch with the floor and the fingers are are spread wide. The middle finger points directly forward. Make sure the whole length of the finger is in touch with the floor, especially the roots of the fingers. Making sure that we distribute the weight of the body through the whole hand out into the fingertips helps us to avoid pressure or tension in the wrists. Imagine that you have roots extending from the palms deep into the earth and that he wrist is directly in a line with the shoulder joints.

CONCENTRATION AND ACCURACY IS IMPORTANT

The palms of the hands and the knees are sites of support. Accuracy is important. If we have our knee, for example, just 1 cm more back of the hip joint, we will not have the as much support and as a result our attempts to articulate the spine will be less effective. We allow gravity to affect our sites of support because the more we feel our roots the more easy the exercise will be and the more subtle our movements can be.

The spine is in second position (straight and parallel to the floor) to start.

The student focuses on moving from the bones of the body, the skeleton, and leaves the muscles and fascia relaxed so that they follow the direction of the bones.

First spinal succession can start either at the top or the bottom of the spine depending on what is more appropriate for the movement.

The focus is extremely specific. The student concentrates on accessing the back edge of the spine, when moving into the first spinal succession . The spinal processes form the back edge of the spine and have a completely different quality to the front part of the spine. Let us say that the student is starting the movement from the tip of the coccyx. The student focuses on the back edge of each vertebra, moving one vertebra at a time into the rounded position. It is important to truly follow the spine one vertebra at a time, paying attention to each one until you reach the very last vertebra in the neck which is just behind the nose.

 It is important not to skip over a vertebra that might be a little more difficult to move individually. Those vertebrae are often the more important ones that we need to mobilise! When we are exploring and being curious about this process we can spend more time with a “stubborn” vertebra, soften and relax around it, and with our out breath achieve a movement.

MOVE THE SPINOUS PROCESSES ONE BY ONE.

You can think about the spinous processes like they are the quills of a porcupine that pop out of the skin one by one. An image that worked for me was to think about how a mother cat picks up her kittens. It is as if you delicately lift up the vertebra and it pops out of the skin.

It is important not to grip around any area of the spine. In order to mobilise the coccyx and the sacrum (the tail) the back of the pelvis needs to be soft and it is very important to avoid tension in the hip joints.

When we move into the neck area the shoulders need to be completely relaxed.

To achieve full articulation make sure the front of the body is totally relaxed. Soften the last rib and allow the breast bone to move gently inwards.

There is no need to think of engaging the pelvic floor or pulling the abdomen in. If we can articulate the spine our pelvic floor muscle will engage just enough and we will access the deep abdominals. This happens in a much more essential way, if we truly move from the bones of the spine, and allow the muscles and fascia to follow.

USE YOUR BREATH.

Use as many breaths as you need. Take as much time as you need to explore and be curious about this process. The body remembers deep work and will reward you. Just use your out breath to relax any holding patterns or pain.

Being able to move the spine bone by bone with such sensitivity is healing. It will relieve pain and sites of tension. As we learn to apply the spinal succession to all forms of movement and even advanced exercises we will never injure ourselves.

It is a process which is good for everyone.

Copyright: Jenny Colebourne

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