Pilates Blog - Incorporating Movement

Take your Shoulders out of your Pockets

Rebekah — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:07:46 +0000

A decade ago I had my first private session as a new Pilates student at the Kane School, and I was informed that I was depressing my shoulders and shouldn't. I thought, but how else then will I stabilize them? I was at a loss after years of physicians, physical therapists, injections and Pilates instructors attempting to help me with my wonky shoulders that liked to do somersaults in their sockets and wing better than any chicken could. That began my journey of true dynamic shoulder stabilization.

Build your Bones and a Better Future

Rebekah — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:50:36 +0000

October 20th is World Osteoporosis Day, reminding us all of the need to protect our bones. Many of us in the under-50 age range think about bone health as a concern for our grandmothers or our mothers, but rarely for ourselves. I did too, until I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in my late 20s... So what can we do to halt bone loss, prevent osteoporosis, and avoid the devastating falls and potential fractures that occur especially later in life? Take action now! Here's your plan..

Choose your Words Wisely

Rebekah — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:29:08 +0000

When teaching a workshop in Spanish in Madrid last month, I become highly aware of the way we often use way too many words to give a command in English. When writing my instructor training manual for the Pilates for Buff Bones® training program, I became hyper-aware of the terminology I was using in my teaching. If awareness is the first step to change, then what better way to improve our teaching than to become aware of what we're saying?

Life in 3D (or Tripping on Formaldehyde)

Rebekah — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:03:02 +0000

Last week was my sixth consecutive year of Gil Hedley's cadaver dissection at New Jersey medical school, an experience I fondly refer to as “cadaver camp” for the personal growth and time away it offers. I was struck by how intensified every sensation was. Everything I touch, see, smell, hear and taste is amplified. Life is in 3-D IMAX... (Read more)

Wild Horses may Run Past

Rebekah — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 03:41:18 +0000

Yesterday morning, the end of my transformative week of guest teaching at Rancho La Puerta, I hiked up the mesmerizing Mount Kuchumaa as I have the past three years at the resort. We suddenly noticed a pack of four wild horses on the mountain trail less than 50 feet in front of us. We stopped, spellbound and captivated by the sight.

Shout out to Women’s Health

Rebekah — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:26:27 +0000

At the last Pilates Method Alliance conference, my colleague and friend Leah Stewart and I had some good laughs filming a joint video to tell you about our new DVDs. Whether you're a new mother, an old mother or a non-mother -- better yet, a WOMAN of any age -- this video is for you!

Occupy…Your Body

Rebekah — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:12:51 +0000

With all the discussion of Occupy Wall Street and every other movement, what if we started one for Occupy Your Body? Could we encourage people to experience motion and their bodies in new ways? Imagine that – a movement about movement!

Heart, Lungs & Aspen Trees

Rebekah — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:09:02 +0000

I’m breathless. Sitting amidst the Colorado Rockies, it’s not the elevation, but the astonishing views that are taking my breath away. It brings to mind my recent experience in the dissection lab with the lungs embracing the heart.

Return to Cadaver Camp

Rebekah — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:10:00 +0000

I’m preparing for my fifth year at “Cadaver Camp, “ a term I coined last year during the annual dissection I participate in led by Gil Hedley, PhD. Who would have thought that a gross anatomy lab could be the seed of a spiritual awakening?

What’s a mind-body experience when it’s not a mind-body experience?

Rebekah — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:34:19 +0000

During a recent workshop at The Breathing Project, a fellow colleague told a story which caught me off-guard about a yoga teacher workshop he had led. He recalled how some of the instructors revealed that this was the first time they’d paid attention to what their bodies were doing. So what is a mind-body experience when it’s not about self-awareness?