Pilates Principle: Breath
For the next few months, I want to do a deep dive into each of the Pilates principles. There are 6 guiding principles: breath, concentration, center, control, flow, and precision. Now, you may think that Joseph Pilates wrote these, but it was actually created by his students as a way to make his method, named Contrology when he was alive, more accessible to future generations of students. I also think it came about when training materials were needed for teacher training programs.
Let’s talk about the BREATH, and its relationship to Pilates!
During my teacher training program, there was required reading, and they were 2 books written by Joseph Pilates. One book he wrote titled “Return to Life Through Contrology” was published in 1945, and so much of it still applies today, if not all of it. I want to share with you excerpts I highlighted in the book on breathing.
To breathe correctly you must completely exhale and inhale, always trying very hard to “squeeze” every atom of impure air from your lungs in much the same manner that you would wring every drop of water from a wet cloth.
This in turn supplies the bloodstream with vitally necessary life-giving oxygen. Also, the complete exhalation and inhalation of air stimulates all muscles into greater activity.
Breathing is the first act of life, and the last. Our very life depends on it.
Therefore, above all, learn how to breathe correctly. “SQUEEZE” EVERY ATOM OF AIR FROM YOUR LUNGS UNTIL THEY ARE ALMOST AS FREE OF AIR AS IS A VACUUM. Stand erect again and observe how your lungs will automatically completely refill themselves with fresh air.
As you can see, Joseph Pilates was adamant on breathing correctly to the point of providing instruction in a book that he titled return to life using his method! He seemed like an intense man, very direct, and ahead of his time. We can certainly read all we can, but Pilates is a physical fitness system, and one that I cannot teach merely with words. You must practice it to experience it for yourself, and get the learning in your own body.
Ready to breathe with me?
Start by breathing naturally 5-10x, and notice. It may feel shallow with the breath in your chest as it rises and falls. For some, it may feel even up near your collarbones. No judgment – you’re breathing, and you’re alive!
Let’s move on to how we want to breathe when we’re practicing Pilates. Let’s start by giving your body some feedback, and bringing more awareness to your mind and body. Place your hands at the bottom sides of your ribcage, with fingers in the front of the ribcage, palms on the sides of the ribcage, and your thumbs on the back of your ribcage. Take a full breath in through the nose. Fill up the sides of your ribcage like a balloon on an inhale. You may feel more contact points between your hands and your ribcage. Now, a deep exhale out the nose to compress the sides of your ribcage like a balloon as it deflates. You may feel less contact points between your hands and your ribcage. Repeat 5-10x, and notice. Try a few breaths without your hands.
This is the type of breathing that we do when we practice Pilates. Filling up our entire ribcage (top to bottom, side to side, front to back) to fill up our lungs. And then, compressing our ribcage to empty all the air out of the lungs to rid the body of carbon dioxide. This is known as lateral breathing while maintaining a consistent upward lift or pull of the abdominal muscles whether during inhalation or exhalation. Of course, this will be harder to do while adding movement, so be kind to yourself when practicing Pilates. This can change day to day, even one exercise to another, and oh my goodness, one rep to the next!
Hundred – Joseph Pilates was on to something starting our mat workout with the hundred as it’s a breathing exercise, plus other exercises rolled into one. Using the hundred as an example, in your abdominal curl with an upward lift of your belly, inhale through the nose, and pump your arms vigorously 5x, exhale through the nose, continuing to pump your arms vigorously 5x. Repeat 10x. And that’s why the exercise is called the hundred! The more you know….
Now I can’t send you out in your daily life after this breathing exercise. So, let’s practice diaphragmatic breathing, also known as abdominal breathing, or belly breathing. This will reduce your blood pressure and heart rate, and help you relax your nervous system.
Place one hand over your heart, and one hand on your belly. Take a full breath in through the nose, and a deep exhale out the nose. Fill the belly with air on an inhale, and pull the belly to return on an exhale. Try to keep the hand over your heart as still as possible. Repeat 5-10x, and notice.
Now return to breathing naturally 5-10x, and notice. What do you notice without judgment?
Good breathing habits practiced during Pilates can lead to a reduction in stress. A deep, slow inhale signals the brain to calm down. Our breathing habits can also impact our ability to move. A strong exhale can recruit those deep core muscles when exerting effort. Finally, breathing habits can impact our posture, mental health, and pelvic health. Breathing correctly can improve our overall health.
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