Visualizations in Pilates

One of the most important elements to teaching a successful Pilates class is a visual cue. I try to use a wide variety of images and analogies to describe the movement and breathing that will help students get the maximum benefit from the exercises. Students come to Pilates with varying degrees of body awareness. It is very rewarding to witness this body awareness grow and develop the more time the student spends with Pilates! I often begin my classes with some small exercises to locate neutral spine. With the students lying on their backs, knees bent, feet on the floor, I describe the pelvis as a bowl filled with water. When the spine is in neutral, the water in the bowl is level. Then I ask the students to flatten the back of their waists to the mat, tipping the pelvis under, spilling the water over the rim of the bowl towards their bellies. This is called imprinting the spine to the mat. Then we relax the pelvis back to neutral and the water in the bowl is level again. Next the students tip the pelvis forward, increasing the space under the lower back, spilling the water between their legs. I find the bowl of water image really works. What visualizations in your Pilates classes have helped you and which ones have seemed completely odd?"

thanks to Beatnick on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dharmabum1964/2327581096/