Forward Equals Backwards Series #1 Balance

By featured Guest Writer Diana Bailey It is surprising to find that balance is more often explored and defined by how it is lost than how it is maintained. How do you figure out what something is when it is most often explained by what it isn’t? In a perfect Pilates world, balance is the…

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Fighting Perfectionism

Mistakes are...

  By Guest Writer Diana Bailey I have perfectionist clients, and I used to suffer from that…a lot. We can all at times torture ourselves with this idea that somehow, at some moment, everything will be better and my life will be happy and my body will be fitter if I could just do (whatever)…

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The Purpose of a Bind is to Discover There is no Bind.

By Guest Writer Diana Bailey Part I The deep “binding” stretches of Pilates and Yoga challenge body and mind to learn balance in their work together. Releasing chronically held tension takes the patience of repeated invitations and acceptance of the often minimal response. Dissolving the tension is the immediate goal, and certainly the most obvious…

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So what Shapes the Mind -Part 1

“The mind shapes the body.” – Joseph Pilates So What Shapes the Mind? Part One: Clarity of Purpose How does repeatedly pushing and beating up the physical body to the point of failure, injury, breakage, or loss prove anything other than perhaps a compulsive tendency of the mind? If you let the mind goad you…

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Simple Solutions for Back Pain

Simple Solutions for Back Pain Simple Solutions for Back Pain is an easy set of practices and tips you can do at home or at work. The series has evolved through my personal journey of healing, rehabilitation and recovery, combining tested techniques used with my students. Our bodies aren’t static. I encourage you to listen…

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Perspective on fitness.

What does fitness mean? Challenge your perspective on fitness. First and foremost, the frame for fitness that can work wonders over time is relative rather than comparative. The reality is,  each of us has a unique body shaped by our own genetics and life experience. Comparing fitness to some nebulous “average” or to another person’s performance…

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Strength and power, are they the same?

Strength and power are often confused and have been used at times interchangeably in the world of exercise. It has been helpful for me to understand the differences and their role in “training” by pairing each with their balancing partner. The partner of strength is flexibility. Strength is like a bridge. Flexibility is like a…

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Excellence v. Striving in Movement and Life.

” I recognize that it is important to have and embody a desire for excellence. Desire is the foundation of progress and this comes naturally because I love to move and explore how movement feels. Excellence and striving get confused. How can I feel good if I am constantly making “now” wrong with an endless…

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Simple Soutions for Back Pain #3: Back Systems3

Using the back system for back pain stretch

In this 3rd part of Simple Solutions for Back pain series, I’d like to share a little bit about the Back Systems machine and, specifically a low back stretch. The  stretches on BackSystem3 are easy, safe and effective.  I encourage you to try this machine if you have access to one. Diana Bailey, my dear…

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