Joseph Pilates knew the importance and power of our own thoughts. One of the fundamental ideas throughout the Pilates work is concentration.
Concentration refers to simply paying attention to what you are doing, and how it feels in your body.
This means when your mind starts to wander and you begin to think about what you’re making for dinner tonight during your Hundreds exercise, bring your focus back to the exercise and the sensations in your body.
It sounds simple, yet I believe that concentrating during Pilates is one of the hardest aspects of the work. We are all so busy, and have so many things packed into our lives that it is hard to spend a whole session focusing on ourselves and our bodies. Concentration is also one of the most beneficial aspects of Pilates, as it allows us to quiet our minds and relieve the stress of our day to day lives.
During your next session or class, try to work on your concentration, and let us know how it changes your workout. When your mind wanders (and it will, probably a lot!), just remind yourself to come back to the present moment and focus on the task at hand. Know that whatever else is on your mind will wait until after your session, and that by this practice of concentration you are truly giving your body a gift of health!
