Alusha's blog

As we’ve seen in my previous blog posts about my goals and attending BarreConcept, I’ve had some experience doing Pilates before I came to work at Bälans. What I haven’t experienced before is Pilates in such thorough detail. One of the main things that I’m learning here is the importance of the basics to getting the most out of your Pilates practice.

This was particularly highlighted to me when I had the opportunity to attend the workshops put on by Carrie Russo, Cameron Angus and Joakim Valsinger at the Triple Play Workshop Day we hosted at Bälans. In each of these workshops I found that the most basic action of engaging all sections of your core was vital to appreciating each exercise. From this engagement of the core it became much easier to focus on the particular section of the body that each exercise was picking out.

I’ve found engaging my core particularly important in exercises that I wouldn’t immediately think to. For example, when doing leg lifts and lowers on sidekicks, I used to try to lift my top leg as high as possible, whilst paying little attention to what my upper body was doing. However, when I attended the new beginners’ class here, I learned the importance of using my core to keep my upper body still. This meant that the movement came only from my hip and so the muscles it was targeting became much more specific. I could really feel the difference this made (especially the next morning!). I also felt much more in control of the movement. This sense of control has helped to add to my understanding of my body, something I hope to carry forward with me in everyday life.

One of the more intriguing exercises we did in the new beginners’ class I attended was shaking hands with your feet. This involved slotting your fingers between your toes and massaging out your feet. When we stood up afterwards, I immediately felt the difference that this made to my connection with the floor. From here I could feel myself standing differently. Standing is just another example of a basic function that I hadn’t realised could be changed so immediately through practicing Pilates.

It’s because of these experiences that I’m particularly looking forward to taking part in our new course of new beginners’ classes that start next week. These classes are great not only because of the exercises, but also because of the camaraderie you feel going into a class with people of a similar level of experience. I’m excited to use these classes to learn basics to improve not only my Pilates practice, but also how I move through my everyday life.

Until next week, see you in class! – Alusha