Bringing the Body to Balance

Daily movement is needed to bring your body to balance.   Life is unpredictable; we move in whatever direction our lives require us.   Frequently there are repetitive movements that we do unconsciously that create movement patterns in the body.   Repetitive stress can cause pain, tightness, or even injuries like herniations, pinched nerves, or numbness and tingling in the body.

Getting on the mat daily brings your body to balance.   Moving the spine one bone at a time can help to decompress the discs and return them to their optimal position between the vertebrae.   Moving the arms and legs in directions that your body doesn’t normally do on a daily basis preserves your full range of motion in the joints, which can become limited over time if not used.

Breathing can become restricted if one doesn’t practice long deep breathing.   Every Pilates, Yoga, and Yamuna Body Rolling class at Lake Pilates starts with a scan of the body, a progressive relaxation, and long slow breathing.   Consciously observing your breathing and lengthening your breaths increases breath volume and capacity.   Core strength is dependent on long deep breathing, because your primary muscle of respiration, your diaphragm muscle is the top of your core.   When your diaphragm muscle is strong from long deep breathing, your ribs float on your hips, lengthening your waist and toning your abs.   Diaphragmatic breathing relieves low back pain, neck pain, and heart ache.

Bringing the body to balance is also a metaphor for bringing your life to balance.   Do you work all the time?   Feel like you’re constantly on the go?   How do you slow down?   Teaching yourself to breathe slower, move slower, and BE is a way to bring your body to balance and ultimately your life.   When you carve an hour out of your day, every day if possible, but even 2-3 times a week is great, you shift into balance in your body and in your life.   Have questions about how to get started?   Lake Pilates has a full class schedule that helps to unwind the body, bring it to balance, and strengthen optimal posture.

Three tips for bringing your body to balance.

1) Long deep breathing

2) Schedule a class 2-3 times a week to learn new movements

3) Find an activity that takes you outside to breathe fresh air, feel the earth under your feet, and helps you connect with nature.