Why I don't eat Gluten - My IBS story

Recently I posted a recipe of “Maria’s Get up and Go Coffee Shake."  In that post I mentioned I have eliminated foods from my diet that don’t work for me,  such as gluten.  This was not just an arbitrary decision, but rather a long and somewhat gut wrenching (literally) journey. 

Over the past decade gluten-free has become a bit of a trend with new research and testing that has shown 1 % of people suffer from Celiac disease and 6 times more people have what is called “Gluten Sensitivity.” 

I know there are many skeptics out there, so I would like to share my personal journey full of some embarrassing moments in my life. 

I am tall and thin, but I wasn’t always this way.  Most people when they get older develop a belly from sedentary life styles and bad eating habits, but I already looked that way as a kid. I was a little thing with a huge belly.  I had long skinny arms and legs and a round protruding mid section.  My mom used to say I was growing skin and that I was going to sprout up which I did eventually, but I didn’t lose the belly.

My first memory of horribly wrenching gut pain that would be most of my life was in high school.  Always sometime after lunch, my stomach would tie into knots and my gut would distend.  When I say distend I mean unbutton the jeans and wear a baggy shirt distend.  With the bloating would come a twisting and knotting sensation in my belly.  The only thing that seemed to alleviate this was lying in the fetal position, which didn’t go over well in 4th period English. 

This didn’t happen every day, but like I said I have a clear memory of it happening often enough in my teens.  This was the 80s, some time right before the fat free craze.  At this time most of my diet consisted of flour products.  Breakfast was toast or cereal; lunch was a sandwich; snacks were crackers, bagels, or quesadillas with flour tortillas; dinner always included bread.

The gut wrenching pain continued throughout college. I would have periods of time where there were no problems - actually months- but when it came on, it would take me down and it would last for weeks.  You’d think I might have tried to see a doctor about this. I sometimes look back and wonder why I had waited so long. 

By the 90s, I was convinced I was lactose intolerant with the other half of the population.  So I stopped eating dairy and started choosing soy. BIG MISTAKE!  Oh, and I also became a vegetarian….also BIG MISTAKE.  As a vegetarian, my diet of gluten increased.  More bread, pasta and the like.  I had a constant puff on my body, plus the intermittent gut pain. The beer drinking probably didn't help either.  What can I say, I was living in Seattle during the Grunge era….we all drank a lot of beer. 

The tummy problems only got worse during this time.  And now I was having what new mom’s refer to as “Blow outs.”  I needed to make sure that a bathroom was close at all times and God forbid if someone was in it.  

My best friend at the time thought I might have an eating disorder with the way I was always going to the bathroom.  At this time I actually was seeking help. I started seeing a naturopath who said that I had an overgrowth of candida and not enough good bacteria in my gut.  I went on probiotics, among some other fancy herbs she prescribed for me.  This did absolutely nothing.  

Fast forward to Los Angeles in the late 90’s and by now the blow outs were intermittent with constipation and a few trips to the emergency room because the pain was so excruciating.   I am now seeing a gastroenterologist after yet another failed attempt with a naturopath and a Chinese herbalist who had me stick out my tongue and read my future…I did think he was fascinating though.  The Gastroenterologist was actually the most helpful…yes, western medicine people!  He ran all the tests including a Sigmoidoscopy and a Barium swallow because by then I hadhorrible heart burn as well.  He concluded that this was diet, but what was triggering it?  I have to mention here that people weren’t talking about Celiac disease yet and effects of gluten on our gut health.  There was no testing at this time. 

So when you have these issues, you don’t make them particularly public.  It’s not a topic of dinner conversation asking across the table about someone else’s bowel habits.  So who could I really talk to about this but health professionals and yes some close friends, who probably know entirely too much about my gut health. 

Solace came when I started my Pilates training and I met a gal who had the same symptoms and was suffering as I was.  She asked me “How much soy do you eat?”  I thought I was being healthy, I was still drinking soy lattes and buying health bars stuffed with soy protein.  She said that many of her symptoms went away when she eliminated soy from her diet.  At this point I was trying everything.  If someone said I needed to stand on my head for 10 minutes a day, I would do that too.  

So I took out the soy and guess what.  RELIEF!  The Gut wrenching pain went from a 10 to about a 5.  The heartburn went away and the -“ahhem”- blow outs decreased enough for me to not always be looking for a bathroom close by.  

And now some important information on soy…..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/soy-health_b_1822466.html

So I thought I cured myself.  I really was feeling a whole lot better.  

By the early 2000s I was doing pretty good for the most part.  I was no longer a vegetarian, I still had occasional constipation and gut issues but compared to before they were really manageable. I had concludedthat the rest of my symptoms I just had to live with.  What woman doesn’t complain of bloating or constipation now and again, right? 

Life went on and 4 years ago, 2013, I started seeing a skin doctor. She was giving me a facial peel and we were just chatting.  I told her that I have IBS, because that is what they labeled my condition some 20 years ago.  She asked me if I considered eliminating gluten from my diet as she is one of those 1% with Celiac. I thought, “I don’t eat that much gluten,” so that is not the problem, because I was eating more vegetables, meats, fruits etc.  I altered my diet during this whole process trying to find the right foods for me. I went on occasional cleanses and exercised regularly.  I though I was as good as I was going to get, right?  

I WAS WRONG!   

On her advice, I took gluten out of my diet for about 6 weeks, maybe to prove her wrong or just for my own curiosity.  

This is the part of my blog where the skies part and there is this high note of hallelujah.

This is what happened:

• I was no longer constipated
• The bloat I experienced everyday that I thought was normal - gone
• My belly started shrinking for the first time ever
• Pounds melted 
• I felt light and awake.  It was like a fog lifted from my brain. 
• My mood changed
• My life changed.

I have been gluten free since then.  I have never gone back.  I have tweaked my diet still looking for the balance.  I have determined that I am not Celiac and I can have a little gluten here and there. It’s the amount and how often that really affects me.  Another doctor said I could just have a wheat allergy and not all gluten.  Possibly, but honestly, I don’t miss it.  I am probably in the 6% of Americans with the non celiac gluten sensitivity.  All of that belly was gut inflammation which my poor body was trying to tell me for years. 

What astonishes me is that I spent most of my adult life with this problem.  I tried everything. I listened to countless medical professionals, read hundreds of different articles and books.  I kept searching and now in my late 40s I am lean, light, full of energy and just plain happy.  It took a while to get here but I am so happy I did, and I learned so much about myself along the way.  I was my own lab rat.  

If you think you might have gluten sensitivity or celiac, here is a great resource for all things gluten, including information on different gluten disorders, recipes, support, etc. 

https://www.gluten.org/resources/getting-started/

This is just my story and every single person out there is unique. One size does not fit all. I have many friends that don’t have issues with gluten or being vegetarian. Some can’t tolerate coffee, others can’t eat nuts.  Seriously, why do we think we are all the same?  I say, just keep finding that thing that works for you.  Whether it’s the type of exercise you do, the things you eat or who you spend your time with.  It’s your life and your body, be kind to it!

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Food & Fitness

About 15 years ago, I decided to change careers.  I used to work at a well-known animation studio.  I loved my job. I worked with great people and enjoyed the creative process.  But there were a few problems.  One, I had intermittent back pain from sitting all day.  Two, my eyes were gradually getting worse the more I stared at a computer screen, Three, I had digestion issues probably from stress and not moving around enough.  I also worked long hours at times.  I realized that I didn’t see my future doing this.  

The two things I loved outside of work were Pilates and cooking.  My husband had signed me up for some cooking classes at a local culinary school.  One of the things I don’t always talk about on my blog is that I LOVE TO EAT.  I really do, I’ve had a healthy appetite ever since I was a kid and I can’t make a meal without adding some fancy ingredient or altering a recipe to try a different flavor.  Most of my friends and family know that I am the “Go to” when it comes to a good meal. 

I also love working out and Pilates.  So I didn’t know which one to pursue.  I realized that Pilates was probably the healthier choice long term and if I wanted to have a family that meant I needed to think about what motherhood would look like as a Pilates teacher versus a chef.  The decision was made and I ended up following the path of fitness.  However, I never stopped cooking or learning new recipes.  So when my girlfriend suggested that I start sharing some of them online, I decided OK.  

THE PILATES CHEF

As a wellness coach, Pilates teacher, Massage therapist, and general health enthusiast, you might think I follow this crazy life style and only eat organic and never eat sweets or drink beer or eat fatty food.  That is so untrue.  I love cheese and wine and moose popcorn. And who doesn’t love margaritas and chips and salsa.  I am a real person, and I don’t like to restrict myself, but I have learned balance and what works for my body. I splurge here and there, but I am careful to look at the overall arch of my health.  I eat mostly healthy foods, which I like to say is just “REAL FOOD.”  I have eliminated the things that don’t work for my body and my health such as gluten and processed foods and sugar.  I move everyday, I get to sleep at a decent hour and try not to sweat the small stuff. 

Since I don’t eat Gluten, breakfast can be kind of tricky - at least a quick breakfast.  Eggs are still my favorite when I have time, but lots of mornings I am rushing.  Coffee is a staple for me and I absolutely love it. So over the past couple years I have created a coffee shake that gets me going in the morning, fills me up, has good whole healthy ingredients, and is convenient and tasty.  

So here is the recipe plus some information on the benefits of the ingredients in the shake.  I recommend you try it, but know everyone is different and what works for me might not work for you.  Have fun and enjoy!

Maria’s “Get me going” Chocolate Coffee Shake - around 275 calories

Fresh Brewed Coffee Hot - 8 to 12 oz (more or less)

Grass Fed Chocolate Whey Protein Powder - 1 scoop

Raw Cacao Powder - 1 heaping teaspoon

Tumeric - 1/2 to 1 tsp (more or less)

Cinnamon - 1 tsp

Organic coconut oil - up to 1 TBS

Grass Fed Butter - up to 1 TBS

Pour ingredients into blender and blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds.  Pour into a mug and enjoy!

Now a little bit more on the benefits of these amazing ingredients:

Coffee - Coffee is high in Antioxidants, higher than tea.  It improves energy levels and mood. Many studies say that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Dementia, Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and even “death,” noted by a recent study of the National Institute of Health. Well if that hasn’t convinced you, I don’t know what can! 

Whey Protein powder (Whey is the liquid remaining after the milk has been curdled & strained.  It’s converted into a powder form) - Protein provides the building blocks for strong muscles and bones. It is essential for metabolism.  Whey protein is a complete protein as it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids.  It can aid with weight loss by creating the feeling of fullness and help build lean muscle mass.  There have been lots of studies on the benefits of whey protein.  This article is great for all things whey.  

Also, there are different opinions about whether you should use grass fed.  I have tried both and honestly I do notice a difference in the quality of the powder.  It could be that there are other factors here, not sure.  Do your own research and make the decision that is best for you.  

Raw Cacao Powder - So I really didn’t know the difference between Cacao and Cocoa.  Look at the spelling, how would I know?  When I did a simple search on the difference so much more was revealed than the spelling.   Raw Cacao powder is super high in antioxidants, is the highest plant based source of iron, has more calcium than cow’s milk, and is a natural mood elevator. Unsweetened Cocoa powder still has many of these properties but you could say it’s on the “B team” because the roasting process has decreased its benefits. 

Turmeric - Some of you may not know, but turmeric comes from the ginger family.  Turmeric has been used in India as a medicinal herb for years.  The main compound found in it is curcuminoids (sounds like an alien race from Star Trek).  Curcumin is the super star of these curcuminoids and is a natural anti-inflammatory agent.  Inflammation leads to all kinds of problems for our bodies, e.g. heart disease, cancer, degenerative diseases, etc.  Turmeric really only contains about 3% of Curcumin, but I like the flavor and not everything is about health!  If you want to know more about inflammation and curcumin, here is a great article.  Benefits of turmeric  

Cinnamon - I buy this spice in bulk and put in just about everything.  I love the flavor so I was happy to hear how beneficial this little spice actually is.  A quick research online concludes that it is anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, immunity boosting, etc.  As little as 1/2 teaspoon a day can have these benefits.  I feel like it’s my new super hero spice, I imagine it running around in my body beating up bad guys.  So glad I have been eating it regularly! 

CINNAMON THE SUPER SPICE

Coconut Oil - If you haven’t heard about the benefits of coconut oil by now, I would ask where have you been hiding? It’s in everything from skin and hair products to drinks and health bars.  As with everything use wisely.  It is a saturated fat which we need to help build a strong immune system, improve heart health and brain function.  A certain amount of saturated fat is needed for our bodies functions.  Healthy fats are good, so it’s important to know the difference and NOT go overboard. Eat good fat in appropriate portions and here is something to ponder.  Heart disease increased drastically during the fat free craze.  Check this site for some healthy fats

Grass-fed Butter - I am so glad that people are eating butter again.  What the heck was that margarine craze all about….yuck!!  Butter is a great source of fat and for those that have a lactose problem, they should try Ghee which doesn’t have the lactose and has a higher smoke point, so it’s great for cooking. Grass-fed butter has a slew of health benefits.  Just read this. 

Note:  I will say again….moderation is key.  I use at MOST a tablespoon in my shake. Look at your day and diet as a whole.  If you already eat a lot of Saturated fats in your meals, you might want back off on the quantity or consider which ones are more important to keep in your diet. 

Healthy diets and lives don’t have to be complicated.  Have fun, dance in your kitchen, eat real food, and spend time with those you love!!!

See you soon. 

Healthy Lifestyle - 5 Easy Tips to a Balanced and Healthy life

Leading a healthy lifestyle is not always easy. There is a lot of information out there making it hard for us to really know what to do.  What does a healthy lifestyle look like to you?

Well, I did some interviewing of clients and friends, and this is what I found when I proposed the question, “What do you think is a healthy lifestyle.”  These are some of the answers I got. 

“It’s exercising more”

“It’s eating right”

“It’s taking time for yourself” 

“It’s not eating junk food.”

“Maintaining a consistent schedule”

Notice that none of these really include anything difficult or challenging.  These are very simple things.  

Why do we make it so complicated?

Well, I think part of it is attitude and it starts with your mind. You cannot do any of the above until you have decided wholeheartedly to embrace these concepts. 

In my last blog I spoke about discipline, that is one of the key elements, but before we discipline ourselves, we have to believe in ourselves. 

I think that the way to living clean, happy, and free of stress is believing you can and most importantly not making a mountain out of a mole hill.  Don’t make it difficult. 

Earlier today I was on the phone with a close relative talking about a stressful situation in my life. As we got to talking, I started feeling different.  I realized that some of the obstacles I was facing were really put there by me.  And another friend’s advice came ringing true, “Get out of your head”  

Our minds like to create problems to solve, they like to think and be active.  They are little busy bees running around a hive.  In reality we don’t need to think about all this that much.  Take for instance the current topic about saturated fats, which ones are healthy, which ones aren’t healthy.  Should you eat refined coconut oil or unrefined, how much when and with what?  What about the difference between organic butter and grass-fed butter? As a researcher, I like to find answers.  I read over 10 different articles on oils.  Afterwards, I felt that it was a minefield of what not to eat and when to eat and it just created more problems.  

The other side of this is looking too far ahead.  We look down the road with the “what ifs.”  “What if I don’t have time?”  “What if I don’t like that gym?”  “What if I make a fool out of myself in my first yoga class?”  “I don’t know how to meditate.”  “I don’t know how to cook.” 

You see with these phrases comes uncertainty and doubt.  We already are setting ourselves up for failure. 

We just have to believe we can and make that first step.  Anyone can make a first step.  It’s also important to make that first step easy.  So here are my favorite 5 easy tips for leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

1. Find something you love to do and stick to it.  

With so many different trends out there for exercise it can seem overwhelming, but we can all find something we love.  We are more likely to stick with something we enjoy doing than feeling dread before going to the gym.  I tried all kinds of fitness trends before I found Pilates.  And since I loved it so much, I became a teacher then teacher trainer.  So it goes to prove a healthy habit can also turn into a healthy career. 

2.  Move with Joy

Gone are the days of “No Pain, No Gain.”  if you’re still living by this motto, please stop.  We all love to feel the burn and there is definitely nothing wrong with that, but pushing past our limits can lead to injury so take care.  Have fun and don’t think about it as exercise.  Just walking, dancing and being up and about is all part of staying healthy.  If you don’t enjoy it, don't do it (back to tip #1).

3. Meditate

Find time to chill.  When the mind chatter turns off it gives us a chance to receive and listen to our body and our hearts.  We feel refreshed and ready to return to our daily grind with a little more peace and patience.  Good decisions are never made when we are in a state of stress or heightened emotions.  Take time everyday to find a little calm. 

4. Eat Real Food

I always tell my kids…”Did that come from a factory or from the earth?”  Less ingredients is better.  Our bodies were meant to eat real whole food.  Find ways to add more to your day and you’ll find yourself reaching less for the boxed stuff.  And if you have a bad day, don’t beat yourself up.  It’s better to find healthy habits that you can stick to instead of extreme trends that feel like a struggle. 

5. Spend time with people you love

Take time out of your busy life to schedule social time for yourself with friends or family.  I have heard so many times….”I am so busy.”  But we don’t get any extra points at the end of our lives for being busy.   It’s the human interactions that fulfill our lives.  So when my kids ask me to go swimming or play a game with them while I’m hurrying to get something done, I take a moment and give them some of my time.  I always feel better afterwards and am rewarded by hugs and smiles.  What’s better than that?!

So you see, these aren’t hard or challenging.  Pick one. Make that first step.  I believe you can!

Disciplined exercise...not just boring routine

The other day I was on FaceTime with my folks who were traveling in Australia.  I was chatting with my mom about their recent adventures.  In the background, I can see my dad who is on the floor doing planks, push ups, and kicking his legs up and down.  I looked beyond my mom and asked “Hey Dad, what are you doing over there?”  He replied. “My exercises, I do them everyday.”

My parents are enjoying their retirement to the fullest, having moved to the Big Island of Hawaii, building their dream home, and living at Priest Lake in the summers.  They take a big trip every year somewhere new and make sure to visit family and friends all over the country.  They are 70 years old.  My mother underwent heart surgery a year and a half ago and her doctor said to walk everyday to get her heart in shape. So my parents walk 4 to 5 miles everyday and Dad does his core exercises and stretches.  

When many boomers are feeling the effects of their age and finding it harder to get around, I notice the ones doing the best haven’t lived fast and hard lives, but have managed to do little things every day to stay healthy.  They have maintained a sense of discipline for their health and longevity.  

I am one of those people that is fairly disciplined. When I decide I want something, I pencil it out, make a plan, and stick to it.  I hit road bumps along the way and make sure to adjust, but I always keep going.  Being self-disciplined is not something that is easy.  There is nothing sexy or interesting about routine or sameness.  Everyone loves the excitement of a new challenge, but many of us “peter out” when we get to the middle of the road.  

Now in my 40s there is nothing more middle of the road than where I am now with so much life behind me and still so much ahead.  What am I doing everyday? Where am I going?  How does discipline show up in my life?  For me it shows up in movement everyday.  Doing something physical like Pilates, Yoga, or walking. I do it partly to stay in shape but mostly because it’s also a way to find my center and stay grounded. 

Taking a long walk gives me time to clear my mind and work through problems.  Breathing deeply in a yoga class gives me a chance to be mindful and present.  Practicing Pilates builds my strength and energizes me without making me tired.  

I think discipline is a tough thing to do when there are so many distractions and choices out there.  With the ease of everything being so accessible, it’s harder to be disciplined.  Once something gets a little challenging our tendency is to bail and find something else.  With so many choices, there is a multitude of options out there that may or may not be better than our current routine.  So we bounce from one fad to another, losing the disciplinary routine needed for good health both body and mind. 

Yet throughout history discipline was a way of living and the key to our survival.  How would we survive a cold and long winter if we didn’t stock pile foods and wood for fires, or plan for spring if we didn’t tend our soil?  And we had to do this every year, day in and day out to survive. 

I admit, that sometimes even when I face challenges I just want to quit and do something different, but I am reminded that discipline comes in many forms.  It is mind and body.  Attitude is what makes it work.  Instead of always searching for a specific outcome, we should see it as a way of life and being present and taking care.  It creates an environment of well-being.  Discipline isn’t about the immediate gratification, but more of a daily reminder of what is good and pleasant in our lives, whether we reap a reward immediately or not from it.  If you were to take a survey of the most successful people in the world, you would find this common thread.  They all have a fair amount of discipline. 

In facing challenges it is this that keeps us moving forward. It allows for growth and gaining skill in any endeavor we face.  With discipline comes accomplishment and allows us to improve ourselves, our minds, and our environments. It’s not just a boring routine. 

Even as my father is doing his push ups, I am reminded of how 20 minutes of disciplined exercise every morning and long walks has not only kept him in shape, but also happy.  

So how does discipline show up in your life? 

The Benefits of Getting Regular Massage...A Personal Journey

Over a year ago, I was going through some major life changes both personally and professionally.  You could say I came to a crossroads.  I had to make some choices about who I wanted to be as a professional Pilates teacher and what that meant to me personally going forward in my life.  

There are basically 2 types of Pilates teachers.  The ones that go for the burn, the sweat, and quivering muscles.  They teach more to the general public and can be found in large studios or gyms.  The other type uses Pilates as a tool in rehabilitation and functional training for clients with special needs. They are found in small studios, PT, or chiropractic clinics working one on one with clients or small groups. These are the teachers that you should seek out when your doctor recommends Pilates for your low back pain.

Both these types of Pilates teachers are great for different reasons and I really thought I could do both.  However, when many people started coming to me because they were hurting, I found that what I needed to do is embrace this clientele and get more training.  But what kind of training?  I could take the Pilates knowledge and experience only so far, but I knew the answer was more manual therapy than physical therapy. 

Once I realized I needed to add massage to my skills, there was no looking back. 

Luckily, I have a good friend who runs a massage school.  I signed up two weeks before the course started; I hectically rearranged my work schedule and promised my clients that this would be to their benefit! 

Little did I know that when I embarked on this educational journey, I wouldn’t just be gaining skills to help my clients, I would be helping myself.

In massage school some of the learning is at a desk and in books but the rest is all hands on (no pun intended).  I had to learn how to develop my touch.  Every day I went to school I had to touch and be touched.  This was a new and somewhat scary idea.  I didn’t quite know if I was going to be good at this.

Human touch is highly underrated as a healing tool.  Many times in that first three months all I was doing was Swedish strokes, a more spa like massage.  There wasn’t any “deep tissue” therapy, just moving blood and lymph.  This type of massage is highly beneficial for the nervous and circulatory systems.  Moving blood and lymph to tissues is what keeps them hydrated, feeds nutrients and takes out waste.

During that year, I was managing a business, going to school, and discovering the challenges of being a newly single mom.  There were many times I just didn’t think I was going to make it.  One thing I knew for sure was that twice a week I could lie on a table and get a good massage and for that hour, I would let go of it all and just relax.  I would drift off into a pleasant meditative state.  I would awake refreshed and my head and heart would feel lighter. 

I kept a regular schedule of Pilates and Yoga on my off days and even when I felt sore muscles, I knew I would be getting a massage to work it all out.  I felt that I recovered more quickly and could move into deeper poses in my Yoga class because the fascia and connective tissue in my body was suppler.   

I noticed that my fellow students were changing too.  I saw one who suffered a knee injury during a snowmobiling accident feel relief from inflammation and pain. She was able to walk a little better and within two to three weeks her knee range of motion drastically improved just from massage. Our postures changed as well.  Tight necks and backs were slowly unwound.  We were standing up straighter, old aches and pains went away.  

But even more surprising, our lives were changing as well.  Our attitudes about challenges or the stress of what to do after graduation subsided.  A confidence grew in us.  I could say that in some ways it was better than therapy.  You may ask, how can massage be more effective than therapy?

Well, most of us live in the sympathetic nervous system known as the “fight or flight.”  It is most affected by stress, fatigue, depression and anxiety. The parasympathetic “rest and digest” is responsible for bringing our heart rate down, increasing our deep breathing, decreasing our blood pressure and otherwise soothing our body.  In massage one of the goals is to get into parasympathetic, so that healing can take place.  “Healing” being the key word.  It could be the need to heal from emotional or physical trauma.  It could be facing a new challenge with strength and grace.  

But too often we wait to get a massage until we are over that edge either physically or mentally.  

We wait until we are broken.  How many of you have waited? I admit I am one of those people now.  I enjoyed the fruits of regular massage with Pilates and Yoga last year.  Now I am giving massages but not receiving them.  My body is stiffer, little aches and pains are creeping up here and there.  Yoga poses are a little harder. Recovery takes a little longer.  My sleep is more disruptive and I’m moody. The only thing that is different this year is that I am not getting massage.

So here is my challenge to you. Try getting routine massages.  See if you feel a difference, especially if you are facing challenges in your life that cause you stress.  Stress can be your worst enemy.  Massage isn’t just for that pulled muscle, cramps, or aches and pains.  It is also preventative.  It keeps tissue supple and hydrated and on an emotional level it relieves stress and anxiety.   The great Greek Hippocrates, also known as the father of medicine, recommended a combination of massage, diet, exercise, fresh air, rest, and music to help restore the body to a healthy state.

Last year was one of my most hectic years and I sometimes wonder how I did it all. But when I look back I also know I learned more about my own healing and recovery.  In the end, the decision to go to massage school to help more of my clients actually ended up helping me. 

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What is mindful movement?

Mindfulness has become very popular over the last decade.  Apparently we have all become too busy, too stressed and too plugged in that we need to retrain ourselves to be present to our surroundings and to ourselves. 

Our constant contact with the social media and texting has turned us into the ADD culture we are today.  As always the pendulum swings then reverses direction in a very drastic way.  That is what mindfulness looks like to me, the very opposite of edgy, stressful and on the go lifestyles.  Instead of constantly thinking ahead, to be still and present, unencumbered by the chattering in our heads.

Mindfulness has become so popular that there is even a magazine devoted to it, and yes, you guessed it, it’s called “Mindful.”  I picked up this magazine and read several of the articles that are all published by life coaches, psychologists, nutritionists, and authors who all have something to say about slowing down and the power of “now.”

Mindfulness has become it’s own industry.  

Now I can’t exactly say that I myself haven’t been on the mindfulness bandwagon.  But in practicing it for the past couple of years, I have learned more about where to apply it in my life, and it’s created a balance that I no longer really notice in going about my day.

More importantly is how I try and use it in my massage and Pilates practice.  And here is where it starts.

A while back I started taking a Yoga class from a good friend of mine. She called it “Mindful movement” or maybe it was “mindful yoga”, I can’t really remember but the name isn’t that important.  In this class she didn’t use your regular yoga terms like down dog or warrior 1.  She might have sprinkled them in but rather she just told you to put your foot here, reach your hand there, turn you head up, etc.  She told you how to do the poses but what she tried to get you to focus on was how you felt in each pose, what did you notice?  The key word for me was “notice” it comes without judgment.  It’s an observation.  Each week the class was pretty much 80% the same, with some varying poses here and there.  Normally I would be bored.  I am a teacher too and I like to mix things up and make things different each time.  At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like this sameness every week, but what I realized is I stopped thinking about what I was doing and I started “feeling” and “noticing” things.  I realized that some days I was looser, some days I was tighter.  Maybe my mind wandered more at times and other times I was in the “zone.”   The great thing is that no practice was the same, not really, because we come into each day with a different body, a different mind set, and maybe different external or internal stressors. 

I have to thank her for not only teaching me this, but how it also changed the way in which I taught.  Granted, I still mix things up as that is the style in which I teach and for me being mindful can happen at any time in any place and routine isn’t the only time we can be present. It’s especially challenging when the routine changes or we find ourselves under stress.  

So what is mindful movement?  Well you don't have to do yoga to be mindful. The best way for me to describe this is that you are present in your body, your mind isn’t running the show.  Yes, you need to make a decision about how and what you move from your central nervous system, but then the task is carried out to the end of that neuromuscular track.  What happens most of the time is we don’t feel our way through a movement because our brain is already going on to the next thing.  It’s like a conductor who is conducting a symphony without ever listening to the music being played.  To truly be present in your movement you think, then you feel.  The feeling part is the noticing.  If we notice that feels weird, we might make a small adjustment or change.  But if we are too busy pushing or moving on, or even worse ignoring our sensory system we can develop faulty movement patterns which can lead to injury.  Then it becomes a problem when all you do is notice that muscle or joint that hurts.  I liken this to a child who throws a tantrum because they aren’t getting the attention they need. 

So being mindful in your movements requires your brain to listen and stop talking.  The great thing about this is that the learning takes place within this communication.  We learn more about our bodies, our minds, and our patterns.  We understand load and distribution of weight. We can feel our limits and know when and where to push them.  We can listen and identify triggers because we are paying attention.  Those triggers then can be adjusted.  A whole new quality of movement and practice can take place and we all know what that leads to….results!

The worst thing you can do for your body is to ignore its signals.  Sometimes clients ask me, “is that right?”  I usually respond, does that “feel right” to you?  I may know because I am a trained professional but I want them to be their own pros and in the end they do know better than me. 

When i start my classes or private sessions, I always get my clients to lie on their backs and take some deep breaths and just focus on feeling their breathing.  It’s a great way to turn off your brain and train yourself to be present.  In that hour really nothing is urgent, no phone needs to be answered. Texting, emailing, and social media can wait.  

We can sit and be present, listen, and move our bodies because really they do a lot for us and being mindful in those moments are some of the best ways to take up this new trend.  

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Resolutions - Not for everyone

Well it’s that time of year again.  Holidays are over and the most common New Year’s resolution is in the form of health.  Either people want to lose weight, get fit, exercise more, eat better, quick smoking, quit drinking, etc.  

Every year the resolutions are basically the same and almost every year by the second month more than 50% of people have broken them.  That means January and February are the biggest months for change.  You can see this by the massive gym membership ads, Groupons, and deals on the internet, TV and radio, starting in January.

I am not one for New Year’s resolutions.  I think I have made two my whole life.  For one reason, I think a resolution can be made any time of the year, not just the first of January.  You want to get healthy or be in shape?  You can do that in May or even November, right before the holidays.  You do it when you feel like you are ready.  

We spend a lot of time trying to self improve.  We want to change something about ourselves we don’t like or maybe we are trying to be like someone else.  

We see something out there and say, if I look like that, if I have that…I will be happy.  I will have “arrived.”

I admit, I am fortunate to have a tall and thin figure that doesn’t struggle a whole lot with weight.  I do practice Pilates and try to move everyday.  I eat “mostly” healthy but I have been known to indulge here and there.  My vices are cheese and wine. I am not this way because I live by a crazy diet (although I have tried many - some out of pure curiosity), workout regime, or lifestyle.  I am this way because I try to choose a balance of self-improvement and self-love.  And I have learned it is not an easy thing to do.  I struggle along with everyone else in this manner. 

The improvement part can be physical or psychological, but I find the two aren’t very far from each other.  We all want to look good in clothes or a bathing suit.  We all take an extra look in the mirror checking on the amount of wrinkles we have gained in the past years.  There is nothing wrong with looking good or caring about looking good.  Part of taking care of yourself IS self-love.  This is our only vessel on earth. It is also our first impression to others.  Many animals take time to clean and care for themselves.  Male birds, like the peacock fan out their colorful feathers in an act of vanity to attract a mate.  We are not the only species on this planet that care about looking good.  

But just as the saying goes, “Beauty is only skin deep.” It may be our first impression but, it cannot get us what we want if we are not happy on the inside.  And I say “happy” because it’s a word that everybody knows but it is also a state of mind you are in at any given time.  It is NOT a destination.  If we try too hard to look or act a certain way because we deem it better or superior, thinking this will make us happy, we are not truly looking inward. 

So maybe using the phrase “self-love” might be better.   Basically, do you like yourself?  Do you like who you are?  Can you spend hours on end with your own company?  But if you spend all of your time trying to improve the outside you won’t get anywhere on the inside.  Now don’t think you have to rush out and buy the latest and greatest self-help book. 

Self-help books are big sellers these days because everyone out there is looking for that answer.  I have read quite a few.  In fact, I read so many at one point my head was spinning.  After several books, I just sat there thinking….”GOD, I have so many problems!”  There is a back lash to self improvement….I like to call it “Self confusion!”  I had so many problems I didn’t know where to start.  How did I not know how utterly messed up I was?

Some voice inside of me said, “STOP!” 

I just had to stop trying to improve - my body, my mind, my environment.  It was exhausting and I didn’t get anywhere.  Well, maybe I did, because here I am writing this blog.  I found that I just had to follow what made sense to me.  I realized that at any given moment, I needed to check in with myself and say, “I’m good.” 

So instead of the insurmountable problems I think I may have had, I chose something that I could work on.  I choose to balance self-love with self-improvement.  The difference is that I choose to be OK with my current state even if it isn’t what I want or what I am reaching towards.   Reaching towards something implies movement and that is the key.  We can physically move and we can also mentally move…they both have the capability to produce change. 

Going back to those New Year’s resolutions, maybe the reason why so many people fail to keep them is because they only hit the surface.  If we look inside as well as outside, I think we have a better chance at sticking to our goals and in doing that, we make changes that are more long standing. 

That looks different for everyone.  Some people want to improve how they look, some how they feel. Maybe you have a goal to run a marathon, or maybe you have a goal to get more organized and spend time with your kids.  These are all different ways we want to improve our lives.  Don’t be afraid to check in with yourself, it’s so important to choose something that is true to you and not someone else or just the latest trend.  

And when the time comes, don’t feel bad about fanning those feathers and being proud, resolution or not. 

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Winter Blues

I was thinking about the holidays and the winter season and how I always get stressed and moody.   Is it the pressure of the holidays?  The year in review?  Looming tax season? Is it all of that as well as the addition of long hours of darkness and the lack of sun? I am a person who loves sun and outdoor activities. I love being warm.  I love everything that summer brings; hot days, long nights, tanned skin, less clothing, warm lakes, and pools.  I’ve tried several times to move to a warmer climate because I just can’t seem to get through winter without the blues.  

What exactly are the Winter Blues?  They are generally characterized by significant downturn of mood, loss of interest and general apathy, fatigue, sleeping longer hours, overeating, and boredom. The reason why they are called the Winter Blues or more clinically known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), is that it just occurs only in the winter months and it goes away in Spring and Summer.  If you tend to get this way every year, you are known to have SAD, but if you just feel this way occasionally it’s considered the Winter Blues.  Either way, no one likes the feeling of being down in the dumps all winter long. 

So what can we do? There are many people who take advantage of the winter here in Spokane by going skiing, sledding, snow shoeing, and ice skating.  Being outdoors when there is sunlight can help tremendously.  Our bodies need about 15 minutes of unprotected sun time to simulate Vitamin D, however if you live in some of the northern most regions of the country, it's impossible to produce Vitamin D from the sun because the sun never gets high enough in the sky for its ultraviolet B rays to penetrate the atmosphere.  I would suggest an artificial sunlamp.  Light therapy is known to be helpful for mood disorders.  “In many cases, light therapy can replace medication for people with seasonal and nonseasonal depression, bipolar depression, and depression during pregnancy,” said Michael Terman, PhD, director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at Columbia University Medical Center and author of Reset Your Inner Clock.“ 

Even if your not getting the D, you can still boost your mood and keep the blues at bay by being active.  Exercise has been shown to increase seratonin in the body.  Serotonin is known as a natural mood balancer. .  By being outdoors and active in the winter, you are boosting your bodies seratonin levels and hopefully getting some good Vitamin D.   However, I don’t particularly like winter sports because I hate being cold and I never have the right gear to stay warm.  Cost, time, and interest seem to be my obstacles.  That leaves me with indoor alternatives.  I practice Pilates almost everyday.  Last year I tried a combination of Pilates, Yoga, and Barre.  I also took a lot of vitamin D and kept eating healthy, being careful not to load up too much on carbohydrates which we crave more during the winter but tend to make us feel more sluggish. Even though I took care of myself, I still managed to get those Winter Blues. 

What I realized is I fight the urge to hibernate.  I feel like hibernating is unproductive.  It’s 4:00pm in the afternoon, it’s dark and I want to get under a blanket with a good book or binge watch some TV on Netflix, but in my mind I feel that is a waste of time and I should be doing something to stay productive.  So I give myself little winter projects to keep my mind off the darkness and boredom.  What ends up happening is that I create a whole new set of stresses because I’ve busied myself just for the fear of stillness.  The mind chatter gets going and now I am fighting the urge to hibernate and stressed out to get these new tasks done. No wonder I get the blues. 

So this year, I am giving in.  I am hibernating.  I am choosing to do what our bodies are meant to do, slow down.  I preach over and over again about the importance of listening to our bodies and finding balance, not pushing too far and turning off our internal dialogue.  My own words are ringing in my ears.   Guess what, we need the winters, just like the plants and animals do.  There is research that says people with SAD are just feeling the affects of an “evolutionary left over.”  Our bodies worked to conserve more during the winter by slowing down when food was scarce and we needed the body fat to stay warm. 

Our minds are what keep us from hibernating.  They like to stay busy and have projects and be thinking and coming up with solutions and sometimes creating new problems to solve.  We have learned to live by a clock and not by our internal rhythms.  Many of us avoid the changes we feel because we live in a world of artificial daylight. We have fought to stay up later and still get up early and it’s the hardest thing to do in the dead of winter, especially for those of us who are only getting 8 hours of natural sunlight.  If we are part of this planet and all living things why are we the only species that doesn’t change with the seasons? I have been fighting it for years.  It’s not working. 

What if we took that time in winter to slow down?  I do know our bodies aren’t supposed to be in constant go all year long.  It’s just not possible.  What if we curled up under that blanket and read a good book?  What if we went to bed at 9pm and got up at 7am and slept 10 hours?  What is so bad about that?  Now I am not saying we should all sleep and eat our way through winter.  No one wants to look at the scale in the Spring and feel daunted by the task of shedding heavy winter calories, but we can do things that slow us down that are still healthy.  Instead of an extreme high intensity exercise class, we could take a restorative yoga class.  We can eat seasonal food and drink warm beverages filled with healthy benefits like a good bone broth.  For our minds, meditating can be wonderful ways to get in tune with ourselves and can elevate your mood just as much as exercise.  So I am trying some of these things.  I am taking it slower, I am resting more.  The urge to do and stay productive is hard to avoid, but I think I will emerge in the Spring happier and healthier. 

What an amazing gift to those of us who actually get to live in four seasons.  We have the opportunity to recharge, to rest, to be still, quiet, and calm.  

So for those of you who are like me and maybe aren’t enthusiastic about winters and don’t engage in winter sports, be thankful we have this time to rest, relax, and recharge.   

The Value of Breath

About 3 years ago, my little boys became enamored with a Nickelodeon series called “Avatar, The Last Air Bender.”  Luckily for me it had enough adult entertainment and meaningful messages that it became our favorite family program to watch.  In this series there are people who control the 4 elements, earth, air, fire and water.  Often we would get into discussions about which element we would choose if given the chance. 

I chose air.  Air is all around us, it is available to us unless we are in space or stuck in a vacuum.  It is vital to our being so much so that as soon as our breath stops, we have only seconds to live. It is also our link to the outside world. 

Breathing helps to regulate our heart beat, our emotions, and is key to supplying every living cell in our body with oxygen.  Without it, we would not survive.  Yet we never stop to think about our breathing.  It keeps going no matter what we are doing.  We don’t think about it, inhale and exhale naturally.  

If you have done any guiding meditation you will note the first thing the instructor says is to “Breathe in, breathe out. Follow the breath in; follow the breath out.  Clear your thoughts and just focus on your breath.”  Do you know why they tell you to focus on your breath?  Well, one reason is our vitality.  We came into this world and took our first breath and we will leave with our last.  It is a way of connecting to the self and clueing into our emotional state.  If we are charged, we breathe shallow and rapidly. Our mind is racing - panicking almost - and sending our nervous system into flight or flight.  You may actually be reading this and breathing shallow unknowingly.  Most people do. 

When I ask clients to focus on breath and take a big breath and become present, I sometimes see a struggle.  They can’t take a deep breath.  There is no space for them to do so.  Is this lack of space created by faulty movement patterns, sitting over a computer, or texting endless hours hunched over?  Is it from perceived threats of our sympathetic nervous system?  Is it a holding pattern, “I can keep it together, just power through?” 

Mind or body will affect our breath. If you’ve read my previous posts you know how I continue to point out how the mind and body are not separate but intertwined in our thoughts and actions.  There is this wonderful book called the Anatomy of Breathing, by Blandine Calais-Germain.  This book is devoted to taking a deeper look into the anatomical structures and forces that affect our breathing from the finer movement of the cranial bones to internal organs and the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide at the capillary walls.  She writes, “ The act of breathing permits interactions between two levels.  On the one hand, it is mostly unconscious and automatic.  It influences our actions and our emotions and at the same time is influenced by them.  On the other hand, it is an action that one can influence in a conscious, voluntary manner, by changing it in various ways, with consequences on many different levels.” 

Respiration’s primary goal is to exchange gases within our bodies to the outside world.  Simply, we take oxygen into our body an - essential element of life - and we exchange it with the byproduct of carbon dioxide. There are several anatomical structures involved in breathing.  The boney structures of the spine, ribcage and pelvis are the largest and most involved.  More deeply, the muscles around and attached to those structures, including the internal and external costal muscles of the ribcage, the scalenes of the neck, the diaphragm of the abdominal cavity as well as our transverse abdominis and pelvic floor.   

The ribcage serves as a protector of our most vital organs the heart and the lungs.  The exchange of gases does not just involve the lungs but this relationship is strongly intertwined and cannot be eliminated from the role of our heart.  The cardiovascular system carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body and returns deoxygenated blood back to the heart. However, without getting into some anatomy and physiology lecture, I shall simplify.  Upon inhalation, the vital element of oxygen has to travel into our lungs which do the job of sending it to our blood system so that it can be carried to our organs, our muscles, fascia, and anything else that requires it. You could say the circulatory system is a vast network of messengers carrying product and bi product.  Our respiratory system is our connection with the outside world pulling in elements such as oxygen and pushing others out.  So the ribcage is protecting the two major players in life, the heart and lungs.  

We have all sat down and eaten ribs before at a 4th of July picnic or other summer BBQ.  So what do you think your chewing on?  Sorry my fellow vegetarians, but that tasty meat is the muscles that help our respiratory process.  They allow the ribcage to expand and contract to take in air and push it out.  They move the bones in such a way to allow the air to flow freely.  Take a moment and hold your ribcage as still as possible and try to take a breath in…..Ugh! These muscles although small are constantly working with each breath we take.  They work along side another major player, the MVP of respiration…yep you guessed it, the diaphragm.  That large muscle shaped like an umbrella sitting on top of our abdominal cavity contracting downward and upward thousands of times each day.   The diaphragm sits just underneath the lung and heart and separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. There is a continuous connection between these cavities. It is widely known that altering your breathing and deep meditation can help with stress, a major factor in heart disease.

The diaphragm moves down on inhalation and the abdomen and it’s contents push down and out, the pelvic floor is like a little trampoline absorbing the contents as they move down then pushing them back up.  Inhalation is the active phase of breathing while exhalation is the relaxation phase of breathing.  That is why sometimes it’s harder to take a deep inhale because it is more active and may feel like work, especially if certain structures are stuck.  

Try this: If you are having a hard time breathing in, focus on exhaling.  Push the air out strongly like a deep and heavy sigh make sure you get all the air out, your inhale will come automatically and fully.  It will feel a little easier.  You’re working with that relationship between the two cavities. Sometimes it may be easier to force something out.  What goes out must come back in.   

There are many more structural elements to breathing, it’s as if the whole body is involved.  In fact cellular respiration by definition is a set of metabolic processes in the exchange of nutrients into waste products. Even our cells breathe. But how can our mind affect our breathing? Our mind affects all aspects of our internal structures.  A perceived threat or anytime we are anxious and nervous by events in life can all affect our breathing, but usually its our thoughts about those events, how we perceive something that causes this.  The brain via the nerves will turn on the “fight” or “flight” response, which could result in faster heart and breathing rates, increase in blood pressure, holding and tensing muscular patterns etc.  Keep in mind, in our modern age we actually don’t have many real threats, at least not the ones our ancestors encountered hence the reason its called the “fight” or “flight” response.”  The great thing about this is we can change perceived threats by either changing the way we “think” about them or we can begin to change our mind by adjusting our bodies response to tell the mind, ”Hey, it’s OK, we are in no real danger here.” 

One way to do this is to relax your butt.   If you tighten your pelvic floor, there goes your base of breathing.  The trampoline that allows the breath to fully form and rebound. It takes just a second of tightening your butt and there you are in a state of stress.  Wonder why people use the terminology, “tight ass?” I have a theory of why people clench there. When we are fearful our ancestral DNA tells us to protect vital organs so clenching and folding in on oneself to protect the abdominal cavity is automatic.  This past fall I experienced this hands on when I went to an amusement park with my kids.  Every time that roller coaster went down the rails fast, I clenched my butt and pulled my stomach in. I was literally trying to protect my insides.  How often do you feel like your day is a metaphorical roller coaster? We don’t even realize we are clenching down there.  Take a moment now and feel if you are clenching.  If you are take a full breath, let the belly distend down and outward and see if you can feel the downward pressure upon your pelvic floor.  Play around in your head with the trampoline image.  Now if you feel you have got it, try the opposite by clenching your buttocks tightly and try and take a deep breath.  Do you notice the difference?  Warning: it may be wise to urinate before trying this. 

Another way to release tension and aim towards better breathing is to open the back of your throat.  In yoga they call this the Ujjayi breath.  Breath through your nose fully opening up the back of the throat, then exhale with the sound of “Haah” in the back of your throat but keep your lips lightly closed. If this seems challenging, try to imagine dry heaving (I know not a lovely thought) but it works the same muscles of the throat onthe exhale.  We hold a lot of tension in the back of our throat and jaw, something people with TMJ know a lot about.  When we clench down in our mouth we constrict the muscles in the back of our neck and throat, this closes off our airway.  The diaphragm cannot move down fully and so the pelvic floor will never “spring” into action.  If we breathe by fully opening our air passageways it makes it much easier for the rest of respiratory muscles do their job. 

Lastly, there is also an emotional aspect to breath.  I call it “letting go.”  If either of these techniques don’t work for you, take some time and dive deep into what may be bothering you or keeping you from taking a deeper breath.  Sometimes we don’t want to face the things that are there, but again these are just thoughts about an event that has already passed or an idea about a future event.  When I feel this way, as we all do from time to time instead of facing something unpleasurable, I focus on what lights my life: my kids, my family, the passion I have for my work, a beautiful sunset.  I try to think about being in the moment, not anticipating the future or worrying about the past. We can conjure up any source of happy thoughts or moment at any time.  Try it and see if your breath changes.    

Ideally, we can change the way in which we think about something, work on being present and engaged, and soften our attitudes towards things.  We can honor our body’s wonderful mechanics that keep us moving and alive by doing our breathing exercises to help the structures involved stay healthy and moving.  

Breath is so vital, the air around us that we breathe is so important to how we live but also how we perceive and interact with our environments.  Joseph Pilates used to call it the “internal shower.”  It cleanses us. It fuels us. It is our relationship to our outside world.  It is a super power.  

Stop for a moment, take a breath, enjoy what it is. Focus on the breath and be glad to be present and alive!

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So who was this Joe guy?

So who was this Joe guy? 

Many do not know where Pilates came from and what it’s all about.  I have been practicing Pilates for 16 years and have been a teacher for 12 of them.  There are a lot of misconceptions about what it is. Over the years this is what I have heard.

    It’s Yoga on Machines

    It’s like Yoga - lots of stretching

    It’s for dancers

    It’s for women

    It’s really hard but I don’t know anything about it

    I hear it’s really good for your back

    I hear it’s really good for your core (as they point to their tummies)

I sigh…..

I have tried to come up with one line that describes Pilates, but I just can’t.  Have you ever heard of the elevator speech? You should be able to sell your wares, your idea, or what ever it is you do within 30 seconds or less.  I suck at this.  I can’t do it.  When I start talking about Pilates, I just keep going.  I don’t think I can describe it all in 30 seconds.

What I would like to do with this post is talk about the man, Joseph Pilates, and who he was, what he started and my interpretation of his work and what it means to me. 

Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in 1883 inMönchengladbach Germany.  He was a sickly child suffering from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever.(For those of you who don’t know what rickets is, it’s a softening or weakening of the bones in children due to a Vitamin D deficiency.)  Due to his illnesses as a child he became devoted to improving his physical strength and health.  We are talking about late 19th century when there wasn’t a lot of exercise knowledge or even people engaging in regular physical activities for health reasons.  He studied various forms of exercise from the Greek and Roman societies as well as the Eastern practices of martial arts and Zen.  He became a boxer and gymnast, and by young adulthood he had sculpted his body so that he was posing for anatomical charts. 

In 1912, Joseph moved to England and taught self-defense and continued boxing.  When World War 1 broke out, as a German citizen he was interned among other “aliens.”  In camp, he began to refine his exercises that we know today. He trained other internees in the camp. For those that were injured or bedridden, he took apart the beds and rigged the springs so that they were also able to move and exercise.  This would mark the innovation of the Pilates equipment that we know today.  When the 1918 outbreak of influenza hit England, killing thousands of people, not one of the internees in his camp got sick.  Joseph claimed this as a testament to his exercises system.  

Joseph returned to Germany after the war, training dancers as well as police officers but when pressured to train the new German army, he decided to leave Germany for good.

In 1926, on his journey to the US, he met a young nurse named Clara.  She would become his wife and a large influence over his work.  Clara is known amongst the Pilates community for adding the softer and more therapeutic touch to Pilates.  

Joseph and Clara opened a fitness studio in New York to teach the method that he called “Contrology.”  His fitness studio shared an address with the New York City Ballet, and his first and most devoted students were dancers.  In 1945 he published a book of his exercises and philosophy called Return to Life Through Contrology. In this book are detailed instructions on how to perform his exercises and the guiding principals for them.

He was rarely sick and was said to be seen in the middle of winter jogging down the street in his exercise briefs.   He liked to drink whiskey and smoke cigars.  He was once said to never tell you what you did right or wrong in a session just “Yes” or “No”.  These are all stories from his protege’s that help build a picture of his personality.

Joseph died in 1967 at the age of 83.  He taught in his studio in New York until his death.  It was his life goal to spread his work and make “Contrology” mainstream.   As his original students started studios of their own teaching his method, the name Pilates stuck more than the name Contrology and now it has spread to all areas of the world.  It is unfortunate he was not able to see the fruits of his life work. 

I have heard many stories of Joseph Pilates from those that worked under his original students as many of them have now passed on as well.  He seemed eccentric, visionary, and never ceased to learn. Many believe that Pilates must be done exactly as it was taught.  These are the purists or as they are often called the “Traditional” or “Classical” methodologists.

I believe the method should be preserved as it was taught, it is our lineage and of great value. However, this is not the way in which I teach.  Why?  After I read Joseph’s book Return to Life, it was the guiding principals that resonated most with me.  His principals of breath, control, core, alignment, flow, mind body connection speak to me because those principals can be applied to any exercise.  He was basically saying to be present in your movement and to have intention, to work to the best of your ability and keep at it.  Keep practicing.

I am a why person.  I like to know why I am doing something, what is the benefit of this, how will this help me?  When I teach, I like to give the reason why, even if it’s just for fun because joy in movement also means your more likely to do it again.  

As you practice and gain knowledge you become more body aware and are able to feel and move more efficiently.  What is the purpose of efficient movement or becoming more body aware?  One of them is less wear and tear on your body.  The other is that with body knowledge comes control over your neuromuscular patterning.  Just read my blog on nudging…

One of things Joseph used to say that continues to run around in my head when I am doing Pilates is don’t do a 20 pound move for a 10 pound exercise.  Know what is required of you and perform to that task.  He said “A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion.” There are days when I can only do 20 or 30 minutes of Pilates, but I do them well. My clients all know the value of a good Pilates crunch. 

But among all of his principals it was probably the Breath that was the biggest focus of his work.  He called it the “internal shower”.  It is the simplest thing, but yet the most difficult task for people as we tend to hold our breath when we are focusing and exerting ourselves.  The respiratory system is our first line of defense for eliminating toxins from our body, more so over our largest organ, the skin.  Maybe the reason why those people in the internment camp didn’t get sick was because they were doing deep diaphragmic breathing every day.  A thought I contemplate when someone comes in with a respiratory infection. 

When you can perform an exercise with all of his principals in concert that to me is Pilates.  It is the ultimate goal and it is sometimes the hardest.  Not every move needs to by physically exerting. Sometimes the move requires more mental focus on the mechanics of it or maybe you need to make it more fluid and not so jerky.  Sometimes I tell my clients they need to concentrate less and just feel their bodies and again when in doubt just BREATH!

It is no wonder the dance community embraced him because if you see Pilates done well it is beautiful and graceful.  It looks effortless.  It takes a lot of work to make something look effortless. 

After 16 years of being a faithful practitioner of Pilates I still have some “aha” moments even as a teacher when I think….”maybe that is what Joe meant” and I have a whole different understanding of his work.  It never tires. It never dulls and I never cease to be amazed. 

I guess that is why 30 seconds just isn’t enough for me. 

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