A little over a year and a half ago, I decided to take up meditation. As one who never had an easy time “watching my breath (ironic for a Pilates instructor I know!)” I knew it would help me if I could learn to just sit still for more than two minutes! I am always looking for ways to inhabit my body more fully. Whether it’s seeking a new physical challenge (Trapeze School), studying the body itself more closely (Gil Hedley’s 6 day human dissection course) or traveling to a new place (Istanbul this year), I look for ways to become more present, to feel more embodied ~ In short, I look for more ways to appreciate that I am alive.

Pilates helps me appreciate my life. Rather than taking me outside myself, Pilates facilitates introspection. Through the movements in my workouts, I ponder, I question, I lament, and ultimately appreciate all that my body teaches me. It was about two years ago when I decided it was time to take the whole idea of fully inhabiting my body one step further. I wanted to see if I could feel present, embodied and alive without seeking a particular challenge. I wanted to see if I could do it without even moving at all. Could I actually just sit for 20 minutes and feel like I was living? It turns out I could.

I enrolled in a meditation class taught by Bobbee Kellner, a Pilates practitioner, psychotherapist, yogi and former client of mine. Though it was a little awkward for me at first, it really didn’t take me long to see how closely meditation aligns with what I was already doing in Pilates. Both required concentration, focus, attention to breath and both facilitated ease in my body. Pilates can in fact be a moving meditation, and meditation may surprise you by showing you just how much is going on inside even as you sit quietly.

We brought Bobbee to Pilates Anytime because we felt each discipline compliments the other. Meditation can help your Pilates practice and your Pilates practice can help your meditation. If you’d like to know more, we encourage you to watch the two-part interview we had with Bobbee discussing the subject. We’ve also included a 10 minute guided meditation. Do the meditation before class, after class or just on its own. We hope you enjoy it. Ommmmmm

Click here for the Meditation Class and Interview