Such a great review for me! I have not yet done part one but definitely will! I have been doing my stomach series exercises in neutral. I much prefer the imprint.. dumping my soup to my chest so much better! I learned so much from this! Thank you Monica!
As a beginner working through this section I enjoyed the class but despite dumping my soup my lower back is uncomfortable on mat work. It doesn't hurt it just feels curved not flat and it makes the exercises awkward. Any suggestions? Thank u
I'm a beginner learning Pilates through this series. I plan to stay on this one for a while. What do we do when our legs don't straighten in double leg stretch?
Hi Everyone! I am so glad so many of you are enjoying #2/10 of the beginner series and I greatly appreciate the feedback! I love hearing all the good, even the bad, and any question you might have. I have to apologize for taking so long to reach back out to y'all. End of summer and school starting as a mother of 3 has kept me a little stretched thin. I hope to answer your questions more promptly from now on so please continue to reach out with any questions and thank you again for all your wonderful feedback and comments:)
Hi Gemma! I hope I'm understanding your back alignment question correctly and if I am totally off base, please let me know so I can make sure your Pilates work does not feel awkward. The ultimate goal in Pilates is to have a strong Powerhouse (PH), be able to initiate all movements from your PH and lengthen your spine and limbs with it's support. A good start is making sure your not bracing yourself with your upper spine or rib cage and that your upper vertebrae are able to relax into the mat (no tunnel under your bra strap). From there, you want to make sure each vertebrae between your bra strap and the back of your waist band is able to make contact with the mat. Most people's spines are stuck in a slight lower back arch or an arch under their bra strap. This is why, as a beginner, I suggest the image of dumping a bowl of soup into your chest. This allows a tight back to stretch and release, as well as letting you feel your stomach pull in to the mat.