(Answer for Bridget part 2:) My recommendation would be to do any of the rolling exercises keeping a good foot and a half to 2 feet between your shoulders and knees when in a C curve. For example, in Rolling Like a Ball, do not advance to having your hands on top of your ankles, curling your body up tightly with your head between your knees. Instead, keep your hands under your knees making it easier for you to use your Powerhouse to keep your pelvis tilted towards you, with the top of your hip bones pointed up to the ceiling and your center of gravity/weight more over the top of your sacrum (just below your waistband) rather then the bottom of it (your tailbone). This should take the pressure off the tailbone as you should never be rolling your weight onto it with this modification. Finally, I agree with Gia, Niedra is also a great resource! Hope this helps! Monica:)

Thank you very much for this series. I am a beginner, after being away from Pilates for many, many, many years. I had two children, life got in the way and forty pounds later, here I am. I feel so great being able to do pilates again. It is really hard but already after five days I can feel my strength in my core come back. The laser beam still hits a little mound because of my weight gain, but I feel fantastic after a class. One question- my left side, my lower back area by my left butt cheek, feels so tight, it feels almost like a ball of hard muscle there and it kind of hurts when I use the left side- what can I do to loosen this muscle? Thank you again. I feel renewed and like I can do this and I am excited about the changes I know will come to my body.

Hi Marilo! Is the area that hurts and feels like a hard muscle ball above the left side of your bottom or is it more in your left cheek?

I feel like I have started to learn again how to perform exercises correctly...this a very great class; I enjoyed a lot...Thank you Monica

Love your class Monica! I used your class as my inspiration for teaching my small group. :)

excellent program ..so helpful ..I never enjoyed pilates this much :)

I am very glad for starting over with this beginners series: these are very precious classes for one to understand more deeply how to get more benefit using the right muscles whilst doing pilates ...thank you Monica

Hi Monica, I’m really loving this series so far. I’ve always tried out different Pilates classes in the past and I’m so glad I’ve come across this series as I’m now doing it all properly thanks to your teaching. In this class I found my lower back was really straining even though I was dumping and scooping as much as I could and my breathing was all over the place and again quite strained at times. Do you have any advice as to why this could be? Many thanks, Jess

Hi Jess, would love to help you! Is there a specific exercise your lower back was hurting you in? Does your lower back ever hurt you at other times? Have you ever injured it? Does your body enjoy the idea of a backbend or does it bring tears to your eyes? Would you consider yourself a flexible or tight person?

Hi Monica, which abdomenal muscles exactly are supposed to lift the legs? I’m feeling something but want to be sure it is correct.