A funny thing happened to me this week – I was overjoyed to receive my brand new iPhone Plus to replace my “tiny” and outdated iPhone. As a tech lover, it has always been tricky to balance the desire to be plugged into the world as it relates to all the things that interest me with the actual “doing” of all those same things. I thought I had found the solution as I would go on walks, runs, social events, etc. with my little smartphone in tow…ready to report on the latest “experience”, return a quick email, listening to my favorite music, or to take a quick glance at what others in my online Pilates community were doing. It seemed like the perfect balance…I could be outside and “connected” at the same time. As much as “unplugging” seems like an obvious piece of advice, it’s not always the easiest thing to do when the convenience factor of whipping the smartphone out of your pocket exists.
Joseph Pilates stated that in order to attain full-body health, we needed to have plenty of fresh air and sunshine with a balance in life, work, and play. Wasn’t I getting that? Well, technically I could be outside in the sunshine and getting physical activity, but I would not always be completely present to experience it. So how does this relate to my new ginormous, thin, and dare I say slippery new phone?
I typically make it a point to walk to work most mornings, but this particular morning I didn’t do it the usual way, which typically includes taking care of emails and catching up on social media while on the walk. No, this morning was different. I was terrified that if I removed my shiny new phone from my pocket, I would surely drop it as its larger size makes it more awkward to manage while moving. So, I made the decision to keep it tucked away, and this is where Joseph’s wisdom really hit me.
With my head up, I was in awe of this amazing panoramic view that my eyes and brain had gifted me with. The colors were brighter, the depth of perception was richer, and the light of the morning sunshine danced on everything it hit.
With my head up and arms able to swing freely, I was more aware of how wonderful my body felt just to move and feel the earth beneath my feet, and I had this enormous sense of gratitude that I could do just that. With my upright posture, I breathed in deeper and with greater ease which allowed me to taste the sweetness of the air following our recent rain. My breath became more deliberate as though I wanted to cherish each long wonderful breath. A small smile passed through my lips as I felt the cool air moving past them and the breeze against my skin. With my head up, I was sensitive to all the beautiful sounds of the water, birds, and tiny critters without my earphones blocking their entry into my ears. In 20 minutes, I arrived at my office with a smile on my face, relaxed yet energized, and feeling alive. My intentions were clearer and my direction more focused throughout the day, and my energy was contagious as my patients and clients seemed to sense a difference. My cues were richer and more effective as if my own increased awareness of my own body allowed for greater awareness and intention in theirs.
I was reminded of the power of Nature and the earth’s energy and how we can use it as a resource to recharge. However, to truly harness it, we need to allow ourselves to be present in the moment to appreciate the effect it has on every system of our bodies, and then, we have the greater ability to pass that energy and intention onto others. While I’m happy to own my new technology, it is a reminder that some things are best enjoyed separately.
Morning Reflection: Here’s what I noticed when I let the technology stay in my pocket…
POLESTAR® Educator Ada Wells, owner of ProBalance, brings 20 years of Physical Therapy, Pilates, and sports performance expertise to her clients in rehabilitation, fitness, and educational settings. Ada is a Level 3 Certified Golf Medical Professional through the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) and is a PMA Certified Pilates Teacher and Polestar Pilates Educator. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), PMA, and IDEA Health and Fitness Association.Ada received a B.S. in Physiology with honors from the University of California at Davis and graduated at the top of her class at Chapman University with a Masters of Physical Therapy.
In addition to her continuous development of specialized sports rehabilitation and performance programs, Ada is a Pilates Educator for Polestar Pilates, teaching the craft to future Pilates instructors. She provides lectures on rehabilitation and fitness for golf, sailing, and other sports. She presents seminars based on her DVD, “The Cruising Boater’s Workout” for Strictly Sail Pacific and other sailing organizations and events. For the past ten years, Ada has provided her services to celebrity golfers at the American Century Golf Championship nationally televised on NBC. She has appeared in a variety of publications including: Cruising World, ESPN Magazine, Pilates Style, Dance Teacher, Rehab Management, Health Club Management, and Physical Therapy Products Magazine. She is also a guest instructor on the Athletic Training Channel of Balanced Body® Podcasts and for Pilates on Tour®.
Although I live near Santa Monica, CA now I was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. Go Mounties! Woman of a certain age, physical therapist, scientist, entrepreneur, speaker/lecturer, content developer, dancer, coach, compassionate people lover who improves lives through movement.
What is your favorite things to teach your clients?
One of my favorite tips is to teach my clients how to use the wrinkles in their shirts as a guide to postural awareness. For instance, if the shirt they’re wearing has a lot of wrinkles in the back and not many in the front, they are likely standing in a hyper-lordotic posture (excessive spine extension) which can lead to compression of the facet joints in the lumbar spine, pain and stiffness. However, when the shirt wrinkles are smoother and more symmetrical from front to back it can signal better spinal alignment and can often result in ease with movement as well as standing.
Tell us an “aha!” Moment
One of the most impactful moments of my life was during my adventure with cancer. During that time, I made the conscious choice to experience the journey as a chrysalis moment and integrated lifestyle adjustments and approaches that created an environment for growth into my next form. This is the time I discovered the “butterfly effect.”
The butterfly effect is a term coined by Edward Lorenz a meteorologist, mathematician and one of the major contributors to the chaos theory. The theory can be pretty technical if you choose to go down the rabbit hole but to quickly summarize it says that small, nearly imperceptible changes made in a complex system can have a massive impact on that system over time. The concept is imagined with a butterfly flapping its wings in the U.S. causing a typhoon in the Philippines a few weeks later.
I often refer to the butterfly effect when coaching clients. My primary goals are to help them recognize that they may experience some internal and external environmental chaos because they’re creating change. And to generate an awareness that the smallest fluctuations they make in their life (i.e. postural awareness) will likely result in a positive difference in moving towards a life with less pain. For more on the Butterfly Effect check out – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect
What are you Currently Reading?
I’m on my third read of Explain Pain by David Butler & Lorimer Moseley.
What is your Favorite Way to Wind Down?
A sunset walk on the bike path at the end of the world (also known as the Santa Monica Beach).
Learn more about Dr. Diedra Manns, Pilates and Monarch Wellness at:
Monarch Wellness Inc. Santa Monica, CA monarchwellnessinc.com
www.facebook.com/MonarchWellnessInc @monarchwellnessinc
2. Hydrate
4. Love What You Do
I was once at a Polestar Pilates Educator meeting in which we were working hard to create content for the Internet to communicate to the world, “Why Pilates?” And “Why Polestar?” The answers I found to these questions were easy. Why Pilates? Because Pilates keeps every person doing what they want to do! Whether that is hiking mountains or pulling weeds, running marathons or playing on the floor with grandchildren.
Now Why Polestar? That’s an easy one. Polestar Pilates allows me to be creative within a system of principles. Rather than teaching me a series of exercises that become a rote script for a beginner, intermediate and advanced Pilates class, Polestar provided a structure within which I could be creative. This meant that I could use the same tools to teach an 85 year old grandfather as well as a ten year old boy. I wasn’t taught a recipe of exercises but a systematic approach and theory. The amateur chaos theory mathematician in me was stoked!
The Polestar Pilates system is based on six principles (Polestar Principles of Movement) that are designed to guide the critical thinking of a Polestar Pilates Practitioner. In this post I want to describe the first one.
The Breath Principle
Now, we don’t specifically choreograph when one should inhale and exhale. We study the anatomy and physiology of the breath and we also learn the “biokinematics” and the “arthrokinematics” of breath. All of this information within the principle allows us to decide how to best use breath as a tool for movement facilitation. When we study the breath principle we choose to ask the question how can I use the breath to create the best movement. Will an inhale help facilitate healthy movement, or is an exhale better? Or we might ask, how can I use this breath to challenge the mover in front of me to create greater integration of movement.
The Polestar Principles encourage client-centered inquisitiveness – Can our understanding of the breath shed light on any other physiological questions? How might I use breath to improve posture? Create more flexibility or space in a joint? Create axial length or facilitate thoracic mobility?
Why do I love Polestar Pilates? Because Polestar gave me a plethora of information and then said, “okay kid, take this and run with it! Have a ball, and most importantly help people move”.
Experiential:
The breath is a system and tool we can learn to control (and teach our students to control as well). Try “Box Breathing” for stress reduction, grounding and activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
• This breath practice can be done anywhere! Wherever you are, sit or stand in a way that you feel grounded (weight distributed evenly between the feet or sits bones) and lengthen the spine as if your head was being pulled up by a thread.
• “Box Breathing” consists of the same number of counts during your inhale as your exhale with an added pause at the peak of the inhale and valley of the exhale.
Try It!:
A. Inhale Four Counts (1,2,3,4) – (Pause Four Counts – 1,2,3,4)
B. Exhale Four Counts (1,2,3,4)- (Pause four counts 1,2,3,4)
C. Try Repeating this Cycle 4 times.
• This rhythmic breathing practice can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system (the one that makes you feel calm). Experiment to find the number of counts that works for you – it should be easy, steady and grounding. Breathe On!
Katrina Hawley PMA-CPT, Polestar Educator and Affiliate is the owner of 