Joseph Pilates Early Enlightenments
“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”
- Joseph Pilates
Joseph Pilates was a wise man.
Very few were speaking to the soulful benefits of exercise in his living era: 1883-1967. In fact, few are alive today to testify to Joe’s philosophy: an evolutionary combination of principles and form; yet the earliest foundations of the method he created were carried down through several “Master Teachers.”
Joseph Pilates stretching
Joe’s method was originally called Contrology and then required a lot of focus, precision and control to perform…not to mention strength and flexibility. There were no modifications. And today, long after his death, instructors leap to impart the same body wisdom through classical and modified versions of his original matwork and adaptations on his apparatus. Some embrace and entrain to the deeper aspects, though Joe’s intentions are often diluted or lost in translation as the method meanders through Hollywood and the fitness industry these last few decades.
Lucky for us all, he reminds us of our roots in “Return to Life through Contrology.” More like a manifesto for the soul, the book is now back in print, and Pilates remains one of the most popular and results-oriented exercise systems available.
Joseph Pilates studio
Here are some Joe quotes:
“The mind, when housed within a healthful body, possesses a glorious sense of power.”
“It’s the mind itself which shapes the body.”
“Every moment of your life can be the beginning of great things.”
“(Pilates) teaches you to be in control of your body and not at its mercy.”
“A man is as young as his spinal column.”
“We retire too early and we die too young. Our prime of life should be in the 70’s and old age should not come until we are almost 100.”
“Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it.”
“Pilates is complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.”
“Civilisation impairs physical fitness.”
“Through (Pilates Method of Body Conditioning) this unique trinity of a balanced body, mind and spirit can ever be attained. Self-confidence follows.”
“A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion.”
“The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They’d be happier.”
“Not only is health a normal condition, but it is our duty to not only to attain it but to maintain it.”
“Lazy breathing converts the lungs, literally and figuratively speaking, into a cemetery for the deposition of diseased, dying and dead germs.”
“Contrology is not a system of haphazard exercises designed to produce only bulging muscles.”
“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.”
“Concentrate on the correct movement each time you exercise, lest you do them improperly and thus lose all vital benefits.”
“You will feel better in ten sessions, look better in twenty sessions, and have a completely new body in thirty sessions.”
“Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking, nor outright purchase.”
“Change happens through movement and movement heals.”
“Everyone is the architect of their own happiness.”
“Every moment of our life can be the beginning of great things.”
“Man should bear in mind and ponder over the Greek admonition: Not Too Much, Not Too Little.”
“I’m not concerned with body building; I’m just trying to make people normal human beings.”
“The acquirement and enjoyment of physical well-being, mental calm and spiritual peace are priceless to their possessors if there be any such so fortunate living among us today. However, it is the ideal to strive for, and in our opinion, it is only through Contrology that this unique trinity of a balanced body, mind, and spirit can ever be attained.”
Thank you Flavours Holidays, Wikipedia, AZ Quotes.
8 Principles/Qualities of Pilates
- Centering
- Breathing
- Concentration
- Alignment
- Control
- Precision
- Flow
- Integration
8 Evolutionary Movement Principles:
- Conscious Breath
- Core Awareness
- Imprinting
- Alignment
- Neutrality
- Mobility
- Stability
- Balance
Most will say that Joe’s backdrop includes Yoga & Tai Chi. From my perspective, these are true. I see him as a mystical man, not in a Christian saint or new age sort of way…rather in an elemental way. I believe he inherently knew and applied the laws of nature, universal principles to his body of work: Contrology.
To learn more or to purchase Pilates classes and programs,
please call the studio: 360-339-1411 or send us an email.
