I’m Here To Help: Reclaim The Body - The Pelvis, Part 1
With no proper plan, I present; I’m Here To Help: RECLAIM THE BODY. Let’s see how this goes. Opinions are my own. Consult a doctor because I can’t afford my mistakes and yours in this economy.
The pelvis, in general, is this girdle and network of bones, joints, nerves, facets, muscles, tendons, and fascia in the lower part of the human body.
Many of our mechanical functions send or retrieve sensory cues from this information highway, and a few others below and above it (like the feet and shoulders). The pelvis is a portion of the central support structure of the skeleton.
The core, as I know it (as a Pilates instructor and movement specialist), basically runs from the neck down to the inner thighs and across to the perimeter of the hip and shoulder joints.
Doctor Marcia Dernie, DPT, writes,
“It’s also important to understand how to free ourselves from an all-or-nothing binary… Consistency is really about understanding that doing a small amount for a long time can make a big difference.” (Movement for Every Body, 2024).
Understanding for me is teaching others. I want to talk more about why Take Good Care Pilates’ motto is “Get In Your Body”. To me, a practice of present awareness, data-supported information, and great coaching are the difference between empowerment toward growth versus diminishing returns and burnout. Been there. Haven’t burnt out, and I hate watching other people do it. I’m here to help.
So let’s start with this nugget from Madeline Black’s book “Centered” (Second Edition, 2022):
The limbs amplify movement grenerated from the periphery toward the center.—The limb’s actions move through the legs into the trunk via the hip joint.
QUESTION: With this basic knowledge, does your Pilates instructor’s cueing and imagery for engaging your core change?
RECLAIM THE BODY — Understand that there can be some harmony in the body. Respectfully, I cannot speak for all abilities; however, I believe that at least understanding the body's functions can help develop a clearer picture of what an individual wants to achieve.
GET IN YOUR BODY [ACTION]: If we imagine the limbs and trunk striving for harmony and using our limbs as a transfer of power through the trunk, can you try this the next time you do footwork on the Reformer/Chair, leg springs on the trap table, or use a magic circle prop on the mat?
Movement For Everybody by Maricia Dernie, DPT - LEARN MORE/BUY
Centered, Second Edition, by Madeline Black - LEARN MORE/BUY
Melissa Thompson, Founder, Take Good Care Pilates
Chicago based Pilates instructor and corrective exercise specialist.
