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Joseph Pilates Pilates has become more popular in recent years due to celebrities, sports personalities and newspaper publicity. However, Pilates has been around for more than 70 years and was developed by Joseph Pilates. He was so determined to overcome his childhood illnesses that he created a mind-body system for strengthening and lengthening muscles whilst creating a strong centre called 'Contrology'. He took influences from yoga and other mental disciplines. He was born in Germany and in 1923 he emigrated to the USA and set up the first Pilates studio. Pilates has evolved since Joseph Pilates' death due to new thinking and science, although the principles remain the same: Breathing, Centre, Control, Concentration, Alignment and Flowing Movement. Following quotes from 'Return To Life Through Contrology' by Joseph H. Pilates & William John Miller. "Since we are living in this Modern Age we must of necessity devote more time and more thought to the important matter of acquiring physical fitness. This does not necessarily imply that we must devote ourselves only to the mere development of any particular set of muscles, but rather more rationally to the uniform development of our bodies as a whole keeping all our organs as nearly as possible in their naturally normal condition so that we may not only be in a better position to earn our daily bread but also so that we may have sufficient vitality in reserve at night for the enjoyment of compensating pleasure and relaxation." "Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind and spirit. Through contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities." "contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit." "Ideally, our muscles should obey our will. Reasonably, our will should not be dominated by the reflex actions of our muscles." "To breathe correctly you must completely exhale and inhale, always trying very hard to "squeeze" every atom of impure air from your lungs in much the same manner that you would wring every drop of water from a wet cloth."
Other books by Joseph Pilates include "Your Health" first published in 1934. |
