Pilates for Stress & Anxiety
Meditation has long been known for its powerful effects on the body and mind. Recent studies are proving what many cultures have known for years: that meditating regularly can decrease anxiety and depression and can improve memory, concentration, and the longevity of brain function.
If this isn’t the first time you’ve heard about the incredible benefits of meditation and yet you still haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, you’re not alone.
For many of us, sitting down to meditate at some point in our busy day feels daunting. It’s an abrupt transition. If we have coworkers, it can feel self-conscious to park yourself on the ground with your eyes closed for 10 minutes. Plus, when your to do list is endless and staying busy means you’re actively checking things off, why would you stop? (Of course, this addiction to being busy is the exact reason meditation benefits us in the first place.)
Fortunately there’s more than one way to get the centering benefits of meditation, and we don’t have to limit our definition to sitting cross-legged with our eyes closed. In fact, think of that as the “advanced” version. As we work up to meditating the way the pros do it, there are other baby steps we can take to connect with intention and step away from the bustling world around us. Our favorite method is through movement.
What is Movement Meditation?
Using movement provides an easy way to meditate for newbies (myself included). In traditional meditation, it can feel like the goal is to focus on nothing. This is pretty much impossible and our lack of success can discourage us from forming a habit. Practicing movement meditation offers us something tangible to focus on. By giving our conscious minds something to think about, we’re making it easier to let other thoughts drift on by. This focus on movement also allows our subconscious mind to process information. This is one of the mental benefits of exercise and why physical activity can improve cognitive function.
On a deeper level, engaging in intentional, focused physical activity promotes connection with our physical intelligence.
Our bodies possess genius completely separate from our minds. This is known as physical intelligence. It’s what helps you catch your balance when you start to slip on an icy sidewalk, and the thing that tells muscles surrounding an aggravated joint to compensate in order to protect the injury. Many of us take this intelligence for granted (or may not even realize it’s at work). That is, until you experience an injury or take up a movement practice that requires intentionality, such as Pilates.
The Mental Benefits of Pilates
Listening to our physical intelligence is a powerful form of meditation, and Pilates is an excellent way to practice. Joseph Pilates used our natural movement patterns as fodder for his physical training. The exercises he designed, and the ones we still do in class today, were created based on our physical intelligence, on the most efficient ways for our bodies to function. Our societal habits interrupt our physical intelligence by causing us to do more sitting and less intuitive movement.
When we practice Pilates, we’re reinforcing our natural movement patterns so we can continue moving efficiently for longer; we’re trying to better listen to our physical intelligence. To put it simply, Pilates allows us to catch our brains up with what our bodies already know.
The more we observe all our bodies are capable of, the more we come to appreciate them. And when we appreciate something, we tend to take better care of it.
Plus, in addition to the general benefits of using movement as a gateway to traditional meditation, Pilates requires multitasking both of the body and mind. This all but guarantees that we’re focused on the exercises at hand rather than our day to day lives.
To get the full mental benefits of Pilates during your next class, explore the meditative side. Here’s what we recommend:
Try to let go of everything else that happened that day and everything you’ll do after class. When these thoughts come into your mind, bring yourself back to the present.
Focus on tangible things, like how your body feels as it moves and the way your breath supports your movement.
Consider each cue the teacher gives by picturing it applied to your own body. Ask for clarification when you need it.
If you feel physically comfortable and aren’t doing a balancing exercise, close your eyes.
Dig deeper. In Pilates, there’s always a way to dig deeper.
How to Use Pilates as Meditation
Try using Pilates as movement meditation doing the three simple exercises below. If you’re sitting on the ground and/or feeling stable, try closing your eyes.
Side Stretch
Sit up tall either cross-legged on the floor or on a chair. If you’re in a chair, uncross your legs, plant your feet firmly on the ground, and scoot forward to sit on the front edge of the chair. Align yourself so your head, shoulders, and hips are stacked on top of each other, imagining your sitz bones are grounding right down into the earth. For most of us, this means tucking our chin a bit, pulling our ribs in, and leaning our ribcage back just slightly. Place your right hand next to your right hip either on the ground or on the edge of your chair and reach your left arm up towards the sky.
Take an inhale, imagining you’re growing taller through your spine. On your exhale, reach your left hand up and over towards the right. As your spine bends, imagine you can maintain the space between each rib on your right side. Maintain the grounding of your sitz bones into the earth. Stay for a full breath, feeling your left lungs expand and contract as you breathe. On your next exhale, imagine growing even taller as you return to center. Stay for a moment in center, noticing the difference between how your right side body feels compared to your left. Then repeat on the other side. Do 3 sets in total.
Snow Angels
Remain sitting either on the floor or on a chair with your feet planted on the ground. If you’re cross-legged, switch the cross of your legs. Start with your arms down by your sides and your collarbones open.
On an inhale, slowly sweep your arms out to the sides and overhead like you’re making the top half of a snow angel. On your exhale, return your arms down to your sides. As you do this movement, focus on your shoulder blades. See if you can feel them on your back, winging out as your arms move upward and sliding back down as your arms return.
Think about your breath as you move, feeling like the inflation of your lungs is floating your arms upward and the exhalation is bringing them back down. Make sure your bottom ribs are remaining knitted together. Give some thought to your shoulders as well—they’ll lift slightly as your arms go up, but try and keep them away from your ears. Repeat this 5 times, going as slowly as you can.
Seated Cat-Cow
If you’re sitting cross-legged, switch the cross of your legs again. Check back in with your alignment before you start. Use your hands to stabilize your spine: if you’re cross-legged, you may want to hold onto the fronts of your shins. If you’re seated in a chair, try bringing your hands underneath your thighs close to your knees.
Start off with a tall spine and a neutral pelvis. Take an inhale. On an exhale, draw your navel into your spine and round your back. Use the hold on your legs to create traction with your spine so you can go into a deep curve. Let the curve ripple all the way up your spine, allowing your head to round forward.
On a slow inhale, grab your legs to pull yourself forward through neutral and into an arch. Reach your tailbone back behind you and your sternum forward. Roll your shoulders back and let your head lean back slightly. Exhale to return to center and return to your cat back. Do 8 sets of these, focusing on your breathing and the articulation of your spine.
Once you’ve done all three exercises, take stock of your mental state. Feel any different than you did before you started?
Let us know if you have any questions about tapping into the meditative side of Pilates. One of our instructors in particular, Claire Brunelli, practices meditation every day and is a great resource if you’re interested in learning more.
“Through the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning this unique trinity of a balanced body, mind and spirit can ever be attained. Self-confidence follows.” — Joseph Pilates