Movement and mindful practices approach the concept of “core” in a number of ways. The physical core - addressing the central area of the body (between the pelvis and the rib cage) in way of stabilising, strengthening and physically challenging in numerous ways. The mental and/or emotional core is addressed by taking ourselves away from our external world of experiences and moving “inwards” - connecting with, restoring and recalibrating the “core of our being”. Today’s post is dedicated to the core and how yoopod classes can help us stay connected and true to our own centre :)
Pilates
Pilates is not just about the core, as some people think, but it definitely does help you develop deep, internal core strength that is really quite difficult to find elsewhere! Joseph Pilates was a huge fan of core work, or what he called the “Powerhouse”. He believed that your Powerhouse (essentially the center of the body), when strengthened, creates the foundation for all movement. With practice you will, over time, learn how to “move from the Powerhouse”, making sure all movements are emanating from the central area of the body and not from the limbs. The core strength you develop in Pilates can increase your performance in any sport, physical activity or daily task and help keep your body fit, strong and injury free.
Yoga
Yoga is the perfect companion to Pilates as it builds on the strong foundation of core, alignment and physical awareness acquired in Pilates, and takes it to new, unexplored frontiers. Learning how to move is a long and somewhat complicated process that involves many bodily systems… and it takes time and dedication to achieve. And then, once we have “mastered” a certain movement skill, we are quite likely to hit a plateau and get a bit stuck. When this happens, Yoga is the perfect practice to help us get unstuck and take us to new levels of movement. Different types of Yoga will present you with new, unexpected movement patterns that will challenge you to your core and will challenge your core to its full potential.
Mindfulness
Last, but not least, comes Mindfulness, which can help us get to the core of our being. In today’s super fast world with its excess amount of information pouring at us from every angle, it is very easy to end up living 'in our heads'. Unavoidable screens and gadgets, and seemingly unrelenting demands for our time and attention, contribute to being all caught up in our thoughts and to losing touch with our centre and with the way our bodies are feeling. Mindfulness practices can help us find and restore balance between our heads and our bodies; between what we think the world demands from us and what really ‘is’. Practicing Mindfulness can help us find our centre and make it clearer, calmer and stronger.
We are all different to each other. We all ‘ebb and flow’ with time and in relation to life challenges that we face. But no matter where we are on our journey, we can always benefit from working on our core, be it the physical one or the mental one.
Have a wonderful, centred month