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 We’ve all heard that yoga and Pilates are good for us and here’s how to start. Simply put, Pilates brings core strength and an awareness of your habitual ways of moving, guiding you back to a healthier skeletal alignment, mobilizing the spine and strengthening the weaker areas of the body. Yoga has the capacity to unlock the body’s deep tightness, easing restricted joints and muscles, opening up the spine and coaxing away tension like peeling away the layers of an onion. With both, you’ll find a lessening of unwanted tension and you’ll feel stronger, more energized and relaxed, depending on what your body needs on that particular day. In yoga and Pilates, the physical movements ride the breath. Breath and motion work in tandem. Focusing on gentle deep breathing encourages the body and mind to calm. Besides oxygenating the blood beautifully and so nourishing our entire system, the lung expansion becomes our own internal masseur for our back muscles and organs of the liver, kidneys, heart etc. How healthy is that?
Finding a Teacher Finding a teacher you enjoy is key. It’s worth looking around, as there are different styles to choose from. Explore and be prepared to do one-off visits before you choose. DVD Recommendations: If a yoga or Pilates studio is not convenient to you or you don’t want to spend the money, here are two great DVDs to try. These two great teachers give clear instruction for newbies and routines that are still useful when you’re seasoned. “Body Control, the Pilates Way” by Lynne Robinson: It seems easy at first but it has a surprisingly powerful effect on those tummies. "Yoga for Beginners” by Barbara Benagh: This DVD includes 10- to 30-minute routines with the choice of progressing to 30- to 70 minute combinations when you’re ready. The Advice a Teacher Would Give You in Class: There is no rush, be easy on yourself. You’ll be just as happy to touch your toes for the first time when you’re a flexible 55-year-old as you will be today. Wear clothes that are easy around the joints, shoulders, hips and knees and a top that won’t reveal that old gray sports bra when you downward dog
Tip for Yoga: Get comfortable with slow rhythmic breathing, gentle and full. Inhale and exhale through the nose. Sounds simple, but when you add movement to an inhale/exhale it is surprisingly tricky. Practice breathing “in” for three slow counts and “out” slowly for three counts. Inhale fully and exhale completely. Aim for the sound of distant waves. Work up to a relaxing five counts “in and out.” Tip for Pilates: "Navel to Spine" means: low abdominal support. Imagine you have a point - 1 to 2 inches below the navel. To prepare: Inhale (through the nose), then exhale (through the mouth), gently drawing that point inward toward the front of the spine and diagonally upward, toward the base of the ribs in the back. Low abdominals are now engaged, supporting the torso and relieving back muscles. Aim to keep these muscles drawn inward through each exercise.
Amanda Musker studied classical ballet at the Royal Ballet School in London. She went on to enjoy 14 enormously successful years working in London’s West End, starring in productions such as “Cats,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” and “Oklahoma.” In 2000 Amanda decided to pursue her other great passions, Pilates and yoga. This led her to an equally successful career as one of the most sought-after teachers of these disciplines. Having experienced 30 years of career-related injuries, as well as working with hundreds of yoga and Pilates students, Amanda is uniquely qualified to bring a deeper understanding of our bodies and what helps to make us flourish in them. Send your questions to Amanda@smartnow.com.
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