Practice over time

Chat and questions regarding Pilates or the "Introduction to the work of Joseph H. Pilates"
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AlainG
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2021 10:47 pm

Practice over time

Post by AlainG »

Javier, you are in the process of writing a very extensive and documented book about Joseph Pilates method.
Can you here say what you think about Joseph Pilates own evolution in the long course regarding his teaching and his practice.
What stages he had gone through, what he had eventually changed, added or discarded over time...

And, what about your own evolution in that process of investigating the historical or original Pilates method?
Do you have arrived to a point where you are evolving or expanding the method itself, according to your own discoveries and to diverse contemporary sources of knowledge (taking on account the already discussed subject of comparison, I mean your evolution forged by experience)?
And do you have ideas of modified and/or new equipment, or do you feel and think that there is no need to improve or to expand original Pilates equipment?

Of course, all these questions may be polemical.
My genuine interest is to understand your point of view.
Not only because of your experience, but also because you articulate very precisely the ideas so that anyone can evaluate by oneself the information.
By the way, looking at the galleries on your site, the photos demonstrate the results of a work for anyone to see.

Recently, many historical photos of Joseph Pilates, Clara, students and studio are being made public.
Do you think that there could be more waiting to be "discovered"?
By the way, are you still in the process of searching, or integrating to your view, new historical documents?

Greetings,
Alain

Javier
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Posts: 45
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2018 3:38 pm

Re: Practice over time

Post by Javier »

Hello Alain,
There are a few questions, so I will go in stages.
-----
Joseph did go through an evolution. His US evolution (he was over 40 when he travelled to the US) was more in the conceptual and fulfilling part of the method, what was to be achieved.

More than keep adding/changing/deleting things -which he did too- he changed what was to be achieved. He went all the way from Pilates being remedial exercises at the beginning to being an art form at the end. From having the opinion that everyone should learn anatomy to stating that is absolutely not needed for the benefit to occur, moving well is all you have to do. It Is a shift from being physical exercise to being a tool to fulfil an individual.

The long version: https://www.pilatesart.eu/pa/public/con ... -its-goals

At the end of the day that is what I look at: what can you do with the method. We all went through the stage of "what is the method?" and many are still there arguing. Joseph did the same.

He didn't change much. And not much is needed to change. As you get good with a tool you can focus more on what you do with and why rather than focus on the tool or in acquiring more tools. If you truly master something you require less 'gadgets' to achieve what you want. You need less exercises to achieve more.

So he discarded more than he changed or added. Simplicity is the father of sophistication. Something complicated and convoluted can appear very impressive but is not sophisticated and even less efficient. The list is too long to go over here but what he basically did in time, was to change the series so they include more the type of exercise that was 'universal' and kept the other exercises but not in an 'official' order.
(A little clarification: a "list" is the complete list of exercises in one piece of equipment, and an "order" is a selection of exercises from the list that provide a workout.) Some other exercise he phased out because he realized that their dangers outweighed their benefits.

People add a lot nowadays thinking that they are 'enhancing' the method. But what they request you to do as you exercise is simply not doable, there are too numerous, to brainy, technical -in an intellectual way- and it disengages one from the movement that one is supposed to be feeling and performing. They defend their intentions with the usual: "Joseph would continue to improve the method if he was alive" which actually means that they are asserting that they know what he would add too!

There is a peace that comes through time and practice. It is very hard to teach that to a 'future' teacher so they read and 'learn' a lot of stuff about what they are doing believing the selling point of their trainers: "I can teach you in 6 months what takes 10 years of practice" and in return they will do the same.

Joseph could and would make exercises on the spot. Every trainer should do that and most of my teachers did. No, he would not add them to the method. There is no need for it. It was a particular need at a particular moment. No panic either: no need to set it down in stone, because you know you are good enough to come up with another one next time you need something.
That is the goal: to create trainers that know a method so well that they can change, substitute, create, modify in the spot according to the needs in front of them, and indeed, to recognize if it really needed.

Then you arrive at the point where you stop needing to add so much. Many of the old trainers complained about the new generation adding a gazillion things with the excuse of 'progress', while all that was happening is that people how couldn't handle 300 exercises now can't handle 600...

Yes, at the beginning we all want to buy more colors for our palette, and we love new stuff. Eventually you learn how many new colors you can achieve by mixing the ones you have. And a little later you realize that the important thing is actually what you are drawing.
---

My opinion is separate from the book: the book is just me going over what he did and trying out to see if it is a complete method. I use things that are not Pilates every day. But from a Pilates point of view, my body, my physical self, loves his version of the method above any other by far, I mean far, light years far. And it makes sense, the best use of a tool is that that it was made for. Forks don't do soup very well. You can use them for it, but it will take you a long time. In NO WAY I imply that anyone should do it like I did/do. I do not know what each person in the world needs or wants.

People have re-purposed the method and the exercises too much and many are lost because they have been told to eat soup with forks and they get a feeling that that is not quite right. And even if you can, I think is a waste of time to do something just to prove that you can do it. Like, say, lifting your leg with the 'core' -just writing it down kills my neurons...

I am very comfortable with the grammar and vocabulary so I am very free with the method. That pacifies me: I don't need to prove to myself -too many years seeing the results- and I can physically feel the benefits of doing it this or that way -boring practice for way over 30 years.

You can be the sort of person that like to specialize on something, or you can be the sort of person who wants to try many things in life. Both are compatible and can coexist. Not everyone has to go deep into things. But I think trainers should come from the 1st group.

I also find it understandable, even funny, when the clients get 'bored' and don't want to do the same thing. So I may tell them a joke and liven up the moment but I won't entertain them with exercises.

Now I arrive at the point where I want to be able to do this or that and use the method to help me. Pilates is not a political party, sport team, religion, etc, it is not to be done for its own sake, it doesn't need respect or fans. Is just a tool to do what you want, but you must know what you want for it to work for you.

Yes, I have many ideas for equipment 'tuning' and new equipment and exercises but, again, I don't think of them as needed to improve the method or need to include them in it. They are more reflections on things that I have seen through the years that people need or they could benefit from.

The most important thing in anything you do is: is it doing what it supposed to do. So don't do things for nothing. Every exercise should have a purpose and if an exercise can realize that purpose is a good exercise. When you work from purpose you are 100% fine, regardless of the method.

I think laughter is a great thing. We laugh a lot in the studio. We all recognize what we are there for and the days that we don't feel like it we acknowledge and continue as much as we can. Pilates should contribute to peoples happiness. I wouldn't want to learn from a sour, bitter or angry trainer. Or even less from a dictatorial one: are you telling me that if I train with you I will learn how to be like you? No, thank you. I want to learn from some one who positively benefited from the method and it shows. I do my best to be that for my clients.

That I think is the best evolution: everyday I move better and everyday I teach it better.
----
By the way, I don't think your questions are polemical: a question is polemical if you are trying to undermine the opposite view. I don't think you are being contentious and I won't try to convince you either that my views are better than yours or exclusive, in the sense that my opinion can only exist if others stop thinking anything different, which would be as stupid as impossible.

Some people adhere to their adopted opinions -yes, adopted, people seldom have their very own opinion. They do so in superglue fashion putting themselves in the precarious situation of maybe, one day, having to face the possibility of another thought, idea or discovery challenging them both at the root of their idea and the reckoning that they marched and fought for something that wasn't really theirs. They attach too many emotions and self-image to them, so they fight opposing views the same way: emotionally and with the fear of someone who has to prevent others 'changing' them.

In the Pilates world too many people have perpetuated myths, untruth, lies, marketing lines, gossip and hearsay for so long that any light thrown into it usually turns into a debacle... again, it is all very easy if one just exposes one's ideas and leaves it there. I am usually on the 'strong' side but is because I am trying to not engage. For example, if I say that Joseph didn't work with or from the core/powerhouse as an approach and saying that he did is totally incorrect those who have been selling the Pilates method as a 'core' workout will feel uncomfortable and begin to engage, not in conversation, but to try to 'bend' their position and how Joseph worked to prove their case. I am very tired of that sort of non-conversation. Just come up with proof or leave it as that: you like to work from the core so you do so.

Those poor people are just simply repeating what they were told so in a way, until they find out the truth, they are not technically lying, and many are honestly looking for better information. But I have little time for arguing so I tend to 'exaggerate' as I expose some things. So when I say something like: "working the core to improve how you move is stupid, dangerous, unnatural, and it simply doesn't work: it doesn't teach you how to move better and in the case of Pilates, more naturally" I do it so strongly to show that I am not willing to argue the fact. You can ask me why I think so, and I happily answer, but I am not willing to consider with you if Pilates is or is not a core workout. It isn't and it wasn't. Not one single mention form Joseph.

I should stop now, shouldn't I? bla bla bla bla bla
I wonder if I did answer your question after all... :roll: :lol:
Greetings!!!

AlainG
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2021 10:47 pm

Re: Practice over time

Post by AlainG »

No doubt, you have answered my questions!
Thank you Javier.

Regarding simplicity, I often tend to practice relatively few exercises.
I have neither the time nor the energy to engage in rather long sequences of exercises.
Of course, I could practice routines, like classical sequences" labelled beginner, intermediary, advanced levels... but I find no pleasure in that kind of training.
I know that Joe Pilates himself sold home equipment and charts with precise instructions concerning sequencing and number of repetitions to be strictly applied.

Instead, I prefer doing some mat selected Pilates exercises that have motions in flexion, extension, inclination, rotation, and compound movements.
And, some standing exercises, like squatting, lunging, elevating on toes...
Plus other non-Pilates exercises, like shadow boxing mainly.
In fact, at the end of the day that´s a sort of routine of my own.
But a somewhat random routine.

So, much probably, my practice is not systematic enough to optimize the effects of my own training.
Perhaps, I could better, and quicker, correct an old kyphosis if training more systematically.
Anyway, there´s fun enough in discovering by myself the value of what has already been out there for me to apply or not.
If purposes are not fulfilled, then something has to change.
During much time, I haven´t considered seriously body symmetry and the curves of the spine.
I was much more into movement despite some limitations.
Then, Pilates (as I´ve came to know it) has made me understand better, and value, the importance of body conditions.
The effects of practice over time.
As long there is time.
As long there is practice.

I´ve enjoyed reading your insights.
Greeting

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