Positive Change With Pilates
Jul 24, 2021
"I cannot say if things will get better if we change; what I can say is that they must change if they are to get better"
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
When I first started Pilates almost 20 years ago now, I remember my Pilates teacher commenting about the changes she saw in her clients after several months of Pilates training. She said it was quite remarkable to see the degree of positive change her clients experienced. When someone is being held back in life due to a health condition all areas of their lives are impacted. After a few months of Pilates, she said her clients had not only changed physically but were more confident, talkative and even dressed differently. As I had only been practicing Pilates for a few weeks at the time, I was slightly dubious if this would ever happen to me. A few months later as I started to regain my health and fitness post glandular fever and was feeling fantastic for the first time in years, I had a sudden urge to buy new workout wear. It was happening to me! Just like my Pilates teacher said it would!
How do you feel about change?
Life is all about change and some people welcome and embrace change while others fear it and avoid it all costs. This is completely understandable because not all change is positive and negative change can bring unwelcome circumstances that are enormously challenging. Sometimes when we are dealing with a debilitating health issue such as back pain, for example, we may want to find a solution for our pain but fear change. This could be the fear of trying something new and unknown, such as Pilates for example. What if it doesn't help our back pain? Or worse still, what if increases our pain level? What if Pilates improves our back pain and we become pain-free? Some people in pain fear both positive and negative change and find it very hard to consciously do anything that is going to change their situation either way. Several chiropractors and osteopaths refer their patients to me who they believe need to improve their core stability to make their own treatments more effective. I don't have an actual percentage of patients who are referred to me by their practitioner but the percentage of patients who actually contact me and start Pilates is very small. This happens because the patients must be ready for change themselves and no one else can make them do it. Pilates will change their lives and they just may not have reached that point yet where they are ready to step out of their comfort zone and embrace that change. If you think about your own attitude to change it will help you discover if anything is holding you back from becoming pain-free and taking control of your own health & fitness.
What did Joseph Pilates say about change?
He said: "Change Happens through Movement & Movement Heals." When we are seeking positive change for our health issues, it all starts with movement. It's Joseph Pilates method of exercise that allows for change which ultimately leads to healing. His famous quote can be summarised as Move, Change, Heal. Joseph Pilates was a sickly child and suffered illnesses such as rheumatic fever, rickets and asthma and was subsequently bullied as a child. He was determined to change his situation and improve his health, physical fitness and confidence. He used a combination of boxing, gymnastics, yoga and bodybuilding to exercise rigorously. By the age of fourteen, he had been so successful in improving his health and fitness he posed for anatomical charts. During adulthood, he began to develop his own unique method of exercise which he originally called "Contrology." Joseph Pilates was extremely determined from childhood to "change" the situation he found himself in. If he hadn't been willing to embrace change, he wouldn't have resolved his own health issues and his unique exercise method which has helped millions of people around the world would never have even existed.
What positive changes can you expect from Pilates?
It's now more than 16 years since I started teaching Pilates myself and just like my teacher who told me about the positive changes she saw in her clients, I've had the pleasure of seeing my own clients transform their lives with Pilates too. The changes are far-reaching and impact all areas of my client's lives. When you are being held back in life by a painful condition, it not only prevents you from physically engaging in life but can also be extremely challenging mentally and this affects not only you but those you love as well. My unique Pilates program empowers my clients to take control of their own health and fitness just like Joseph Pilates did during his childhood and teenage years. When you can move with ease it opens up a whole new world of possibility as you are now free to move forward and pursue everything that had previously been on hold. Knowing there is a solution for your pain and you have the Pilates skills you need to manage and maintain your condition is life-changing! No wonder my teacher said her clients were more talkative and confident after a few months of PIlates! It's normal to feel more emotionally and mentally stable when you have removed the fear and uncertainty about your future. When you have a Pilates program in place and you are making enormous progress, everything comes together for you. Life is no longer lived according to your pain level and you can finally live on your own terms. It's the perfect example of positive change in our lives!
Adele Embraces Change & Fulfils a Lifelong Dream
Several years ago now my 29-year-old client who I'll call Adele was able to take control of her back pain of 3 years through my Pilates program and finally begin to move forward with her life. Her husband also came to Pilates to strengthen his knees due to a sports injury. One day, he took me aside to thank me for everything I had done for Adele which was very thoughtful of him and I appreciated his kind words. He then went on to say that as far as he was concerned I had saved their marriage. I had no idea of the strain Adele's back pain had put on their relationship and he told me that in the past they had to sleep in separate beds as her back was so sensitive that any tiny movement from him resulted in a massive increase in her back pain. He was so grateful to me that they were able to sleep comfortably in the same bed now and they were successfully working on rebuilding their marriage. I was overjoyed to learn how my Pilates program had assisted Adele to embrace positive change and get her marriage back on track. About a year later she fulfilled a lifelong dream to become a mother when she told me she was pregnant! Adele continued Pilates throughout her pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby girl and her back pain was under control the whole time. As you can see the positive changes we make with Pilates directly benefit us but have far-reaching consequences for those closest to us as well.
If you are ready to embrace positive change and move forward in your life, but are being held back by chronic pain, JS Mind Body Pilates my online Pilates studio is for you. It's specifically designed and created by me for people like you who are dealing with pain or injury. If you would like to begin your Pilates journey to becoming pain-free email me at [email protected] to discuss your individual needs or to schedule a 1 on 1 in-depth Initial Assessment via Skype. Alternatively, you can work independently through the course and take the free 10 day trial now. Even though change can be daunting, positive change with Pilates could be the solution you need for your pain that will transform your life and the lives of those around you. It would be my pleasure to assist you on your Pilates journey!
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Learn more about what sort of people benefit from Pilates and how it can help you too. I separate the myths from the facts and share actual case studies of my clients who have achieved life-changing results from my unique Pilates program.
