Joe tells it like it is...

A couple of careers ago, I came across this quote from Angeles Arrien about four rules for life:  “Show up. Pay attention. Tell the truth. Don't be attached to the results.”  These rules apply in lots of places (that would be the “for life” part), but lately I’ve been thinking about how that third rule relates to Pilates.

 

Pilates is a practice that can expose our weaknesses.  We find out that we’re not even close to symmetrical, that we’ve built a lifetime of questionable movement habits, and that it’s a wonder we can move at all, really.  This is not comfortable.

 

It is, however, useful.  Pilates puts us in a position where we have to tell the truth about what our bodies can do and what is really challenging.  We will find out exactly which portion of our spines like to move and which appear to be cast in cement.  We will discover that we’ve been cheating on our ab exercises for years and so our abs are not as powerful as we thought.  Also, balance is hard, our left side is less flexible than our right, and really, who decided we should have so many body parts that are supposed to move in sync with each other anyway.

 

The good news is that Pilates also shows us how to change.  Today’s truth is just a place to start.  When we tune in (hey, that would be the pay attention part!), we can begin to shift our movement patterns, train our brains to new motor pathways, and grow our skills.  The next batch of truth might find us stronger and longer and more centered.

 

Let’s do it!