Learn about the 5 ELEMENTS in your workout
The Water Element
Winter season. Yin. Water is the seed, the beginning, the solid foundation. In our bodies it’s about the backside being long and strong, the spine being flexible and able to articulate.
WATER workouts offer MANY FORM tips and details on how to modify Pilates to meet you right where you are.
I teach and talk about the WHY and the HOW of the exercise.
Do these if you’re new and if you’re experienced, because we all need to return to our roots and the fundamentals are always valuable.
GREAT for beginners & for mellow movement days!
The Wood Element
Spring time in nature! It’s time to grow, move, expand, stretch, take up space, work laterally and get stronger. This is the sprout… the seed has sprouted and is coming up and out through the soil.
WOOD workouts offer challenge - Intermediate into Advanced Pilates exercises.
Lots of side body work, side kicks, side powerhouse, and side bending.
Do these to build strength and be challenged. Skip exercises if you aren’t ready, but I always build safely so go for it!
Get stronger while also building range of motion.
These are ‘growing’ workouts, like the plants in the spring time. Or a creative/growth time in your life. There’s courage and tenacity in the Wood Element.
The Fire Element
Summer time! Bright, playful, expansive, fun, and dynamic. It’s the most yang energy of all the elements, so it aligns that these are very upright, standing, posture, backside focused workouts.
The advanced system in Pilates has more extension and back bending, and all the opening in the front really comes from engagement in the back ~ so think “High Hammies!”
CHISEL is a class I created and trademarked years ago. It takes Mat Pilates work to standing and planking, it takes apparatus Pilates exercises to the floor so anyone can do them.
BUILDING Chisel is so valuable to everyone, every level, everyday, because it’s about standing in your legs, owning your stance, lifting yourself up, finding balance, and core connecting in life.
Do the short CHISEL workouts in combo with other short mat workouts (like a Chisel Prep + an Earth 10 min). Do the CHISEL Prep daily for better ankle, knee, hip, back health!
Then build to FULL length classes where in 55 minutes we DO IT ALL! So sweaty and fun and powerful!
The Earth Element
The Earth season is late summer harvest time. It’s the time of abundance and richness between summer and autumn. The energy is grounding, cozy, authentic, comfortable and feels good.
In nature, this time of year is when the yang energy first shifts back towards yin. In our workout practice it’s our daily invitation to come home to ourselves and get on the mat. Connect deeper.
The EARTH videos are shorter in length for that reason. Short, to the point, core on, powerhouse connected because life is full AND getting on the mat for the stomach series everyday is rich and reminds us that we are at home in our bodies, we are enough and abundant, we have the resources to connect completely, and that daily movement is essential.
Add your EARTH videos to others if you want longer workouts.
Do your EARTH stomach series videos before other training, hikes, bikes, lifting, running, on your paddle board, on the field, on the go!!!!
Remember that Pilates is a way of moving through the world, feeling good in your own skin, and daily practice supporting on your journey.
The Metal Element
Fall, autumn. This time of year in nature is the full surrender, the most yin. It’s the end, where all beginnings can begin again. The leaves falling, the rot and decay. A great, big EXHALE.
Think about how when we release and let go, what is left is most true, pure, essential, authentic and refined.
So in our workout the METAL energy is about refinement and release. It’s about surrender and precision.
You’ll find the METAL videos are RESTORATIVE and have the most breath focus and longest stretching pauses. It’s YIN Pilates in many ways.
Come to the METAL workouts when you want some mindful chill movement. Come here when you feel tired or stiff or stuck. Stay here when you’re craving active recovery from other workouts or competition.
Metal workouts are also great for BEGINNERS because they have a slower pace and moments of pause.
I personally LOVE Metal type workouts first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
For Members with full access to all the videos… where to begin?!
Everyone has different goals and resources. I am not here to tell you what video to do or when…
I aim to guide, share, and mostly educate so that YOU FEEL EMPOWERED to choose your workouts, your videos, and own it.
All that to say… I get it, sometimes it’s hard to know what to do. Tips to consider & see what aligns for you:
~ Pilates can be done every single day, and you have SUCH RANGE in content here, you can do it!
~ 5/10 minutes of Pilates IS beneficial. You’re building core connection, stamina, resting tone, postural patterns, deep transverse abdominus strength, and learning integrated movement patterns. Know that a little goes a long way! So make the time!
~ Combine videos! For example…
Combo : 15 minute Chisel Prep + 15 minute Earth Stomach series.
Combo : 30 minute Wood strength + 12 minute Metal stretch.
~ Challenge yourself in terms of TIME and INTENSITY. Go for a full 55 minute class recording. These are REALLY fun and silly actually. You get some of the energy of a live group class, my candid banter, and suddenly you’ve done an hour on the Mat / Chisel / Chair and feel great!
Challenge yourself in terms of trying a section you haven’t done much of… Get into the WOOD section because there you’ll start advancing your mat practice from the Basics into the Intermediate material with really mindful transitions!
~ Map a week for yourself on a calendar: A week maybe looks like:
day 1) wood
day 2) earth + chisel prep
day 3) full mat/chisel class
day 4) earth then metal
day 5) water + earth
day 6) metal
day 7) water form work
~ Come to the LIVE community classes each month and ask me questions about your workout! I’m here for you! (direct link to our monthly zoom address is at the header of the content page)
~ Do the same videos again and again. Come back to one and repeat it once a week and feel the gains you’re making. As you advance in Pilates, the work only gets deeper and harder!
Your Pilates practice is not a place of arrival, it’s a journey. A journey forever deepening and empowering your true core self connection.
Five Elements + Pilates ~ inside the Pilates Style Magazine interview.