Animalia

Did you ever read the picture book Animalia as a kid? An alphabet book with the most exquisitely detailed illustrations of curious creatures great + small, it was a definite favourite of mine growing up.

My fascination with the animal kingdom seems to have influenced my style of teaching movement; love a good animal imagery cue! Flamingos, puppies, frogs, dolphins, seals, swans, crabs, turtles, penguins (have I missed any out?!)... we have quite the menagerie in the studio. While using this type of cueing brings a fun, lighthearted feel to the class, it also serves a very real purpose; to get you to think about your body, your alignment + how you’re moving.

In developing his work, Joseph Pilates was also influenced by the animal kingdom. He studied the dynamics of animal movements:

‘As a child, I would lie in the woods for hours, hiding + watching the animals move, how mother taught the young.’

He was especially impressed by the way cats move (my kinda guy!):

‘Observe how cats sleep - utterly relaxed whether they happen to be lying on their back, side or belly. Contrology (Pilates) exercises emphasise the need for this constant stretching + relaxing.’

‘(Pilates) was conceived to limber + stretch muscles + ligaments so that your body will be as supple as that a cat.’

Next time you’re out in nature, take a moment to observe the way the animals around you move + interact. There is a lot we can learn from!

Julia x