Although Joseph Pilates may not have stated a set of Principles himself in his book (see our previous post), most Classical Pilates instructors will agree that Philip Friedman and Gail Eisen truly understood the essence of the Pilates system when they described the following six Principles:

1. Control: full awareness of the body and our movement patterns, the alignment, and the connection of all body parts with the springs (if using equipment)
2. Centering: trying to bring everything back to the centerline or working from all the muscles that surround the spine such as the glutes, abs, and back extensors.
3. Precision: finding the determination to do each move with exactitude.
4. Flowing Movement: as in real life, where we flow from sited to standing, we reach the arms as we walk. In Pilates, the body is seen as comprehensive and connected, not as different parts.
5. Concentration: the mind-body connection is one of the most important aspects of a Pilates workout, so that the flow moves are precised and controled.
6. Breathing: the better we move, the better we breath; the better we breath, the better we move.

Some other training schools have brought their all interpretations to to the words and work of Joseph Pilates. For example: we could think of developing the body as a whole and uniformly. In order to do that, we would need to find what we know as a double-way stretch or opposition starting from the center.

But most importantly, as Jay Grimes (one of the students of Pilates) would say, Pilates is based on a Principle:

                                        MOVE!

“Movement heals”, said Joseph Pilates, which is why our motto is: Move Better. Feel better. Live better.