Benefits of Pilates

The Benefits of a Private Pilates Lesson

Private Pilates lessons typically lead to the greatest transformation because your teacher can focus on you alone. We encourage anyone new to our studio to start with private lessons.

Our approach to Pilates is to safely restore movement, joint mobility and congruence, and a sense of whole-body integrated effort by safely layering functional movement and Pilates skills and increasing challenge as skills improve. Your movement journey has the chance to fully unfurl through private lessons.

Many clients come to our Mill Valley studio to rehabilitate from an injury or improve chronic pain. Others come to deepen their practice. Wherever you are in your needs and abilities, your Internal Fire Pilates teacher meets you there. She or he will take the time to assess your current movement patterns and assist you in becoming aware of your postural preferences and defaults, and help you find choices that are more integrated. With awareness and deliberate practice, over time, defaults change to more functional and centered patterns that will serve you throughout your life and in all of your activities.

Aside from the strength and centering that inevitably arise from a Pilates practice, your teacher also works with you on connecting mind and body and changing false beliefs that may be inhibiting your return to better function. Yes, we are here to help change your beliefs.

Joseph H. Pilates – The Art of Control

Joseph Pilates believed that you must engage your entire body in every exercise, so that you learn to organize movement holistically with just the right amount of effort, as opposed to strengthening ‘target areas’ individually. With whole-body movement, your brain and body develop the sense of impulsing movement from, providing support through, and responding to external (and internal) force from your center. Developing a true understanding of Pilates and strengthening your center will not only make your body feel great, but will also create a centering in your mind.

Pilates Is a Whole-Body Experience

Pilates is the art of control (described by Joseph Pilates himself as Contrology), which develops centering and precision in your movements, enhancing how your body functions. At Internal Fire Pilates, our goal is whole-body health–by developing a strong center (our core muscles), we move with less compensation, making our movement patterns more efficient, and this can help improve chronic pain, increase energy levels, and inspire confidence.

Pilates for Rehabilitation and Therapeutics

Internal Fire Pilates receives referrals from many medical professionals, including Orthopedic Surgeons, Physical Therapists, Chiropractors, Bodyworkers, etc., and we are happy to partner with your healing team. We do require clearance from your Medical Doctor if you are pregnant, post-surgery, or working with any pathology under medical supervision that requires medical clearance prior to exercise. We also recommend you consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.

While Pilates has benefits for all, some of the conditions we specifically receive referrals for include:

• Spinal Injuries and Pathology: Chronic Back Pain, Spinal Disc injuries, Stenosis, Spondylolisthesis, Spondylosis, Scoliosis, Osteopenia, and Osteoporosis
• Joint Replacements: Hip and Knee
• Shoulder Joint injuries: Rotator Cuff, Labrum tears, Frozen Shoulder
• Hip and Knee injuries: Labrum in the hip joint, meniscus, and ligament injuries in the knee, patellofemoral pain
• Ankle and Foot injuries: Stress fractures, peroneal tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, recovery after achilles tear

In some cases we work with your medical professional to improve strength prior to surgery. In many cases we work post-rehabilitation (after physical therapy) to rebuild strength and teach you how to move as an integrated body again.

“In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body.” – Joseph Pilates