Why matwork Pilates?

At Harris Mind and Body (HMB) Teacher Training school we teach our L3 Pilates Mat Teachers (our entry-level qualification in association with AIQ) 117 basic positions and movements – that when put together in various sequences are the building blocks towards Joe’s 34 Contrology exercises.

We also introduce our students to the 34 Contrology exercises but they are not always suitable for all our clients and having a clear understanding of how to break them down, adapt and regress them safely and effectively is an essential skill for any good Pilates Mat Teacher. When our teachers progress to their L4 Pilates award and HMB Advanced Teacher stage we go back to looking at Joes 34 Contrology mat exercises in greater depth.

As Joe said, “Pilates is complete coordination of body mind and spirit”. There are so many levels of understanding that can be applied to anyone Pilates position or exercise, that as long as you are only ever thinking about Pilates whilst you are doing Pilates then you are heading in the right direction. If it’s easy then it’s probably not the correct level of detail for you! It’s not about being better than someone else, it’s a personal journey of movement that involves your mind and body working together and evokes your soul.