Pilates Essentials group lessons

Pilates fundamental principles

Quality of movement, attention and time


Pilates classics with a twist; stabilising and mobilising your lower back from your core. Discover how to use your core dynamically in lengthening, bending and rotation. Integration of the exercises that make everyday actions such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting, bending, reaching and turning effortless.
Practicing Pilates is not age-dependent and there are basically no physical restrictions, because the exercises are adapted to your condition, abilities and experience.

In the Essential Pilates classes you will be using the Spring Pilates Unit(  see large photo at top of page) or a large physio ball ( see large photo at bottom of page) and small props like the Magic Circle.

The Spring Pilates Unit

This specialized apparatus provides resistance and stability by means of coiled springs. They support you and help you to focus and slow down your exercises. They help you pay attention to how and from where you initiate movement. To feel the quality of it. For example, by rolling down and up vertebra by vertebra.  By providing counter pressure  you sense your joints more clearly. In this way you allow yourself time and space to let muscles, fascia and joints that are stiff and tight, participate again.
This is the significant difference between a work-out like 'boot camp' and learning to move consciously, differently and better. You will discover muscles you never knew you had!

Pilates with stability ball

Because the ball wobbles slightly, it invites you to sense your core dynamically.  Mobilising and strengthening your whole body.
Sitting, kneeling, lying down, standing. Dynamic balance between your deep stabilising muscles and your larger more superficial muscles.
Alternation between comfortable refinement of coordination, playful challenge, deep relaxation and fun.

Somatic Ease

At the start of each class, I invite you to bring your attention to your body. I would ask you: How are you feeling?  what do you sense? Is there anything your body needs right now? Is there something I should take into account? I do this for a reason. Your answer inspires me to present the exercises in a slightly different way, so they speak to you and your body.
The aim of my lessons is what is called 'Somatic Ease'; the ability to feel comfortable in your body, to recognise its needs and to act accordingly. You will learn this by paying attention to it in every lesson.

Experiental anatomy

I am interested in the structure of the body and especially in the sensations of it. Generally, we only think about that when those sensations become unpleasant.... As one of the participants put it, "I experience my body as a big bag with all kinds of unknown things in it I don't understand."
I can tell you from experience that it can be nice to get to know your inner self. For example: Ah, this is how my psoas feels on the right and this is how it feels on the left...  very different! Is this related to my back often being more sensitive on one side than the other?

Understanding and sensing how your body functions is the basis for making good, sustainable choices in the way you do your exercises. In this way you do not force yourself, but feel where you have reached your limits. So you can safely broaden them.