When I started Pilates I had no body awareness. Awareness can be hard to explain. You might be reading this and think I’m crazy, how can I not be aware of my body? Yes, I know how many toes I have, how tall I am, sometimes I check my weight, and I know what size clothes I wear. The awareness I’m talking about is much deeper. It’s the connection you feel when you have a headache, a stomachache, or a muscle cramp. Even this is the superficial layer not the deep underlying layers of awareness.
If you walk outside in a busy area at night it is unsafe and your job is to be aware of your surroundings. Having little distractions helps bring more awareness and makes you able to react quicker. Sounds or people walking by won’t startle you and your reflexes will be fast. It’s like having spiderman senses and reflexes, you recover quickly!
I remember taking one of my first pilates sessions and my instructor told me my low back was really tight. I was like ‘What? No way.” I had no clue because my body just ignored it and adapted to it. Then I learned what it was like having no low back tension. And when I felt low back pain again I said this is awful! I don’t want to feel this way!
Pilates taught me body awareness. I use my x-ray vision (I don’t have it but it seems like it) to find the tension and teach you to release it. You will learn how it feels when it’s wrong and when it’s right. The awareness is noticing how you stand while washing dishes, realizing you’re sitting in a slouch, and knowing how to move your pelvis.