These six basic principles show the specific form in which you pay attention as you do the Pilates exercises.

Concentration
Joseph Pilates once wrote, “Study carefully and do slowly the foundation work. Follow directions exactly, with respect to every detail given.”

You have to concentrate all the time on what you’re doing … and concentrate on your entire body. In the beginning this will be harder than you think, and when you really begin to pay attention to your body you will find that what at first seemed a simple movement is actually quite complex.

The position and movement of every part of your body is interrelated and important, e.g. when walking, how you place your foot both influences and is affected by the way you hold your head. ‘Whole body concentration’ is a challenge, but skill will come step by step as you pursue the Pilates Method. This skill will be an aid to both work and relaxation - the key to an effortless fusion of mind and body.

Control
Total concentration is needed in order to control every aspect of every movement – from the position of fingers, toes, head; the rotation of the wrists; the back [e.g. how arched or flat it is] to larger movements of the limbs.

Most people can remember flinging themselves around in the school gym – not much grace or control there! This lack of control is often carried into everyday life, and especially into recreational sports which can then lead to injury. Pilates can teach the ‘body control’ often admired in professional dancers and sportsmen and women.