Developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s by Joseph Pilates, the Pilates method is a proprioceptive system that coordinates every movement you make in space and time. In other words, Pilates is as much about the mind as it is the body. Every exercise is designed to get you to know your own body.
Joseph Pilates, the creator of the Pilates, called his method Contrology, as it was created to teach people how to master their minds, giving them complete control over their bodies. For this reason, Pilates is known to create a thinking body.
We are all familiar with the five major senses: smell, hearing, sight, touch, and taste. However, we also get signals from other systems in our body which make up our proprioceptive system, or our own reception. This is where we receive signals that tells us that it’s time to eat, or that we are thirsty, or need to get some sleep. So, deep inside each and every one of us, there is an internal conversation going on between our body and our mind, and our mind has an instinctive way of controlling our muscles so that they do what we want them to do.
The movements designed by Joseph Pilates require the mind and body to work in harmony. They also require a great deal of concentration and precise movement. But with repetition and practice, we are able to fine tune our prioceptive sense and learn to focus our minds. Over time, our bodies will earn to perform these movements with control and precision, without even making us think about what we are doing. By performing Pilates, you can be sure that you will have more strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination than you thought was possible.