Thank you.
Welcome to the wonderful practice of Pilates Yoga.
My name is Jamie Grassi, and I have been a student and teacher of yoga since I was a
young child, and have my master's degree in kinesiology, the study of human movement.
Through my studies and practice, I have come to know and appreciate the many benefits of
Pilates Yoga.
Practicing the postures improves muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination.
Its emphasis on slow, rhythmic movements, deep breathing, and non-competitive focus
help promote feelings of relaxation.
Most importantly, we practice with awareness.
While practicing the postures, we explore and observe ourselves.
Whether you are new to this type of exercise program, or have been practicing Pilates Yoga
for years, it is essential that you listen to your body's response as you practice the
postures.
Never force or feel pain.
This can increase the tension in your body, and possibly cause injury.
Through slow and deliberate movements, your body will release tension.
Always breathe deeply during the postures and during your resting periods.
The breath will bring oxygen to the working muscles, as well as help them and you to relax.
There are many ways that you can use your mat and ball to enhance your yoga practice.
The non-slip mat provides you with enough cushioning for your spine, as well as stability
for your hands and feet.
Always practice on your mat with bare feet, so that you don't slip, are able to fully
stretch your feet and toes, and can feel more connected to the surface beneath you.
The mat also serves as a barrier between you and any hardwood, linoleum, or carpeted floor
surface.
Using a yoga ball can provide support, as you develop and increase muscular strength
and flexibility.
The movement of the ball also allows us to strengthen and stretch the muscles at a variety
of angles, as well as improve our balance.
You can also use the ball as a chair.
Sitting on the ball and moving the pelvis is a fabulous way to release tension in the
back.
As you advance, you can use the ball to practice more challenging poses.
Using the ball in conjunction with the mat adds variety and fun to your practice, whether
you are just starting out or already have a strong Pilates yoga background.
Many of the postures we will be practicing may be repeated.
I suggest that you start with two or three repetitions, and work your way up to doing
ten repetitions.
As you become stronger, you may want to try holding the posture for a longer period of
time.
Let's begin.
We're going to start by just simply sitting on the ball.
You might want to review the postures first, before actually practicing along with.
So sit right in the center of the ball, with the feet placed hip-width apart.
We'll start with pelvic tilts, to help release tension in the spine, as well as help us to
get more familiar with the ball.
The arms are at our sides, the chest stays lifted to keep the spine long.
Inhale into a forward tilt, that's arching the spine.
Exhale as you pull the abdominal muscles in, and flex the spine.
Inhale into your forward tilt, and exhale into your backward tilt.
Now come up to center, and we'll move the pelvis side to side, or laterally.
Move the hips to the right, and then to the left.
Make sure to keep the head and neck in neutral alignment.
The movement is initiated just from the pelvis.
Let's come back to center.
The next pose we do, we'll lie with our backs resting on the ball.
So with your hands on the ball to help support your weight, walk the feet forward, and then
lower your hips in front of the ball.
Now slowly bring your back onto the ball, and then straighten the legs just enough,
so that the back of the head is resting on the ball as well.
The fingertips are lightly touching the floor.
This is bridge pose.
Lower the hips as you inhale.
Then exhale, lift the hips up as high as you can, contracting the abdominal muscles.
Lower the hips as you inhale, and let's do this one more time.
Exhale, lift the hips up, contracting the abdominal muscles.
This pose strengthens and tones the legs, as well as begins to open up tight areas in
the back.
Lower the hips down.
And we'll work now on back bending, which will further open up the tight areas in the
back.
What I want you to try doing is again rocking back and forth, so rather than rocking on
our pelvis, we're using the ball to rock back and forth over our backs.
As you move back, you open up the upper back.
As you move forward, we open up in the lower back.
Now come back into what feels like a comfortable, supportive position for you.
Bring the arms out to the sides.
We're working on our balance as well, and now extending the arms overhead further opens
up the upper back.
Keep the navel drawn in towards the spine to help maintain stability in the torso.
Now bring your arms back to your sides.
Bring your hips forward, and walk the feet back in towards the ball.
The hands will come back on the ball to help you come back to a seated position.
We're now going to bring the ball in front of us, and the ball will support our weight
from the front of our body.
Kneel just behind the ball.
We're going to bring the front of the torso, the pelvis, right over the top of the ball,
and work on a pose called Cobra, or sometimes we call it the Swan Pose.
This is a backbending pose to help strengthen the lower back.
Bring the front of the torso over the ball, and walk the hands just slightly forward.
The toes are turned under, the hands are shoulder width apart.
As you inhale, lift the knees up, draw the shoulders back, and firm the front of your
thighs.
Take another breath in, and exhale, lower your knees, and come back down onto the hands.
Once again, lift the knees up as you inhale.
Come up onto the fingertips, lifting the chest, and looking forward.
Inhale, and exhale, lower your knees down.
Another back strengthener is done by lifting the legs separately behind us.
This is the Locust Pose.
It's also an introduction to swimming.
So again, with the front of our body being supported by the ball, we bring the hands
out in front of us, and walk them forward until the knees come up off the mat.
Keep the toes turned under, the neck and the head in neutral, and the navel drawn in towards
the spine.
As you inhale, lift the right leg straight up, sending energy out through the leg and
into the foot.
Exhale, lower the leg down, and inhale, lift the left leg up.
Send the energy out through the left leg.
Exhale as you lower down.
Let's do this again.
Inhale, right leg up, and exhale, lower.
And left leg up, and lower.
A little more challenging version of this pose is to lift both legs up together.
Maybe walk the hands a little farther forward.
It will make it slightly easier to now lift both legs up together.
Draw the navel in towards the spine, and as you inhale, lift both legs up.
As you exhale, bring the legs together.
Open the legs out into the V position, inhale, and exhale, lower.
Come down onto your knees, and give your back an opportunity to stretch out after these
backbending poses by just simply resting over the ball.
Let's come back up and do one more back strengthening exercise.
This is full swimming.
Lift the front of the torso onto the ball, and bring the hands forward.
The toes turn under and the knees come up.
We'll lift opposite arm and leg up simultaneously.
Inhale the right arm and the left leg come up, and exhale, lower.
Down the right leg and the left arm come up, and exhale.
Once more, right arm and left leg, inhale, and exhale.
Right leg and left arm, inhale, and exhale, lower.
Come back onto your knees and let yourself rest right over the ball.
One more with the weight of the body supported by the ball, front of the body supported by
the ball.
The hands are shoulder width apart.
We lift the knees and walk the hands forward.
This is push-up or plank pose.
Open up the hands a little wider to start with.
As you inhale, bend the elbows and lower the chest down.
The feet will come up, bring the legs together, exhale, straighten the arms.
Once again, inhale, bend the elbows, and exhale, press up.
Lower the feet and walk the hands back in.
Let's bring the ball farther in front of us now so we can stretch out the shoulders.
The hips are right over the knees and the arms outstretched with the head right between
the arms.
And then we rock side to side.
Then from center, lower your bottom down between your heels into child's pose.
Still keep the hands over the ball and let your head rest between your arms.
This will release the work in the shoulders and the lower back from the last few poses.
Slowly come on up to sitting.
We'll now practice seated open angle pose.
This is a wonderful stretch for the inner thighs and the hamstrings.
We'll have the ball in front of us and open the legs out into a straddle or V position.
Press the back of the thighs into the mat and send energy out through both legs and
into the feet.
With the ball in front of us, we bring the hands right over the ball, inhale, lengthen
the spine.
As you exhale, bend at the hips, keeping the spine elongated.
Make sure as you bend forward, you're not rounding the spine.
You'll continue to lift up from the rib cage and from the chest to maintain the length
in the spine.
From here, we can also rock side to side to further increase the areas of stretch.
Now walk the ball in toward you and we're going to lie down on our back.
Bring the ball towards one end of the mat and we're going to bring the legs up on top
of the ball.
The ball is going to support our calves.
Come down onto your forearms and slowly lower yourself down all the way onto your back.
The legs are slightly extended but not all the way straight.
This is going to be bridge pose.
Hands at our sides with the palms face down.
Inhale first.
As you exhale, lift the hips and the buttocks up, pulling the abdominal muscles in.
Try to form a straight line with your body.
Inhale and exhale, slowly lower yourself back down.
Once more, inhale and exhale, lift up.
Keep the chin lifted, inhale and exhale, slowly lower yourself back down.
Move the ball closer in toward you and then bring your legs to the sides of the ball.
We're going to practice scooping.
This strengthens the abdominal muscles as well as works the inner thighs and calves.
The arms are at our sides.
We squeeze the ball with our legs and straighten the legs up.
You may need to realign the ball once you come up.
Now bend the knees and lower.
Inhale as you straighten the legs.
And exhale, bend the knees.
Inhale up, squeeze the ball with your legs and exhale, bend.
Lower the ball down and bring your legs back up over the ball.
We'll finish with basic abdominal curls to strengthen the all-important core muscles,
the abdominal muscles.
Bring your fingertips to the sides of the head, elbows out to the sides.
As you inhale, draw the abdominal muscles in and then exhale, lift the head and the
shoulders straight up, elbows out to the side.
Inhale lower and exhale, lift.
Make sure you don't tuck the chin into the chest.
Inhale lower and exhale, lift straight up.
Gently supporting the weight of your head with your fingertips and inhale lower.
Now bring your arms to your sides.
It's time for relaxation pose.
You may find that keeping the legs on the ball is very relaxing for the lower back but
you may prefer to actually bring the legs up off the ball and straighten the legs out
on the floor in the more traditional position for relaxation.
Choose whichever you are most comfortable with.
Let the arms rest slightly away from your torso.
Close your eyes and let go of any expression in your face.
Bring your attention to your breath.
As you exhale, allow the tension to drain from your body.
Rest here for several minutes, allowing yourself the time to fully savor your body at rest
and your mind at rest.
When you're finished, bring the legs up off the ball and turn onto your side.
Then help yourself up to sitting using your hands and your arms.
Come into a comfortable seated position to finish with.
Sit quietly and breathe deeply.
I hope you have enjoyed practicing Pilates yoga with your props.
Finding a class with a knowledgeable instructor will help you to expand your practice.
Remember you are your own best teacher as you know yourself better than anyone else.
By practicing with respect, you honor yourself and therefore you will receive the ultimate
benefits.
Thank you and Namaste.