Here is Anne (and Ashley the dog) demonstrating Warrior II, one of our March Five Exercises.
For a detailed description of the five click here.
Try holding your lunge for one minute, keeping shoulders relaxed.
Room For One More Person In Saturday March 2nd Pilates Class
Join us this Saturday at 10:45 for an hour or Core Strength and flexibility work.
Call Anne to reserve your spot (503) 705-4762
Pilates Bridge For Back Strength And Flexibility
Here Kate demonstrates the Pilates Bridge – one of the February Five exercises. This move strengthens and stretches your spine, lubricating your joints.
This is a little different than a yoga bridge in that your goal is stretching your spine, not hip height. Although you can’t tell this from a still photo she is exhaling to bridge up and inhaling to lower back down, moving continuously.
Try this at home. Start by activating your pelvic floor, feet, and hamstrings. How relaxed you can keep your neck and shoulders while moving your spine?
Yoga Inversion Workshop Thursday February 21st At Sellwood Yoga
Did you know going upside down can help balance your hormones, improve circulation to your brain, and release endorphins helping to elevate your mood?
Join Anne this Thursday for her Inversion Workshop at Sellwood Yoga and learn to master poses like crow, shoulder stand, head and hand stand variations with ease, strength and fluidity.
- Thursday February 21st
- 7:30 – 8:45 pm
- 7970B S.E. 13th ave
- $15 payable to Sellwood Yoga
To get the most of of this workshop you should be comfortable holding a wide squat or goddess pose, a plank (or modified plank) position and downward facing dog for one minute each.
Questions? Call Anne (503) 705-4762
The January Five Exercises – Pilates And Yoga For Core Strength And Balance
Each month I give my clients five moves to work on that include strength, flexibility and standing balance. I suggest you spend five minutes each day working on these. Here are the January Five:
1) Hundreds:
- Start lying on your back.
- Engage abdominals and lift legs to tabletop position.
- Round head and shoulders off the mat, arms extended by your side.
- Inhale and exhale as you pulse arms up and down.
- Relax your neck! Rest your head on the ground if your neck starts to overwork.
2) Leg Circles:
- Bring your left leg up to tabletop or bent knee position (Maddie here is showing the more advanced straight leg version).
- Inhale and exhale as you make a small circle with your leg, keeping hips still.
- Ten times each direction then switch legs.
- Relax your hip.
3) Down Dog:
- From hands and knees, lift your hips towards the ceiling to come into and upside down “V”.
- Bend your elbows and knees slightly, think of lifting your tail feathers up.
- Eventually your arms and legs will be straight and hands and feet flat on the ground.
4) Triangle:
- Stand with your right foot about three feet in front of your left, arms extended and legs straight.
- Keeping both sides of your waist long, reach right arm out and rest your hand on your right leg.
- Extend left arm to the ceiling and steer your belly button towards the opposite wall.
- Hold for one minute then switch sides.
5) Seated Twist:
- Sit up tall, bend your right knee and draw your right heel in towards you (Kate is demonstrating the more advanced version with her left leg tucked under her and arms wrapped behind her back).
- Hug your right leg and twist towards your right knee, eventually looking over your right shoulder.
- Hold one minute, and then switch sides.
