One of the first Principles of Pilates is Awareness.

According to Wikipedia it means: “In psychology,[1] awareness is a concept about knowing, perceiving and being cognizant of events. Another definition describes it as a state wherein a subject is aware of some information when that information is directly available to bring to bear in the direction of a wide range of behavioral actions.[2] The concept is often synonymous to consciousness and is also understood as being consciousness itself.[3]

The states of awareness are also associated with the states of experience so that the structure represented in awareness is mirrored in the structure of experience.”

And according to Google, Awareness in Pilates means;” Body awareness is a benefit that can help people in many different areas of their lives. After taking Pilates classes regularly for a while, you should naturally begin to feel it when your muscles or joints are out of alignment.”

Pilates is a form of exercise that emphasizes the importance of movement awareness. It involves controlled movements that aim to strengthen the body’s core muscles and improve posture, flexibility, and balance. Awareness in Pilates and movement means being mindful of your body’s position, alignment, and movements during exercise.

Awareness is essential in Pilates because it helps you maintain proper form and alignment, which minimizes the risk of injury. It also allows you to engage the right muscles, maximizing the benefits of each exercise. When you are aware of your body’s movements, you can make subtle adjustments to improve your posture and alignment, making the exercises more effective.

The interesting thing is that I realized that I have been subconsciously practicing awareness since a very young age. I have always been very shy and introverted and on top of that I’m also quite tall, so I’ve always been very aware of my length and my presence in group environments. With that obviously came a lot of slouching, as I always tried to fade into the crowd or blend in without being spotted, which means my posture was very poor since a young age (that doesn’t help much with the confidence).

Once I finished high school, I realized that if I wanted to be taken seriously in the big grown-up world that I would have to start acting more confident or look more confident. Luckily, I discovered Pilates quite early on in my life when I was only 23. I’ve always been active, but Pilates really showed me how important body and mind-body awareness is.

I’ve been a BASI qualified instructor for 9 years now and I’m amazed how I’ve implemented subconsciously and consciously the 10 principles they teach us into my everyday life. Not only am I aware about my own body and how it feels and moves but also how observant and aware I’ve become of the people all around me every single day. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing ha ha. The great thing about being aware is you tend to fix small problems before they become out of control. That’s another reason why I LOVE going to a chiropractor (for me this works best, it might not be the solution for everyone). Pilates is my saving grace as all these principles have heightened my senses and in today’s life there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a bit more of that sixth sense on your side.

For the people who don’t enjoy Pilates and don’t see and feel the benefits it has to offer should PLEASE go out there and try a different instructor and keep trying different instructors until you find the one that you connect with and that makes you feel good. I promise you will not regret starting Pilates as everyone needs to do Pilates to have a happier, healthier more aware body, mind, and soul.

Much love

Johlet