Body Wisdom Pilates and Rehab

We made some changes to the Pilates studio space in the last couple days! New flooring helps the space feel clean, warm and inviting!

The new space is now open! A space for Pilates, rehab Pilates, movement and healing!

I am passionate about helping people move well and feel better in their bodies.

Welcome to Body Wisdom Pilates & Rehab!

Private Pilates sessions
Private Pilates groups (2-3 people)

Web: www.bodywisdomtulsa.com
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If you know me, you know I love to move! I believe movement, done well for your unique body, brings so many rewards...strength, healing, and joy. If you can move well, you can do the things you enjoy! Today I got to move and do something I really enjoy...go for a bike ride! How did you move today?

I've been thinking about posture lately. It's something we hear a lot about. But why is posture so important?

1. It puts your body in alignment. Good alignment means that the body parts are stacked up where they're supposed to be. This reduces stress and tension where it's not supposed to be (classic places include shoulders, neck and low back), and allows muscles to function optimally.
2. Once the body is stacked up well with good posture, the lungs and rib cage have the potential to expand more optimally, maximizing breathing efficiency.
3. Good posture just plain feels good!

Try this simple seated exercise for postural control and breathing. While sitting straight up on a spine corrector (if you have one), or hips up on a yoga block, or on a standard chair), take a full inhale through your nose. Then, as you exhale, slowly articulate your spine into flexion from the top of your head to your low back. Keep a light tension in your abdominals. Stay down in flexion while you take 2-3 full breaths, breathing into the back of the ribs. Think of moving your breath to expand (inhale) and close (exhale) your rib cage. Then, in your next exhale, engage your abdominal muscles and slowly re-srack tour spine, one vertebrae at a time. Finish sitting tall, with you shoulders gently back and down, and your head on top of your shoulders.

**Important**This is an easy quick exercise to do if you have a desk job. You can do this several times throughout your day to re-adjust your posture to feel great!

This last weekend I spent doing some virtual Pilates continuing education workshops with Pacific Northwest Pilates Studio in Portland, Oregon. I was actually supposed to be in Portland attending these workshops live. But, due to the corona virus and travel restrictions, those plans changed. I am so grateful for the wonderful people who worked so hard to make these online workshops possible and for the awesome education! So my movement this weekend came with lots of instruction, learning and integration to help me learn how to help people better. Then lots of review and practice afterwards to really reinforce what I've learned! I am a learner and that's my geek place...learning about the body, study and practice...to make me a better movement professional!!

Even though it is , I think it is important to practice . I try to keep moving every day. Sometimes I like to just play around with the props I have at home. Last time I posted some ideas for using stretchy bands at home. Today, I'm playing around with my foam roller. One of the things I like to do is roll my upper back. It feels so good to massage away any tension in the muscles. I like to follow that up with a nice thoracic extension spine stretch and pec stretch. Another thing I like to do is lie down on the roller lengthwise, with my spine in line with the roller. This gives a nice balance and core stability challenge as I move my arms and legs!! Here I am doing marching, leg slides, toe taps and opposite arm and leg lifts. Just having fun playing with my props and keeping moving!

It's been a while since I've posted a post. Boy has there been a lot going on lately! Honestly it's been a little worrisome and distracting for me as I learn and navigate through all the changes to routine it has (and will continue to be) for me and all of us. But, I think we can all keep moving and it's more important than ever as our gyms and studios are closed right now. While I can't work with my clients one-on-one and in person right now, I have offered to do online, virtual sessions with all of them, using the props they may have at home. Some are interested and some are not. So, today I am taking some time to think of each one of them and begin to design some specific home Pilates programs for each of their unique, individual bodies. I will at least be prepared if they choose to work with me online ( still waiting to hear back from a couple of clients).