“The Box” is a Pilates term referring to the box frame made by your Shoulders and Hips. Think about it, the hip bones and the shoulder points do form a box!
When beginning any exercise you want to strive to engage the abdominals pay attention that this Pilates “Box” is even and balanced. The sides of The Box, from right shoulder to right hip and left shoulder to left hip, can be long and even.
As instructors, we are constantly observing your scapula blades (the wings of your back) and hips which includes all the way to the lower pelvis bones(sitz bones, tail, sacrum).
Pay attention to align the four corners of The Box and use breath to expand and contract muscles running within and along all four sides.
In the movement or exercise the 100’s, The Box of the body is pressed into the mat to support our head, arms and legs while your arms move rapidly and with strength to challenge you.
From there, the entire session develops to challenge the body with less support of the mat by building and increasing strength in the lower portion or the upper portions of The Box.
Did you know all this was happening when you walked into class?!
The Pilates articulation exercises are exercises which change the plane of movement of the body.
In your next session, keep your ears open for Box cues. Your instructor will continuously give feedback (words, phrases, touch) if your body’s Box needs some centering or leveling out. If things are going well, we will coach you to move deeper within the box and challenge yourself to stretch and open up more.
