People of all ages and backgrounds can be affected by anxiety, stress and depression. In fact, the World Health Organization predicts that these issues will be the second biggest causes of illness by 2020. As disheartening as this sounds, many documented studies indicate that people who are more mindful are more resilient and have an easier time coping with the challenges that life sends their way. Let this motivate you to pause and check in.
What ways can you bring more more mindfulness into your day? The next time you walk into a Pilates class, ask yourself, “Am I being mindful or is my mind full?”
Here are three ways to bring more mindfulness to your Pilates exercise practice:
1. Pay Attention
Challenge yourself to tune out distractions in the room. Listen closely to your teacher’s corrections and cues throughout class. Try to suspend criticisms or judgement about yourself or others.
2. Make it New
Feel like you’ve done an exercise a million times? Try changing the way you think about the movement—be more specific about how you control your joints or try applying a theme to the class to help you work on something during every exercise.
3. Focus on your Breath
Take special notice of how you breathe throughout the class. Become aware of when you hold your breath or when you breathe easily as you move—especially notice what happens when the exercise is challenging.
Pacific Northwest Pilates is studio, school and fitness family under one roof. Click to learn more about our education center and studio. Call us for details: (503) 292-4409.