Blog
Thoughts and tips about the world of Pilates, from the experts at Pacific Northwest Pilates in Portland, Oregon
Restore the Capacity to Sit: Thoracic Control
Ah, that’s better. Melanie Byford-Young assists gueststar, Karen Shomaker in restoring the capacity to sit better by taking special care … Read more
Internal and External Cueing Tips
How do we use internal and external cues with clients? Research on returning to sport and reaquisition of skill suggests … Read more
Restore Upward Shoulder Rotation with Arm Press on Long Box
Our series on restoring upward rotation of the shoulders continues. Quite a few of our daily activities require overhead reaching … Read more
Restore Upward Shoulder Rotation with Arm Press in Straps
Continuing with our restoring upward rotation to the shoulder girdle series, Melanie Byford-Young and Lulu practice arms pressing in straps. … Read more
Forefoot Mechanics and How it Affects the Hip
More fun with feet! Melanie Byford-Young explains how improper foot mechanics can lead to hip impingement and how you can … Read more
Patellofemoral Syndrome and Cueing on the Reformer
Scuba suits and patello-femoral syndrome—what might these two things have in common? For today’s session, Melanie chats about the structural … Read more
The Frontier of Fitness: Fascial Movement
So imagine a silvery-white material flexible and sturdy in equal measure—a substance the surrounds and penetrates every muscle, coats every … Read more
Sciatica and Restoring Dynamic Control with Swan Dive
Melanie addresses a student’s Facebook question on sciatica nerve pain—how to progress a client using dynamic control and load in … Read more
Sciatica and Segmental Lumbar Rotation
Back to the mat. Melanie shows how to offload the sciatic nerve by strengthening the piriformis and lumbar multifidus with … Read more
Restore Cervical Lordosis and Deep Neck Flexor Control
Melanie demonstrates how to restore optimal cervical neck lordosis using a Mini Stability Ball™.
Ab Prep Modifications for Downward Rotated Shoulders
Keep those shoulders in a beautiful position with today’s tip. Melanie Byford-Young shows how to modify ab prep for downwardly … Read more
Unlocking the Forearm
Supinated or pronated? Today Melanie Byford-Young talks about the importance of supination and pronation in the forearm and how this … Read more