Welcome to Pilates and Prayer.
Taking a moment to arrive.
This class is designed to calm and regulate your nervous system as well as strengthen and align your body and your mind.
Let's begin.
Starting with a simple C curve,
Curling back,
And then coming up straight.
Coming to lay down on your mat,
Feet on the mat,
Knees bent.
Peeling your spine off of the mat as you push into your feet and lift your hips.
And then slowly bringing your spine section by section right down on the mat.
Moving through this bridge pose up and back down.
Coming back up into your bridge pose and bringing your arms up towards the ceiling,
Shoulders down.
And simply tapping your hips down to the mat and lifting up.
Coming back into your bridge pose,
Now tapping one side of your hips down to the mat,
Coming up,
And then switching to the other side,
Working your obliques.
And now mirroring me coming onto your left side on your left forearm.
Knees bent and together as though sitting in a chair,
Opening your right knee up towards the ceiling and back down.
If you'd like to advance and have a little more challenge,
Simply lift your feet up.
Come to lay all the way down on your left side.
Bring your legs out in front of you at an angle towards the front edge of your mat.
Lifting and lowering your right leg.
Now tapping your right toes in front and back.
Coming up on your left forearm,
Bending your right knee and placing your foot in front of your left leg.
Working your left inner thigh,
Lifting the leg and lowering.
A kneeling squat.
Continuing your kneeling squat,
Now twisting side to side.
Mirroring me coming down to your right side on your right forearm,
Knees bent and out in front.
Returning to that clam exercise,
Opening the left knee up towards the ceiling and back down.
If you're advancing,
Lift the feet up.
Coming to lay down on your right side,
Legs out in front at an angle towards the edge of your mat.
Lifting and lowering the left leg,
You can point up and flex down.
And now tapping the left toes in front and back.
Coming up to your right forearm,
Bending your left knee and placing the foot in front of your right leg.
Lifting and lowering your right leg,
Working your inner thigh.
Coming to lay down on your belly,
Crossing your arms and letting your forehead rest on your hands.
Lifting the bottoms of your legs and tapping your feet together.
Bringing your forearms to the mat by your sides.
Coming into a gentle swan stretch by pushing into your forearms and lifting up.
And gently starting to push back into a child's pose.
Breathing and relaxing,
Softening any tension.
Continuing to be present.
Bringing your arms to one side for a stretch.
And then to the other.
Appreciating the time you carved out for yourself.
To find stillness and movement.
I am so proud of you.
I hope that a greater sense of grounding,
Centering,
And peace fills the rest of your day.
Give yourself a hug and congratulations.
You did it.
And I so look forward to continuing to move with you.
Wishing you every blessing.
