Mindful Pilates For Beginners – Seated & Standing

Build core stability, improve posture, support balance, and reconnect with your body through this gentle seated and standing Mindful Pilates practice for beginners.

In this accessible 28-minute Pilates session, we explore mindful movement, Pilates breathing, core engagement, and functional stability without needing to get down to the floor. Through simple seated and standing exercises, you'll strengthen your core, improve balance and coordination, and develop greater body awareness.

Ideal if you're looking for a gentle approach to Pilates, prefer chair-based or standing movement, or would like to improve posture, stability, mobility, and confidence in everyday movement.

No previous Pilates experience is needed. A chair can be used for seated exercises and additional support during the standing balance practice. Some of the exercises can also be practised with light weights (0.5–1 kg dumbbells), if available.

With warmth,
Monika

Transcript

Hello and welcome! So happy you're here for today's mindful Pilates practice. Today we will explore a gentle seated and standing practice. This can be a wonderful option. If getting down to the floor isn't comfortable, If you are looking for a more accessible practice, Or if you'd simply like to improve posture. Balance and core awareness through mindful movement. You're welcome to sit on the floor. On a cushion or on a chair. Whatever feels most comfortable for you today. If you have a chair nearby, It can also offer a little extra support and stability during the standing part. Of our practice. If you like. You can also have a pair. Of light hand weights nearby for some of the movements later on. But they are absolutely optional. Let's begin by finding a comfortable seat. Allow your feet to rest on the floor if you're on a chair. A little taller. Without creating tension. Feel your sitting bones grounding you. Allow your shoulders to soften. And start to connect to your natural breath. You can place your hands softly around the sides of your lower ribs. Take a slow breath in through the nose. And a long breath out through the mouth. When you breathe in through the nose. Notice the ribcage expanding sideways into the hand. And as you exhale slowly through the mouth, Feel the ribs softly narrow again. Again, Slow inhale expanding into the ribs, Not only forward, But also sideways. And maybe slightly into the back body as well. The slow exhale through the mouth, Allowing the ribs to move inward again and creating a muscular connection with your hip bones. So here. Inhaling expanding. Exhaling bringing your ribs gently together again. Beautiful. Now keep this rib breath. This lateral breath. And slowly bring awareness lower into the body. Toward the lower belly. The deep abdominal area and the pelvic floor. And as you exhale, Next time, Allow the lower belly to feel gently heavy toward the spine. Not sucking in strongly, Just a soft inner support. With the inhale, Allow your ribs to expand again. Beautiful. As you exhale the next time. Add a very subtle lifting sensation through the pelvic floor, Almost as if the center of the body gently gathers inward and upward. And then inhale again, Allowing space. Into the rapes without losing all of that support. So let's do that a few more times together. Allow the neck and shoulders to be soft. While the deep center gently wakes up. No tension in the face. No gripping in the jaw. Just working. Your core muscle. Beautiful. Now keep, Try to keep this breath. Throughout the whole practice. And with your next exhale, From the strength from your core, Lift one of your arms up, Keeping the ribs down, Keeping this rib-hip connection. And inhaling, Lowering. Exhaling, Lifting one arm. Inhaling, Lowering. If you like. Add your weight. Exhaling, Lifting the arm. Feeling your core power. Not the shoulder. Inhaling, Slowly lowering your arm. Exhaling, Lifting. Feeling the belly go firm. Inhaling, Lowering your arm again. If you like, You can try both arms at the same time. With the exhale, Lifting doesn't need to be that high. You can stop at shoulder height. And then with the inhale, Slowly lowering your arms, Keeping your rib-hip connection. Let's do two more. Exhaling lifting bringing the arms up Feeling the strength in your belly, In your core. E-mailing Lowering. . . Let's do one more. Exhaling, Gently lifting your pelvic floor. Lifting your arms. Inhaling. Placing your hands or near dies again. Now let's bring some movement into the leg. With your next exhale, You can just one foot and try to lift the foot also with the strength from your core. Doesn't need to be high, Just the knee lifting a little bit. And with the inhale, Placing your foot back onto the floor. Exhaling, Lifting the other leg. Trying to feel that connection to your core. Inhaling, Placing your foot back onto the mat. It doesn't matter if you can only lift your foot. Just a few. Centimeters or inches. And then bring it back. The other leg again. Lifting. And place it back. Let's do each side one more time. Slowly, The slower the more your core needs to work. Lifting. And place it back. And lifting. And place it back onto the mat. Very good. Now, Let's concentrate on the arms again, With or without weight. Bring your arms up with the exhale over the side, Just to shoulder height, That's enough. And in front and slowly back down. Exhaling, Lifting, Feeling your core working. Inhaling bring it to the front and lowering slowly. Let's reverse the movement. Exhale, Bringing your arms up. Opening. Inhaling, Bringing your arms down. Don't forget to breathe. Excellingent. Inhaling, Bring your arms in front and slowly down. Let's do one more round. Exhaling up. Feel the strength in your core. To the side. And down. Very good. Now this. . . Or without. I show it without. You can either bring your arms up Aura in front of you. Allow your spine to grow tall. With your next exhale, Slowly turn to one side. Feeling your core muscles working. Inhaling back to center. The movement can be small. Exhaling, Gently lifting that pelvic floor, Activating your core. Resting to the other side. Inhaling back to center. If you like, You can bring your arms in front. Exhaling twisting. Inhaling back to center. Egg feeling. Gentle twist. Feeling your body, You can also close your eyes. You wish to connect. Deeper with your body, Inhaling back to center. Let's do each side one more time. Exhaling twist. Inhaling back to center. Exhaling twist Inhaling into your ribs, Back to center. Well done. Now you can place your hands on your thighs. And that what we do now is. . . Gently press. On your thigh while you try to lift your foot from the floor again. And release. Place it back onto your mat. Slowly lifting the other leg and press into your thigh with the hand. Feel your core working. Slowly bring your leg down. Let's do each side one more time. You can also use both hands if you wish. Slowly, Press your thigh against the wall. Your hands, Your hands against your thigh. And feel the activation in your core. I said bye. Change side. Lifting the leg. Pressing the hands against the thigh. And place it back onto the floor. One more time for each side. Feel free to take a break at any time. Exhaling, Lifting. Inhaling, Bring it back down. And exhaling, Lifting. Inhaling, Bring it back onto the floor. Now let's If you have your chair, You can. . . Use your Cheer! To keep your balance, But I invite you to try it without. And now standing. Let's start with the feet. So bring your feet hip width apart. If you wish, Close your eyes. So that you can sense into your feet. Just try to Balance the weight on your feet evenly. So maybe you want to move forward a little bit and back. And find your center. And once you've found your center, Gently lift your kneecaps. Activating, Gently activating your thigh. Gently lifting your pelvic floor, Activating your belly muscles. And then you can again bring your hands at your lower wrist. And with the inhale, Expand the ribs to the side and to the back. And with the exhale, Bring your ribs together and connect the muscles with your hips. So build your rib-hip connection. Around your way. Inhaling, Expanding. And exhaling gently, Lifting your pelvic floor, Allowing your belly be heavy against your spine and bringing your ribs together again. Beautiful. Also standing, Let's start by lifting one arm with the exhale. Inhaling, Bring it back down. Keep breathing. Inhaling, Waiting, And then exhaling, Lifting the arm. Feeling your core muscles do the work. And inhaling. Release. Let's try both arms. Exhaling, Lift the arms to shoulder height or higher if you can keep your ribs down. Then inhaling, Bring your arms back down to your hips again. Exhaling, Lifting one arm. Inhaling, Bring it back down. Exhaling, Lifting the other arm. Keep smiling. And then, Inhaling, Bring it back down. One more time, Exhaling, Both arms up. Keeping the rape together and down, Connected to the hip. And inhaling. Lowering your arms. Now you can place your hands again at your ribs if that's comfortable or you can hold onto the chair. Slightly shift your weight onto one leg. And then slowly wake up. Strength from your core. The knee. From the map. Inhaling bring your foot back down. Let's do the same leg two more times. Exhaling, Lifting the pelvic floor. Lifting the knee. Inhalee, Ling very slowly, Bring it back. Just slightly tapping your toe onto the mat. One more time. Exhaling, Lifting your knee. Inhaling. Bring it back onto the mat and done. Let's shift the weight onto the other leg. Gently centering first. Once you're ready. Slowly. Lift the knee with the exhale. Feeling your core doing the work. Inhaling very slowly, Place it back onto the mat. Exhaling lifting. Inhaling, Bringing it back to the mat. One more time. Exhaling. Inhaling bring it back Let's do one more. Exhaling, Lifting the knee. Inhaling, Place it onto your mat. Now again shift the weight onto the other leg. And then bring your leg to this side. Still holding your leg from the core. With your next inhale. Back to center. Exhaling to the side. Inhaling back to center. One more time. Exhaling to the side. Feel your core do the work to hold the balance. Inhaling back to center. Shift the weight onto the other leg. And then with your next exhale, Bring your leg to the side. Inhaling, Back to centre. Exhaling to the side. Inhaling, Back to center. One more. Exhaling, Slowly, Slowly move the leg to the side. With the inhale, Bring it back. To center. Well done! Now? You can again take your weights if you wish. Find your Pilates posture. Bring awareness to your ribs again and your breath. And then with the next exhale, Slowly bring your arms up in front. Keep your Repip connection. Bring your arms to the sides. And down with the inhale. Let's reverse the movement. Exhaling, Bring your arms up over the side. Inhaling, Front and slowly lowering your arms. Let's reverse again if you wish you can make the movement a little bit bigger. Exhaling, Feeling your core muscles doing the work. More than the shoulder. And then bring them down over the sides. With your next exhale, Bring your arms up over the side. And then slowly lowering your arms again. Let's do one more round. Slowly bringing your arms up. Inhaling, Slowly bring your arms down. Exhaling, Slowly bring your arms up over the sides. Inhaling slowly. Lowering your arms again. Well done. Now just see if that is possible for you. It's a combination now of what we already did. You can slowly shift the weight onto one leg. And then bring your knee up. And you can at the same time now again Gently press with your hands against the thighs and hips. Feel this activation of your core. Inhaling. Bring the leg back down and then shift to the other side. Exhaling Actively bring your leg up. Press your hands against the thigh. Inhaling, Bring your leg back down. Let's do each side two more times, Always gently lifting the pelvic floor. Pressing the hands against the thighs, The thigh against the hand. Slowly bring it back down. Shift your weight to the other side. Active with the exhale. Lifting your leg. Pressing into your thigh with your hands. And then slowly release. Exhaling, Lifting the leg, Pressing your hands against the thigh. And very slowly bring your leg back onto the mat. I'm done, Just one more time. Lifting the knee. Pressing your hands against the thigh. Feeling. The strength in your core. And then with an inhale. Slowly release. Place your foot onto the mat. Now, If you feel your hip stretch and your hip flexor a little bit, Just bring your leg a little bit back and then lengthen through your hips. Allow your hip flexor to lengthen. Take a deep breath. You can place a hand on your hip flexor here. And then just take a deep breath. Under your hand. Release any tension with the exhale. Saint's Lake. Lengthen. Your hip flexor Place your hands on your hips, Close your eyes. Take a long soft breath. Allow the muscle to lengthen and release any tension with the exhale. Beautiful. Now let's do the twist again, This time standing. Prepare your core. Bring your arms in front. Or the hands on the shoulders. And with the next exhale, Gently, Slowly turn. But keeping. The hit. Not turning the hip. Inhaling back to center. Exhaling, Gentle twist to the other side. Inhaling back to center. Let's do each side one more time. Exhaling gentle twist. Lifting your pelvic floor. Inhaling into the sides of your ribs, Back to center. Exhaling twist. And inhaling back to center. Well done. Let's sit down on the chair or the cushion again. We can. Place your hands on your thighs. Then just slowly allow. You're back. Be around. Slowly bring your chin towards your chest. With the inhale. Slowly come up again. Straighten the back. Word to bra by word to bra. Let's do that two more times. Allow your breath to flow freely. Gently. Massaging and mobilizing your spine. And one more time, Slowly rounding your back, Release all the tension. Inhaling, Slowly coming up. Maybe add a gentle stretch, Bring your arms over the sides or up. Do whatever movement feels good for your body right now. Thank you so much for practicing together today. I hope that we will be practicing together again soon.