[Exploring Life] Contrology is the term coined by Joseph Pilates to describe his method of integrated mind-body fitness. Today it is commonly referred to as the Pilates method. Joseph Pilates wrote two books: a) Your Health-1934; and Contrology-1945 [1]. These are the main primary sources materials and should be required reading for any teacher and student of Pilates. In these books Pilates reveals his ideas about the mind-body connection, functional fitness, breathing, body awareness, precision, control, alignment, symmetry, strength and flexibility. Contrology, or the original Pilates method, is significantly more than a program of exercise – it is a program for the balanced development of mind and body. In addition, it is also important to understand the major influences and events in Joseph Pilates life since his method is a direct extension of these experiences. Many fitness trainers have incorporated aspects of Pilates work into their own Pilates inspired programs, but these programs are not authentic Pilates and often represent a dilution of Pilates ideas and intentions. Further complicating the situation is the lack of credible and intensive certification programs for aspiring instructors. The purpose of this article, The Essence of the Pilates Method, is to explore the original and authentic method as developed by Joseph Pilates.
Pilates’ Life Experiences: The Underlying Ground of Contrology
It is the mind itself which builds the body.
-Joseph Pilates
Our culture and the experiences we have within that culture are the underlying ground of all learning. Our experiences in life, and how we choose to react to them, serve to create our identity and our destiny. Contrology, or the Pilates Method, is clearly far more than a series of exercises to be performed in a fitness class. Contrology, in fact, is a philosophy of life that embraces the will to survive against difficult odds.
Joseph Pilates was born in Mönchengladbach (a small town near Düsseldorf, Germany), on December 9th 1883 [2]. His father was a prize-winning gymnast and a mechanic by profession. His mother was a very resourceful and caring individual who studied and applied naturopathic techniques. Both his parents embraced the ideals of both physical fitness and therapeutic wellness. In Contrology, both physical fitness and physical therapy are completely integrated.
Joseph Pilates was said to be a skinny, sickly child who suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. There is evidence that Pilates was bullied as a child and had one eye permanently damaged from a stone thrown at him. It is possible that these early childhood experiences inspired a strong interest in both physical fitness and self-defense. At some point in his youth, a family physician gave Joseph an anatomy book:
I learned every page, every part of the body; I would move each part as I memorized it. As a child, I would lie in the woods for hours, hiding and watching the animals move, how the mother taught the young.
This quote provides significant insight into the early development of the Pilates method. His emphasis on the correct and precise use of muscles and joints is well known, and it is impossible to attend any credible Pilates course without being immersed in human anatomy. The statement, I would move each part as I memorized it, reveals a innate interest in tactile learning, or what is now often referred to as body awareness. In Contrology, no exercise is ever performed unless the mind is is completely concentrated on the precise coordination of the body. The quote also reveals Pilates’ innate interest in the dynamics of movement (watching the animals move as well as learning through effective modeling (how the mother taught the young).
As a young adult in Germany, and against a backdrop of significant physical and psychological challenges (i.e. – physical illnesses and bullying), Joseph became an amateur boxer and gymnast, as well as a skilled skier and diver. In 1912 Pilates went to England to train as a boxer. By 1914 he was a star circus performer, but was placed into an internment camp in Lancaster, England due to the outbreak of WWI. His experiences within the internment camp were to be influential. In order to help his fellow German nationals, Pilates decided that they would emerge from internment healthier and stronger than when they went in. It was here that he began to create the minimalistic system of training using the floor and equipment that would become the foundation of Contrology.
He was later transferred to the internment camp on the Isle of Mann where he chose to help out in the sick bay. His deep sense of empathy led him to create a system of exercises for bed-ridden patients by taking the bed-springs from the frame and using them to provide resistance training. This is, perhaps, the early predecessor of what is now called the Reformer apparatus. We can hypothesize the influence of both his father and mother: his father both a gymnast and mechanic influenced the physical and inventive aspects of Pilates learning, and his mother influenced the nurturing and caring side that remained strong in the face of adverse conditions and situations. The learning environment of the hospital in the internment camp, while difficult, was a source of inspiration for Pilates that allowed him to experiment and invent solutions for bed-ridden patients.
If Joseph Pilates had not chosen to learn from, grow, and overcome adverse conditions, it is highly unlikely his method would be in existence today.
After the war Pilates returned to Germany to train the Hamburg Military Police as well as personal clients. During this time he met Rudolf Laban, a famous movement therapist. Today, the Laban Studio integrates Contrology as a component in their approach to health and wellness [3]. In 1923 Pilates moved to New York City in the United States, where he and his new wife Clara took over a boxing gym on 939 Eighth Avenue. In the same building were a number of dance studios and rehearsal spaces, and it was this proximity that lead to the growing awareness of Pilates as someone who could “fix” dancers.
While Joseph Pilates was recognized and a fitness guru, he was also known for liking cigars, alcohol, and women. He died in October 1967 at Lennox Hill Hospital at the age of 83.
Contrology: A Summary of Pilates’ Ideas
The opening section of Contrology is entitled Civilization Impairs Physical Fitness. Contrology is the result of Joseph Pilates intense frustration with the general health of people, as well as what he viewed as misguided advice from the medical and health sciences. Civilization, in his view, was the root cause of physical and mental problems. The problem he describes is not one that we are unfamiliar with today:
The conflicting information, expressive of the different opinions of these health authorities, has proved nothing less than confusion worse confounded… Our so-called health authorities, whose remarks are accepted as law; or so-called scientists, whose statements are religiously accepted – they are primarily to blame because they fail in their mission to civilization! [Pilates 1945]
As a result of Pilate sown discontent with civilization, he dedicated his life to experimenting, researching, practicing, and sharing his unique approach to body-mind fitness. The idea that the Pilates Method is a series of exercises that emphasize the core is correct, but incomplete. Pilates admired ancient Greek culture. He associates contrology with the ancient Greek view that body and mind are inextricably connected and therefore must be developed simultaneously. He states that the ancient Greeks believed that the neglect of either or both, would result in the complete failure to realize the very first law of civilization – (preservation of life) – the attainment and maintenance of one’s bodily and mental perfection. (Pilates 1934) Poor physical health is therefore an enemy of the mind; poor mental development is an enemy of the body. Good health means equilibrium of body, mind, and spirit. Pilates created contrology so there would result a rejuvenation of mind and body and living itself would again become an art as it was in the days of the ancient Grecians. (Pilates 1945)
Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit. [Pilates, 1945]
The unique features of contrology include: a focus on suppleness, natural grace and skill that is reflected in all routine movements; the uniform development of muscular power combined with endurance; gaining mastery of the mind to control the body; correct wrong posture; and the restoration of physical and mental vitality.
IDEALLY, OUR MUSCLES SHOULD OBEY OUR WILL. REASONABLY, OUR WILL SHOULD NOT BE DOMINATED BY THE REFLEX ACTION OF OUR MUSCLES. [Pilates 1934]
Contrology – The Original Thirty-Four Mat Exercises: Contrology exercises our ability to focus, concentrate on our body awareness as much as it does moving the body itself. A lack of attentiveness in Pilates is unacceptable; the exercises require intense concentration.
The only unchanging rules you must conscientiously obey are that you must faithfully and without deviation follow the instructions accompanying the exercises and always keep your mind wholly concentrated on the purpose of the exercises as you perform them. This is vitally important in order for you to gain the results sought, otherwise, there would be no valid reason for your interest in Contrology. [Pilates 1945] [4]
- Precision: Pilates believed that the learner must be fully committed to learning a specific methodology that is followed faithfully and without deviation. The movements in an exercise are extremely precise and require a keen focus and exceptional body awareness to perform correctly.
- Concentration: The mind attends to the body through awareness of movement and breath during an exercise. If the mind is not concentrated solely on movement and breath, there is little benefit. A wandering mind or a mind distracted by thoughts or sounds while exercising is a weak mind requiring conditioning. The exercises demand the complete integration of body and mind.
- Patience and Persistence: Pilates emphasized these obvious and necessary qualities. Contrology is designed to alter and transform the habits of body and mind to more productive states. Developing new habits of body and mind simply require dedicated time and effort.
- Proprioception: Though Pilates does not use the word, proprioception[3] is an essential skill in contrology. Proprioception (from Latin proprius, meaning “one’s own” and perception) is the perceptual ability to perceive the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body. Proprioception is what allows someone to learn to walk in complete darkness without losing balance. [Wikipedia: Proprioception] Unless the individual has the ability to sense the nuances of body movement and breath, progress is impaired. Proprioception is a fundamental component of Contrology.
- Breath Control: Breath control is fundamental is fundamental to Contrology and is the first and most important element to learn.
Lazy breathing converts the lungs, figuratively speaking, into a cemetery for the deposition of diseased, dying, and dead germs as well as supplying an ideal haven for the multiplication of other harmful germs. Therefore, above all, learn how to breath correctly. [Pilates 1945]
Pilates views proper breath control above all. He emphasizes the importance of:
- Exhalation: Squeezing every atom of air from the lungs;
- Rolling the Spine: Rolling back an forth on the spine as a means to cleanse the lungs;
- Correct Breathing: The habit of correct breathing as a means to fully oxygenate the blood stream and reduce feelings of fatigue.
Functional Fitness: Functional fitness is a form of exercise that is designed to improve the body’s physical responses to real-life situations. It is quite possible to be an successful athelete or dance, but have a body that is not functionally fit. A person that has focsued on weight-lifting over a period of years is very likely to have low levels of functional fitness. The Pilates Method is a form of functional fitness, even though the term is not used by Joseph Pilates: “Correctly executed and mastered to the point of subconscious reaction, these exercises will reflect grace and balance in your routine activities.” (Pilates 1954) The correction of posture is one of the more visibly noticeable and important results of Contrology.
Contrology – Stated Goals: If we practiced contrology with precision, patience and persistence, what should the observable results be? Pilates makes a number of general statements that I have summarized as intended results below:
- Ease of Motion and Movement: The proper development of muscles means that daily activities (standing, walking, sitting) can be performed with minimum effort and maximum pleasure. Muscle development is balanced so they support each other and work together fluidly creating a greater sense of ease in motion. “Correctly executed and mastered to the point of subconscious reaction, these exercises will reflect grace and balance in your routine activities.” [Pilates 1945];
- Increased Sense of Pleasure in Life: Our pace of life is moderated and our minds are noticeably calmer though our circumstances in life remain the same. Conscious selection of a pleasurable lifestyle, or “that which excludes constant pushing, shoving, rushing, crowding and wild scrambling all so characteristic of our day.”; (Pilates 1945)
- Flexibility: We are physically and mentally more flexible in our approach to life and embrace the qualities of stretching and relaxing our body and mind. We develop the habit of constant stretching and relaxing in our daily routines;
- Posture: Posture is associated with all major activities in life. The spinal column is restored to its “natural” state. “If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.” (Pilates 1945);
- Diet: Food is eaten only as required, not according to imposed schedules or customary amounts. The amount of food required is associated with the requirements of activity. Heavy or over-eating is avoided at all times;
- Normalization of Body Weight: Contrology, when applied with precision, results in the body returning to an appropriate weight;
- Sleep: Sleep is recuperative and calm. Pilates linked nervousness to a lack of exercise. If sleep is disturbed, exercises should be performed, rather than lying awake. This helps to relieve the nervous energy.
- Body-Mind Connection: Pilates states that “you without doubt acquire correct physical fitness with proper mental control.” [Pilates 1945] A core idea of contrology is that effective “self-instruction” holds the promise of never having anything to “unlearn.” Contrology is presented as a technique that leads to correct fitness as well as increased mental confidence and balance. The end result is an “active, alert, disciplined person… that is always fully capable of meeting all the complex problems of modern living.” [Pilates 1945]
Searching For The Essence of the Pilates Method
When we search for the essence of something we look for specific qualities of something that provides it with a unique identity. What is the essence of the Pilates Method? This question is often answered in vague terms. For example, we often see references being made to core development and the development of what is often referred to as the powerhouse [5]. Throughout the Pilates method, the core area of the body is a primary focal point in all Pilates exercises and is viewed as the nexus of body movement and awareness, but the method is about far more than core development. Today the core is often use a focus for advertizing fitness programs in reaction to the increasing levels of obesity in society. In my opinion, the development of the core area, while important, is not adequate in describing the essence of the Pilates method. I suggest that the true essence of the Pilates method is not something purely physical.
Nor is it the attention to precision, posture, alignment, concentration, or any particluar set of intellectual concepts that serve to guide the process of correctly performing the exercises. While these are of obvious and criticial importance, they do not describe the essence of the method. Another feature of the Pilates method is often described through its therapeutic value, that is, in it’s ability to correct physical deficiencies and injuries. Once again these are of obvious and critical importance, but do not serve to reveal the essence. The essence of the Pilates method is not something purely physical or physical-fitness-centric; it is something more organic, nuclear, and inspiring.
In Contrology, Pilates states that, It is the mind itself which builds the body. This idea comes closer to the essence of Pilates. Throughout his youth, Pilates was faced with constant adversity, and consistently responded with positive action. Through the perserverence of mind, he renewed his own sickly and weak body and thereby he changed the course of his life. The power of his intentions is an aspect of the Pilates Method that cannot be underestimated or understated. The fact is that the Pilates Method exists because of Joseph Pilates’ ability to focus on positive intentions, take positive action, remain focused and resilient throughout his own life’s challenges.
If the mind builds the body, then the body is a result of what we choose to think about. This means that the body responds directly to what we think, and therefore how we feel. The critical realizations here are: a) what we think, the specific thoughts we have, are there because we choose them, not because they have a life of their own; and b) the physical reaility of the body responds directly to the intellectual reality of the mind. These ideas are very close to those found in Yoga [6], which is an area of fitness that Pilates himself explored. Recent reseearch into mind-body integration reveals that the body and the mind are completely inseparable; the body is the mind and the mind is the body. Candace Pert describes this new understanding as the bodymind [7]. I like to capture the idea of teh bodymind in teh following way:
What the mind thinks, the body feels: what the body thinks, the mind feels.
Aside from some general references to religion, Pilates did not venture into a spiritual dimension for his method. This may be constrasted to Yoga, which focused on the development of the mind in order to attain higher spiritual states of reality through contemplation and meditation. In the Pilates method, awareness and attention are directed entirely on the precise use and movements of the body. Although the aims may be different, both Yoga and Pilates emphasize the importance of concentrating the mind on the present moment to the task at hand.
The essence of the Pilates Method cannot be something separate and distinct from the individual and life experiences that lead to its creation. The essence of the Pilates Method, in my opinion, lies in the power of awareness and intention in overcoming adversity. While this may sound suspiciously like a new-age spin on Pilates’ work, I believe it serves to capture the essence of his method. The Pilates Method was born out of the significant struggles faced by Joseph Pilates himself, and his “method” is really a lifestyle and orientation to overcoming the challenges posed by severe physical limitations and illness through intention and discipline. Had Pilates decided to succumb to the adversity he faced in life there would be no method for us to explore today. A Pilates exercise is a microcosm of the awareness of adversity and the intention to overcome it in life. While an exercise like The Hundreds obviously serves to develop core strength, its essence is to develop the physical and mental strength to embrace the inevitable challenges we face in life.
The essence of the Pilates Method lies in its power to inspire the body, mind, and spirit throughout the inevitable confluence of adversity and struggle we all face in our life’s journey.
Notes
1. I am using A Pilates Primer: The Millennium Edition (1998). It contains both of Pilates publications: a) Return to Life Through Contrology; and b) Your Health. For ease of reference I will refer to Contrology as [Pilates 1945] and Your Health as [Pilates 1934].
2. See Summary of Joseph’s Family and Birth Records, uplifted from Polestar Cologne Conference Brochure.
3. See RUDOLF LABAN. For information regarding the integration of the Pilates method see Laban Health
4. Author’s note: Modern versions of the original Pilates mat exercises are sometimes preferable to the original version. The issues surrounding modifications of the exercises will be explored in a separate entry. Always consult a certified Pilates instructor before attempting any of the exercises.
5. Though I could not find the use of the word powerhouse in any of Pilates’ own writing, it may be possible that he used the term through the course of his teaching.
6. See Yoga: The Five States of Mind.
7. See Posture: The Bodymind.
