ROTATION:
After our Arm Reaches with Forward Flexion- our warm up of the spine progresses to Rotation
My FAVORITE thing to think of when performing the perfect rotation is a barber shop pole. You know the kind- it’s always growing and never shrinking as it spins.
Things to remember as we rotate:
1) THE EYES: Our eyes are what initiate the whole movement. Where your eyes go, your head goes, your neck goes, your spine goes. Keep your gaze perfectly level so that you don’t drop or lift your chin
2) THE SHOULDERS: Lolita San Miguel tells us that there are 5 smiles of the body; the smiles of the forehead, face, chest and back (from shoulder to shoulder) and low abs (from hip bone to hip bone)… more on that later though. Keeping the smiles in mind, remember to keep the shoulders drawn down and together in a “V” AND maintain the smiles of the chest/back.
3) THE RIBS: When we talked in day 1 about the ribs staying back as we flexed forward, the same is true here. As we rotate, it’s important to keep the ribs in-line with the spine (remember to grow tall and this shouldn’t be a problem)
4) THE HIPS: As your upper body moves, that doesn’t mean that your hips have to go along for the ride! We only rotate from the waist-line up, and because of this, our hips stay square and stable.
Just as an owl’s head can move independent of its body, the upper body should move independent of the lower.
Maintain your “kiss in the glutes”, keep the hips square to the front of the room, and reach the PALM of the hand toward the floor instead of the fingers as your take your spine around.
We’re so thrilled to be bringing you the most impactful tips for your Pilates practice! Click here to view more March Matness
