March MATness - 2021 Edition
The Magic Of the Mat
A global celebration of the original sequence
March MATness is here! It’s a month-long celebration of the original 34 mat exercises as outlined by Joe Pilates in his book: Return to Life Through Contrology. The party takes place over Instagram and generates a massive turnout of daily posts by Pilates lovers from all over the world. It starts with The Hundred and goes all the way through to The Push Up.
After a full year of social distancing, a barely operational studio space and limited access to apparatus, you might be wondering if I have enough gas in the tank left to participate in something like this. You might even be wondering if I’m sick of teaching the mat work during this new normal of virtual Pilates. You might be sick of it yourself -- just dying to work out on different apparatus. As a matter of fact, don’t I always say you need to work the whole system to enjoy the full benefits of Pilates? All valid observations, but here’s why I’m participating and why I hope you’ll join me.
Return to Life – The Cornerstone Of Contrology
The original 34 mat exercises are the foundation upon which the entire Pilates system was built. This month-long movement seeks to educate the public about the power of this crucial original work.
Many Pilates teachers are unfamiliar with the original mat order, which is unfortunate because the order is by design. Without it, you will miss crucial connections and inter-connections in your practice. This is not to say that everybody needs to do every exercise. However, you can still omit what’s inappropriate for your body and find that the flow remains intact.
Additionally, putting a spotlight on the original 34 underpins my claim that variations and additions aren’t really necessary when you’re doing it correctly. Bells, whistles and random add-ons are simply superfluous. Any opportunity to bring awareness to the public and to the Pilates industry at large is welcome in my book.
Teachers, I encourage you to think of the mat as a tool to gather information on how best to help your clients this month. Let the body tell you what it needs. Stop relying on beginner, intermediate or advanced repertoire, because that didn’t exist in Joe’s time. In fact, sectioning off the work like that didn’t come about until the teacher training programs, which also didn’t come about until several years after Joe died. You also know we don’t always fit comfortably inside these compartments.
Creating a Contrology Community
What the world needs more of these days is community, so let’s make it happen however we can! I’ve recently hit a wall in what I’ve been referring to as COVID fatigue, but I’m trying to face it head-on at what often feels like a pivotal breaking point. I’m adapting, learning to bend so I don’t break, so to speak.
Virtual Pilates Is More Than Mat
I understand why you miss the other apparatus, but just because you don’t have access to a full studio, doesn’t mean you have to be stuck on your mat. I can help you learn something new about your body using nothing but the wall as our apparatus.
What's more? I’ve seen you all get stronger this past year, working with what you have available to you and that is something to celebrate!
