Revelations from a Pilates Purist – by Clare Dunphy

Issue #384- Wednesday, November 16, 2022 Revelations from a Pilates Purist by Clare Dunphy This article is about taking chances, questioning the status quo, and challenging one’s beliefs.  I’ve always told myself I knew the answers to keeping Pilates alive and well for future generations.  Here’s why I was wrong.  […]

Some Pilates History and a Pilates Myth

Issue #355 – Wednesday, December 15, 2021 Some Pilates History and a Pilates Myth A myth and some science from Adam McAtee Back when I was a novice Pilates teacher, I came from a belief that Pilates was limited to “the order” and “real teachers” not only knew the order and […]

The Wunda Chair – by Christina Maria Gadar

Issue #346- Wednesday, September 22, 2021 The Wunda Chair by Christina Maria Gadar Joseph Pilates described his method of exercise as the science of controlling the body, mind, and spirit, and coordinating all three. But in addition to being the genius who developed Contrology, he was also a furniture builder who […]

Sensing, Feeling…and Pilates. Somatics..What’s That? – by Patricia Issit

Issue #337 Wednesday June 2, 2021 Sensing, Feeling…and Pilates. Somatics..What’s That? by Patricia Issit Somatics is a “broad brush” term describing many approaches to embodied movement practices. Put briefly, a somatic approach develops perceptual, kinesthetic and proprioceptive sensitivity with the purpose of developing awareness of soma, the felt body self. […]

Review of Caged Lion – by Reiner Grootenhuis

Pic: Author John Steele with Joe and Clara Issue #316 – Wednesday, November 4, 2020 Review of Caged Lion by Reiner Grootenhuis As a Pilates Intel regular, you probably read the excerpt from John Howard Steel’s recently published “Caged Lion” here a few weeks ago. Time for a review and […]

Pilates at School A Dream Has Come True! by Eva Obenaus

Issue #309 – Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Pilates at School A Dream Has Come True! by Eva Obenaus I was a teacher of physical education and history at a Commercial High School in Austria from 1978 until 2017. In 2004, I started my Pilates education with Juliana Afram in Hamburg, […]

Engage Deeper into your Teaching – by Clare Dunphy Hemani

March 12, 2020 Engage Deeper into your Teaching by Clare Dunphy-Hemani I think most Pilates teachers today share the belief that our lineage has value because the connection back to Joe, either directly or through one of his students (our elders), helps keep the tradition alive.  It wasn’t that long […]

“Embodied” Pilates by Allie Greene

Wednesday, March 4, 2020 “Embodied” Pilates  by Allie Greene Embodiment is being internally aware as a body rather than an outside observation of the body. It is a subjectively felt sense of ourselves. It is the “being” rather than the “doing”. It is within the process of embodiment where we can […]

A Strong Woman – Carola Trier – by Eva Rincke

A Strong WomAn: Carola Strauss-Trier by Eva Rincke     Carola Strauss-Trier was the first person to open a Pilates studio – other than Joseph Pilates himself. She contributed significantly to establishing the Pilates method in the field of rehabilitation. The story of her life is just as interesting as […]

Joe Pilates’ Childhood In Poverty – by historian Eva Rincke (Part 2)

Source: Stadtarchiv Mönchengladbach Joe Pilates’ Childhood In Poverty – by historian Eva Rincke (Part 2) “Perfecting the knee bend and many things to commend, his youth was gymnastic to the end.” – Joachim Ringelnatz, Setting up the Equipment (First Draft) Alongside his secret outings into the woods, the only other thing Joseph […]

Pilates & ADHD – by Laura Browning Grant

Pilates & ADHD – by Laura Browning Grant Background Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was first classified in the 1920’s and was believed to be caused by a brain injury suffered at an early age.  Though this theory has since been disproved, my personal research, observation and interaction with others […]

There Is No Pilates Breathing! By Bob Hannum

I know what you’re thinking. This guy’s nuts! Joe Pilates emphasized breathing above all else as found in his books and films, and as told by Pilates Elders. But stay with me a moment, because as surprising as it sounds, I think you’ll agree! The Cardinal Principle Breathing was so […]

Breathing New Life into the Body – by Andrea Maida

In Return to Life, Joe Pilates touts the benefits of a full deep breath. He maintains that shallow, lazy breathing deprives the body of the amount of oxygen necessary to fuel the blood. Indefatigably and conscientiously practice breathing until the art of correct breathing becomes habitual, automatic and subconscious, which accomplishment will result […]

Joe Pilates – Learning to be an Animal

There is a happy band of people, of which I am an aspirant member, who are distinguishable anywhere by their springy step and “saved” look from the mass of their contemporaries who shuffle and shamble in untidy corpulence around us. We know that we are saved because we faithfully attend […]

The Pilates Mistress

As administrator of Pilates Intel, I am notified each time we get a new subscriber, with information of their name and email address. Out of interest, and if time permits, I Google the new subscriber to see if I can’t learn more about who they are, and what they do. […]