art of control – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Pressure to be Present

Pause for a moment. Allow yourself time to take a deep breath. Look around. Soak in the sensations of the moment. Notice thoughts and worries racing through your head.

It appears more and more common knowledge that being present is vital to our mental health and well-being. The trouble with us humans is that we have all these pesky “unwanted” thoughts. While being present is beneficial, it bothers me to think of thoughts as unwanted. Those thoughts we try to push away to be ever-present are, in part, what makes us who we are. Those worries and concerns for our lives are perhaps proof of our sanity.

At 97 my grandma has developed dementia enough that she can’t live on her own. She has good days and bad. The decline is not linear. I am not attempting to put a positive spin on dementia, but I am trying to see the positives in a sad and trying situation. My Grandma still remembers us. That may not last forever. Her dementia hasn’t made her agitated. It’s estimated that 90% of dementia patients experience aggression, agitation, and depression. She shows minimal signs of irritability. In her confusion, she looks more childlike.

Jay Grimes–Pilates Elder

Last week I attended the Art of Control Pilates Conference in Purchase, NY. The presenters at the conference were all very famous pilates practitioners and teachers—Jay Grimes, Mari Windsor, Brooke Siler, etc.

In my attempt to train with all the living elders, I signed up to have time with Jay Grimes. He teaches a style of pilates that he claims is the same as Joe Pilates. Jay said that his goal is not to have anything in his studio that Joe wouldn’t recognize if he came back to life today. The work was challenging and hard especially because of the subtle differences in exercises I know a certain way.

He was a very helpful teacher, funny and encouraging. He gave good cues, although more often than not he told me which exercise to do and watched as I did it, critiquing as I went along. He was so hands on that by the end of the session I’d felt like I’d had a massage from the inside out. I was impressed (but I feel that […]