Education Commons^™

Happy Baby, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in supine position. Inhale and draw knees into chest. Open the knees and bring them towards the armpits. Stack each ankle directly over the knee, so that the shins are perpendicular to the floor. Flex the feet and hold the outer edges of the feet. Exhale and draw the knees towards the floor. Gently roll side to side.

Warrior I, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain pose with feet together and hands on your hips, in prayer position or extended overhead. Step left foot back about 4–5 feet apart. Turn your left foot in about 45 degrees; your right heel should align with the arch of your left foot. Slowly bend the right knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor; keep the right knee either behind or directly over your ankle; be very strong and active in your left leg as you bend your right leg. Tuck your tailbone as you rotate your pelvis back. Inhale (bring hands to prayer position …

Updog, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in a prone position with the chin resting on the floor and stretch the legs away from the hips. Bring the hands down closer to the waist, spread your fingers, and press the palms into the floor. Inhale and press the tops of the feet down as you begin to lift the chest and shoulders off the floor. Straighten the arms and lift the crown of the head toward the sky. Lift the hips and legs off the floor. Continue to focus your breath. Roll the front of the shoulder open by squeezing the shoulders blades together, and keep …

Cobra, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Crocodile. Point your fingers forward and press the upper portion of the arms into your sides. Move your shoulder blades toward your hips and you’re your pelvis under to lengthen the spine. Press your hips into the floor and keep your legs active and pressing toward your toes. Inhale and lift the chest forward and up. Feel your ribcage move away from your hips. Reach the crown of your head up. As you inhale, feel the spine lengthen; and, as you exhale feel your shoulders sink down away from your ears. The tops of the feet should be …

Reverse Warrior, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain pose with feet together and hands on your hips, in prayer position or extended overhead. Step right foot back about 4–5 feet apart. Turn your right foot in about 45 degrees; your left heel should align with the arch of your right foot. Slowly bend the left knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor; keep the knee either behind or directly over your ankle; be very strong and active in your right leg as you bend your front leg. Tuck your tailbone as you rotate your pelvis back. Inhale while bringing the left hand overhead …

Pigeon, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in down dog. Slide your right knee forward to the back of your right wrist; at the same time angle your right shin under your torso and bring your right foot to the front of your left knee. The outside of your right shin will now rest on the floor. Slowly slide your left leg back, straightening the knee and descending the front of the thigh to the floor. Lower the outside of your right buttock to the floor. Position the right heel just in front of the left hip. The right knee can angle slightly to the right, …

Tree, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain pose, find a point somewhere in front of you to focus. Soften your gaze and remain fixed on that area. Breathe deeply and feel your body come into alignment. Slowly and smoothly, shift your body weight onto the left leg and begin to pull your right knee up toward your chest. Find the balance on your left foot from front to back. Be sure not to let the right side of your hip drop down. Press the left hip back; it should almost feel as if you are overcompensating. Keep your pelvis square while you bring the …

Sphinx, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Lie prone (on your belly), legs side by side. Firm your tailbone toward your pubis and lengthen it toward your heels. Then, rotate your thighs inwardly by rolling your outer thighs toward the floor. This helps broaden and lengthen your lower back and sacrum (the downward-facing triangular bone at the back of your pelvis) to protect it in a back bend. Reach actively through your toes to the wall behind you. As you move into the pose, be sure to continue lengthening your tail toward your heels to protect your lower back. While your legs are active, your tongue, eyes …

Chair, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain pose with the feet together and parallel. Inhale and raise your hands overhead. Feel your ribcage expand. Press your palms together, although you may also keep your hands shoulder-width apart if you feel that is more comfortable for you. Draw your shoulders down, keeping your chest lifted. Continue to stretch your tailbone down. On the next exhalation, bend your hips and knees. Try to keep your hips aligned behind your heels and your knees back behind your toes. Stretch your tailbone down and feel the extension out of the low spine. You can look up at your …

Warrior Ii, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain pose with feet together and hands on your hips or in prayer position. Step left foot back about 4–5 feet apart. Turn your left foot in about 45 degrees; your right heel should align with the arch of your left foot. Slowly bend the right knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor; keep the right knee either behind or directly over your ankle; be very strong and active in your left leg as you bend your right leg. Tuck your tailbone as you rotate your pelvis back. Inhale and raise arms shoulder level so that …

Warrior Iii, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain pose with feet together. Inhale and raise your arms overhead. Transfer the weight of your body onto your left leg and then step your right foot straight behind you so the toes are barely touching the floor. Remain balanced for a couple of breaths. Stay mindful of keeping your hips squared and level. Inhale and length the spine. Exhale as you slowly begin to fold forward from your left hip, lifting your right leg off the ground and lowering your torso until both are parallel to the ground. With each breath in, continue to expand and lengthen …

Hero, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Kneel on the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the floor, and touch your inner knees together. Angle your big toes slightly in toward each other and press the top of each foot evenly on the floor. Exhale and sit back halfway, with your torso leaning slightly forward. Wedge your thumbs into the backs of your knees and draw the skin and flesh of the calf muscles toward the heels. Then sit down between your feet. If your buttocks don't comfortably rest on the floor, raise them on a block or thick book placed between the feet. Make sure both …

Monkey, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Forward fold and press your palms or fingertips into the floor beside your feet. Inhale and straighten your elbows and arch your torso away from your thighs, finding as much length between your pubic bone and navel as possible. With your palms (or fingertips) push down and back against the floor, and lift the top of your sternum up (away from the floor) and forward. To help arch the back, bend your knees slightly and work toward elongating the legs. Exhale. Inhale and look forward, being careful to not compress the back of your neck.

Corkscrew, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Lie on your back in neutral spine, with your arms by the sides of your body. Exhale and slowly raise your legs and overhead. Keep the arms by the sides of the body and ensure that the shoulders are pulled down towards the back. Inhale when you reach the top point of the movement. Exhale and let the legs create a semicircle together in the air. Repeat this movement. Make certain to keep a continuous even flow to your movements and work each side of the body evening.

Work towards raising the torso up and overhead with the legs. Slowly …

90-Degree Hold, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Lie on your back in neutral spine, with your legs extended up toward the ceiling. Align the ankles, knees and hips. Arms rest on the mat alongside the body with the palms facing down.

Clam, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin lying on your side with the torso and head lined up along the back edge of the mat. Flex the hips slightly so the feet line up with the front edge of the mat. Support the head on the hand with the arm on the mat and the other hand in front of the chest. Keep the shoulders and the hips stacked on top of each other and the spine straight. Bend the legs at the knees and keep your legs together. Place the legs so that the thighs are perpendicular to the torso and the shins are parallel …

Criss Cross, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin lying on your back. Stack your hands under your head, and keep your elbows wide. Inhale and lift the head and shoulders off the mat. Draw the shoulder blades together. Bend the knees in toward the chest and lift both feet off the floor, keeping the lower legs parallel to the floor. Maintain the back flat to the mat (imprinted) throughout the movement. Inhale and extend the right leg straight out, but not touching the floor. At the same time bring the left knee into the body testing the torso to lower the left elbow to the floor. Exhale …

Bridge, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Lie on your back in neutral spine, with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place your feet a foot length away from and in line with your hips. Your knees should be in line with your hips. Anchor your palms and shoulder blades into the mat.

Inhale: Press down through your feet to lengthen your spine and press your hips up. You will come to a bridge position on your shoulders with your knees, hips and shoulders in one line. Your abs and hamstrings should be well engaged.

Can Can, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in a seated position with the legs bent at the knees and held in toward your chest. Keep your feet together and toes flat on the floor. Place the hands behind you, making sure to keep them slightly wider than the length of your shoulders. Keeping the torso lifted, twist the legs to the right. The knees will roll to the side, angling down toward the ground. Press your hands firmly into the floor behind you. Avoid allowing the lower back to sink down or tuck under. Twist to the left, continuing to lift tall in the upper body. …

Half Roll Down, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in a seated position with your legs bent at the knees so that the feet are flat. Hold onto the back of the thighs. Inhale to prepare, and exhale as you start to draw the lower abdominal region in and curl your tail bone under. Continue to roll backwards as you feel your tailbone roll under you and roll down onto your lower back. Hold the position when you are half way down. Inhale. Exhale and scoop the abdominals in more as you come forward rounding over your knees. Inhale and straighten up the spine, one vertebra at a …

Cat, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin on all fours with the knees under the hips and the wrists under the shoulder. Keep the chest lifted away from mat (like pushing the floor away. Inhale to prepare. Exhale while drawing the mid-section inward. At the same time allow the head and tailbone to drop down toward the floor. Take the stretch further by imagining that you are bringing your head and tailbone together, as if you were going to make a big circle of your body.

Balancing Push Up, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin on all fours. Extend your legs behind you one at a time, feet hip-distance apart (push up position). Lengthen through the crown of your head. Balance on your hands (placed under your shoulders) and balls of your feet. Maintain a strong powerhouse. Slowly extend your right arm and lift the left leg until both are hip height. Refrain from shifting your hips from one side to the other. Hold. Lower the extremities and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

Half Roll Back, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in a seated position with your legs bent at the knees so that the feet are flat. Hold onto the back of the thighs. Inhale to prepare, and exhale as you start to draw the lower abdominal region in and curl your tail bone under. Continue to roll backwards as you feel your tailbone roll under you and roll down onto your lower back. Hold the position when you are half way down. Inhale. Exhale and scoop the abdominals in more as you come forward rounding over your knees. Inhale and straighten up the spine, one vertebra at a …

Frog, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin lying on your back with legs extended up towards the ceiling. Align the ankles over the knees and hips. Engage your abdomen towards your spine and maintain the imprint. Draw the heels together and point the toes. Inhale and bend your legs at the knees while bringing your knees close to your torso. Strive to bring the soles of the feet together when in the knees are near the shoulders. Exhale as your extend your legs at the knee, returning to the original position. Keep the heels together throughout the exercise. Inhale as you lower, and exhale as you …

45 Degree Hold, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Lie on your back in neutral spine, with your legs extended up toward the ceiling. Align the ankles, knees and hips. Arms rest on the mat alongside the body with the palms facing down. Make certain to maintain Pilates feet. Head may be down.

Double Leg Stretch, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in table top. Bring both knees into your chest and grab your ankles. Lift the head and shoulders. Look into your abdomen. Maintain the imprint throughout the movement. Inhale as you reach the arms back toward your ears and extend the legs out long in front at a 45-degree angle. Circle the arms to the side, keeping them in your peripheral vision. Exhale as you bend the knees into your chest and grab your ankles. The height of the legs will depend on keeping the back flat into the mat (imprinted).

Double Toe Taps, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in table top. Place the arms by the sides of the body with the palms down on the mat. Engage the muscles of the powerhouse and stabilize the pelvis. Ensure the thighs remain perpendicular to the floor and the shins parallel to the floor. Squeeze the legs together. Maintain the imprint throughout the movement. Inhale to prepare. Exhale and move both legs at the hip to lower them down toward the floor so that the toes gently touch the mat. Continue to contract the muscles in the lower extremities. Inhale and return the legs to the starting position (table …

Cat With Balance, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin on all fours with the knees under the hips and the wrists under the shoulder. Keep the chest lifted away from mat (like pushing the floor away. Inhale to prepare. Exhale while drawing the mid-section inward. Hold the spine neutral. Inhale while raising the left arm up near the ear. Keep the shoulder down. While the arm is lifted, extend the right leg and lift upward. Keep the hips facing the mat. Exhale. Repeat with right arm up, then adding left leg.

Neutral Spine, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin lying on your back with knees bent, feet hip-distance apart and flat on the floor. Place the arms along the sides of the body with the palms down. The back, pelvis and spine should be in a neutral position.

Hundreds, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in table top. Inhale to prepare. Extend the legs to the ceiling. Maintain the legs perpendicular to the floor. Lower your legs only as far as you can control, keeping the back flat (imprinted). Maintain the imprint throughout the exercise. Inhale and lift the head and shoulders off the mat until the bottom of your shoulder blades are pressing into the mat. Head looks into the abdomen. With the arms straight, pump them up and down, approximately 6 inches off the mat, inhaling for 5 counts and exhaling for 5 counts. Repeat 10 times.