Article by Jo Everill-Taylor B.Sc (Hon’s)
When we think of a spring clean for the body we often consider a de-tox diet but have you considered how you can spring clean and re-fresh the body with Pilates?
When Joseph Pilates published his book Return to Life Through Contrology, it is clear that he was very interested in promoting internal cleansing and rejuvenation through his holistic approach to fitness. In fact, there is a section of the book entitled “Bodily House Cleaning with Blood Circulation” where he uses the term “Internal Shower”
To achieve this internal shower Pilates exercises are performed rhythmically, with deep full breaths and a co-coordinated effort of body and mind. Joseph Pilates describes it as the effect of the exercises having “discharged through your bloodstream the accumulation of fatigue products created by muscular and mental activities”. He elaborate’s in a more poetic way:
“As the spring freshets born of the heavy rains and vast masses of melting snows on mountains in the hinterlands cause rivers to swell and rush turbulently onward to the sea, so too will your blood flow with renewed vigor as the result of you faithfully performing the Contrology exercises.”
So Joseph is encouraging us to use a fullness of motion and dynamic pumping of the breath to get the blood moving and gives us that internal shower. He wrote about squeezing every atom of air from the lungs- so leaving as little residual volume of old air in there and re-freshing it with fresh, oxygen-rich air. That way the internal organs are getting the full oxygen supply they need to function and repair optimally whilst clearing the body of excess waste products and toxins.
Don’t forget other body systems are involved in this cleansing effect too. The lymphatic system, which is part of our immune system, is pumped by the action of our muscles and is also dependent upon the blood to carry away toxins. So every Pilates workout stimulates and complements this drainage and purification system.
The organs too are massaged and stimulated by full breathing and exercises such as Rolling like a Ball and The Seal
Interestingly, in kinesiology, there is a focus on spinal reflexes and neuorolymphatic massage points to re-balance the body. These are the very areas that our rolling exercises focus on, which when put together with our breath work produce a dramatic body cleansing and balancing effect.
So next time you are practicing your rolling repertoire consider the internal shower and the benefits it will bring.