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Yoga + Pilates = Embodied Art

Lotus Pose on Pilates Reformer. Romney Pilates July 2017.
Lotus Pose on Pilates Reformer. Romney Pilates July 2017. Photo: Selfie

Love for and fascination with movement, alignment, and the body has only deepened since beginning this  dance with the Pilates reformer. Alignment based yoga is not (as commonly thought) a static practice.  A common thread running through both alignment based yoga and Pilates is the pursuit and practice of finding the most agreeable relationship between parts of the body and infusing those biomechanics with expanded breath or Prana. Alignment is the clear unobstructed flow of Prana through the body. Alignment in asana (yoga poses) becomes more refined and intuitive with study and practice. The same is true in Pilates practice. Alignment based movement practices can literally enhance the intuitive intelligence of the body’s systems as well as clear the inner-body energetic pathways for a heightened sense of comfort in embodiment. Over time an alignment based practice moves from physical to subtle-body awareness. This introduction of feeling and sensibility to technique  evolves into art.

#YogaGeek #Contrology #Pilates #YogaBirds

Follow @MelanieBuffett on Twitter & Instagram & Facebook
Follow @YogaBirds on Twitter & Facebook
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Happy International Yoga Day

Salamba Sirsasana II (Tripod Headstand). Photo Credit: Maddy Rose at Romney Pilates. May 2016.
Salamba Sirsasana II (Tripod Headstand). Photo Credit: Maddy Rose at Romney Pilates. May 2016.

“A lamp does not flicker in a place where no winds blow; so it is with a Yogi, who controls his mind, intellect and self, being absorbed in the spirit within him. When the restlessness of the mind, intellect and self is still for the practice of yoga, the Yogi by the grace of the spirit within himself finds fulfillment. Then he knows the joy eternal which is beyond the pale of the senses which his reason cannot grasp. He abides in this reality and moves not therefrom. He has found the treasure above all others. There is nothing higher than this. He who has achieved it, shall not be moved by the greatest sorrow. This is the real meaning of yoga – deliverance from contact with pain and sorrow.” ~BKS Iyengar

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Let. Life. Turn. You.

Hanging Between Shifts at Romney Pilates Center. New Orleans. January 2016. Photo: MBuffett
Hanging Between Shifts at Romney Pilates Center. New Orleans. January 2016. Photo: MBuffett

 

“Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?”
-Rumi

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Source For Soaring

Practice. Everyday. Steadfast. Clarity. Romney Pilates, New Orleans, September 2015.
Practice. Everyday. Steadfast. Clarity. New Orleans, September 2015.

There is joy, a winelike freedom that dissolves the mind and restores the spirit, and there is manly fortitude like the king’s, a reasonableness that accepts the bewildered lostness.

But meditate now on steadfastness and clarity, and let those be the wings that lift and soar through the celestial spheres.

-Rumi
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Abhyasa and the Hot Buddha

Showing up. Romney Pilates. September 2015
Showing up. Romney Pilates. September 2015

Abhyasa: continuous endeavor; constant practice; repetition; exercise; exertion (from A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy; Sanskrit Terms Defined in English)

“And so I practice without knowing how it will all turn out. Clearly, along with clarity and faith, my commitment requires some will and effort. As Patanjali says in verse 14, establishing a firm foundation in practice requires sustained exertion over time. Commitment to practicing means I practice if it is easy for me, and I practice if it is hard for me. If I am bored, I practice; if I am enthusiastic, I practice; if I am at home, I practice; if I am on vacation, I practice. There is a saying in Buddhism: If it is hot, be a hot Buddha. If it is cold, be a cold Buddha. This is the consistency and determination in practice that Patanjali means when he speaks of abhyasa. In the beginning, this sustained exertion may be an act of will, an act of ego. But as we continue, the practice itself creates a momentum that propels us through the difficult moments of fear and boredom.”

-From Yoga Journal article, Hot Buddha Cold Buddha by  Judith Hanson Lasater

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Lotus : Sweetness In The Depths

Urdhva Padmasana, New Orleans, July 2015. Photo: MBuffett
Supported Urdhva Padmasana (Upward Facing Lotus), New Orleans, July 2015. Photo: MBuffett

LOTUS

On the day when the lotus bloomed, alas, my mind was straying, and I knew it not. My basket was empty and the flower remained unheeded.

Only now and again a sadness fell upon me, and I started up from my dream and felt a sweet trace of a strange fragrance in the south wind.

That vague sweetness made my heart ache with longing and it seemed to me that is was the eager breath of the summer seeking for its completion.

I knew not then that it was so near, that it was mine, and that this perfect sweetness had blossomed in the depth of my own heart.

-Rabindranath Tagore
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the cOMplimentary union of yoga + pilates

Reformer Asana Play at Romney Pilates. New Orleans, August 2015. Photo: MBuffett
Reformer Asana Play at Romney Pilates. New Orleans, August 2015. Photo: MBuffett

“Good posture can be successfully acquired only when the entire mechanism of the body is under perfect control. Graceful carriage follows as a matter of course.”  -Joseph Pilates

“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” -B.K.S. Iyengar