Pilates Technique Certification

From Thigh Stretch ➡️ Rolling In & Out

One of the most important things Pilates teachers can understand: Pilates is a progression. Each level builds on the foundation before it. Without strength, control, and proper technique in the basics, the advanced exercises won’t feel safe—or even possible.

Joseph Pilates created a system designed to keep the body moving with strength, ease, and youthful mobility for life. 💫

The magic is in the repetition:
✔️ Repeating foundational movements
✔️ Practicing precise technique
✔️ Building aligned strength and flexibility

Over time, those small, intentional movements transform the body—creating strength, mobility, and movement that flows effortlessly through everyday life. 🤍

2nd Full Plié ✨
This advanced-level exercise builds strength and flexibility in deep hip external rotation — especially helpful for ballet dancers working on turnout. 🩰

We use a long metal pole for stability, often called a Gondola Pole in some Pilates communities.

For anyone looking to safely develop greater turnout, this is one of my favorite movements. That said, even though hip replacements are incredibly advanced today, this exercise is not recommended for anyone with a hip replacement.

Modified handstand on the High Barrel (or Ladder Barrel) as prep for a strong, controlled full handstand. The goal is to build your body up to get there with control.
This one says a lot about your powerhouse. I look for the body to lift evenly into the handstand—not one leg jumping ahead, no legs drifting apart, and no dumping into the low back. Before coming back down, reach up through your centerline toward the ceiling, then lower with control back onto the barrel. Otherwise, you’re missing the whole point of the movement.
Contrology is the name of the game.

Magic Circle for Lymphatic Drainage (Armpit Focus)

I use this exercise often with clients who’ve undergone chemotherapy or radiation to help prevent edema (arm swelling). It’s also great for anyone recovering from a cold, dealing with long COVID, or holding onto stubborn inflammation in this area—helping to gently flush the complex lymph system of the armpit.

This one’s a bit tricky. It requires internal rotation of the shoulder with a wide elbow, while keeping the shoulder relaxed and down. When done correctly, you’ll also get a nice stretch through the ulnar nerve at the elbow.

It takes some practice to coordinate the movement—but once it clicks, it feels amazing.

Bonus: beautifully sculpted arms

Short Box Round on the Spine Corrector

When I was dealing with my L5-S1 disc injury in my 20’s, I had to completely rethink how I moved.

This series on the Spine Corrector gave me a way to strengthen without flaring up my back.

Having that support under my lower spine made all the difference—it allowed me to actually connect to my abdominals and rebuild strength safely.

It became such a key part of my healing that I now offer a Spine Corrector with firm padding.

Because if it’s too soft, you lose the support—and the feedback your body needs to improve.

This work changed everything for me.

Super Advanced Reformer — Head Front.

This didn’t happen overnight.

This kind of strength through the core and the entire spine takes years to build through Contrology, Joseph Pilates’ original system of exercises. Every movement from the very first beginner exercises has a purpose: to develop strength, flexibility, and true health.

Along the way the body experiences lymphatic cleansing, nerve stretching, organ stimulation, and improved alignment.

To perform movements like this comfortably at any age (I’m 57 here) requires commitment to the original method. Not squats. Not weight lifting on a version of a Reformer.

These movements come from practice.
From repetition.
From going inward.

No mirrors.
No music.

Just the work of building strength, awareness, and connection to the body.

In today’s “Pilates culture,” that kind of commitment isn’t always easy.

But the payoff is huge. ✨

Control Balance 2
This is the 2nd exercise of the Control Balance Exercise series on the Reformer in the Advanced Sequence of Contrology. This exercise is similar to the Control Balance Back on the Mat and Reverse Control Balance on the Wunda. The precision in this movement is to coordinate the arms pressing back with the leg lift, both ending at their full range at the same time! And the Rhythm of this movement matters, the breath helps to keep the rhythm even. I have my fingers facing forward as in the original movement, but you could modify for weaker wrists by turning fingers out!

One of the most fundamental measures of mobility, youthfulness, and strength is your ability to get up off the floor without using your hands or grabbing onto something for support.

In archival footage, Mr. Pilates is seen practicing this very movement — getting up and down from the floor completely hands-free. He even incorporated it into his outdoor Mat classes, blending the rolling-back action from exercises like Seal, Crab, and Boomerang.

The brilliance of rolling is how it keeps the core (the Powerhouse) engaged, making the transition to standing easier and more efficient on the body.

Give it a try and notice how the feet change with each roll back. Doing this 3x on each side is surprisingly challenging — especially as we age.