In the Pilates method, we call it the two-way stretch. Sir Isaac Newton called it the Third Law of Motion.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Joe Pilates was a brilliant man. I like to imagine him studying Sir Isaac Newton and getting inspired. Don’t be bashful, I know you sit around pondering genius minds on your Saturday afternoon too. ;-)
However it came to be, the two-way stretch is one of the guiding Philosophies of the Pilates method.
Creating Balance
When we talk about balance, we can apply the concept to many aspects of our lives.
Work / Life Balance
Autonomy / Togetherness in relationships
Eating well / Cheat meals
Need for movement / Need for rest
The ability to balance in space and not fall over
Balance is not about reducing pressure. Rather, opposing forces anchor us, thereby normalizing the pressures that are acting on our bodies; and our lives.
The two-way stretch creates this balance. Without a natural polarity, the relationship in question (be it between spinal discs or a lover) is subject to collapse.
When a daily movement practice incorporates this kind of movement philosophy, a resilient and supple body is created.
Posture improves
Risk of injury reduces
Aches and pains disappear and / or become easily managed
Improved motor control
Improved range of motion
Development of long lean muscles
Decompression of the spine
Ultimately, comfort is the overall feeling in the body. Properly opposed pressure creates comfort.
What does the Pilates Apparatus and Gravity Have in Common?
We are all too familiar with the never ending pressure that gravity places on our bodies. A downward force that never stops, and eventually, takes its toll.
Joe Pilates considered the effects of gravity and built an element into his method that would address this unending challenge.
The Reformer, Cadillac, Barrels, and Chairs are all designed with a spring system that the body works against to control, lengthen, and acquire flexibility and symmetry three-dimensionally. Because rehabilitation is also built right into the method, learning to oppose these forces on the apparatus provides a safe and challenging work environment for the body to build the necessary skill sets that will naturally transfer to the everyday.
The opposition that the apparatus requires is the same theory that can be applied to gravity.
Your Spine
Your Spine on Pilates (applying two-way stretch)
Gravity is simply an oppositional force to pressurize against. Not something to collapse under.
Find your two-way stretch and utilize it to transform gravity into a spring; making it friend rather than foe.