Contrology

"Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Through Contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities."

 - Joseph Pilates, Return to Life

Pilates is a method of physical conditioning developed in the early twentieth century by Joseph Pilates. Born in Mönchengladbach, Germany in 1883, Pilates dedicated himself to the pursuit of physical fitness as a means to overcome his own childhood ailments, including asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. Drawing on a wide range influences such as gymnastics, boxing, Yoga, and martial arts, and combining them with a remarkable intuition for kinesiology, Pilates created a system of exercises that address whole body health. This system, which he called Contrology, is rooted in the foundational principles of breath and concentration and emphasizes strengthening of the body's center or "powerhouse" in order to support a flexible spine. The results, as Joseph Pilates explained, extend far beyond physical wellbeing, "Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit."

Today Pilates is practiced in studios and gyms worldwide. Adherents of all ages and fitness levels reap myriad benefits such as relief from pain associated with faulty biomechanics, improved posture and balance as well as increased strength and coordination. Sessions are taught in a variety of formats, from individualized training to small group classes. These sessions may be Mat-based or utilize any of a number of apparatus and props invented and patented by Pilates himself such as the Universal Reformer, Trapeze Table, Wunda Chair, Step Barrel or Magic Circle. To learn more about Pilates or to begin your journey on the path to better fitness and well-being, click here.