Pilates spinal warm up flow

Roll down from standing until your hands are on the floor. Continue to a pilates plank by walking the hands 3 steps forward until they are directly under our shoulders. Once the hands are under the shoulders we lift the collar bone. Slide the shoulders blades down the back. Lower the chin as if we were grabbing and egg in between the chin and the throat, and push the heels back stretching the body away from the crown of the head. Stay for 5- 10 breaths pulling the belly button into the spine on the exhale and trying to maintain it there on the inhale.

Pilates Plank to downward facing dog.

Pushing the hips up and back from the plank into downward facing dog, a yoga rather than a pilates technique that I feel is very effective as a stretch. Keep the back straight and the shoulder blades slide down the back. Hold the position for 10 breaths trying on each breath the lower the heels and to push from the fingers taking the weight off the wrist. Keep the abdominals engaged and the pelvic floor muscles up. Let the head relax allowing the neck vertebra to stretch.

From downward facing dog to pilates spine stretch

Low the knees hip distance to the floor walking the hands towards the knees until they are directly under the shoulder. Once on all fours lengthen the crown of the head away from the tail bone and pull the chin into the throat to stretch the neck. Slide the shoulder blades down the back. On the exhale tilt the pelvis forward and articulate the spine towards the celling stretching from the tailbone to the middle of the back, opening the shoulders blades as if one were performing the Pilates hug a tree exercise. Inhale we hold and keep the abdominals engaged and breathe, remembering that in Pilates we aim to send the air to the back of the rib cage instead of the chest. On the exhale we return articulating the spine into extension from tailbone to the crown of the head. Pilates neutral.

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