The Velvet Workout

“Strength is not Solid, Rigid, Dense
but Supple, Dynamic, Responsive”

That’s a direct quote from a workshop I’m taking with Liz Koch, the psoas officianado. “STRENGTH IS SUPPLE, DYNAMIC, RESPONSIVE”.   A perfect description of what strength should feel like. It conjures up images of a tiger or a cat. This is how Pilates should be approached and how Pilates can make you feel. Like velvet. Not a creaky joint or achy muscle. I was able to experience that feeling because I let my psoas relax/release. My movements were fluid, not rigid; having a sense of freedom while moving through space. What a gift! And it’s a gift that lasted all through the day. Not just during the workout.

You might wonder how I relaxed that very deep muscle in the core. I did it by doing the Constructive Rest Position. Doing the CRP allows the psoas a bit of a break from it’s over working day. I equate an exhausted psoas to a tired baby. When a baby is tired, he cries out. And he’ll continue to cry until the parent lulls him to sleep. When the baby awakes he’s refreshed and responsive. That’s the psoas. We just don’t listen to it enough. But I’m giving you the chance here to explore another way of attaining physical and mental health.