I have, over the years, been confronted by people in my community who decided to go in direct competition against me. I try to take it in stride, but sometimes it is irritating.

I saw a meme the other day that reminded me that, the eagle, a mighty and noble bird, will occasionally be pestered by crows. One can see the image https://pin.it/4mIPCMA of a crow hanging on the back of the eagle and aiming at its neck feathers. But the eagle is not bothered. It will simply rise and rise in altitude until the crow can no longer stay because it cannot breathe at such altitudes, and it lets go.

That is a fitting metaphor that I have tried to hold in the fore of my mind. How do you handle such situations? Do you use this mindset elsewhere in your life?

I have never opted for anything but the high roads, simply because those are my standards. Thusly, I have been rewarded with amazing people who come into the studio to embark on a journey with a genuine instructor.

My whole thrust as a Pilates instructor is to help people learn to listen to their bodies. And hopefully to live fully and well inside of them. The idea is to start earlier in life, rather than to wait until things have progressed to pain and people feel they have to undergo drastic measures, surgeries or the like in order to function normally. 

It is hard in our day and age to stay off the computer. We use it for work, school, and recreation. But all of that repetitive use can have some negative consequences. The same principles that we apply to our backs can be applied in this case and throughout the human body.

So what to do when we encounter this dilemma? There is simply no way we will cut back on use of the computer (or tablette), so what are the options? The most obvious thing is to break down the position and analyze what the various joints are doing, then simply, put them in the opposite position. (Note to over achievers: don't overdo the range of motion nor try to beef it up with resistance or what-have-you)

Here is my recipe to nip the problem in the bud...

•  Assess how much time you are in the position. Be honest if you want to be able to benefit from the stretches.
• Know that you would ideally spend equal time in the opposite position, but realistically you can't.
• Aim to take pauses in your computer time to stretch. I like to do it at 20 minute intervals. I also add the stretch in an opportune time, for instance during my afternoon coffee break. Get creative with when you can add a little stretch time.

To me, taking the time to do these stretches is akin to eating kale. I might not always like it, but it is really good for me and once I have my first bite, I realize that it is not so bad after all ;) 

Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. One of the wonderful aspects of Pilates is that thanks to the diversity of the machines, virtually every body type and ability can benefit from the technique. Whether the settings of the machines are changed, or whether a similar exercise on a different machine is used as a substitute, one will get a challenging and balanced session. Whether the practitioner be taller than average, overweight, or with a part of their body recovering from injury, working with a knowledgeable instructor (i.e.  Sabrina-myself ;) ) the full possibilities of the repertory are available to all who wish to transform their bodies and minds!