Finding Strength at the Center: How Pilates Transforms Your Body and Mind

Centering in Pilates means focusing on and stabilizing the center of the body. While we often think of the core as our center, it’s more specific than that—it’s the area between your lower ribs and pubic bone. Centering is all about engaging this region and learning to initiate movement from a stable foundation. When we activate these muscles, we can carry that stability into everything we do, from challenging Pilates exercises like the Hundreds to something as simple as every day tasks at home or work.

A strong, stable center is key to good Pilates practice because it’s the foundation for all movement. Often called the “core” or “powerhouse,” this includes your diaphragm, deep abdominals, pelvic floor, and multifidus. When these muscles are strong and working together, they provide essential support for your torso and back, giving you a solid base for every movement. Strengthening your center through Pilates not only improves your overall movement but also helps reduce the risk of injury. A strong center, to me, is like building your own back brace from within.

As Joseph Pilates said, “A unique trinity of a balanced body, mind, and spirit.” The powerhouse is the focal point of all Pilates exercises, and every movement starts from the center, not through it. You’ll learn to work with the Centerline of the body as a reference point, initiating each movement from the core and extending it outward toward the periphery.

As a teenager and well into adulthood, all my experiences with exercise never once mentioned the concept of centering. I remember when I first began my Pilates journey, how foreign the idea of centering felt to me. It was awkward, and I struggled with the movements. Before starting Pilates, I suffered from serious back pain, to the point where I often pulled my back and had to wear braces for support throughout the day. But as I developed my center, that pain disappeared. I now feel stronger in my body than ever before, and I truly credit the Pilates principle of Centering for my recovery.

Throughout your Pilates journey, you’ll develop a deeper awareness of how you move and where that movement starts. In my studio, I focus on helping you create that vital connection between your mind and body. The techniques you’ll learn in our sessions won’t just stay in the studio. As your awareness grows, you’ll find it naturally integrating into your everyday life, helping you move better and feel more in tune with your body.

xo,

Courtney