MMP on Uniform
- uniform development in a uniform gravity field requires uniform usage
- uniform usage requires alignment
- alignment requires tension
- tension requires one or more endpoints
- endpoints requires rotation
- rotation requires movement around a point
MMP takes its ideal view of Pilates from three things in Joe’s book “Return to Life Through Contrology.”
His definition: “Contrology is the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.”
His promise: “Contrology develops the body uniformly…”
His sequence: the mat.
Uniform usage is necessary to fulfill Joseph Pilates’ promise of uniform development.
When you talk to anyone who knew Joseph Pilates, they all describe him as a survivor.
His method is survival training.
You do Pilates to survive in the gravity jungle.
Gravity is the same everywhere. It is a uniform medium. So, we want to have uniform usage to get uniform development in order to survive in a uniform gravity field.
We are water based creatures (like fish) seeking better odds of survival by leaving our natural medium of water and trying to survive on land. Like turtles during high tide (caused by the moon) that lay their eggs on land to increase the odds of survival for their offspring. Herein, is a tradeoff of having to bear our own weight in space in order for a better chance to survive. The more effectively we can bear that weight the better odds of survival. The best way to bear weight in a uniform medium (gravity) is via uniform usage of our musculature. As my Brazilian guide said so eloquently: “You mean you want to swim like a fish in an ocean of air.”
The first step towards uniform usage is rotation.
A Nautilus shell rotates around one axis (point). For humans, this means controlling the rotational engagement of the hips—the primary axis of the human body perpendicular to the pull of gravity.
The “scoop” refers to the involutional grip at the hips which creates an endpoint.
The “core” refers to the rotational dynamic of the hip axis.
At the hips
Core is the location in hip axis defined by the condition of the involutional grip.
Instructing
Before
With fingers deep in lower belly feel what happens when you lift your head.
After
With fingers deep in lower belly try to feel less when you lift your head.
The difference is because more muscles were recruited (subconsciously) to lift the same load.
That’s Pilates because you are creating more uniform usage. More usage makes it easier to lift the “load” of your head.
The fact that you can feel the difference is what makes Pilates sensational.
The same can be done with Knee Folds which leads to the 100.
At the metatarsals
Flexed toes or soft point is not the issue.
An endpoint of tension at the metatarsals is the issue.
Then whether your toes are flexed or pointed doesn’t matter.
Because what you need is the endpoint at the metatarsals to trigger uniform engagement in the leg and then, throughout the rest of the body.
At the shoulders
Before
Do Knee Folds with arms relaxed by your side
After
Do Knee Folds with shoulders down and arms pressing into the floor
Alignment is the means to achieve uniform usage.
Uniform usage and the orchestra.
You can try to go around and work with all the different parts of the orchestra to get it to play better, but in the end, you have to have everyone learn to play together, in balance, in unison.
In an orchestra you judge the quality of the sound. In Pilates you judge the quality of the alignment. In MMP you not only know the target but how to hit it.
How do you get uniform usage?
You create tension between endpoints looking for sensational alignment.
That means that you are looking for the sensation of alignment, which assumes that alignment is perceptible. So you go after a feeling. As a client, as a practitioner. As a teacher, you play Yoda and point your client into the cave of their sensation and ask them to perceive, to listen to what they sense, and find the sensation of alignment.
Asking the client to listen to their own sensation puts them in the center of focus and not the instructor.
Some instructors think that it is them that make the difference; they’re the one that matters. It’s all about them and what they know that is the value added to the interaction.
And that leads to pointing out all that’s wrong with a client.
I’m not saying that’s a bad approach, it’s just not the approach of MMP.
Center in MMP is the inflection point of the Cornu spiral between hips and shoulders.
Read a great view of the center from Risa Sheppard.
http://sheppardmethod.com/blog/remember-the-center#more-702
I like her view of Joe blending the West and the East.
I’d say that because I’m from the West I take a Western view of how to get to the blend, but no matter how you get there it’s the same no matter which tradition you come from. It is still the same state of being in the body in the moment of the doing. But from whichever culture or blend of cultures, I still believe you are headed to a state of being in the body in the moment of the doing. That state of being transcends culture, which means that no matter how you get there when you are there it is the same for everyone in the nature of the experience and unique to the individual doing the experiencing.
Conclusion
Once you know your target is uniform usage your awareness of Cornu let’s you know how to hit it.
Cornu tension to come out from your center
Torsion out the limbs in search of alignment to establish uniform usage.
By reaching for alignment you head towards uniform usage to get uniform development to survive in a uniform gravity field.
Knowing you want uniform usage is one thing.
Knowing how to get it is something more.
One way is through Cornu.
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