Tim’s Philosophy

“Joe’s” philosophy was informed by his life experiences, and it evolved and expanded over time, as any great innovator’s does. My movement philosophy and point of view have certainly been influenced by my life experience as a dancer and theatrical performer, but when teaching Pilates I am committed to placing myself in the mindset of the “creator” himself, remembering his intention and original motivation for developing his method.

Although Joseph documented very little, what he did publish was explicit, and he minced no words.

Pilates is the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit

With these functioning as a coordinated whole, what result could possibly be expected other than an active, alert and disciplined person

Concentrate on correct movement every time you exercise

Breathing is the first act of life, and the last

Never slouch; it compresses the lungs, overcrowds the vital organs, rounds the back and throws off balance

So even though the 6 Core Principles of Pilates (consisting of Breath, Centering, Concentration, Control, Flow and Precision) were not officially promoted as such by Joseph himself, he did clearly and without uncertainty, identify them as the factors that distinguish Pilates from other “haphazard exercise forms which ignore basic principles of posture, body mechanics and correct breathing and result in upsetting the balance of body and mind”. So it is my goal to facilitate your process by sharing my understanding of the various principles of Pilates, while encouraging you to develop your own philosophy and point of view. This can often be challenging, but exciting and well worth the effort. Although I’m not a healer, I can offer you tools with which you can create better balance in your body and mind, enabling your body to heal itself.