Joe Pilates would be proud

As the story goes, when Joe Pilates was a young man he joined a traveling circus and left Germany to see the world and earn a living.  He had a Greek statue act, where he powdered his body white and stood in classic postures, astonishing the ladies and impressing the fellows.  We can imagine a hale and hearty, physically beautiful athlete up on a ramshackle stage taking postures with names like "The Discus Thrower" and "The Wrestler". (A modern street entertainer business has a photo of one of their players here.)   Joe surely had a grand time, exulting in his strength and the sweetness of triumph over childhood illness.  Unfortunately, however, the circus was performing in England when World War I began and Joe was interned as a German enemy alien for the duration of the war. Think about that for a moment. The Great War lasted from July 1914 to November 1918 and trapped millions like Joe in its terrifying web; Joe Pilates was not yet 26 years old when he was sent to one of the British World War I  internment camps. He was held until he was  31.

World War I soldiers

Joe's most enduring characteristic, present and vibrant throughout his life is evidenced by his writings, interviews and witnesses: he never lost faith in himself or his message.  This youthful crisis of imprisonment and removal from his normal sphere of choice and liberty contributed to his charisma and determination to make a difference in other's fitness and vitality.  While he was imprisoned, he worked with his fellow internees as a nurse in the camp hospital, but it is apparent that his true calling was as a coach and teacher.  Those years were not lost years to Joe; he transformed them into a time of creativity and refinement of ideas and principles.  The Pilates method of exercise, what he called Contrology, was born. 

It's interesting to realize that some of these prisoners barely survived their imprisonment with their sanity intact. Surely, some were despondent for the duration and came out of the experience feeling their life had been put on hold for 52 months.  Joe used the time to reach out, to influence others toward health and vitality, loudly and insistently delivering a message of self-empowerment and responsibility.

To this end, I have volunteered at my county jail to teach a 6-week Pilates method program to the incarcerated women.  Although I can only hope to channel a small portion of Joe's faith and commitment to his method, I believe that I can make a difference in this way, and help influence a population that might benefit from wellness and vitality.  A prisoner is removed from their chosen (or merely inherited) environment and their relationships with friends and family, but their most fundamental relationship remains: that between the body and mind.  I find it extremely fulfilling to foster a deep and thoughtful conversation between body and mind for my clients, and I believe these women at the jail (and their families and children once they are released) will benefit from it too.  I plan to teach a bit of Franklin Method, with its emphasis on self-talk, positive imagery and anatomy.  I'm giving the prison library a copy of Joe's Return to Health, Thieme's Atlas of Anatomy, and Eric Franklin's Inner Focus/Outer Strength.  (I'm thinking of including a copy of Friedman and Eisen's The Pilates Method.)

If you would like to help this Pilates in the Jail program, I do need something.  I need 9 more thick Pilates mats. I need thick ones because we will be working outside on a concrete patio and if you've ever done Rolling Like a Ball on a thin yoga sticky mat on concrete you will understand why I need thick mats.  If you could send me a used one you no longer need, I would be so grateful. If you are so inclined, a new one costs about $35 and can be ordered here.  The mats can be sent to the Monterey County Jail, Attention: Sergeant Olguin, 1410 Natividad Road, Salinas, CA 93906.  If the shipper wants a phone number use the main jail phone (831-647-7782) and the chaplain's e-mail which is 39cmont27 at sbcglobal dot net.

The Sergeant and the Jail Chaplain have each told me that the women are very excited about this program.  The more mats I have, the more women can participate. I'm afraid I don't have time in my week to teach multiple sessions each day. We're planning on Monday and Wednesdays at 1:30 (after the guard shifts change) and I pick up my boy from school at 3.  So... the more mats I have = the more participants. 

I'm certain that anyone who had the benefit of being in Joseph Pilates' sphere of influence would have remembered him to the end of their days.  I hope that I can continue to channel this influence through his work.