Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.” – Joseph Pilates
To truly embody the philosophy behind the Pilates method, we must first cultivate self-discipline, a conscious connection between mind, body and spirit, and a commitment to our own self-mastery. As Pilates educators, we do not simply teach the Pilates method, we live it. We return to the mat again and again, not only to guide our clients but to evolve within it ourselves. We look up to the first and second-generation teachers, many of them became educators only after years of deep and consistent practice and mentorship. They trained directly with Joseph Pilates or his protégés, learning not just the Pilates repertoire, but finding a deep connection to self through an embodied understanding of the work. Their instruction was grounded in lived experience, and that embodiment is what defined their mastery.
Image: Gregory Lorenzutti
Today, with reformer classes growing rapidly outside traditional Pilates studio settings, I find myself reflecting often on the Pilates principles. What truly defines Pilates? And more personally, what does self-mastery look like now, especially in the role of an educator?
I began practicing Pilates at a young age as part of my dance training. It gave me space to focus on alignment, isolate movement, and build body awareness. I didn’t realise it then, but those Pilates sessions were already fostering a strong mind-body connection. Throughout my professional dance career, Pilates remained a constant; grounding and centring me, enabling me to develop a meticulous eye for detail through a deeply introspective lens. When I chose to become a certified instructor, I approached my training in the same way that I approached every dance project, namely, with full heart, body and soul. To me, self-mastery meant understanding every detail of the repertoire, not just to perform, but to adapt, teach, and support others through the method.
Images: Eureka Health
Looking back, I find it interesting that many of the most impactful teachers I learnt from rarely demonstrated movements themselves. Instead, they offered precise language, intuitive hands-on cueing, and created nurturing and calm spaces for their clients to explore movement. Their mastery wasn’t in performance, it was in their embodied knowledge and presence.
For much of my teaching journey self-mastery always felt within reach, until it wasn’t. Becoming a mother shifted everything. I experienced a deep disconnection between my mind and body. Significant physical injuries and extreme fatigue left me unable to practice the way I once had. I longed to return to advanced exercises on the Cadillac but my body simply couldn’t. Despite my knowledge and years of experience, I began to feel like I wasn’t capable of partaking in Pilates anymore. Even though Pilates quite literally had my back throughout rehabilitation. Sometimes, all I could manage was ten minutes of conscious breathing. I had to learn to be okay with that. And I had to remember that even that was the method.
“Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it.” – Joseph Pilates
The realisation that breath was the key to mind-body connection, and in turn how one progresses, changed everything. It also opened a new window of empathy, creating an opportunity to connect more with my clients. I began to understand, on a visceral level, what many of my clients with chronic fatigue or chronic pain had shared with me. I questioned my identity, not just as a mover, but as an educator.
Looking back, I now see that chapter as a profound test of resilience and trust in the Pilates method. Through continued self-mastery it taught me that mastery isn’t defined by what we can perform. It’s about how deeply we can listen to our bodies in any given moment, accept the place you have arrived in, move with focused attention and breath to ground yourself in the method. Which intern will bring you to a centred place.
The method is still there for me, gently and patiently guiding me forward. Today I understand that self-mastery isn’t linear, and it’s not about physical perfection. It’s about choosing to show up for yourself — with honesty and compassion. It’s about listening. It’s about meeting yourself where you are, again and again.
And that, to me, is the true gift of the Pilates method.
An Article by Melissa Jones
Dip. Professional Pilates Instruction
Faculty Educator – National Pilates Training