The benefits of Pilates as a mind body exercise practice can be summed up in one word Wellness.   Have you ever thought of using the Pilates Principles in your everyday life? Kylie Saunder my Guest Blogger has, and she is going to share how you can too. 6 STEPS TO FINDING YOUR PILATES FLOW   by Kylie Saunder Have you ever noticed how the basic Pilates principles: centering , concentration , control , precision , breath and flow relate to other areas of your life? These 6 powerful Pilates principles infiltrate all areas of your life. From how you look after yourself, how you function at work and how you structure your business and work-day. The Pilates principles of Breath and Flow can be used to look after your mind, body and spirit. The increasingly busy world with intense demands can make it challenging to find time and space to do this. However, by using these principles you can create better outcomes and manifest your intentions with ease. Steps to take: Using the Breathing principle: Inhaling and exhaling deeply not only centers and connects, it also allows a sense of present moment awareness. Each breath enters and leaves the body, with ease and freedom if you are feeling well balanced, joyful and centered. But what if you are feeling stressed, unbalanced and overwhelmed? How can a focus on this breathing principle help? When you find yourself like this ask the following questions: Are you clear on what your inner value and purpose is? Are you nurturing your mind, body and spirit with love and respect? Are you living congruently in all areas of your life? Are you taking time out each day to stay in the present moment, with your breath? Using the Flow principle: Life can “get in the way” of your good intentions. The intention to eat more healthily, to spend more time with your family or to take up painting lessons. The Pilates principle of Flow allows you to bring yourself back to where you want to be. It allows you to course-correct with minimum fuss. So when you are feeling out of alignment in your life, ask the following questions: Are you asking for and receiving what you want from your work? Are you surrounding yourself with the people you want to be around (your clients, your staff, family and friends), or are they draining you of energy and life? Can you remove obstacles that are restricting your life-flow, that are stopping you from fulfilling your purpose? The principles of Center and Concentration can be used during your daily work routine. Whether you’re a Pilates instructor, entrepreneur, employee or stay at home mum or dad, there will be times during your week when demands and pressures can threaten to engulf you. Using the Center principle: Take the time to connect with who you are and what your goals and dreams are. Connecting with your values, your goals and your dreams is a great first-step to connecting with your core; to your center. Once you’ve started this process, take some time to assess if what you’re doing now is leading towards this or away from it. If your current lifestyle and work situation is not supporting who you are and where you want to go, without judgment and stress, aim to create space and time to adjust this. For example, if you’re in an office environment and really want to be working for yourself as a massage therapist: what steps can you take now that will bring you closer to this dream? What course can you take? Who can mentor you? Who can you connect with that will support your dreams? Using the Concentration principle: Are you able to sit down and focus on getting one task done? Do you have single-minded focus when you’re at your computer? Or are you like most people, jumping from Email programs, to Facebook, then back to your work tasks? Concentration in today’s environment is challenging and recent studies suggest this is one reason why stress has increased dramatically in the last 10 years or so. The ability to focus on one task at a time seems simple, but it’s not easy! So how can you break out of the habit of multi-tasking? Try the following: When you are next at your computer, finish one task before starting another. If you decide to check emails, set a time limit on it. If you are on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linked In), set a time limit and stick to it. If you note something of interest, write it down or bookmark it and schedule time into your diary to research further. Is your workday “out of control”? Do you sometimes feel like you get to the end of the week and you haven’t achieved what you hoped to? Try using the principles of Control and Precision! Steps to take: Using the Control and Precision principles: The feeling of being “out of control” creates stress, overwhelm and unease. Oftentimes these feelings result from a lack of clarity and focus. So when was the last time you looked at your business plan? Do you have a daily “to-do” list that keeps getting longer and longer? Are you working towards your goals? A clearly defined plan allows you to gain more control of where your energy is going. Precisely defined outcomes allows you to direct your time, energy and efforts into the most important and meaningful areas of your life. Setting a precise goal, inserting dates, times and amounts will allow you to measure your achievements. Doing this allows you to know when you have achieved the goal, so you can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it. So there you have it, the 6 steps to finding your Pilates flow outside of the studio! Let me know what you think below or contact me at http://businesswellbeing.com.au Bio – Kylie Saunder is a Business and Marketing Mentor for Pilates & Yoga Instructors. She has been involved in the Fitness, Health and Wellness industries for 13 years as a Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor/Studio owner and Wellness coach. She also helps female entrepreneurs increase their clarity, focus and outcomes through connecting with their mind, body and spirit through workshops, coaching and on-line programs. http://businesswellbeing.com.au/blog/ You can follow Kylie on Twitter WellbeingAngel Susan Sommers is a Pilates Instructor for Pilates Body NYC in New York City specializing in those 50+