According to Joseph Pilates, the entire intent of the Pilates method is to “uniformly develop” your body. Basically, that means to “return” it to its natural and most effective, efficient, balanced state. Like a cat or a baby, he says. In an ideal world, just doing the exercises, in order, at tempo, with breath, would achieve this.
Our current world is anything but ideal for the human of today, however. Too much stress, too much sitting, computer/phone neck, etc., are some of the non-ideal issues. Mr. Pilates also states that there are two parts to this journey back to uniform development: first is to “attain” it, then to “maintain” it. I think we’d all agree that most, if not all of us, are in the attainment phase.
Attaining uniform development takes not only teaching clients how to do the exercise, but more importantly, making the exercise fit and be truly beneficial and effective for that unique person. One size definitely doesn’t fit all. Are we, as teachers, actually able to see all the many ways a body can lack natural balance and organization, and then facilitate making the exercises actually achieve that?