Alignment can literally make or break your Pilates practice. By speeding through the exercises and not paying attention to the positioning of your body you can undo all your hard work as you compound the posture/positioning that you're trying to undo.
So what is alignment?
It is setting the body up in its most optimum position - whether this be standing, side lying, prone (on your stomach), supine (lying on your back) or sitting so that the body works correctly. The bones are aligned so that the right muscles begin to work correctly and help to rectify muscle imbalances.
You may hear cues from your Pilates teacher about aligning the head over the ribs over the pelvis, finding neutral pelvis, lengthening through the spine, shoulder blades wide on the back, chest open, knees soft, weight even on both feet. All of these cues help us to find the best position to work from in our bodies (because we're all different) and begin to feel where our body should be in space so we can begin to feel what feels good. And what doesn't. We can then take this knowledge into everyday life so we can keep reaping the benefits, moving well and feeling confident, strong and empowered.
Check out our Resources section in our Online Studio which has some great videos on finding your best alignment so you can feel confident when you're working out at home.