Nichole L’vov
Owner of Inner Strength Pilates, soma system® Instructor
There are days as a Pilates instructor where you start to feel discouraged. You look out over the sea of bodies on the studio floor, and you realize that Pilates, in all its goodness, is a struggle for many people. Physical injuries, health conditions, muscle tightness and global tension are just a few of the barriers I see sprinkled amongst my motivated and hard-working students.
Looking for additional tools to help my clients, I discovered Ssoma system®. I instinctually knew that this system of self bodywork could help relieve the chronic tightness that was holding clients back from performing many of the Pilates exercises they would greatly benefit from. I signed up, sight unseen, for the soma system® Teacher Training and day one of the training started with a soma system® sequence experience.
To say that I was shocked and amazed at the difference I could make in my flexibility and alignment in just a few short minutes is an understatement! Throughout the soma system® training, I learned how skillfully using various tools, like the Double Track Roller, or Big Orange, can target areas of restriction in the body to release tension and restore balance to the tissue.
Integrating soma system® has allowed my Pilates clients to restore spinal length and release their hip flexors, enabling healthy alignment both in and beyond exercise.
Client #1: Transcending Teaser
Look at the before and after photos of a client attempting an exercise called Teaser. She works in retail and stands for hours at a time. As a consequence, she has incredibly taut hamstrings and discomfort in her lower back. After experiencing a soma system® sequence, she was able to lengthen her hamstrings, lift out of her pelvis, and embody the head to tail connection that Pilates asks of us. This visible change was the result of my client’s first and brief soma system® experience.
Client #2: Reaching Out to the Rotator Cuff
Now let’s look at my next client who has a torn supraspinatus and general limited mobility in her shoulders. You can probably guess which arm has the torn rotator cuff muscle. Her right arm is not able to fully reach to the ceiling. After releasing various muscles in her shoulders and neck with soma system®, you can see how much more range she achieves. She was ecstatic to feel this improvement after just a few minutes. By helping her reduce her pain and increase her range of motion, soma system® has empowered this client to be involved in her wellness, instead of relying solely on surgery and cortisone shots.
At the moment, I am developing a soma system® Pilates mat class that incorporates soma system® techniques into a mat class. By doing this, clients can release areas of the body that interfere with performing Pilates exercises to the level and precision they would like. soma system® emphasizes breath and release, which I find incredibly valuable at the beginning of a mat class, where perhaps clients have rushed in, bringing the stresses of life with them. By taking a few moments to practice soma system®, it helps to center them, bring focus to their bodies and incorporates the Mind-Body connection we need to perform Pilates. I hope that you will check back to find out more about soma system® and Pilates!
