Onboard 1: The Principles of Pilates

Why They Matter and How They Shape Your Practice.

If you’ve taken a Pilates class at SOMA Movement Studio, you’ve likely heard familiar cues repeated again and again: “Find your neutral lumbar spine,” “Engage the lower abs to posterior tilt pelvis,” “Breathe with the ribs into lower thoracic flexion,” “Move with control.” These aren’t just instructor habits or studio quirks—they’re rooted in something deeper: the basic principles of Pilates.

These principles serve as the foundation of the method. They guide how we move, what we focus on, and why Pilates works so powerfully—not just for your core, but for your posture, breath, nervous system, and overall well-being.

Contrology: Pilates as a Mind-Body System

Joseph Pilates originally called his method Contrology—a system of mindful movement designed to balance the body, mind, and spirit. He believed that modern life had created physical and mental imbalances that could be corrected through focused, precise, breath-driven movement.

Contrology wasn’t just about exercise—it was about re-educating the body. And while Joseph Pilates never formally listed a set of "principles," later generations of teachers have distilled his teachings into core ideas that help us understand and practice the method more effectively.

How Many Principles Are There?

That depends on the lineage. Over time, different schools of Pilates have outlined their own sets of guiding principles:

• Classical Pilates (rooted in Joe’s original teachings) often identifies six principles:
  Concentration, Control, Centering, Precision, Breath, and Flow.

• Stott Pilates, which we teach at SOMA, refines these ideas into a more anatomically-informed framework of five basic principles:
  Breathing, Pelvic Placement, Rib Cage Placement, Scapular Movement & Stabilization, and Head & Cervical Alignment.

Other contemporary schools may emphasize different principles—some listing as many as eight or more. But no matter the number, the purpose is the same: to train the body and mind to work together, with awareness and intention.

The Five Basic Principles We Teach at SOMA and Why They Matter

At SOMA Movement Studio, we teach Stott Pilates, a contemporary, research-informed approach that honors Joseph Pilates' original vision while incorporating modern understanding of biomechanics and rehabilitation. Our five core principles create the framework for every movement:

1. Breathing – Using the breath to support movement, engage the deep core, and promote clarity and focus.

2. Pelvic Placement – Finding neutral or imprinted spine to protect the lower back and allow efficient movement from the center.

3. Rib Cage Placement – Maintaining alignment of the ribs over the pelvis to support spinal and shoulder stability.

4. Scapular Movement & Stabilization – Encouraging fluid yet supported shoulder mechanics to reduce neck and upper back tension.

5. Head & Cervical Alignment – Teaching the head to align over the spine, reducing strain and improving posture (especially important in today’s tech-heavy world).

These principles are more than just alignment checkpoints—they are living, breathing tools that help us move with intelligence, precision, and safety. In many fitness modalities, the focus is on doing more—more reps, more intensity, more sweat. In Pilates, we focus on doing better. The principles give us a compass. They teach us to move from the inside out, to sense rather than just perform, to refine instead of rush.

By building every movement on these core principles, we:

• Reduce the risk of injury

• Improve neuromuscular coordination

• Deepen body awareness

• Create longer-lasting results

• Reconnect mind and body in meaningful ways

This is what Joseph Pilates envisioned when he spoke of “the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.”

Movement with purpose. Alignment with integrity. Strength with breath.

At SOMA Movement Studio, we believe your movement practice should be more than exercise—it should be an experience of integration, education, and transformation. The principles of Pilates help us create that experience every time you step into the studio.

So the next time you hear us cue your breath, your pelvis, your rib cage—know it’s not just about the shape of the movement. It’s about shaping how you inhabit your body.

Because movement with intention leads to a life moved with intention.