Join us for Part Two of our conversation with Jordan Moser of Wellsprings Pilates in Wimberley.
If it seems like Pilates instruction is a hot topic these days, you’re right. In 2000, a federal court in New York ruled that “Pilates” was like “yoga,” in that it was a type of exercise and not a brand. The ruling meant that the method of movement created by Joseph Pilates could not be monopolized or trademarked, making it much more accessible to the public. Since then, studios have flourished throughout the country.
Just steps from the Wimberley View office at RR12 and FM3237 is the Wellsprings Pilates studio operated by Jordan Moser. A performer who danced professionally in Los Angeles and in Austin as a member of the Austin Ballet, Moser came to the practice as a 13 year old. In the dance studio where he began ballet training as a teen, the method was a required course. Over the years, it ameliorated the rigors of his profession, for both he and his fellow performers. Now retired from dancing, Moser is a Certified Pilates Instructor. In his peaceful studio, the lithe, soft-spoken Moser guides clients, from beginners to elite athletes, through the Pilates techniques to gain health, recover from injuries and to embrace healthy aging.
Some of his beginner clients, he says, come to him with a diminished awareness of what is going on in their bodies. A key concept of the Pilates method is proprioception. Proprioception means your body’s innate sense of its own position, movement and orientation in space, without needing to look. It relies on sensory receptors in our muscles, tendons and joints to send signals to the brain that give us balance, coordination and fluid motion. It means, for example, that you don’t have to watch your feet to know you are walking.
Olympic gymnast Simone Biles famously withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics because she “couldn’t feel her body in space.” She described it as the mind and body “not being in sync.”
“The more well trained the proprioceptive system is, the quicker it can respond to reposition the body in case of a fall. No matter your age, you can always improve your proprioception. In our bodies, there’s lots of internal work happening that you don’t really see. It’s amazing that we have this sense that most people don’t acknowledge that is constantly working for us.”
A key component of the Pilates method is building the “powerhouse,” the body’s deep central core that’s the wellspring for movement, strength and stability. With precise movements, these muscles are recruited to create the stable base from which the arms, legs and spine operate with precision. It’s much more than building the abdominal “sixpack,” it builds the muscles from the pelvic floor to the diaphragm so that they work in a coordinated way.
Moser gave an example. “The forward head position is a problem in our society because of the hours we spend using computers, phones, screens and cars. We’re so forward oriented that the shoulders, which are a part of your back, weaken, fall forward collapsing he structure of the upper spine. I work with my clients to strengthen the upper back, pulling with the arms and reaching back to strengthen the shoulder blades. We also work on extension moves, such as coming up into a swan position, a move that’s really great for active aging. Strengthening the upper back muscles is just as important as strengthening the abdominals because it stabilizes the pelvis and the rib cage. If those are weak, the arms are doing everything which leads to imbalances.”
Pilates moves are coordinated with breathing which benefits the lymphatic system in ways you never knew you needed. Moser explained.
“The active aging population really benefits from movement. The lymphatic system is dependent on movement to drain. Combined with the proper breathing, it stimulates the lymphatic system in our spine too. We know about the lymph nodes near the surface of bodies, but there are actually lymph nodes on the inside of the spine where it meets the diaphragm. So, when you breathe, you naturally stimulate movements for your lymphatic system.”
Pilates movements also helps with recovery from injuries, joint stabilization, weak hips and osteoporosis which affect many of us as we age. And while Moser may not explain in great detail what the movements do for them, it seems he understands the processes thoroughly. During our interview, he related the techniques and their actions in excellent detail with precision and the insight gained from years of experience, both as a practitioner and a professional dancer.
To learn more about private and duo sessions with Jordan Moser, as well as group classes held in partnership with Studio W Dance Collective, visit well-springpilates.com.
