CLARAS EDGE
Updated: Oct 6
Clara Pilates: A Teacher Worth Remembering
I first trained in Pilates in 2008. Over the years, I have offered training, continued exploring the work, and been a member of Power Pilates. As I return to my Pilates offerings during another season of growing interest, I want to bring Clara Pilates into the conversation. Her contributions to the development, teaching, and continuation of the method deserve a place in how we introduce it to our students.
The history of Pilates often begins with Joseph, his philosophy of movement, and the equipment he developed. Alongside that familiar account is Clara’s work as an educator and partner. She helped develop the method, taught in their New York studio, managed the business, and influenced teachers who would carry Pilates into the future. Understanding her contributions gives us a fuller picture of how this practice took shape.
CLARAS EDGE | Foundations
Where we will begin...
Pilates History and Contrology: Introducing the method and its original name.
Clara Pilates’ Contributions: Exploring her role in developing, teaching, and sustaining the practice.
Learning in the Original Studio: Examining Clara and Joseph’s shared work as educators.
Attentive Observation: Recognizing how a student responds to instruction and movement.
Communicating Movement: Helping students understand and attempt unfamiliar exercises.
Thoughtful Adaptation: Exploring Clara’s approach to adapting exercises to individual circumstances.
Approachable Teaching: Encouraging questions, participation, and confidence in practice.
Mentorship and Sustained Learning: Considering how ongoing instruction and relationships support development.
Pilates Teaching Lineage: Introducing Clara’s connections with Romana Kryzanowska and Mary Bowen.
10. Sustaining a Learning Community: Exploring preparation, studio responsibilities, and continuity in teaching.
Clara’s role in developing Pilates is recognized in the historical account published by the National Pilates Certification Program. That recognition matters because development includes the work of teaching: observing how a person responds, finding a way to communicate an unfamiliar movement, and helping a student put an idea into practice. Clara participated in the ongoing process through which Pilates became something people could learn and use.
In their New York studio, Clara and Joseph both taught. Students encountered the method through their instruction, and Clara brought her own approach to that experience. Her presence belongs in the story of the studio as a place where a movement practice was being explored, applied, and passed from teacher to student.
She also managed the studio business. Those responsibilities were part of sustaining a place where the work could continue. As an educator and small-business owner, I appreciate the significance of that contribution. Teaching requires preparation and attention, and maintaining the business around it requires another layer of commitment. Clara’s role encompassed both.
One of her most meaningful contributions was her work with people experiencing serious illness or injury. Historical accounts describe her adapting Joseph’s concepts and exercises to meet their needs. This gives us something valuable to consider as teachers today: knowing an exercise and knowing how to introduce it to a particular person are connected skills. The person arriving for a lesson brings circumstances that deserve our attention.
Clara earned recognition for the quality of her instruction. Many regarded her as an exceptional teacher, and some found her more approachable than Joseph. That detail helps us see her as an educator with a distinct contribution. The way a teacher communicates can influence whether a student feels comfortable asking a question, attempting something unfamiliar, or returning to practice.
Her approach also had a lasting influence. The National Pilates Certification Program credits her techniques and approachable teaching style with shaping a lineage of teachers. Through their work, aspects of Clara’s instruction continued beyond the original studio. Her contribution became part of how Pilates was taught to people who would never have the opportunity to meet her.
Romana Kryzanowska was among those who studied with both Joseph and Clara. Her time studying with them from 1941 through 1944 places Clara directly within the education of someone who later became an influential steward of the method. When we acknowledge that shared teaching history, we give students a more complete understanding of the people behind the practice.
Mary Bowen’s history offers another connection. Her biography records six and a half years of twice-weekly study with Joseph, Clara, and Hanna. Those years remind us that a teaching lineage is built through sustained learning and relationships. Clara was part of that experience for a teacher who would go on to share Pilates with others.
We can also encounter Clara through her own correspondence. In a preserved letter to Carola Trier, she describes a foot injury sustained while teaching Contrology, the name originally used for the method. It is a small, personal detail that places her within the daily work of instruction. Her letters help preserve her voice alongside the accounts others have written about her.
After Joseph died in October 1967, Clara continued teaching and running the studio. The National Pilates Certification Program dates her retirement to 1970. Her continued leadership helped sustain the work through the transition following his death, connecting the studio’s earlier years with its future.
As I revisit my own Pilates offerings, I want Clara’s story to inform the conversation. Her example invites us to value attentive teaching, thoughtful adaptation, mentorship, and the commitment required to sustain a learning community. These are contributions that can be difficult to capture in a photograph of an exercise or a description of a piece of equipment, yet they shape the experience of every student.
Clara helped develop the work, taught it, and supported its continuation. Giving her a more visible place in Pilates education allows us to recognize the depth of that contribution. It also offers a meaningful place to begin again: with respect for the teachers who helped form the practice and curiosity about what their work can teach us today.
If this speaks to you, send Michelle a CHAT or enroll in our Pilates Teacher Training.
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Pilates Foundations
CLARAS EDGE
Pilates and Yoga
Pilates and yoga can complement one another while retaining their own approaches to practice. For a yoga teacher or studio, Pilates offers another way to explore movement, welcome students, and expand the experiences available to an existing community.
A position may look similar in both disciplines. A still photograph, however, does not reveal the full practice. The purpose of the exercise, the way a student enters and leaves the position, the breathing pattern, and the teacher’s instructions all contribute to the experience.
Understanding these distinctions begins with looking beyond the shape. As teachers, we consider what we are asking students to do, how we communicate that intention, and how breath and movement work together.
Our Teaching Foundation
My Pilates training began in 2008 at Body Endeavors in Chicago, before I began teaching yoga. I found an encouraging community of dedicated practitioners whose enthusiasm and commitment shaped my experience of learning.
That Pilates foundation continues to inform my teaching, programs, and manuals. Although yoga became central to my work, the spirit of my early Pilates education remains part of how I approach movement and support students.
CLARAS EDGE brings that foundation into the conversation, recognizing Pilates as a discipline that can stand on its own and complement a yoga practice.
Breath and Movement
The approach presented here emphasizes Pilates as an athletic practice centered on developing a strong core. Breath accompanies that work and contributes to its rhythm.
Begin by exploring an inhalation through the nose and an exhalation through the mouth. Allow the breath to remain comfortable. Notice how a gentle exhalation feels, then explore a more purposeful exhalation without forcing it.
Yoga also includes a range of breathing approaches. A quieter practice may emphasize a gentle rhythm, while a strong vinyasa practice may invite a more active exhalation. The distinction is not determined by the name of the class alone. Consider the intention and activity of the practice.
Breath Exploration
Inhale gently through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth.
Repeat with a comfortable rhythm.
Explore a gentle exhalation and a stronger exhalation.
Notice how each approach changes your experience.
Return to a comfortable breathing pattern whenever needed.
The Pilates Ten
The first ten exercises in Joseph Pilates’ original mat sequence establish the sequence introduced here.
The Hundred
Roll Up
Roll Over
One Leg Circle
Rolling Back, also called Rolling Like a Ball
One Leg Stretch, also called Single Leg Stretch
Double Leg Stretch
Spine Stretch
Rocker with Open Legs, also called Open Leg Rocker
Corkscrew
The Pilates Ten
CLARAS EDGE
Pilates Foundations
The Pilates Ten
The Pilates Ten introduces the first ten exercises in Joseph Pilates’ original mat sequence. Together, they explore breath, abdominal support, spinal movement, balance, and coordination. Their order is part of the classical sequence, but each student’s starting point depends on their ability to move with control. Preparations and modifications allow students to develop the skills needed for more demanding versions.
1. The Hundred
The Hundred brings breathing, abdominal endurance, and rhythmic arm movement together. The purpose is to maintain a supported position while the arms move and the breath continues.
Begin lying on your back with your arms beside you. Bring your knees into a bent position, then extend your legs to a height you can manage without losing support through your trunk. Curl your head and shoulder blades away from the mat and reach your arms toward your feet. Begin small arm pumps, breathing in over five pumps and out over five. Ten complete breathing cycles produce 100 pumps.
Cue students to reach through their fingertips, keep their shoulders steady, and maintain a comfortable neck position. The arm movement should be energetic without shaking the torso.
Raise the legs or bend the knees to reduce the demand. Shorten the set when breathing or alignment becomes difficult. Build toward the complete exercise while preserving its rhythm.
During practice teaching, observe whether the student can breathe freely and maintain the same trunk position. Adjust the legs before asking for a longer set.
2. Roll Up
Roll Up develops abdominal strength and control as the spine moves between lying down and sitting forward. Both directions deserve equal attention.
Lie on your back with your legs together and arms reaching overhead within a comfortable range. Bring the arms toward the ceiling, allow the head to follow, and begin curling upward. Exhale as you continue forward over the legs, keeping the abdomen active. Reverse the movement by rolling the pelvis backward and gradually lowering the spine to the mat.
Encourage students to move through the exercise without throwing their arms or using a sudden burst of momentum. Useful cues include reaching forward while drawing the waist back and lowering with the same care used to rise.
For assistance, begin with bent knees and place the hands behind the thighs. The legs may lengthen as the body comes forward and bend again during the return.
During practice teaching, watch the point where the movement becomes difficult. Choose a version that allows the student to pass through that point while continuing to breathe.
3. Roll Over
Roll Over combines abdominal support, spinal mobility, and active shoulder stabilization. It is an intermediate exercise that requires a controlled entrance into the overhead position and an equally controlled return.
Begin on your back with your arms alongside you, pressing into the mat. Bring the legs upward, then lift the pelvis and carry the legs overhead toward a position parallel with the floor. Support remains across the upper back and shoulders. Keep the head still and avoid transferring weight onto the neck.
Separate the legs, flex the feet, and lower the spine gradually. Once the pelvis returns to the mat, bring the legs together and reset. Reaching the feet to the floor is unnecessary when doing so compromises support or control.
Cue students to lift the pelvis before traveling overhead and to maintain active arms throughout the descent. The movement should remain deliberate rather than driven by swinging the legs.
Students who cannot control the overhead position can study the demonstration without performing it.
Omit the exercise when a neck condition makes loading inappropriate.
Practice teaching should emphasize support points, readiness, and the ability to exit the movement smoothly.
4. One Leg Circle
One Leg Circle explores movement at the hip while the pelvis remains steady. The challenge comes from separating the action of the leg from unwanted movement through the trunk.
Lie on your back with your arms beside you. Keep one leg extended along the mat and raise the other toward the ceiling. Guide the lifted leg across the body, downward, outward, and back to its starting position. Complete five circles, reverse direction, and then change legs.
Encourage a smooth path and an even pace. Cue students to keep the shoulders relaxed and to allow the leg to move without pulling the pelvis from side to side. A larger circle is useful only when that control remains available.
Reduce the circle when the pelvis shifts or the hip clicks. Work within a comfortable range rather than forcing the leg lower.
This exercise develops hip mobility and abdominal control for pelvic stability. During practice teaching, watch the pelvis more closely than the foot. Adjust the size of the circle and observe whether the movement becomes steadier.
5. Rolling Back
Rolling Like a Ball
Rolling Back develops balance and abdominal control while teaching students to preserve a rounded shape in motion.
Sit with your knees bent and hold your shins. Round your spine, shift your weight behind your sitting bones, and float your feet away from the mat. Inhale as you roll backward toward the shoulder blades. Exhale as you return to balance, keeping the feet lifted if control allows.
The shape should remain consistent. Encourage students to maintain the distance between their thighs and torso rather than kicking the legs to return. The head and neck remain clear of the mat throughout the roll.
Create more space between the knees and chest when a tightly folded position is difficult to maintain. Establish a comfortable balance before adding backward movement. Omit this rolling exercise for students with osteoporosis, disc injuries, or other spinal injuries.
During practice teaching, observe the path of the roll and the return to sitting. A successful repetition finishes with a controlled pause rather than a heavy landing or a sudden push from the feet.
6. One Leg Stretch
Single Leg Stretch
One Leg Stretch develops abdominal support and coordination as the legs alternate between bending and reaching.
Lie on your back and bring one knee toward your chest. Place the hand on that side near the ankle and the opposite hand below the knee. Extend the other leg at a height that allows you to maintain control.
Curl your head and shoulder blades upward, then change legs and exchange hand positions.
Teach the pattern slowly before introducing a continuous rhythm. The hands guide the bent leg while the extended leg reaches away. Encourage students to keep their torso steady as the legs change.
Raise the extended leg when a lower reach causes the back or pelvis to shift. Rest the head on the mat if holding the curl becomes difficult. Maintain comfortable breathing throughout.
The exercise strengthens the abdominals while developing coordination between the hands and legs.
During practice teaching, first check hand placement, then observe whether the student can alternate smoothly without rocking the trunk.
7. Double Leg Stretch
Double Leg Stretch challenges the abdominals to maintain support as both arms and legs reach away from the body. The lengthening of the limbs increases the demand on the center.
Begin on your back with your knees drawn inward, hands on your shins, and head and shoulder blades lifted. Inhale as the arms and legs extend in opposite directions. Exhale as the arms circle around and the knees return. Reconnect the hands to the shins before repeating.
Cue students to preserve the height of their chest as the arms travel. The reach should feel long without allowing the lower back to arch or the pelvis to shift. Keep the arms level and coordinate the return of all four limbs.
Shorten the reach or keep the legs higher when the full movement disrupts control. Pause between repetitions when needed to restore the starting position.
This exercise develops abdominal strength, endurance, and coordination.
During practice teaching, pay particular attention to the outward reach. Adjust its range until the student can move the limbs while keeping the trunk steady.
8. Spine Stretch
Spine Stretch develops awareness of how the spine rounds forward and returns to upright sitting. Abdominal support remains active throughout the movement.
Sit with your legs extended and comfortably separated, feet flexed, and arms reaching forward. Begin by lengthening upward. Exhale as the head lowers and the spine gradually rounds forward. Let the arms reach ahead while the abdomen draws back. Pause for an inhalation, then exhale as you rebuild your upright position, allowing the head to lift last.
Encourage students to notice the sequence of movement rather than concentrating on how far they can reach. The shoulders remain relaxed, and the return should be as deliberate as the forward rounding.
Bend the knees when straight legs make upright sitting difficult. Reduce the forward range if the student loses abdominal support.
The exercise develops spinal mobility and control while clarifying the relationship between the pelvis and spine. During practice teaching, compare the student’s position with straight and bent knees. Choose the setup that allows a clearer, more controlled movement.
9. Rocker with Open Legs
Open Leg Rocker
Open Leg Rocker builds on the balance and rolling skills introduced in Rolling Back. The extended legs create a greater challenge to coordination and control.
Sit with your knees bent and hold your ankles or lower legs. Shift your weight behind your sitting bones and establish balance. Extend the legs into an open V when available. Inhale as you round backward to the shoulder blades, then exhale as you return to balance. At the top, lengthen through the chest without pushing the ribs forward.
Cue students to organize the legs before rolling and to return to a quiet pause. Keep the movement away from the head and neck. Avoid throwing the head forward to recover the balance.
For preparation, keep the knees bent and hold behind the thighs. Practice balancing without rolling before adding movement.
The exercise develops abdominal control, balance, spinal articulation, and trunk stability. During practice teaching, assess whether the student can maintain the leg position and return without dropping the feet or using momentum.
10. Corkscrew
Corkscrew develops coordination between the legs and trunk while challenging abdominal control. Its preparation keeps the pelvis on the mat; the full exercise adds an overhead position and a rolling pathway through the back.
For the preparation, lie on your back with your arms beside you and legs reaching upward together. Guide both legs slightly to one side, downward, across, and back to center. Reverse direction. Keep the circle small enough to maintain control through the trunk and pelvis.
Cue students to move the legs together, keep both shoulders grounded, and maintain a smooth pace. Increase the circle only when the existing range remains controlled.
The full exercise begins in a supported Roll Over position. Shift the legs slightly to one side, roll down that side of the back, circle the legs through the lower arc, and return upward along the opposite side. Reverse the pattern. This version requires established control of Roll Over.
Corkscrew develops abdominal strength, shoulder support, and coordinated movement. During practice teaching, begin with the preparation and assess whether the student can control direction and range before considering the overhead version.
SAMPLE CLASS PLAN
CHAIR PILATES IN THE SALT CAVE
1. The Hundred → Supported Hundred
Recline with the head, back, and legs supported. Reach the arms alongside the body, slightly above the chair surface, and make small rhythmic pumps. Inhale for five pumps and exhale for five, beginning with a few comfortable cycles.
Keep the legs resting and the head supported. If the armrests obstruct the movement, bend the elbows and make smaller pumps beside the waist.
What carries over: Breath rhythm, arm coordination, and maintaining a quiet trunk. Full support reduces the abdominal demand of the mat version.
2. Roll Up → Seated Half Roll Back
With the chair upright and feet supported, place the hands on the thighs. Exhale and gently tip the pelvis backward, allowing the lower back to round slightly. Inhale and return to upright sitting.
Keep the movement small and remain well within the seat. Avoid attempting to pull up from a deep recline or using the chair’s reclining action as part of the exercise.
What carries over: Pelvic movement, controlled spinal rounding, and coordination with breath.
3. Roll Over → Supported Pelvic Tilt
Recline with the whole body supported. Exhale and make a small pelvic tilt, gently reducing the space beneath the waist. Inhale and release to the starting position.
Keep the pelvis resting on the chair. There is no hip lift or overhead leg movement.
What carries over: Awareness of pelvic movement and abdominal engagement. This is a preparation, not a chair version of the complete Roll Over.
4. One Leg Circle → Seated Bent-Knee Circle
Sit upright with both feet supported. Lift one foot just enough to clear its support, keeping the knee bent. Draw a small circle with the knee, allowing movement to come from the hip. Reverse, replace the foot, and change sides.
Keep the pelvis level and the circle within the space between the armrests. If the chair moves or the torso leans, reduce the range or omit the lift.
What carries over: Moving one leg independently while keeping the trunk steady. Circling only the ankle would be a different exercise.
5. Rolling Back → Seated Rounded Hold
Sit with feet supported and hands behind the thighs if comfortably reachable. Exhale into a small rounded shape through the spine. Maintain that shape for a comfortable breath, then return to upright sitting.
Keep both feet down and the pelvis on the seat throughout. Do not rock the chair or roll backward against its frame.
What carries over: Organizing and maintaining the rounded shape. The rolling and unsupported balance components are omitted.
6. One Leg Stretch → Alternating Seated Leg Reach
Sit upright with the back supported as needed. Slowly straighten one knee, reaching the foot forward without locking the joint. Bend the knee and replace the foot before changing sides.
For coordination, reach the opposite hand toward the bending knee without pulling it toward the chest. Keep the torso steady and breathe continuously.
What carries over: Alternating leg movement, coordination, and trunk control. The seated position changes the abdominal challenge.
7. Double Leg Stretch → Supported Arm Reach with Alternating Leg Extension
Sit with the back supported. Reach both arms forward while extending one knee. Return the hands and foot, then repeat with the other leg. Keep the arm reach below shoulder height initially.
This preserves a coordinated outward reach and return without lifting both legs together. In a reclined position, keep the legs resting and practice the arm pattern alone if there is clear space.
What carries over: Coordinated limb movement and breath. This substitute substantially reduces the demand of the original double-leg reach.
8. Spine Stretch → Seated Spine Stretch
With the chair upright, feet supported, and knees comfortably apart, begin by lengthening through the crown of the head. Rest the hands on the thighs. Exhale into a small, gradual rounding through the upper and middle back, letting the hands slide forward. Return slowly to upright sitting.
Stay within the seat rather than reaching toward the floor. If the chair’s contour prevents comfortable upright sitting, reduce range of motion.
What carries over: Controlled spinal rounding and the deliberate return to length.
9. Open Leg Rocker → Seated Open-Leg Preparation
Sit upright with the feet slightly wider than the hips, within the chair’s available space. Hold behind the thighs if accessible. Lengthen the spine, then practice straightening one knee and returning the foot before changing sides.
Keep both sitting bones supported. Omit the V balance, simultaneous leg lift, and rocking.
What carries over: Leg organization, upright posture, and controlled knee extension. The defining rocking component remains a mat exercise.
10. Corkscrew → Single-Leg Directional Preparation
As a preparation, sit upright and float one bent knee slightly. Guide it through a very small circular path while keeping the pelvis still. Reverse and change sides.
As confidence increases, this movement can progress to both legs extended, feet flexed, and create corkscrew movements.
What carries over: Directional control at the hip and a steady trunk. It does not reproduce the paired-leg or rolling demands of Corkscrew.
Looking Beyond the Position
When observing a practice, consider the movement that leads into and out of each position. Listen to the breath instructions and the teacher’s language. Identify the purpose being communicated.
Pilates and yoga may share recognizable shapes while offering different experiences within them. Understanding those relationships allows us to introduce each practice with greater clarity and teach with attention to its intention.
Due to limited space for mentorship, no refunds may be granted. Please connect via CHAT should you have any questions prior to enrolling.
