# @saint_stanley on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DKSXuqrJP-S
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/61877927-saint-stanley-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/ed38c792c4.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-05-30T18:05:30.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Pilates • Future Self (@saint_stanley) — https://gondola.cc/saint_stanley

## Caption

Especially for all my fellow Pilates girls 💫
Yes, it’s true — at the beginning of the journey, your client needs to learn what their core is and how to activate it.
But… there comes a time when both clients - and yes, teachers too - start taking it way too seriously 😅

We keep hearing “engage your core” or “scoop the belly in” on repeat 🔁
Especially on the Reformer - sometimes every exercise becomes a belly squeeze.
You stretch through tension, draw your navel in, ribs closed, abs tight — always tightening, always holding.

But muscle function isn’t just about contraction. The other side of strength is release.
To build a strong and adaptable spine, tissues must not only engage — they must also stretch and open 🌀

Overusing the core creates internal tension: your organs, diaphragm, even your digestion and breathing can suffer. No homeostasis inside = no balance outside 🧠💔

The real key is finding balance.
That’s why I love exercises that open the belly. Some of the best ones live on the Cadillac (push-through on the stomach, thigh stretch 🤸‍♀️),
but honestly — you don’t need springs. A simple backbend, side stretch or raising your arms overhead can begin to soften the front body 🧘

Let go of your abs — just for a moment.
Stretch one side, then the other. Maybe even a little backbend… without clenching your core.
Yes. It’s okay. You don’t need to walk around with your navel sucked in all day.

Conclusion?
The core is important — in Pilates and beyond. But so is stretching the viscera, the fascia, the front lines.
In my own practice, I sometimes do it before class, sometimes after, and sometimes as a standalone session.
And you know what? When I stretch my belly first… it activates differently after.
More depth. More connection. New layers awaken ✨

So don’t just repeat what worked six months ago. Tune in. Your body is always whispering something new.
Change is needed. Awareness is everything. Follow your body’s intuition 🧡

#pilates #pilatesathome #core #abs #viral #anatomy #yoga

## Stats

- **Views:** 351
- **Likes:** 89
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- **Comments:** 6

## Tags

pilatesathome, abs, viral, yoga, pilates, anatomy, core

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