What is an arch anyways? A lot of us think about an arch like the shape of a Halloween cat or an architectural archway. However, when we are talking about arching the body in movement, this is not exactly correct!

Back extension is when we arch our head and tail towards one another behind us, opening our front body. When you hear the word arch as a cue in Pilates it means extend your spine!.

Spinal Flexion is when we round our head and tail forward toward one another, closing off the front body and opening the back of the spine. This is actually your halloween cat shape. The Halloween cat flexes it's spine to protect it's belly and let out a hiss.

Neutral is a place between those two extremes. Neutral is not a flat back. Neutral doesn't diminish any natural curves in your back, but instead honors your curves while you lengthen your spine into the sky.

Your turn!