"Good Posture can be successfully acquired only when the entire mechanism of the body is under perfect control. Graceful carriage follows as a matter of course."
-Joseph H. Pilates
Return to Life Through Contrology
#hammies - MOVE THEM THANGS!
Here are a few exercises to kick your hamstrings into gear!
A great warm-up is Pelvic Bridging. Start lying on you back with bent knees, feet in line with your sits bone. Find a nice, long, connected torso. In one movement, lift your pelvis off of the floor, towards the ceiling. Find the four corners of your feet, length through your back and try to stand with the tops of your hamstrings, right beneath your gluteal fold. To come down, soften your chest and try to sequence down, one vertebra at a time. Repeat 4-10 times!
Need to kick it up a notch? Bridge on the ball! The ball adds a big ol' stability challenge and makes the rest of your body work harder. Here Julia demonstrates turned-out straight-leg bridging on the physio ball! Try parallel and turned out for variety, but also pay attention to what feels best for your hips and back!
Challenge your pelvic stability with Swimming Legs (AKA Leg Pull Front). Lie face down with your legs extended long underneath you. Connect to your breathing, your abdominals, and find supported elongation in your torso. Without shifting your hips, reach long through your right leg until it is all the way straight and you can feel the top of your hamstring working. Lift the leg slightly off of the floor from the top of your hamstring, not allowing your pelvis and spine to respond to the movement. Alternate side to side.
Get a great concentric engagement with Hamstring Curls! Still lying face down with long legs, hold a ball in between your ankles. Maintain the length through your spine and the fronts of your hips as you bend your knees, bringing your heels closer to your sits bones. Bend only as far as you can keep your hips and back long. For an extra challenge, perform the same movement but hover your legs off of the floor the whole time! 4 - 10 repetitions.
You deserve a Hamstring Stretch. Lie on your back with your legs long underneath you. Feel long and even in your back and pelvis. Draw one knee into your chest and loop a strap around your heel pocket. Place your bottom leg in a position that allows you to keep length in your torso and pelvis as you extend your stretching leg. Breathe and allow your hip socket to feel deeper. Try crossing your leg across your center or externally rotating your leg like you are turning a door handle open to the side. 45 sec - 1 min each side!
Breathing and The Core Workshop
We are very excited to present Breathing and The Core taught by Clarice Marshall at The Swan Brooklyn on Saturday May 16th. This workshop is co-sponsored with Finetune Pilates. Registration details at the bottom!
May Special on Group classes at The Swan Brooklyn
Love mat class and haven't tried the equipment?
Addicted to the springs but not sure about just you and your mat? Already doing a healthy mix of mat and equipment?
Or trying to figure out which class to make your weekly Pilates fix and want to try them all?
We have a package just for you!
5 Mat Classes & 5 Equipment Classes for $245
Available online and in studio
May 4th- May 11th ONLY
Expires 2 months from the date of purchase. Limit 2 per customer.
Only at The Swan Brooklyn.
We Are the Swan - Laura
Profession: Yoga instructor/movement educator for ages 0-adult, dancer
What is your favorite piece of equipment and why? What about props?
The reformer with the jump board. I love the way it helps me work on my connection from my feet through my head, but in a different relationship to gravity. Also you can just do so many things on it! Like swan on the box, and leg circles with your feet in the springs, and...
Right now, I love the overball -- also because you can use it for so many things -- and it's totally portable! I carry it with me when I travel, or when I'm teaching, and I can use it to find space in my thoracic, release my psoas, challenge my stability in things like knee folds, or squeeze between my knees or feet. I think you could do a whole class using just this one prop!
Where do you go in the city to feel like you aren't in the city?
In the summer, Ft. Tilden.
In spring and fall, the middle of Prospect Park, on the dirt trails through the woods - I love getting lost in there.
What's your favorite muscle or bone and why?
The psoas. It's so intense and important but so deeply buried. Also someone told me once that the reason we can walk upright is because our psoas lengthened at some point in our evolutionary history. Four-legged creatures have shorter psoas muscles b/c their legs come off the front of their pelvises. And...I think tenderloin meat is the psoas of the animal. Crazy.
Spring or fall?
SPRING!!!!!
Healthy Hammies
me: Hey Shorty, what are hamstring good for anyways?
Shorty: Well my friend, let me tell you a thing or two :). Your hamstrings have a few key functions in leg movement, as well as in stabilizing your knee and pelvis. Last week I laid the hamstrings out in anatomical detail, but today I will talk about them in pretty simple movement terms.
An easy way to feel your hamstring working is doing an exercise like bridging. This movement is moving towards hip extension (aka moving your leg behind you). The hamstrings help with the first few degrees of hip extension in movements like walking, running, swimming etc. Exercises like bridging and swimming in Pilates can help you feel a strong contraction of the hamstrings.
Another healthy function of the hammies is to stabilize your pelvis. huh?
Because parts of your hamstrings connect to your sits bones, the hamstrings can work to stabilize your pelvis bones. When the muscles around your pelvis are in harmony, the hamstrings work to pull the sits bones earthbound, helping ground you! Conversely, if your hamstrings are unevenly developed right to left, they can unevenly pull on your pelvis and cause sacroiliac or back discomfort. If your hamstrings aren't firing well at all, you may be stressing the joints of your pelvis and lower back too much because it cannot stay solidly grounded.
Healthy hammies work to stabilize and flex (bend) your knees. Last week I showed how your hamstrings attach to either side of your knee, just below the joint. When your hamstrings are evenly developed, you will have a nice even gait and support from both sides of your leg. However, your knees are tricky. It is very easy for your lower leg to spin in or out. The hamstrings can help this by pulling on one side or the other. It is important to keep the inner part AND outer part of your hamstrings strong so that the force on your knee stays balanced!
You must maintain even strength between the hamstrings and quadriceps. This balances the front and back forces on your hip, support of your knees, the relationship of your legs to your torso, and overall grounding to the earth.
Many of us have slight imbalances with the way that we work our hamstrings - either one side is stronger than the other, one part of a hamstring dominates, one side is more flexible than the other, the hamstrings are much weaker than the quads etc. A lot of time hamstrings are forgotten when working on leg strength but they are SO important for finding balance in strength building and alignment. Always make sure to take the time to check in with them, strengthen them, stretch them, and use them to help you stay strong and grounded!
The Swan turns 2!
We are very excited to be rolling into our third year of being Swans with amazing practitioners like you! Thank you for your practice, your good spirits and all you teach us everyday!
April 15th - April 24th
Swan Anniversary Package
5 Private Sessions for $485
Available online or in studio in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Limit 2 per client. Expires in 6 Months.
Swan Swag Sale
Sweatshirts $40 T- Shirts $15
In studio only.
Kathryn Meany - Swan Instructor
#BKSwan instructor Kathryn Meany stumbled onto Pilates in 2000 and never looked back. She has a deep and personal love for mat class.
Considering pre or post natal Pilates? Kathryn is your gal! This has become a corner stone of her teaching over the past few years as many of her clients, and Kathryn herself, have continued their practice during and after pregnancy! See what she has to say about family dining in NYC, her Swan studio love and her focus as a teacher. You can also read her bio and sign up for a class!
Can you tell us a bit about your philosophy of teaching, what interests you about the body, and any influences that have shaped your practice and your teaching?
My teaching style has certainly evolved over my 12 years of instructing, but some things have always stayed with me. Classic choreography has never been more important than the movement needs of each client. The mobility and stability goals I set are based on the individual versus the standards set by traditional Pilates exercises. This often leads to progressive variations that have been key to helping students advance.
What is one of your favorite places to explore?
I love to explore on day trips outside of the city like the Planting Fields in Long Island.
What is your favorite restaurant in NYC right now?
If you asked me this 19 months ago before I became a mom I would probably say Peasant for its delicious ricotta and romantic setting but I haven't been in NoHo in years! These days Graziellas in Ft. Greene is a family favorite for us. They are so kid friendly and make great red sauce and other Italian standards. The staff is so lovely and patient and they always understand if you have to get your main course to go because someone is having an unexpected melt down (not me). Oh and I have to also mention this amazing place on Staten Island, Inoteca Maria. The kitchen is run by 5 different Italian Grandma's so the menu rotates depending on which nonna is cooking. Delicious and fun destination!
What are some of the best kids books you have discovered since you had your son?
That's a great question. Right now Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus cracks me up but Nevin needs a year or so more before he gets it. (Side note: reading some classics I grew up with have been eye opening. Good Night Moon is actually super creepy to me now.)
Spring or Fall?
This year I would have to say SPRING!!
Anything else you want to share with The Swan community?
I really love the studio space at Swan BK. Of all the places I have had the pleasure of working, it is certainly best looking but most importantly has a wonderful vibe and a highly tuned in and creative staff. I feel very lucky to be part of it.
Hamstrings
Shorty Swan here to help you understand your hamstrings. Let's talk about where they are and what they do. Stay tuned for #hammies posts with exercises and more! There's a lot to cover so let's jump right in.
Your hamstrings are the set of three muscles that make up the back of your thigh. (Must admit they are one of Shorty's favorites!). All three hammies cross over the back of your knee joint and articulate your hip joint. This is important for understanding how they move your body and how to stretch them properly when they are tight.
Let's do a roll call:
1. Biceps Femoris 2. Semitendinosus 3. Semimembranosus
Biceps Femoris
This hammie has a long head and a short head as it's name indicates. The long head originates at the ishcial tuberosity or sitz bone and the short head originates at the linea aspera which is a ridge located in the middle of the back of your femur or thigh bone. Both heads thread together, pass over the back of the knee, and insert on the lower leg. The long head inserts on a lateral edge of the tibia and the short head inserts on the lateral head of the fibula. (Some of you are very familiar with your sciatic nerve and should note it innervates both the long and short head of Biceps fem.)
What does my Biceps Femoris do?
Great question. The long head acts on hip extension using it's attachment to the ischial tuberosity. Both heads act on knee flexion aka bending your knee. Because this hamstring is positioned laterally, it supports lateral rotation of the flexed knee or extended hip.
Semitendinosus
Semitendinosus originates at the ischial tuberosity or sitz bones too, sharing a tendinous attachment with the Biceps Femoris. Then it travels medially, or towards center line, and inserts on the inside front corner of the shaft of the tibia.
What does it do?
With it's shared origin to Biceps Fem. comes shared function. Semitendinosus extends the hip and flexes the knee. However, due to its medial insertion it contributes to medial rotation of the knee or inward rotation.
Semimembranosus
Semimembranosus originates at the ischial tuberosity. (Those ischia are a busy attachment site!) It continues down and inserts on the inside back corner of the shaft of the tibia. This is the most medial of your hamstrings meaning it sits closest to your midline. Semimembranosus is deeper than Semitendinosus as well as a bit wider
What does it do?
Are you picking up the pattern ? :) Again Semimembranosus shares function where it shares attachment with it's hamstring neighbors. It acts on hip extension, knee flexion and medal rotation of the knee.
When you think about the insertions of these three muscles on the inside and outside of your knee you can easily put together how balance, strength, stability and ROM for these #hammies plays into knee heath and stability. We will get further into healthy hamstring functions in another post!
Quinoa Tomatillo Chicken Bake
This delicious bake is spicy, makes for great leftovers and is gluten free. The dairy makes it not paleo friendly, but for veggies you can easily sub cubed tofu for the chicken. Prep time is about 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 cup of dry quinoa
1 cup of bone broth or veggie stock
1/2 cup of canned black beans, drained and rinsed.
2 cups of Kale chopped
1-2 cups of pulled chicken
1 10-12oz jar of tomatillo salsa
1 4.5 oz can of mild chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella and 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar
2 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree. Cook the quinoa as directed in 1 cup of water and the broth.
2. In a large bowl combine the beans, salsa, chilies, cilantro, cumin, chili powder and kale.
3. We used a small rotisserie chicken to cut down on our prep time and make sure it was tender enough to pull. Carve off all the meat and remove the skin. Pull and tear the chicken into small bite size shreds. You can prep your own chicken as well, but it might be good to do this beforehand. Put the chicken in the large bowl and stir.
4. Combine the cooked quinoa in with the rest of your ingredients. Then add 1/2 cup of mozz and 1/2 cup of cheddar. Stir well.
5. Grease a 3qt casserole dish or baking pan. Pour the mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Top with the rest of the cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.
Musical TBT: Age of Aquarius from Hair!
Check out this week's musical TBT in honor of an exciting announcement...and because the opening scene of the movie Hair is just stupendous!
#BKSwan will be hosting our good friend, Sam Miller, for a day of astrological readings THIS MONTH, on Sunday the 19th!!!
Sam's day of readings at #MHTNSwan late last year were such a success that we had to bring her back for more. Each reading will last approximately 2 hours and the cost is $150 per reading. Pre-registration is necessary to give Sam time to prepare your chart. Email us at BKSwanPilates@gmail.com to sign up! Readings will begin at 12:30!
Watch this video to get yourself in an astrological mood and read on to learn more about Sam's background and check out some testimonials.
Sam Greenleaf Miller, LMSW, is an artist, witch and trained psychotherapist working as an astrological counselor in Brooklyn, NY. She is a graduate of the Nightlight Astrology School and earned her MSW from Smith College's School for Clinical Social Work. Her 2 hour Natal Chart Readings explore clients' birth charts, offering them insight into both what hangs them up/where they self-sabotage, as well as showing them the way to cultivate their own personal freedom.
Things people are saying about Sam:
“Sam is a wise, intuitive, and skilled therapist. she offers valuable advice and guidance no matter what the issues are, and you’ll walk away with both insight and new questions to ask yourself. Highly recommended!” -Shira S.
"I had a terrific reading with Sam. She helped me understand my natal chart both astrologically and psychologically and gave real meaning to my life: past, present and future. Sam has a true gift for understanding the strength within all of us to grow through our readings. I highly recommend Sam and I look forward to my next reading— she is a joy!" - Michelle E.