Creating Space - the hidden gift in your Pilates practice

One of the most quietly powerful themes in Pilates—though not always spoken aloud—is space. Not just the kind of space you feel when you stretch long or decompress your spine, but a deeper, more integrated spaciousness: in your body, in your breath, and in your mind.

Pilates is often associated with precision, strength, and control. And yes, those are all core pillars of the method. But underneath that, there’s something more subtle at work. When done with mindful attention and intention, Pilates creates space—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Space in the Body: The Gift of Decompression

Let’s start with the body. A well-sequenced Pilates session invites length into the spine, opening up the vertebrae and reducing compression. Our modern lives—spent hunched over laptops, steering wheels, and phones—pull us inward and downward. The result? Tension in the neck, tightness in the hips(and pelvic floor) , and spines that feel more like accordions than flexible support structures.

Through conscious breath and movement, Pilates counters this. When we elongate the spine during exercises like the Roll Down, The Roll Backt, Spine Stretch Forward or Roll Up, we are not just building strength or mobility—we are literally creating space between the vertebrae. (My absolute favourite movement to elongate the spine is coming down from the Bridge with arms overhead - my clients will tell you how good this feels:) We are reminding the body what it feels like to move with integrity and freedom.

In the hips, the story is similar. The pelvis is our center of gravity, and yet so many of us move with tight, guarded hips. Think of how often we sit—and how rarely we extend fully through the hips. Pilates gives us tools to gently open and articulate this area, improving not just mobility but stability too. Hip circles, Bridges, Feet in Straps on the Reformer—all are invitations to explore space and find a new range without force or strain.

This kind of decompression and freedom is not dramatic. It’s not flashy. But it is deeply felt. And over time, it changes the way we move and carry ourselves every day.

Move with a Sense of Calm and Ease

Space in the Breath: An Internal Expansion

Breath is another realm where space is created. Pilates breath—lateral, expansive, intentional—helps us tap into the body’s natural rhythm and unlock areas of held tension. With every full inhale, we create width across the ribcage and softness through the abdomen. With every exhale, we can ‘soften’.

This rhythmic, conscious breathing pattern isn’t just about oxygen intake. It’s about awareness. Breath gives us a moment-to-moment way to check in with ourselves, to regulate effort, and to calm the nervous system. It’s a way of making space for presence.

Breath and Axial Elongation - allowing for decompression of the Spine

Space in the Mind: Nervous System Calm

And then there’s the space we cultivate mentally. One of the things I notice most in my teaching is the sense of quiet after my classes. I used to think that clients might not have enjoyed it (!) Now, I know, they are in a state of Zen! Not only stretched, strengthened or mobilised—but truly calm. This is not accidental.

When we move slowly, breathe deeply, and focus on subtle cues, the body begins to shift into the parasympathetic state—the part of the nervous system responsible for rest, digestion, and healing. Unlike high-intensity workouts that flood the body with adrenaline, Pilates (especially when taught in a measured, mindful way) tells your system: You are safe. You can let go.

Creating psychological space means giving ourselves room to feel what we’re feeling without rushing through it. It means stepping out of “fight or flight” and into “rest and digest.” It means, for 50 quiet minutes, the to-do list can wait, and the only task is to feel your body and your breath. In a world full of noise, that’s a radical act of care.

Holding the Space: My Role as Teacher

Of course, none of this happens in a vacuum. The energy and intention of yourteacher matter deeply. As a teacher, my role is not just to guide movement—it’s to hold a space of calm, clarity, and curiosity. I believe in a teaching style that is grounded but soft, clear and kind.

That sense of calm is contagious. When I offer cues gently, when I allow silence between words, and when I resist the urge to over-correct—I’m modeling a kind of spaciousness that students can step into. And from that space, real transformation can happen.

You can move with me in both my Beginner’s Series and my Online Membership (both available through my website).

See you on the mat.

Sarah