Introducing the Breathe Method

I never set out to create my own approach to Pilates. It happened slowly and organically inside the white panelled walls of my Pilates studio in north London.

When I first opened the studio in 2023, aged 31, I taught Pilates as it had been taught to me. That is, with a sharp focus on the physical. This version of Pilates was all about precise, controlled movements that promoted strength and mobility. And let me be clear, that approach to Pilates is perfectly incredible. If you do that type of Pilates, your life will improve immeasurably.

yet as the months of owning my studio turned into years, I began to wonder if Pilates could offer benefits beyond the physical. After all, my clients were ambitious, intelligent, hard working women and mothers. the time they spent in my studio on the mat was likely the only time they gave back to themselves. Outside of the four walls of Breathe Studio, they gave all they had to their jobs, families and friends.

Instinctively I felt a growing responsibility to nurture their minds as well as their bodies. So drawing on my degree in neuroscience and my own life experiences with managing anxiety and a challenging corporate career (I had been a lawyer for all of my twenties), I began to change the way I taught. As I neared my third year of studio ownership, It dawned on me that these changes had solidified into a unique and powerful method of Pilates. So I took pen to paper and formed the principles of what is now The Breathe Method. These pillars are:

Breath

Connection

Functional Strength

Regulation

let me elaborate on how i curated the method: first, I brought the breath to centre stage. While the breath is not a new concept in the Pilates world, it has never been the primary focus. Joseph Pilates did not advocate for a particular breathing technique, although he did emphasise the importance of learning to breathe correctly. He advocated for fully inhaling and exhaling out every 'atom' of air with every breath.

In The Breathe Method, the breath is so much more than just a pacer. It is the path through which clients draw their focus inwards and away from external noise. Slowly but surely, clients develop the ability to perceive and understand their own internal bodily signals (a process known as interoception).

This connection allows clients to identify what they are feeling and decide how to respond in a way that is regulating for their nervous system. Without this deep understanding of their own body, they are left in the dark as to how to feel better in times of anxiety, stress and dysregulation.

Another important connection utilised in The Breathe Method is the mind-muscle connection. I will specifically tell my clients to think about the sensations of contraction and stretch in target muscles. This creates more activation and control, better technique and less compensation by other muscles.

Breathe Method classes aim to create full body, functional strength. Every class trains every part of the body (we don't 'split' body areas into separate workouts). The body functions as one and is therefore trained as one. In every class you will train your upper and lower limbs, core and back. It is an inside out, 360 degree approach that leaves you feeling aligned and in control.

Finally, and perhaps most uniquely, The Breathe Method regulates the nervous system. Controlled breathing, and in particular an extended exhale at the end of class, is key in grounding and calming clients. Additionally, classes are slow but challenging, ensuring that clients remain present and focussed for the duration of class (thus the workout doubles as meditation). For clients practising at our studio (as opposed to online), our space is kept free of distraction. Our interiors are simple. Our music is motivating but subtle. We discourage phones on the floor, and while we have some mirrors, they are by no means front and centre.

Together, these four principles form a method that I am beyond proud of. As I said at the start of this article, I never set out to create my own approach to Pilates. There is nothing wrong with the schools out there who focus primarily on the physical. However, having taught thousands of women over the years, I know that their time on the mat is sacred. if it can be used to train the body and the mind simultaneously, it should.

I truly believe that The Breathe Method is an antidote to the chaos. It is efficient, challenging and fun, and it can be done in studio or online, anywhere, anytime.

See you on the mat.

x

Emma Henderson

Founder

The Breathe Method + Breathe Studio