The 6 Principles of Pilates and How They Show Up in Class

About 13 years after Joseph Pilates passed away, two of his students organized his teachings into what we now call the Six Principles of Pilates. While Joe himself didn’t label them as “principles,” these ideas were always woven into his method. Today, they’re considered the foundation of pilates, and honestly, they apply to any type of movement practice.

The Six Pilates Principles:
Breath | Centering | Concentration | Control | Flow | Precision

Let’s dive into each one, why it matters, and how it shows up in class!

Breath
Breath is the key to everything. Without even thinking about it, your abdominals naturally contract when you exhale. Oxygenated air feeds your brain and your muscles, fighting fatigue and enhancing movement. By adding intention to your breath, you enhance your movement. For example, exhaling during a challenging part of an exercise may push you a step further than you anticipated!

Joseph Pilates also emphasized exhaling assists emptying the lungs of “stale air” to refresh the body. Breath is not just a workout tool: it’s also something you can take with you into your daily life. Practicing intentional breathing in class means you’ll have it available as a calming technique whenever stress arises.

Centering
This principle is about the “powerhouse” - what Joseph Pilates called the core. A strong, engaged center provides the stability your body needs for safe and efficient movement. If this isn’t on, movement can be sloppy or even unsafe.

In practice, every exercise begins with the preparatory activation, whether it’s a neutral or imprinted spine, the core wraps in to stabilize. From there, movement begins while the powerhouse remains active. Centering ensures every exercise begins from a place of strength and stability.

Concentration
Concentration is in the details. Pilates is not a “mindless” workout; it demands your full attention. This means bringing your mind into your body, paying attention to details like alignment, breath, and muscle engagement.

This principle is why we begin class by grounding. We take a moment to pause the day and focus inward. When your mind is present, your body can move more effectively.

Control
Joseph Pilates originally called his method “Contrology.” He viewed it as a practice of moving the body with control. Instead of relying on momentum, you train your muscles to initiate and complete each movement intentionally.

For example, a beginner might swing their arms to get through a roll-up, but over time, the goal is to use only core strength. Momentum can be a useful tool when you are new, however, we should aim to move away from momentum and into the muscles with control. On the reformer, this looks like resisting the urge to let the springs carry you and instead guiding the carriage with your muscles.

Flow
This is grace and intention. Movements in pilates are designed to connect seamlessly, with transitions being just as important as the exercises themselves.

This might mean rolling up smoothly to rise from the mat instead of pushing yourself up abruptly, or guiding the reformer carriage in without a slam. Flow keeps the body moving continuously while maintaining control, rhythm, and grace.

Precision
Precision is what makes pilates so effective. It’s about whole-body awareness. Work to performing each movement with exactness and attention to detail, from the position of your head and neck down to the way your toes are pointed or flexed.

Rather than rushing through reps or chasing exhaustion, pilates encourages you to move with accuracy. Quality always outweighs quantity.

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Putting It All Together
When you integrate these six principles, your practice deepens. You’ll build awareness, improve alignment, and strengthen your body in a sustainable way.

Pilates isn’t about how fast you move, how many reps you do, or how much weight you can push. It’s about intentional movement. And when you bring that intention into class, you’ll not only see better results, you’ll feel better in your everyday life.