The 5 Elements

5 elements? – shouldn’t that be 4 elements?

In Western culture and philosophy, we have been familiar since antiquity with the doctrine of the four elements:

Air • Fire • Earth • Water

According to the teachings of Greek natural philosophers—most notably Empedocles in the 5th century BC—the world is composed of these four fundamental elements. He describes them as immutable “roots” or primordial forces that exist eternally. And although they are states that do not change in themselves, everything that exists comes into being and passes away through the interplay of love and strife between these elements. They are also associated with—among other things—states of matter, temperaments, and colours:

ELEMENT	STATE OF MATTER	TEMPERAMENT	COLOUR
air	gaseous	sanguine	yellow
fire	all consuming	choleric	red
earth	solid	phlegmatic	green
water	liquid	melancholic	blue

Far Eastern philosophy (Taoism) describes five elements:

Wood • Fire • Earth • Metal • Water

These five elements do not represent static states but rather ongoing, dynamic processes. They are interconnected and can strengthen or control one another, or even weaken and damage each other.

The changes in nature throughout the year are examples of such dynamic processes and are viewed as nature’s phases of transformation. We call them the seasons. Each season is associated with one of the five elements, which influence the rhythms, development, and needs of all living beings.

Wood

… is the element of spring and follows the winter’s resting phase in the cycle (see also “Water” below). It encompasses the rising of vital fluids and new beginnings. Wood is associated with the liver and gallbladder—organs that cleanse our body with their secretions, thereby making room for the new. In nature, wood represents growth, expansion, and the upward flow of vital fluids. It describes the process of setting out and stands for new beginnings and creativity. The stage of life associated with this element is childhood and early youth.

Fire

… marks the peak of the cycle and represents the element of summer.
It reflects the dynamism, exuberance, and abundance of colour characteristic of this season.
It embodies heat, vitality, radiance, joy, and liveliness. The organs associated with this element are the heart and the small intestine. Both organs sustain life and nourish the entire organism: the small intestine, which separates nutrients from waste and makes them available to the body; and the heart, which supplies the entire organism with vital substances via the blood while simultaneously expelling waste products through the lungs. The dynamic interplay between these two organs generates vitality and liveliness. The life stage associated with this element is late adolescence and young adulthood—a time when the things that “lie close to our hearts” are of particular importance to us.

Earth

… is the element of late summer and early autumn.
It is the season when the process of ripening—from seed to fruit—reaches completion. Fruit forms, plant sap descends into the earth, and leafes change color. The Earth element is associated with the stomach and spleen. These organs transform the food we consume so that our bodies can utilise it, acting in a balancing and nurturing way. Earth represents transformation—such as the metamorphosis into fruit—as well as the nourishment it yields and a sense of enveloping warmth and care. At the same time, it stands for stability and centeredness. Through these essential qualities, Earth characterises mature adulthood—the stage of life when we build a family.

Metal

… is the element of autumn—the season we associate with the processes of withdrawal, maturity, and letting go.
In TCM, the organs associated with this element are the lungs and the large intestine—two organs closely linked to the processes of letting go and elimination. Metal is clear and sharp; it can both protect and wound. It represents contraction, clarity, and letting go. In nature, it manifests, for example, as the crisp sharpness of an autumn morning or the sound of a gong. Its essential qualities include mindfulness and honesty, but also grief.
Recognising one’s own values ​​and self-worth—including how we set boundaries with others and present ourselves to the outside world—gives us a certain degree of firmness, but above all, it provides structure.
The corresponding stage of life is the onset of old age.

Water

… occupies the lowest position in the cycle, serving as its resting terminal point and origin. It is an essential component of any dynamic process and represents the element of Winter (see also my January 2024 newsletter). Winter is the season of pausing and stillness, of withdrawal and letting go, but also of gathering strength. In TCM, the associated organs are the kidney and the bladder—here, too, the focus is on letting go, cleansing, and regeneration. Water can be deep and calm, yet also turbulent and stirring. It symbolizes reflection, contemplation, regeneration, and taking stock of a situation, as well as wisdom and the withdrawal associated with old age. At the same time, it represents conception, the beginning of life, and willpower. Water stands at both the end and the beginning of the cycle; it is here that the forces needed for a (fresh) start—for spring—are gathered. The corresponding stage of life is advanced old age.

In the Five-Element theory, we observe the factors that allow these phases of transformation and processes to flow, or conversely, those that weaken and inhibit them—refer to the image above.
This is described in terms of cycles:

• Nourishing cycle and weakening cycle
• Control cycle and damaging cycle

Nourishing cycle (generation): Wood nourishes Fire; Fire nourishes Earth (ash); Earth produces Metal (minerals); Metal collects (in vessels) and nourishes (mineralizes) Water; and Water enables Wood to grow.

Running counter to this is the weakening cycle (each element draws sustenance by weakening its predecessor): Wood absorbs Water; Water corrodes Metal; Metal extracts minerals from Earth; Earth stifles Fire; and Fire burns Wood.

Control cycle (regulation): Each element keeps another in balance so that no single force becomes dominant: Fire controls Metal (forging); Metal controls Wood (axe); Wood controls Earth (roots support the soil); Earth controls Water (e.g., dike construction); and Water controls Fire (extinguishing).

Running counter to this is the damaging cycle (which acts destructively and harmfully): Fire evaporates Water; Water softens Earth (erosion); Earth stifles Wood; Wood dulls Metal; and Metal controls Fire.
The seasons and their associated elements not only shape the natural world around us but—since we are part of that nature—also influence our own bodies.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the body is not viewed in isolation but as part of a larger, all-encompassing organism. We are connected to this system via the chakras—centers through which energy flows into and out of our bodies. This energy circulates through our bodies along energy pathways known as meridians, connecting the various organs with one another. Thus, the five elements also describe the processes and functions within the body. The organs are interconnected via the meridians; they can nourish and control one another, but also weaken or damage each other.

We can influence whether we live in harmony with these cycles or against them—for instance, through our diet, meditation, movement, and breathing. Yin Yoga offers further support in this regard; I have described this in more detail here.

Pull your abdomen in !

Pilates in everyday life sounds very tempting, but how does it fit into normal everyday life – between children, work, household, friends, …?

That quickly sounds more stressful than appealing.
But does it have to be that way?

And this “problem” is of course not a modern one! Even during Pilates’s lifetime, the question of how to integrate training into everyday life arose.
In the 1930s, an article appeared in Collier’s Magazine with the headline “Cutting a Fine Figure.”

*Somewhat later, but also in the 1930s, a shorter version of this article appeared in Reader’s Digest under the same title.

The author Marie Beynon Ray was intrigued by the hype surrounding Joseph Pilates’ studio in New York at the time, and became curious about his work and the man Joseph Pilates.
Joseph’s clients came from a wide variety of backgrounds: dancers from the New York City Ballet, actors and singers from Broadway and the opera, as well as boxers and injured athletes who used Pilates as a form of rehabilitation, and ‘ordinary’ people who wanted to become or stay fit.

Most people visited his studio several times a week, and at that time, his studio had a full waiting list.
This was likely also one of the reasons for the design of the first Wunda Chair—a smaller and lighter version of the reformer that could fit into New York City apartments, allowing experienced reformer users to train in their own homes, independent of studio visits.

Joseph Pilates not only explained his method, its results, and goals to Marie B. Ray. He also placed great emphasis on the sustainable change or correction of physical imbalances and poor posture, which he attributed to the modern lifestyle of (especially) urban dwellers (sedentary lifestyle with little exercise) and their diet (based on fast food).

Contrology (as he called his method) does not just take place in his studio, but every Contrology student incorporates this method into their daily life.
The key points are:

• Breathe deeply and consciously (diaphragmatic and thoracic spine stretches)
• Walk, stand, and sit upright (two-way spinal stretches)
• Exercise outdoors daily (Joseph himself walked long distances through Manhattan every day)
• Expose your body to as much fresh air and sunshine as possible

When the reporter asked him whether he had any easy-to-implement tips for her readers on how they could strengthen and support their posture and thus their health, he answered succinctly:

“Pull your abdomen in!”

And this is the very sharp and short summary of the following exercise:

• Stand up straight
• Pull in your stomach
• Push your pelvis forward (without particularly tensing your buttocks, but so that your spine lengthens even more)
• Relax your knees (do not bend or straighten them!)
• Breathe deeply and evenly
• and hold this position for as long as possible!

The goal is to hold this position and count to 100 – and to do it regularly so it becomes a habit… like breathing!

Of course, you don’t want to and should not constantly walk around with your stomach sucked in (that would also be counterproductive!)

But the natural activation of the body’s own “corset”, combined and in harmony with conscious breathing, is an important step towards improving overall posture.

“Life needs movement, and that is not just tension or relaxation, but the rhythmic alternation between the two.”

Dr.Helga Pohl

So, if you don’t have a mat handy and don’t have enough time for a daily Pilates session, then take Joe’s advice to heart:

Pull your abdomen in !

Keep Moving

“Change happens through movement and movement heals”¹

Joseph Pilates wrote this sentence out of the conviction that exercise is the best thing for our bodies.

Sandy Shimoda, who is working and educating together with Jay Grimes (a student of Joseph Pilates in the 1960s) for many years, writes about this in her recently published manual:

“The benefits of moving your body include improved circulation and cellular renewal, stress relief and better mood, lowered blood pressure and longevity. But the most compelling reason to keep moving is simple: Our bodies are designed to move and all systems within the body depend on it. The change the opening quote refers to is what the body needs to recover from misuse, tension, and inactivity. The movement Joe taught corrected body mechanics and healed ailments, from chronic back pain to post physical therapy rehabilitation.”²

The concern that movements would be done incorrectly was obviously of little importance to Pilates. He gave his students exercises that were adapted to their level of training. And he rarely made any improvements. Jay Grimes describes his early days in Joseph Pilates’ studio in New York in the early 1960s. Joseph Pilates’ first instruction was “MOVE!” and it was not until the third lesson that the second instruction came: “Use your gut.”

Joseph Pilates probably considered the movement itself more important than centering, precision and control.

Move !

was one of the most important and most used instructions from his mouth as his students unanimously describe.

But Joseph Pilates considered not only the movement itself to be important, but also the flow of movement. In his studio, he placed great importance on his students moving continuously.

Because only while they were moving could he observe and assess what weaknesses, strengths or imbalances they had and which exercises would help them to overcome them.

As we know, the first Pilates principle of breathing was essential for Pilates – as you can also read in my blog posts on this topic

“Above all learn how to breathe correctly” and “The Magic Six”

The interaction of breathing and movement is still an essential part of every beginner’s Pilates training. This combination creates the rhythm of movement.

And this rhythm accompanies our flow of movement. Finding this rhythm is an essential prerequisite for the continuous flow of movement – i.e. for our

Flow

Scientifically, flow in movement is described as follows: “Flow is the melting together of action and conciousness; the state of finding a balance between a skill and how challenging that task is.”³

And Sandy Shimoda even describes it as an essential prerequisite for the Joy of Movement: “When you achieve flow in your workouts you will feel the sense of enjoyment that comes from being immersed, involved, and energized by the process. It is the ultimate state of mind-body balance in motion; [ … ]. It is also the rewarding sensation that we all deserve to experience as often as we can manage.”⁴

The advantages of flow, this continuous movement in the rhythm of breathing, are, among other things, the joy of movement. The prerequisite for this is movement – so MOVE! as Pilates said.

Three things can severely and permanently hinder the flow and thus take away our joy:

Moving too slowly When we try to do Pilates very well, we prioritize control and precision over the natural rhythm of movement (see above) and the result is often mental and physical tension…or even tightness.

Hurrying When we move too quickly, we often rely on momentum and do not perform the exercises from our center of strength. We can only achieve a controlled and uninterrupted rhythm from our center of strength in conjunction with the rhythm of breathing.

Overthinking In our Pilates practice, we strive for balance between mind and body. When we slow down to perfect the execution of the exercise, the mind takes over at the expense of the body. On the other hand, when we “rush through” our Pilates exercises, we move our body without using the mind.

Sandy Shimoda sums it up like this: “If you are moving without control, or controlling without moving, you are not practicing Contrology” ⁵

Just like in Joe’s studio, we can safely ignore the worry that we are doing the exercises “wrong”. In my online training you will only do exercises that are familiar to you and are adapted to your personal training level.

“Be bad – it’s good for you”

says Jay Grimes.

And what he meant is that it is good when we become aware of what we are doing badly and what we can do better.
In this sense, bad movements help us to learn and get better!

Therefore, move in the rhythm of your breathing, keep moving and enjoy the movement!

Movement is flowing, it is the essence of change and movement heals!

1. Return to Life through Contrology” Joseph H. Pilates New York 1945 ↩︎
2. “Contrology Handbook. A Guide to Joe Pilates’ Method” Sand Shimoda 2024 . p.31 ↩︎
3. Ellis; Völkl; Morris (1994) “Measurement and Analysis Issues with Explanation of Variance in Daily Experience Using the Flow Model” in Journal of Leisure Research. 26 (4); 337-356 ↩︎
4. “Contrology Handbook. A Guide to Joe Pilates’ Method” Sandy Shimoda 2024 . p.44 ↩︎
5. “Contrology Handbook. A Guide to Joe Pilates’ Method” Sandy Shimoda 2024 . p.46 ↩︎

The Magic Six

In his writings¹, Joseph Pilates described his method, its principles and its execution in great detail. He names and explains individual focal points very clearly.

From these focal points, his students and successors later developed the six so-called Pilates principles:

• Breathing
• Concentration
• Centering
• Precision
• Control
• Flow

Breathing

“Breathing is the first act of life, and the last. Our very life depends on it,”² wrote Joseph Pilates in 1945.

He was convinced that most people do not breathe “correctly”, meaning that they do not fill their lungs completely when they inhale and do not empty their lungs completely when they exhale – or in other words: they breathe too shallowly.

In his opinion, this in turn has a negative effect on our health. When we breathe shallowly, we breathe less deeply and therefore inhale less fresh air. As a result, we take in less oxygen and also release less used air. Shallow breathing also prevents the full movement of the chest and diaphragm – which in turn leads to limited mobility of the chest, diaphragm and also the thoracic spine. And this inevitably leads to poor posture.

Concentration

The perception of our movement – I also like to call it mindfulness.

It does not describe precision or control, i.e. the precise execution of the movement or the controlled use of our muscle power.

It describes our perception of the (movement) processes in our body, the use of muscles and strength, the movement of the joints.

Concentration is the perception of the connection and the interaction of body and mind in movement.

Centering

All power comes from the body’s center and at the same time everything is connected to the body’s center. This holistic approach is inherent in the entire Pilates training.

Jay Grimes talks about the “two-way stretch”. And by this he means stretching, aligning and “working” in opposing directions:

• from inside to outside and from outside to inside
• from top to bottom and from bottom to top
• from left to right and from right to left
• from front to back and from back to front
• in the diagonals

Lori Coleman-Brown compares this to the figure of the star: from the center of the body to the tips of the fingers, toes and hair. Everything radiates and draws outwards – and at the same time remains firmly connected to the center.

Precision

Precision refers to the execution of the individual exercises and their movement sequence.

By understanding the movement sequence, we first understand the exercise with our minds and through repeated training we also understand it with our bodies.

With regular training, the movement sequences and their execution become more and more precise.

Control

“Be in control of your body, not at it’s mercy” is what Joseph Pilates is quoted as saying.

Through the strength of the body and its muscles together with the power of the mind, we gain control over the movements of our body.

Joseph Pilates called his method “Contrology”. And Control is an essential training goal in classical Pilates.

Flow

The connection of the individual exercises or the need to create smooth transitions from one exercise to the next in order to create from the sequence of individual exercises a uniform flow of movement.

Flow in movement is scientifically described as follows: “Flow is the melting together of action and conciousness; the state of finding a balance between a skill and how challenging that task is.”³

And Sandy Shimoda goes on to describe: “When you reach flow in your workouts, you will feel the sense of joy that comes from immersing yourself in the process, engaging and energizing. It is the ultimate state of balance between body and mind in motion, […] It is also the rewarding feeling that we should all experience as often as possible.”

Pilates in flow creates joy in and through movement – the Joy of Movement.

These six principles are and remain the basis of every Pilates training – regardless of whether you are a beginner or advanced.

In Joy of Movements beginner training, we focus particularly on breathing and find our movement rhythm through the breathing rhythm.

And in all Pilates classes at Joy of Movement, we also regularly work with mindfulness or focus on one of these principles – regardless of whether you are a beginner or more advanced.

An important basis for this type of Pilates is familiarity with the individual exercises and their sequence, as we achieve in classic Pilates training. Because only then can we direct our attention in movement to one or more Pilates principles – or simply to how we move.

My very first Pilates teacher, Vesna Matthies in Hamburg, called this form of training

Pilates in Zen Mode

1. “Your Health” Joseph H. Pilates New York 1934
   “Return to Life through Contrology” Joseph H. Pilates New York 1945 ↩︎
2. “Return to Life through Contrology” Joseph H. Pilates New York 1945 ↩︎
3. Ellis; Völkl; Morris (1994) “Measurement and Analysis Issues with Explanation of Variance in Daily Experience Using the Flow Model” in Journal of Leisure Research. 26 (4); 337-356″ ↩︎

More than just the Mat …

Pilates is a holistic training.
Most know Pilates on the mat – many think it is comparable to yoga (and some exercises seem similar) … but very few know that Pilates training also includes equipment.
I am not referring to the small devices such as poles, balls, ribbons or the Magic Circle, but to the large apparati that Joseph Pilates developed and patented in the early 1920s.

He spoke very consciously of apparati or equipment as opposed to machines. According to the definition, a machine is a mechanical device consisting of moving parts that transmit force or energy and with the help of which certain work can be carried out while saving human labour.
A device, on the other hand, is a (movable) object with the help of which something can be processed, effected or manufactured.

In contrast to the machine, which makes (physical) work easier for us, the (Pilates) apparatus helps us to “work” our body, creating stronger muscles and greater mobility and thus restores the health of the body … and this is what Joseph Pilates describes in his book “Return to Life through Contrology”.

The apparatus does not make our work easier, on the contrary with its help we “expand” the “work” of our body.
We become part of the equipment, so to speak. By working with and against the springs, it gives us feedback about the muscles that are or should be involved.
Our body awareness is increased and strengthened in a unique way.
And that in turn helps us to control and improve motion sequences.

And it was precisely for this reason that Pilates invented all of his equipment. He was always concerned with healing and improving the body that stood before him. In some cases, the physical limitations of his clients gave him the impetus to develop certain devices in the first place.

The first piece apparatus that Joseph Pilates invented was the “Foot Corrector”.
Not surprising when you consider that the feet are the foundation of the entire body and are very neglected in the civilised world:
・ We don’t use them enough because we walk and run less often
・ And when we walk or run, we put on shoes.
And as they do protect the feet from dirt and injuries, they also prevent the feet from moving “properly” – as rolling them over from heels to toes and vice versa, bending the toes and spreading them apart.
And due to the lack of these movements, the intrinsic muscles, i.e. the muscles that are inside the foot, are not trained at all and the tendons of the leg muscles (which end in the foot) become shorter and shorter.

Many more apparati followed this first one. And Pilates observations of the human body, its anatomy and also its “mechanics” always gave the impetus.
How does the body move?
Which muscles enable which movements?
Where are the connections?
And what enables, but also facilitates the interaction …

He invented and built most of the apparati himself. And he also has patents for those.
A few pieces were inspired by devices developed by other innovators (e.g. from
Eugen Sandow) and he has not registered any patents for these devices.

It is the content and the aim of his method, as he described it in both his books. For him, it’s not just about physical fitness or physical activity, but about the corrective power of his exercises.

Pilates can definitely be described as obsessed – although he was not an ascetic do-gooder. On the contrary, he liked alcohol, cigars, women.
But in his studio and in relation to his method, which he called Contrology, he was meticulous and did not tolerate any dilution.
He specified the exercises that were done and they were done as he specified – no variation or relief, no change in order.
The exercises he gave his clients were demanding and encouraging, and even if they were difficult, they were doable. Exercises that were too difficult for the client were not done … until the client got stronger – only then new exercises were added to their individual program.
We know from many reports from his clients that he was a strict teacher.
Some loved him, others preferred to be taught by Clara (Pilates wife).
However, this made no difference in the method, only in handling.

In his two publications “Your Health” (1934) and “Return to Life through Contrology” (1945) his motivation to improve the physical health of all people becomes more than clear. In general, he wrote these two books, not least to draw attention to the poor physical health of the population and to show that his exercise system, his method, is an effective means of counteracting it.
Again and again he sought contact with the health authorities and also with doctors and hospitals in order to present and advertise his method. After the documentation and presentation of the successful rehab process of Eve Gentry *, he was even offered a contract for the rehab department, which unfortunately did not materialise. **

With this knowledge it becomes clear that his method, the Pilates System or ‘The Work’, is not a pure mat training, but that the apparati have their very useful place in this system.
Training Pilates without the equipment is therefore a very incomplete Pilates training. Exclusively pilating on the mat certainly makes you stronger, but the corrective effect of the training stays very limited .
Only the Pilates apparati turn your training into a true Pilates training.

‘Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.’

* Eve Gentry (a ballet dancer who had been training regularly in the Pilates studio since 1942) had to undergo an operation in 1955 after a routine examination that found a lump in her chest. When she woke up from the anesthesia, not only had one breast been completely removed, but also the large pectoral muscle that is responsible for a large part of the arm movements – Eve Gentry could hardly lift her arm. A disaster for a dancer. Her first port of call was Pilates and he accepted the challenge. In this case, however, he could not strengthen, stretch or get a muscle back into motion. The pec major was gone and ways had to be found to replace it. From the hundreds of exercises he had invented for his equipment, Pilates looked for the right ones for Eve Gentry and developed new sequences of movements. He put together exercises that were aimed at strengthening the muscles around the injury so that they could take over the tasks of the missing pectoralis major: the body should find alternatives to eventually be able to perform all the movements again. She regularly trained in the studio with the various pieces of equipment and Pilates gave her a “Ped-a-Pull” for training at home. After a year of hard work, she did it: she could move normally again. Some doctors, who also trained in the studio, were impressed with this rehabilitation and recommended making a film to capture this successful work and present it to others. Eve’s husband Bruce Gentry, a photographer, filmed in 16mm and black and white for 18 minutes how his wife, under the guidance of Joseph Pilates, does exercises on various Pilates devices.

** A hospital looking for new methods of rehabilitation for breast cancer patients was interested. But after the film was shown, the authenticity of the pictures was questioned and it was considered a fake. Bruce Gentry made the same film a second time. This time he filmed Eve with a bare torso and the clearly visible scar, leaving no doubt as to its authenticity. After showing this second film in the same hospital, the doctors were deeply impressed and asked Pilates, to develop a general rehabilitation program for patients after breast surgery. When the contract was drawn up, it was noticed that Pilates had neither a title, nor medical degree, or even a training as a physiotherapist, and so the contract offer was withdrawn.

The film rolls are now in the dance department of the New York Public Library at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts

*/ ** from: Eva Rincke “Joseph Pilates. The man whose name became the program “
Herder Verlag 2nd edition 2016 pages 192-197