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In Astrology, the positions and movements of the cosmos and planets hold so much sway in our characters and how we connect with the world. Our individual astrological signs even offer insight into our ideal exercises! To help establish a strong foundation for the new year ahead, Pilates Instructor Celeste will teach a virtual monthly, year-long workshop combining Astrology and Pilates. In Cosmic Pilates, Celeste explores connecting the movement of Pilates with the movement of the sun, moon, and stars. In each workshop, Celeste will cover a set of “power” Pilates moves and how they relate to each zodiac sign that month. You can find a deeper look into each Astrological sign’s personality traits and exercise style in this monthly blog series, and then put those insights into practice in Celeste’s workshops – this month is all about Aries.
ARIES
March 21 – April 19
Symbol: The Ram
Body Association: Face and Head
1st House: Aries – a cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars – is the genesis and origin of all things. As the first sign of the zodiac, it deals with primacy and focuses on self, new beginnings, and the process of becoming uniquely you.
To strengthen the body parts associated with this sign, the following Pilates exercised are practiced:
Salute: This Pilates move represents the Aries horns.
Arabesque/Upstretch: Your Power Move! This move really strengthens the backline of your body while tapping into your deepest self to find balance.
Kneeling Side Legs: Your centering move. By working in the lateral plane, you are asked to slow down and feel something other than “charging ahead”.
Aries Motto
“I am able to tap into my boundless energy to embrace my personality and present who I want to be to the world.”
Food for Thought
Aries, you are self-powered initiators who aren’t afraid to leap into new situations. The challenge of the moment excites you. Try not to let that momentary challenge give way to the next one – your sign is sometimes accused of not finishing many of the endeavors you undertake. As a fire sign, you Aries folk generate heat, self-assurance and daring. “Look before you leap” is sage advice for Aries, but you would counter “he who hesitates is lost”. Your embrace of your inner fire pits you as unfaltering pioneers and soldiers. Indeed, your initiative and readiness to act at a moment’s notice can often tip the balance in situations requiring action. Be sure to temper that energy and gusto with periods of self-reflection and a willingness to understand where those “less inclined” are coming from.
Physical You | Aries Movement Personality
When the sun shifts into the sign of Aries, the world comes alive again. Everyone wants to be outdoors. Trees are blossoming and the wild flowers are in bloom. Baby animals are being born. This new spring energy seems to emit from the Aries persona in a way that stirs the energy in us all. Aries, your energy is dynamic, vibrant, inspiring… just like that feeling we get when spring starts.
Aries, you seem to excel at strenuous exercise routines. Your ruling planet, Mars, “the warrior”, imparts the formidable strength, endurance, confidence, and drive. Strenuous activity seems to calm you. Therefore, you should try vigorous workouts that involve competition. Games like football, softball, basketball, or tennis suit you well. As do other sports such as windsurfing, rollerblading, gymnastics, martial arts, boxing, and jumping rope. Mars rules iron, so weight lifting or fencing are also in your element!
The Best Advice for Aries Friends:
Your innately competitive nature can cause you to push the bounds, sometimes pushing so hard that you may innocuously push people away. You may find it difficult to be patient with people not as motivated or driven as you, so it’s important to harness your diplomacy and tact. Play fair!
Unlike some other signs, you don’t usually hold grudges, but you may not realize when your “competitors” do. So pay attention in all your relationships. When engaging with less competitive signs, avoid getting caught up in useless arguments. Try to look outside yourself to see other perspectives. You might come across as arrogant and in need of attention because of this obstinacy and your desire to push people to challenge themselves.
See a demonstration of the Pilates Aries Moves:
https://youtu.be/0iIKwGRfVPk
Personal You | Going Deeper
Aries, because you are ruled by fire you are sensual, loving creatures, but you can overheat at the drop of a hat. I see this often with my very handsome cat, Aster. He is the most affectionate, emotionally expressive cat I have ever encountered — a bundle of optimistic energy — but in an almost aggressive and stubborn way sometimes. He’ll ram his little forehead into whatever body part he can get to the quickest because he adores being cuddled. Then out of the blue, he’ll turn on me and go into attack mode — not quite knowing how to handle all the feels he’s experiencing. Fire! It can be amusing to watch how Aries can just “vent” and move on, quickly forgetting why everyone else is still so upset.
The Aries people I’ve known in life are truly the most gracious, kind and genuinely loving souls — yet they can fight fire with fire in a heartbeat. Extremely loyal toward your friends and family, Aries, you don’t do well when you sense your emotional fabric is being threatened. Since you are well known for some of your more brash character traits, others don’t often realize that you also have an extremely thoughtful and generous side. You are warm and loving with those you hold dear. When it comes to your loved ones, you would do just about anything to make them happy!
Blazing New Trails
As with any cardinal sign, Aries unconventionality indicates a willingness to try out new paths, to start new directions, or to be the first in line. Your energy can come off as “impatient” at times, but it’s because your mind is so active, vibrant, alive — like the season in which you were born. Sometimes this can frustrate your friends of other zodiac signs who prefer stable environments. Your single-mindedness when working on projects can come across as selfish and unaware of how your actions affect others as you relentlessly push toward your self-imposed goals.
You can be the first to succeed — or the first to get burned. So take care, sweet Aries, because you may just find out why no one has tried it before! Yet, if anyone has the “gumption” to push forward in the world in the most steadfast and unwavering manner, it is you. You can become the unsung hero of your time, like Maya Angelou…or Vincent van Gogh, whose vibrance mixed with impatience are evident in his brush strokes. You can push the envelope successfully with sparkle and flair, a la Jackie Chan, Elton John or Lady Gaga.
Energy and optimism! Aries, you challenge us to move forward in love and light, just like the blossoms bloom and the baby animals born during the peak of your season. We see hope in the future ahead — and we strive to reach it, without falter.
Celeste’s Aries-centered Cosmic Pilates workshop occurs on Saturday, April 11. Tune into this virtual workshop to delve deeper into how to best strengthen and stoke that Aries fire.
