Imagery in Pilates means using mental pictures to help your body find the right movement. Instead of technical instructions such as engage your transversus abdominis, instructors use images like zip up your abs from the pubic bone to the navel, or roll down like a string of pearls. These images guide alignment, muscle engagement and control in a way that often feels more intuitive than anatomy terms. To use imagery well, focus on one image at a time, let it shape how the movement feels rather than how it looks, and keep the images that work for your body. If a cue does not click, ask your instructor for another. Combined with feedback from a mirror or teacher, imagery can speed up learning and make exercises feel smoother and more natural.
Health note: This article is general information, not medical advice. Imagery is a teaching tool and does not replace proper instruction. Check with a doctor or physical therapist before starting Pilates if you have back, neck or joint problems, are pregnant or are recovering from injury, and ideally learn exercises from a qualified instructor.
Why imagery works
Many of the muscles Pilates targets, such as the deep abdominals, pelvic floor and small spinal stabilizers, are hard to feel or control directly. Telling someone to contract a specific muscle often produces tension in the wrong places. A well-chosen image, by contrast, describes the result you want, and the body tends to organize itself to achieve it. Coaches in many sports use similar external or image-based cues, and research in motor learning suggests that focusing on the effect of a movement rather than on individual muscles can support performance and learning, although responses vary between individuals. In Pilates, imagery also encourages the flowing, lengthened quality the method is known for.
Common Pilates images
| Image | What it helps |
|---|---|
| Zipping up from pubic bone to navel | Engaging the deep abdominals and pelvic floor |
| A string pulling the crown of your head up | Lengthening the spine |
| A string of pearls | Articulating the spine one vertebra at a time |
| Headlights on the hip bones | Keeping the pelvis square |
| Ribs knitting together | Closing the rib cage on the exhale |
| Balloon filling the back ribs | Lateral breathing |
| Scooping out the belly like a spoon | Drawing the abdominals in during flexion |
| Glass of water on the pelvis | Keeping the pelvis level and still |
Images for alignment
The string on the crown: Imagine a string attached to the top of your head, gently pulling upward. This encourages a long spine, whether you are sitting, standing or lying down, and helps prevent slumping or jutting the chin forward.
Headlights on the hip bones: Picture two headlights on the front of your hip bones, shining straight ahead. If one beam turns, the pelvis has rotated. This image is useful in exercises like the spine twist and single leg circles, where the pelvis should stay square.
A glass of water on the pelvis: When lying on your back, imagine a glass of water balanced on your lower belly. Keep it from spilling as your legs move to help the pelvis stay level and quiet.
Images for engagement
Zipping up: Imagine closing a tight zipper from the pubic bone to the navel. This helps engage the pelvic floor and deep abdominals together, gently and from the bottom up.
The scoop: Imagine a spoon scooping out the inside of your belly, drawing it in and up. This is common in exercises like the roll up and rolling like a ball.
Wrapping the thighs: Picture the backs of the inner thighs wrapping toward each other, like two spirals, to engage the inner thighs and deep hip rotators in Pilates stance.
Images for movement and breathing
String of pearls: Imagine your spine as a string of pearls being laid down or lifted one pearl at a time. This is used in the pelvic curl, roll down and roll up to encourage smooth articulation.
Balloon in the back ribs: As you inhale, imagine a balloon inflating in the sides and back of your rib cage. This supports lateral breathing.
Ribs knitting together: On the exhale, picture the lower ribs drawing toward each other and down toward the waist, closing the rib cage.
Imagery in classical and contemporary Pilates
Imagery has long been part of Pilates teaching. Instructors trained in the classical tradition often pass down cues that have been used for generations, such as scooping the abdominals or lengthening through the crown of the head. Contemporary teachers frequently add images drawn from anatomy, dance and movement science, and some borrow from approaches like Franklin Method imagery, which is built entirely around mental images for movement. Because instructors come from different backgrounds, you may hear quite different cues for the same exercise. That variety is a strength: if one teacher’s images do not work for you, another’s might. Over time, many students find that a handful of favorite images become their go-to reminders across the entire repertoire.
How to use imagery effectively
- Choose one image at a time. Trying to hold several images at once tends to overload attention.
- Let the image change the feeling, not just the outward shape of the movement.
- Test it: perform the movement with and without the image and notice the difference.
- Keep images that work, and let go of ones that confuse you.
- Ask your instructor for a different image if a cue does not help.
- Combine imagery with feedback from a mirror, video or teacher to confirm what you feel matches what you do.
- Create your own images once you understand the goal of an exercise.
Imagery at home
If you practice Pilates at home, imagery can partly make up for not having an instructor present. Before each exercise, think about its main goal, such as keeping the pelvis still or articulating the spine, and pick one image that supports it. Recording yourself on video and comparing it with how the image felt can help you check your form. Over time, you will build a personal library of cues that work for your body.
Limits of imagery
Imagery is a helpful tool, but it is not magic. Some images do not translate well for everyone, and some people prefer clear anatomical explanations. Imagery also cannot replace strength, mobility or proper technique instruction. If an exercise feels wrong or painful, no image will fix that; stop and seek guidance. The best teaching usually combines imagery, anatomy, demonstration and hands-on or verbal feedback.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using too many images at once.
- Taking images too literally, such as sucking in hard to zip up.
- Forcing an image that does not make sense to you.
- Relying only on imagery without checking alignment.
- Tensing up while trying to achieve the image.
- Ignoring pain because the image feels right.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Pilates instructors use imagery?
Images help people feel correct movement quickly, especially for deep muscles that are hard to control consciously.
Does imagery work for everyone?
Not always. Some people respond better to anatomical explanations or demonstrations. Good instructors use a mix of approaches.
Can I make up my own Pilates images?
Yes. Once you understand the purpose of an exercise, creating your own images can be a useful way to personalize your practice.
