The Internal Shower

In Return to Life, Joseph Pilates describes the "Internal Shower":

"The exercises (Pilates) have stirred your sluggish circulation into action have begun to discharge through the bloodstream the accumulation of fatigue-products created by muscular and mental activities. Your brain clears and your will power functions."

"These exercises induce the heart to pump strong and steadily. As a result, the bloodstream carries and discharges from your system more of the accumulated debris caused by fatigue. Contrology exercises (now called Pilates) drive pure, fresh blood to every muscle fiber of our bodies, particularly to the very important capillaries which ordinarily are rarely ever fully stimulated once we reach adulthood....The result result is that the organs of the body, including important sweat glands, receive the benefit of clean fresh blood carried to them by this rejuvenated bloodstream." 

The "internal shower" warms you from the inside out. It makes the need for external heat, such as a sweatshirt or heated room unnecessary. Probably why I despise Bikram and overly heated studios. My body and breath take care of this function on their own. I always love the feeling and sight of my rosy cheeks after completing the Hundreds at the beginning of my workout and carrying it through. It also happens from the breathing of a Yoga class for me. Not an exhausted redness but a rosy glow that heats me internally, and makes me feel beautiful inside and out. I always feel most healthy and connected after experiencing this cleansing.

Look for this glow in your clients it's a great sign of knowing that they are connecting properly to their breath and movement.

Be sure to "internal shower" your body daily.