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Quotes from Joseph H. Pilates

From his book, “Return to Life Through Contrology”

"Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”

“Patience and persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.”

“Above all, learn to breathe correctly.”

“Contrology is complete coordination of mind, body and spirit…Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.”

“Contrology is not a fatiguing system of boring abhorred exercises repeated daily ad-nauseam. Neither does it demand your…purchasing expensive apparatus.”

“As the spring freshets born of the heavy rains and vast masses of melting snows on mountains in the hinterlands cause rivers to swell and ruch turbulently onward to the sea, so too will your blood flow with renewed vigor as the direct result of your faithfully performing the Contrology exercises. These exercises induce the heart to pump strong and steadily with the result that the bloodstream is forced to carry and discharge more and more of the accumulated debris created by fatigue. Contrology exercises drive the pure fresh blood to every muscle fiber of our bodies, particularly to the very important capillaries which ordinarily are ever rarely fully stimulated once we have reached adulthood.”

"The science of Contrology disproves that prevalent and all-to-trite saying, 'You’re only as old as you feel.' The art of contrology proves that the only real guide to your true age lies not in your years or how you THINK you feel but as you ACTUALLY are as infallibly indicated by the degree of natural and normal flexibility enjoyed by your spine throughout life.”

“The acquirement and enjoyment of physical well-being, mental calm and spiritual peace are priceless to their possessor if there be any such so fortunate living amongst us today. However, it is the ideal to strive for, and in our opinion, it is only through Contrology that this unique trinity of balanced body, mind and spirit can ever be attained.”

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