Let me tell you something that some Pilates teachers are going to totally agree with, and others might strongly disagree:
I never do roll-ups, and I still call it Pilates!
Ever since I did my first Pilates class (I did the Windsor Pilates classes DVD in high school… 2003ish haha woah), I always made my own adjustments to suit my body. I’d push myself when I needed, but also understood early on what it meant to work with my own individual ability, my own limitations, I did what felt personally effective, I tuned in.
But later, when I started going to Pilates studios and Yoga classes, I lost that. I stopped listening to my body and started focusing on doing it “right.” I pushed harder than I needed to. I wanted to look like the teacher or the person next to me. I wanted to get to the most ‘progressed’ option.
Spoiler: This led me straight to injury.
It wasn’t until years later, when I started exploring self-acceptance on every level (not just body image, but mindset and movement too), that I finally started coming back home to myself. I started tuning into my body.
And honestly? This is when everything changed for the better.
Recently, everything’s been clicking on a whole new level. While building our Yin Yoga Teacher Training, I’ve gone deep into the world of skeletal variation, and it’s completely blown my mind.
Perhaps it’s not that you’re not good at it, it’s that your bones are different. The way your body moves, bends, and folds isn’t just about strength or flexibility. It’s also about structure. Your bones are shaped uniquely, and that affects your range of motion and how certain movements feel. So when a pose or exercise doesn’t come easily, it’s not a failure, it might just be your anatomy doing exactly what it’s meant to do.
What is Skeletal Variation
Just like our faces look different, just like our fingerprints are different… our bones are different too. And this impacts how we move, and how we do Pilates and Yoga. Still not quite getting it? Are you picturing that stiff plastic skeleton from Year 8 science class? Bones aren’t one-size-fits-all… and they’re definitely not all identical like that classroom model.
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Vertebrae of the spine, can be close together or far apart.
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Your pelvis might tilt more forward or more backward.
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Your hip sockets might face slightly out.
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Your femurs might be longer. Or short.
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Your spine might naturally curve more (or less).
These aren’t flaws. There is no right or wrong. They’re just facts.
So when a roll-up doesn’t feel smooth for you, but you feel like you have a super strong core, it might not be about strength. It might just be your structure. Some people have vertebrae that are naturally closer together, especially in the lumbar spine (lower back). This can limit spinal flexion (the curling action needed in a roll-up) and make that smooth “peeling off the mat” feel sticky or restricted.
Thinking about the spine again… ever wonder how someone gets that beautiful, perfect arched backbend?
Yeah, it’s not just flexibility or “being good at Yoga.” It’s their bones. If there’s more space between the vertebrae, there’s more room for bend. Simple as that.
Honestly, learning this blew my mind. Because I’ve always been that girl with the almost totally straight backbend. And for so long, I thought it meant I was just bad at yoga. I have a feeling I’m not the only one who’s felt that way?
You Don’t Have to “Look the Part” to Do It Right
Here’s the truth I wish someone had told me sooner:
- You don’t need to master every move to belong in a Pilates class. Or Yoga class for that matter!
- You don’t need to make it look perfect.
- You just need to feel what’s right for you.
If something feels effective and safe… even if it looks “different”, it’s right for you.
And if something feels painful, pointless or just plain bad? You’re allowed to skip it. Even if everyone else swears by it.
I don’t do roll-ups because they don’t feel good for my body.
And that’s enough of a reason.
Function vs. Aesthetics
Whether you’re doing Yoga or Pilates (or both), function matters more than form. We believe it’s more about what it feels like compared to what it looks like. This doesn’t mean throwing alignment out the window, it means understanding that alignment should serve your body.
So let this be your permission slip… to stop forcing postures and movements and to start listening to your body so you can move with respect for your unique (amazing) structure.
Because perfect poses are overrated. And tuning in? That’s where the real power lives.
Curious about how this connects with Yin Yoga and functional teaching?
Our upcoming Yin Yoga Teacher Training is all about this, adapting the practice to fit every body, not forcing bodies to fit the pose. It’s not just for Yoga teachers. It’s for anyone who wants to slow down, tune in and move from a place of self-respect and acceptance.
If you’ve got questions, never hesitate to email or message on social media!
Always merrymaking,
Emma + Carla