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Restoring The Plumb Line

EXPLORING THE ANATOMY OR BREATH, MOTION, AND MICRO-ALIGNMENT

Movement 5 Minute Read

When the ribcage moves, the spine thrives. Grounded in biomedical science and clinical movement therapies, Mins Teo, resident expert at COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali, explores the vital link between respiratory expansion and structural alignment. 


 

Mins Teo

Mins Teo has over a decade of international experience as a movement teacher and practitioner. She has trained as a Ballet and Contemporary dancer, and holds a degree in Biomedical Science, with further certifications in Clinical Pilates, Yoga, Gyrotonic, Tension / Trauma-releasing exercise, Hydrotherapy, and Sports Massage therapy.

 

Based at COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali, she enjoys using precise movement to realign the body, as well as targeted breathwork and body scans to relieve stress and enhance one’s connection with the body, based on the principles of Pilates, as well as the Hatha, Vinyasa, and Ashtanga schools of Yoga. 

TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY WITH PILATES.

I first started my Pilates practice 20 years ago as a way to dance pain-free. Born hypermobile, my bones and joints are loosely connected and fall out of place easily. I also suffered from severe lower back pain, as I did not have the core strength to dance or run with good support. 

Practicing Reformer Pilates has been a real gamechanger for me — it allows me to physically feel where my body is against the carriage, aligning me back to my midline while strengthening the joints and muscles in a sustainable way. Just two hours of Pilates a week helped me to live and walk without back pain. 

To me, Pilates is the place where art and science meet. I was a ballet dancer previously, and I have a degree in Biomedical Sciences. These perspectives from both the arts and the science have helped me to better understand the body, and my clients — with dance as the softer, energy-based side, and science lending a deeply analytical eye to my practice. Whether one is on the Reformer, Cadillac, or Chair, I am able to guide one with precise adjustments so that their body is organised more efficiently, and they can move with grace and ease. 

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE?

Pilates is a very versatile practice with three core principles — breath, control and centering. It relies on a mix of strengthening and stretching. For those with hypermobility, the strengthening aspect is emphasised. For those with stiffer bodies, they can focus more on the stretching aspect. Pilates does both aspects simultaneously, since eccentric strengthening (or the lengthening of a muscle) is core to the practice.

What I like best is that there is a constant state of self-discovery. I can practise the same basic movement everyday and learn something new about myself — whether it’s a stiffness that wasn’t there previously, or simply exploring the familiar in a new way. Pilates has supported me through different life stages — it’s the same movement, from a different lens, mindset, and body.


 

WHAT DOES GOOD ALIGNMENT LOOK LIKE?

Everyone is born with a different structure and body proportion. Good alignment generally means there is a defined plumb line, where the earlobe, shoulder, pelvis, feet and ankles are perfectly aligned, and you are standing with equal weight on the heels and toes. What this means is that your bones are able to stack like Lego blocks in a way that is most energetically efficient for the body. Your muscles are then able to arrange themselves well and work efficiently. 

Alignment is most affected by repetitive movement. For example, spending many hours in front of a desk results in hunched shoulders and a head-forward position, and instead of being arched, the lower back remains rounded and you’re sitting beyond your sitbones — like a hammock. 



 

HOW IS THE BREATH CONNECTED TO SPINAL ALIGNMENT?

When the ribcage moves, the spine thrives. Each time you take a breath, the lungs have to expand and the space within the ribcage has to increase. If the ribcage is unable to expand three-dimensionally from the side, front and back, the neck and traps have to compensate. This means that the neck and traps have to take the full load of the action of breathing, locking the body in a constant state of tension. 

We also rarely rotate our thoracic spines — we usually turn our heads or lower back instead, which further loads up the upper neck and lower back. A spine that thrives is one that is mobile throughout the neck, ribcage, and lower back, where the load is evenly distributed throughout. We often see lower back pain in those who play rotational sports, like golf, padel, or tennis, because the intercostal muscles (the ones between our ribs) are often stiff. This also affects cardiovascular movements like running or walking — because the ribcage cannot fully expand, oxygen efficiency is impaired, and you might find yourself running out of breath more quickly. 

WHAT CAN GUESTS EXPECT DURING A PRIVATE PILATES SESSION WITH YOU?

I usually begin with an analysis of their posture (both dynamic and static), taking into account their fitness history, lifestyle habits, gait patterns and any prior experience with Pilates. I’ll also ask them if they have anything they would like to focus on, and we would devise a session plan from there — from releasing lower back pain, finding core strength post-partum, to playing padel or golf pain-free. We also work across the Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Reformer, and Barrel. 


 

WHAT MAKES THE ESTATE SO TRANSFORMATIVE FOR WELLNESS?

Nature helps to shift a guest’s awareness inward. And the Estate is really special because not much has changed in its environment in the past decade — it’s very rare to find such an expansive area of untouched nature, which allows the eyes to relax and gaze freely. That alone helps to shift the central nervous system into a relaxed, parasympathetic — also known as ‘rest and digest’ — state.

The parasympathetic state and neuroplasticity form a vital feedback loop. For any lasting changes to happen in one’s mind, habits, or healing cellular repair to be made, it can only happen when one’s nervous system is relaxed. Everything within the Estate — nature, daily movement, fresh air — wholly supports that.

I also conduct the Pilates and yoga wellness activities on the daily schedule, which typically see full attendance from guests. Having daily movement sessions throughout the week can have a meaningful effect on your mood, blood circulation, and energy levels. We also encourage guests to journal or leave their phones behind for two hours, allowing their consciousness to truly disconnect and to fully immerse themselves in nature.

Private Pilates sessions with Mins are available at COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali. She also heads our movement-based Wellness Paths and Wellness Programmes. Explore our range of wellness experiences here. 


 

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