What are your favorite Pilates books? We're particularly curious about books that you have used as a resource for your teaching or training. Do you have a favorite anatomy book, perhaps? Or maybe you can recommend a book of any sort that has helped you grow as a teacher?

"Pilates: Body in Motion"

Very good resource for beginners, especially for mat work. Nicely photographed in color with a good balance of model types/sexes.

I like the Everything Pilates Book and I also like Rael Isakowitz' book, Pilates. For anatomy I refer to Anatomy of Movement quite frequently.

I use Anatomy of Movement quite a bit - excellent resource and well illustrated.

I like "The Pilates Body"by Brooke Siler for an introduction to mat work. "Pilates" Rael Isakowitz and for anatomy "The Atlas of Musculo-skeletal Anatomy" by Chris Jarmey

TOP FAVORITE PILATES BOOKS

1. Return to LifeThrough Contrology (Joseph Pilates)
2. Your Health (Joseph Pilates)
3. Contrología (Gloria Contreras)
4. Begginer´s guide to Pilates (Sian Williams)
5. Teaching Pilates for postural faults (Jane Paterson)

TOP FAVORITE PILATES RELATED BOOKS

1. All the books from Eric Franklin are superb
2. Anatomy trains (Tom Myers)
3. A Kinesthetic Legacy (Pamela Matt)
4. Awareness through movement (Moshe Feldenkrais)
5. Trail Guide to the body (Andrew Biel)

I always recommend The Pilates Body by Brooke Siler--great visuals, modifications and progression.Use for teacher training and to support students' home practice.

The Book of Muscle by Ian King, published by Men's Health. This book helped me prep for my NSCA personal trainer exam, as well as my PMA teacher exam. I refer to it all the time, to help connect familiar gym exercises with mechanics and goals in Pilates. Especially with athletes and weightlifters.

Enjoy all the books already mentioned! Another favorite and an amazing resource for me:

Mary Bond's New Rules of Posture

Ideokinesis: A Creative Approach to Human Movement & Body Alignment" by Andre Bernard, Wolfgang Steinmuller, Ursula Stricker

This is a glorious book on the profound affect of imagery on body awareness, movement and natural muscle recruitment. It takes you into your own living skeletal structure and helps you to see others' more clearly. Inspirational!

Please note - that Andre Bernard was not the author of the email above re "Idiokinesis..." - unless he has reincarnated himself - in which case he would undoubtedly have recommended Mabel E. Todd's "The Thinking Body", from which his work came.
Madeleine Butcher

I've taught Pilates for 18 years. In the last few years the three things below profoundly impacted my growth as a teacher.

It's been mentioned, but Rael Isacowitz' Pilates is outstanding for its detailed pictures, cues and imagery of the exercises. Full disclosure requires me to tell you Rael has been my teacher for 12 years and I work for his organization. But REALLY, you should check it out.

Karen Clippenger's book (I have no relation with her other than I think she is one of the best presenters ever!) Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology is also a great read even if you don't work with dancers.

And not that you asked for DVD's, I have to tell you that for anatomy, if you don't mind seeing the real thing up close, I'd recommend Gil Hedley's cadaver dissection DVD's. He reveals the body in layers so you can see the body in its continuity rather than in parts. http://gilhedley.com/ We know it's all connected, but to see it all connected provides a whole different level of understanding.
Hope these suggestions help you all like they did me...