When I first started doing Pilates, my favourite bit was the part right before you did anything, where you'd lie down and do nothing! I always wondered what the point of it was and over the years I've realised it's something quite important.
Lying semi-supine helps decompress the spine, resets your posture and it's great to take 10 minutes out during the day to this. Lie on your back on a mat with your feet flat on the floor with legs bent, hip-distance apart and parallel to one another. Take some time to allow yourself to ‘arrive’ and settle in this new position. And just breathe, noticing the parts of your body that are in contact with the floor.
I find doing this just after lunch for 10 minutes before getting back on with emails at your desk is a good time. It's not just a Pilates thing, but also integral to the Alexander Technique.
So if you lie on the floor in this position and anyone asks you want you're doing, you can say 'I'm practicing Pilates' 🙂
From here you could take this into pelvic tilts - read a little more here and all the other great exercises that I cover in my classes
At the Sydenham Centre, we usually start the class lying on our mats so sign up for your complimentary Pilates taster session here and come and have a lie down!