“The Tesseract was the jewel of Odin’s trophy room.” I gave my friend a nudge with my elbow upon hearing this line in the recent movie, Captain America. Whether you are a fan of Marvel Comics or not, I love the image of this “Cosmic Cube” having special powers that can make the possessor of it, the most powerful being in the Universe.

I also like the timing that the Tesseract may end up being a plot line in next summer’s The Avengers.

Before that however, the Tesseractive Beginner Mat Flashcards will be available at the L.A. Pilates Intensive this weekend in Culver City, California (and from www.karawilypilates.com).

I created this line of flashcards because I am becoming such a huge proponent of exercising not only properly but also frequently. And life moves fast. Not only do we need to train ourselves for it, we need to make exercise convenient enough that we do not avoid it. The flashcards were my answer to people who decided that they could not exercise by themselves because they were afraid of doing it wrong. Additionally, I know that I learned the most about Pilates the year that I went to Vienna, Austria to teach at Performing Arts Studios, Vienna. It was there that I was the only expert around and I had to really learn my own lessons. It was about getting quiet and getting in touch with what my body told me when I did the exercises and what I needed to tell it as well.

Moreover, the Pilates Mat work is the beginning and the end of the work. It is where people are first going to be challenged to gain control and mastery over the body. With the Plates equipment the body is challenged to learn more about how to engage and stretch and then those lessons are put to the test with the more advanced mat work.

Another important point that Siri Galliano, the creator of the L.A. Pilates Intensive, wanted me to make clear to my class on Friday August 26th at 3:00 is, that the mat is done most effectively on the raised mats. The intermediate and advanced series of Tesseractive cards due out for the New Year will be photographed on these apparatus. With the help of the straps and wooden bars, a strong body can gain even more flexibility and a flexible body will can more strength and anyone can milk a little more work out of his or her body. Gratz Industries makes this piece of equipment and it is the best investment for someone who wants to add a piece to a home gym.

For those out there whose iPhones are their Cosmic Cube, the cards will be available digitally September 13th from iTunes as Tesseractive Pilates Mat 1.

The possessor of this series of flashcards and/or apps will have a tool available for self-study. In my opinion this in combination with study from a trusted teacher is the best way to create that internal power that comes from self-reliance.

Each of us has a potential that the world needs us to deliver. Exercise will give you the power and conditioning that we need to continue to persevere and get done what needs to be accomplished.

If you need some motivation, check out the L.A. Intensive. If you are motivated, grab some tools available and get moving. The Tesseract, or 4-dimensional cube is a symbol of energy that exists beyond our understanding; the way to comprehend its existence is to feel the power of your own potential.