Pilates And Yoga By Caron Bosler - Caron has been teaching Pilates for over 15 years. She received her Yoga Teacher Training from Yoga Vida Gurukul. She is the author of 3 books on Pilates. For more information please go to www.cor-e-nergy.com	Print This Page
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Pilates And Yoga: Are they REALLY Compatible?
On the surface both Pilates and Yoga produce the same results: Long, tone, elongated mus-cles with a concentration on the coordination of mind and body, breath and movement. Both of these modalities involve their own unique language to achieve similar goals. On initial inspection, these goals do not seem so far apart. Both modalities involve focusing the mind on the present moment. Both involve breathing as an initiation of outward movement. In Yoga and Pilates, the breath dictates the action. People use both as a way to uplift, re-energise, and strengthen body and soul to enhance everything else they do throughout their day.
There are a few differences in these modalities however. A common Western mistake is to reduce yoga to a form of exercise, and a common Pilates miss-apprehension is to say it is a way of life. Pilates involves pulling in the abdominals and yoga instructors will often be heard to say the phrase ‘soft belly’. Pilates also involves several repetitions of each movement, where as yoga ‘asanas’, or postures, are held once for several breaths.

Yoga is a journey. It is a path of enlightenment. It is connection and realization of the self, to the self. Yoga is often referred to as a way of life. There are many paths in yoga, and each path will be different for every individual. Some people may find that different aspects of yoga work bet-ter for them than others. It is important that a broad overview of yoga is understood, so that one can find the right path for them. Yoga is an inward journey that can take many paths. Depending on which aspect of yoga works for an individual, the focus of the practice can change drastically. Meditation, breath, karma, and asanas are all parts of a yogic practice that can be utilized to a greater or lesser degree. Some people may love the meditations, and others the asanas. It is im-portant to understand that yoga is not a religion. There is no need to give up or change your reli-gious beliefs. It is the practice of finding a deeper realization of the self.

The Pilates method is a series of exercises created by Joseph Pilates to lengthen, strengthen, and tone the body. Joseph Pilates developed the method throughout his life (1880-1967) by combining knowledge of Eastern and Western philosophies. The Pilates method focuses on core strength to assist in strengthening and stretching the entire body. The mind and body are constantly working to develop supple, elongated muscles. This system combines stretching and strengthening with breath and coordination to create a well-balanced body. Small muscle groups are brought in harmony with superficial ones. Very few repetitions are done of each exercise so the mind constantly remains focused. Dancers were initially drawn to it because it made them stronger while keeping the body streamlined. The exercises can be catered to each individual’s needs. Jo-seph Pilates based his work on mat exercises, but his innovative approach also uses spring resis-tance in conjunction with anatomical opposition to achieve desired results. With continued use the entire body changes- posture improves and muscles become longer and leaner.

While the foundations of both Pilates and Yoga are extremely different, the effects can be extremely similar. As long as one is clear in the understanding and principles of the modality they are practicing, the benefits of each are complementary.

Caron Bosler - http://www.cor-e-nergy.com

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