All about Yoga

You can barely turn on the TV nowadays without hearing about Pilates or Yoga. When you take up a magazine, you are bound to find articles about these two exercise methods and it seems like everyone is doing either one or the other. What is all of the excitement about? Why are these techniques so special? What are the differences and similarities between Pilates and Yoga?

Yoga aims to unite the body, mind, and spirit. The person who aspires to do Yoga views that the body and mind are one. They believe that if the body is given the right tools and is taken to the proper environment then the body can find harmony and will be able to heal itself. Yoga is considered to be therapeutic. You will have a heightened awareness of your body’s alignment, posture, and patterns of movement. Yoga tends to make your body more flexible and it will help you to relax even if you are in the middle of a stress stricken environment. Therefore, one of the most important reasons as to why people start practicing Yoga is that they want to feel more energetic, be more happy, feel more fit and be at peace.

One performs Yoga mainly in a group setting on a special Yoga mat with the help of a Yoga instructor. You use your body’s own weight for resistance. You must also focus a great deal of your attention to the flow from one posture into that of another. Yoga styles are varied and there is not one style that is considered to be better than another. These styles also vary in their emphasis, and the style you choose is a matter of personal preference.

Pilates also seeks to reach many of the same goals as does Yoga by way of a series of movements that are very controlled. The major difference between Pilates and Yoga is that while doing Pilates exercises not only makes use of a mat, but it also incorporates work on different Pilates machines. The main thrust of the Pilates exercises is to improve posture, strengthen the abdominal muscles, improve balance, lengthen and stabilize the spine and improve overall strength. Pilates will tend to give you a leaner, longer, dancer-like line.

A Whole Body Workout

Unlike a variety of other training programs, Pilates makes an effort to work the whole body and places its emphasis on precision, control, and concentration in both the body as well as the mind. There is no attempt made at doing many repetitions at a time in a rapid, haphazard fashion. Instead, the focus is placed on quality and not the amount of reps you do. The “powerhouse” that consists of the lower back, abdominal muscles and the buttocks are at the center of all movement and this allows the rest of your body to move fluidly and freely. When one focuses on core stabilization, it makes the student stronger from the inside out. This is critical for the advancement of the Pilates student. Pilates is low impact by nature and, therefore, it is ideal for the prevention of injury and for rehabilitation. Pilates has six guiding principles – concentration, centering, flow, control, breathing and precision. These principles train the body to move more efficiently while placing minimal impact on the body. With Pilates, there is a definite balance between flexibility and strength that creates a vigorous, symmetrical and health workout for all of the different muscle groups, which will result in a more balanced, leaner, and stronger body.

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Developed from rehabilitation techniques; Pilates is a safe, sensible exercise system. By emphasizing proper breathing, it gets your mind and body in tune with one another.

The originator, Joseph Pilates, was the son of a prize winning gymnast in Germany; were Joseph was born. A sickly child, Joseph began his life’s journey to fitness and health at an early age. By the time he was 14 he was modeling for anatomy charts.

In 1912 Joe went to England where he worked as a self defense instructor for Scotland Yard. At the beginning of WWI he was interned with other German nationals. During his internment, Joe refined his idea and trained other internees. In 1918 an influenza epidemic struck England killing thousands. Not one of Joe’s trainees died. He claimed this to be a testament to the effectiveness of his system.

In 1926 Joseph Pilates emigrated to the U.S. and opened his first studio in New York City sharing an address with the New York City Ballet. Along the way he met Clara whom he later married. By 1960 many New York dancers were their clients; including George Balanchine, who later invited Joe to instruct his young ballerinas at the New York City Ballet.

When Joe passed away in 1967 only two of his students were known to have opened their own studios. Carola Trier, a close friend and Bob Seed, who tried to take clients from Joe.

More than 80 years later Pilates has become one of the hottest and most accessible workouts around. It’s no wonder as Pilates not only tones and tightens your body, but protects it too.

There are two basic types of Pilates. The most common type (which you can do almost anywhere) consists of a series of floor exercises preformed on a mat. These use the body’s own weight as resistance, but can also involve resistance bands or the Pilates Magic Circle (a flexible circle made of rubber or thin metal). The second type relies on two machines called the Cadillac and the Reformer which use a system of springs, levers and pulleys to strengthen and condition. Both types work on the “core” or transverse muscle deep in the abdomen that forms the girdle inside the body. A strong transverse muscle gives you better endurance in every other physical activity. It also protects the lower back and improves posture.

Pilates exercises do produce long lean muscles like a dancer’s, but Pilates isn’t just for girls. Pro football players use Pilates to strengthen their bodies and cores; which helps them absorb the impact of full body tackles without blowing out their knees. During World War I, Joseph Pilates also used his exercises to help wounded soldiers become mobile again.

Today there are Pilates studios all over the world. Mari Winsor has gained much notoriety with her Windsor Pilates fitness program.

The Winsor Pilates program is one of the top selling fitness programs in the world, and is transforming the bodies of men and women all over the globe.