Go to any Massachusetts fitness center and you’re sure to find both a yoga studio and Pilates classes. Boston area workout centers offer personal trainers that teach both men and women both disciplines, but what are the differences between yoga and Pilates?
Yoga and Pilates approach fitness through a mind-body experience; meaning the mind controls the body, so you must be able to control both to achieve results. However, the difference lies in the way these two fitness regimes approach and focus on the mind-body experience.
Yoga is rooted in the Eastern idea of creating pathways for energy to move through your body. Relieving tension and stress creates clear, unobstructed pathways for your energy to flow smoothly, which in turn will make you feel healthier, relaxed, and fit. The positions, though physically difficult, are ultimately aimed at meditation. The goal is not to condition the body, but to condition the mind and encourage spiritual development. This idea is an ancient technique that has been practiced for thousands of years and has only recently been brought to the United States.
Pilates, on the other hand, is more akin to physical conditioning. It focuses on the perfection of form to strengthen muscles and increase stamina of the body while training the mind to focus on the task at hand and tune out the chatter. The mind controls the body and a clear mind will be able to perfect forms more easily, which will help you strengthen and most importantly coordinate your core faster. Joseph Pilates, the creator, wanted a new method to rehabilitate injured soldiers after World War II, which is reflected in the exercise regime’s focus on physical change and not spiritual growth.
Both techniques have been around in the United States for about the same period of time, and both have gained wild popularity. However, Yoga works to condition the spiritual mind through the physical positions of the body while Pilates works to condition the mind to be in tune with the body. Both are different in their practice and approach, but both ultimately want to establish and strengthen the mind-body relationship.