yoga vs. pilates

I welcome questions from students, friends, family and even strangers about yoga practice. I love when people are honestly curious about yoga and I'm glad to help them understand a pose or explain why we do certain things the way we do in class. But lately, an exceptional amount of students and non-student's-alike have been asking me about...Pilates?

Joseph Pilates working with a Pilates invention

Although I know the basic concept of Pilates, I am not a Pilates teacher, nor have I ever taken a class. I know that Pilates has many of the same goals and benefits as yoga (lengthening and strengthening all the muscles of the body using mindful movements, breathing techniques...etc). They are both mind/body disciplines as opposed to regular exercise, but I've read that Pilates is more "core focused" than yoga.


As I began to dig a little and research the history of Pilates, I found that it was developed by German boxer, Joseph Pilates, during his stay in a British internment camp during World War I. 

"Born in a small town near Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1880, Joseph Pilates was a small and sickly child. Given an anatomy book by a family physician, Joe began his study of the human body at an early age. The son of a gymnast father and naturopath mother, Joe later became a skilled boxer, gymnast, circus performer, skier, and diver; he also practiced yoga and Zen meditation. Through his own physical transformation, Joe used his ideas and inventions to help wounded soldiers in WWI and came to realize the simple truth and Power Pilates motto: movement heals." - Novi Pilates

Joseph Pilates - enjoying one of his creepier-looking Pilates apparatus: the Cadillac.

I love that he not only practiced yoga and meditation, but that the core concept behind Pilates is "movement heals." So although some Pilates apparatus can look foreign or intimidating, the creative idea formed when Joseph Pilates was rehabilitating wounded soldiers. He began experimenting with springs attached to hospital beds and the first piece of Pilates apparatus – today known as the Cadillac – was born. Patients were able to perform resistance exercises while still bed-ridden and Pilates discovered that this sped their recovery. Very cool.

Pilates working with an apparatus

Joseph Pilates likened the use of machines and apparatus to a tool such as a screwdriver. "Imagine, if you will, putting a screw into a wall using just your fingers. Now imagine putting that same screw into a wall using a screwdriver. This is mechanical advantage." - Pilates

Aren't you relieved to know more about Pilates machines?  They're not torturous contraptions made to force people into unnatural contortions after all! ;) Learning the history behind them makes a lot of sense and they're still used often today in many studios. Now, all I needed to do was try some Pilates myself and share my experience!

Unlike looking up yoga studios and easily finding a few around my zip-code, I really had trouble locating a place to take Pilates. So much so, that I only tracked down two studios offering regular Pilates that were even remotely close to me. I was excited to finally find them, but not so excited once I found the price. While a 1-1.5 hour yoga class taught by a certified instructor in a studio will run you about $12-$15 in my area, you can expect to pay $40-$55 for one Pilates class. Ouch. Clutching my $40-$55, I considered that I could either get 3-5 yoga classes, buy 3 Pilates DVDs, or try 1 live Pilates class. It didn't take me long to decide that a live class was about $18 more than my little experiment was worth. I ventured to Netflix for free. Maybe not the purest experiment at this point, but enough to give me an idea of what Pilates is about.

Just like yoga, there were a lot of different types. Pilates with weights, relaxation Pilates, cardio/power Pilates and even Yoga/Pilates fusion. Fittingly, I went with Pilates for Dummies.

As it turns out, a lot of the poses are similar between yoga and Pilates. Michelle Dozios began by speaking about neutral spinal alignment, pelvis position and offered modifications for many poses to make them easier or more challenging. She also stressed the importance of quality movements over quantity of movements, urging students to not compromise the integrity of the poses as fatigue sets in.

As far as the actual postures, the main difference I noticed is the repetition of movements and poses. Reminiscent of an aerobics class or cardio exercise routine, pilates involves a lot of small pulsing motions or repetitiveness of movements. I understand the reasoning behind it (especially knowing the history of the form), but as a totally biased practitioner, I found the repetition to be..well...repetitive. :) Although repetition has it's place and can be important sometimes, I enjoy being able to focus more deeply into a yoga posture and my breath flowing from one pose to another. With practice though, I'm sure that Pilates could be made to be much more meditative.

I also learned that when they say that Pilates is "core-focused," they really mean it! So much of this workout was directly intended to strengthen the abdominal muscles that I felt like other parts of my body really missed out. Unlike the length and relaxation I feel throughout my whole body post-yoga, I still definitely felt stiff in certain areas. My abs were definitely sore, which is fine, but this particular DVD didn't leave me feeling completely refreshed afterward.

When I was finished with the Pilates workout, I ended up going through some yoga asanas. (Is that cheating? Hehe!) In my defense, I really felt like I needed it, both physically and mentally. Pilates, like yoga, claims to be a mental discipline, but at it's core, is really meant to be more of an exercise. I felt that the meditative aspect was lacking. Keeping in mind that this was not in a studio enviornment and is my first Pilates experiment, I wouldn't expect a transcendent experience.

Overall, I'm glad I tried it and would recommend it as a supplemental exercise for those wanting to work on core strength. I say "supplemental" because I personally feel that it's important to give attention to all parts of the body and mind in order to lengthen muscles, correct posture, create muscle memory and truly unwind. To that end, I feel like yoga always gives me just what I need, inside and out, from head-to-toe....but again, this entire blog is biased. :)

a twist a day....

....keeps the physical therapist, doctor and psychologist away. I speak the truth! But allow me to explain. There are many different types of twisting yoga asanas, from gentle lower back rotations to challenging full spinal twists. When practiced mindfully and carefully, honoring any injuries or discomfort, twisting yoga poses can keep you healthy and offer an array of health benefits.

Sadie Nardini twisting in Half Lord of the Fishes Pose

1.) Twists directly stimulate the digestive system and circulation. That's a pretty big deal considering that 70% of your immune system resides in your digestive tract. Proper circulation allows the body to function properly as a whole, stay fully hydrated and increase joint mobility.

2.) Twisting yoga poses actually massage inner muscle and internal organs. Cool, huh? As we compress our torso and diaphragm in a twist, fresh oxygen and blood flushes out toxins and impurities in areas that don't normally get much attention. Deep twists allow you to wring out and refresh your organs! Ahhh!

3.) Relieve back pain. We all have it sometimes, don't we? That poor ol' lower back is responsible for supporting a considerable amount of weight as we stand, sit (or slouch) throughout the day. Pressure on the lower vertebrae restricts circulation to the entire area, but twisting can help relax surrounding muscles, restore circulation, increase range of motion and aid in correct posture. Woohoo!

4.) Tone abdominal muscles. Although we keep our bellies soft in twists, twisting deeply engages and stretches all of the abdominal muscles. With regular twisting practice, abs will lengthen and tone naturally.

5.) Reduce stress and anxiety. As with any yoga pose, the practitioner works to focus on the present and quiet the chattering mind. But twists are especially beneficial for stress because they feel so restorative! With each inhale, focus on lengthening the crown of the head up and out, lifting the spine, and with each exhale, twist a little deeper.

Challenge yourself to practice just one twist a day and see how it can change your practice and revitalize your health! As we head into fall allergies, cold and flu season, stay tuned for a more detailed post on yoga for a healthy immune system. 

give up aspirations

The Pittsburgh yoga community is really coming along. Just this past month, they held their first annual yoga fest, featuring Sherri Baptiste. During that event, Sherri Baptiste reiterated over and over that, "the Pittsburgh yoga community is really doing something big," and although I got the feeling that she probably repeats this all over the world to every city she travels to, she was right about Pittsburgh.

Bryan Kest - yoga instructor & pioneer of the term "Power" Yoga

In the past few years, more and more studios have opened up and succeeded in the Pittsburgh  area. The more serious yogis we have, the more demand there is for seriously awesome instructors. Bryan Kest is a world-renowned yogi, teacher and mentor. I've admired his teachings in various videos and books, but in October, I will have the opportunity to take a Power Yoga Master Class from him, right here in Pittsburgh. To give you an idea of his popularity, here's what Bryan's schedule looks like: Mexico, Guam, Philippines, Australia, Korea...Pittsburgh. :)

As the date draws closer to the sold-out October class, I find myself becoming somewhat... nervous? Between my long daily commute for my full-time job and teaching yoga part-time in the evenings, I've only been squeezing in short daily practices for myself. I'm thankful for each practice, but I feel like I've plateaued physically and mentally. My little bucket-list of goal-poses has gathered dust and I'm afraid that I'll be unprepared for such a demanding class.

Just as I my guilt really began to settle-in and I felt like a lazy yogi and inadequate teacher who would spend half of this master class drooling in Child's pose, I ran across this quote from none-other than Mr. Kest himself:

"A yoga class is not a contest between you or anyone you may be practicing with. It isn't even a contest between you and yourself. Forget about how loose and strong you used to be way back when. Give up any aspirations of how loose and strong you hope to be one day. Just be where you are! Make that o.k. Doing yoga correctly means not trying to get anywhere, but being where you are as fully as possible. You'll benefit from class by your effort regardless of how far or deep you get. As long as you are feeling it and you are breathing calmly, you're practicing correctly." - Bryan Kest

  

I know all this. But in my nervous excitement for this class, how easily I had forgotten my real goals! No one should be judging me, but I should not be judging myself either. "Giving up aspirations" is unnatural for me and finding peace exactly where I am is a part of my yoga journey that I struggle with. In our culture and as a teacher, it's easy to slip into the habit of being goal and results-oriented. Sometimes we all need little reminders to practice contentment and self-acceptance with the same effort we put into asana.

I hope this blog post finds you well and content with wherever you are! Namaste!

Read the follow-up post on the Bryan Kest class here.