Although both Yoga and Pilates are very popular forms of exercise in our modern, fitness crazed society, many people are still baffled by the difference between the two and find it difficult to chose which course they wish to follow. While the two are similar in certain ways, both Yoga and Pilates have distinct differences which may be the deciding factor for most people who cannot decide which of the two fitness regimes they wish to follow.
Yoga's Energetic Movement
Yoga, as the older form, comes from an ancient Eastern tradition that emphasizes the movement of energy from one part of the body to the other. The energetic flow, or chakra, is what is said to bring a balance to one's body and mind, and therefore one's life, so by allowing the free flow of the chakra from each part of the body is how one is able to release one's body. While the movements are designed to allow the body to stretch, strengthen and define, the real ideology is that of the mind. So while the practice of Yoga allows for the flexing and movement of the body, the aim is to release the mind. Therefore, the more freely the energy travels throughout the body, the more energized and relaxed one feels in not only the body, but in the mind as well. The practice of Yoga symbolically emphasizes the state of calm and balance within one's life through the practice of the body.
Pilates and the Guide to Balance
Pilates, however, was created and perfected by Joseph Pilates in the 1920's. While the movement form also builds on strength training and flexibilty, it was created, in part, as a form of movement designed to rehabilitate injured war soldiers. Joseph Pilates was a gymnist and quite physically fit by the time he was 14 years old that he posed for anatomical charts. His aim in the creation of the movement was that by involving the stretching and strengthening movements throughout the body, stability would be created through the coordination of the muscular groups. Pilates movement became very quickly popular with dancers, athletes and those in the performing arts as a highly effective way to improve body awareness through the alignment of muscles and the spine to create a fluid and more graceful movement.
Which to Choose
So while the differences between Pilates and Yoga may simply seem to be the difference between mind and body, which form one chooses to practice simply comes to the personal fitness or meditation goals of each individual.
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