You choose yoga...Someone recently heard to describe Yoga/Pilates fusion (or Yogalates as it is often called) as the coming of twin souls natives. I could not agree more.
But there are still many people who think that bringing Pilates principles in their Yoga is somehow stain or contaminants.
?.. .or pilates?There is nothing wrong with being a purist in our thinking, but it is also important to keep an open mind.
When we close our minds, we closed our options. This means that potentially lost on a lot of things that are really good for us.
They promote flexibility, strength, balance, and attention to detail and alignment. For those of you who are used to carry the bandhas or Anusara spirals and loops in your practice, the concept of Pilates use the "power" will sound true.
My personal experience is that Pilates gives me more strength I never received my yoga. But it does not offer anywhere near the flexibility and increased range of movement that makes Yoga.
My strength comes from having learned that muscles that I need to use and what need to turn off so I am working with a base of stability and support. The resulting facility is due to awareness, intelligent and aware of working with a neutral spine, muscles strong and stability across my back and shoulders.
We can "cheat" with our asanas, favoring the perfection of the picture book about proper alignment, but it may result in faulty movement patterns. And reinforcement of faulty movement patterns can result in injury time. Pilates encourages healthy movement patterns - no cheating!
Saying that, I also recognize that many styles of Yoga (I mean Iyengar and Anusara in particular) have a strong alignment focus and does not need Pilates to tell them what they already now.
Personally, I'll take Yoga any day. Yoga does something for me mentally and emotionally that Pilates doesn't come close. Saying that, I sometimes got that family Yoga "after glow" feeling of some Pilates classes.
But what I am saying is Yoga and Pilates complement each other like a glove fit perfectly. And training in Yoga and Pilates, I was increasingly difficult to exercise one without the other.
Also there are times that it is very clear that Pilates is the best option, at least in the short term. Pregnancy is a classic example.
Many women experience problems of pelvic instability due to pregnancy hormones and some can of Yoga asanas, are aggravating the situation. Pilates offers greater pelvic stability during this time. But again I think that wise integration of the two disciplines is the best approach.
I remember a cover Yoga class several years ago for a Satyananda yoga teacher. Students thought that my class was "not Yoga" because the goal was too much on asana. And when she took a class for me the comments of my students was that "do nothing". As well, each to their own.
If you try to Pilates and don't like it, try another type. I've been in classes where there has been a great focus on spinal flexion (bending forward) and have found that classes that offer more variety of movement were better for my particular anatomy.
Horses for courses. I think it is important that any floats your boat, Yoga or Pilates or a fusion of the two, make sure that you can find a teacher who is qualified in the disciplines.
But well, I'm starting to feel the elephant spirit in the room as I finish writing this.
Pilates is "only exercise" while Yoga is a way of life. But to quote the words of Kara-Leah in her recent article in Yoga Lunchbox
What the hell does that [spiritual] anyway?
I someone spiritual is 'good' person - in all good themselves, the environment and others, humans and animals alike. A minute of New York believe that one becomes spiritual singing three who and sitting on your Yoga mat for an hour a day. Yoga does not have the market cornered on spiritualism.
If Yoga is not for you, it's fine. And if Pilates does not do it for you, that is OK too. But whatever you choose to do, do it with an open mind, a sense of curiosity and a non-judgmental attitude. Or in other words, put on your hat of Yoga.
Jude Mahood is the owner of a yoga studio on the outskirts of Dunedin, smallSuburban yoga.
She has a great interest in the healthy lifestyle and spent his entire career working in the field of health, in one way or another.
She is a registered nurse, registered nutritionist and qualified instructor of Yoga and Pilates.
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