Difference Between Yoga and Pilates
Adopting a healthy lifestyle never hurts. Fitness freaks and mostly people worrying over their falling health adopt different exercises and workout patterns such as cardio and jogging to keep themselves fit. Nowadays, yoga and Pilates have gained popularity. Like any form of exercise, breathing and balance are two significant parts of these as well which need to be watched out and carefully practiced.
Yoga is mainly a meditation ritual that relaxes the person mentally and develops physical frame on the other side. It mainly originates from India. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have stated different aspects and definitions of yoga implying its meaning mainly ‘to control’ or ‘to absorb’. Practically true, the yoga teaches one to control mind and its thought process by meditation and different asana. It also makes you learn to absorb the physical vibe into the body of the natural and calm surroundings while doing meditation.
Pilates, however, is new form of workout. Developed in Germany, Pilates increase the strength of body by controlling mind and body. It emphasizes on finding the axis of body and concentration. Breathing and precision is the key to good Pilates. The complement the contours of a body, it is essential for a person to practice precision while doing Pilates.
The Pilates workout results in toned and sculpted body. More than Pilates, yoga has become a lifestyle and an ardent habit of its practitioners. Yoga is a holistic form of mind, body and soul workout whereas Pilates is only limited to elongated postures. Yoga heals a person spiritually as well.
In both, synchronized breathing is essential. Inhaling and exhaling through mouth and nose is practiced Pilates but mouth breathing is strictly a No-No in yoga. Pilates can also be done with the help of some machines whereas yoga is purely an out and out mat exercise routine.
However, the truth is any form of exercise is effective as long as suits your body and lifestyle. One can also practice the combination of different workouts or Yoga and Pilates. In this way, they can practice the most needed spiritual healing and physical exertion together.