Yoga has A LOT of nonsense intertwined with it, such as enlightenment, karma, prana, religion, levitation, pseudo-science and other assorted gobbledygook. Just wondering if anyone can ‘enlighten’ me, on the differences between Yoga and Pilates. Does Pilates have any similarities to Yoga in terms of relaxation techniques. What does Yoga offer (besides the traditional rubbish) that Pilates doesn’t. I ask this as I very much love Yoga, but am getting a little tired of bumping into the ‘hippies’ who believe anything they feel like.
Out of interest yogiadam what is it you love about yoga ?
[QUOTE=charliedharma;37128]Out of interest yogiadam what is it you love about yoga ?[/QUOTE]
My posture has improved, my gut is shrinking, I’m more mindful of my health, it feels so good to give my muscles a good stretch, the relaxation techniques have helped my to calm down a bit.
For me Pilates is great for the core and it works all those little muscles you did not know existed! I also find it to be more gentle on the body.
But it lacks the ?feeling? and meditative aspects of yoga.
Maybe you can combine the two, try Pilates and do your own home meditations/ relaxations?
But this is just my hippy persepective 
[QUOTE=YogiAdam;37120]Yoga has A LOT of nonsense intertwined with it, such as enlightenment, karma, prana, religion, levitation, pseudo-science and other assorted gobbledygook. Just wondering if anyone can ‘enlighten’ me, on the differences between Yoga and Pilates. Does Pilates have any similarities to Yoga in terms of relaxation techniques. What does Yoga offer (besides the traditional rubbish) that Pilates doesn’t. I ask this as I very much love Yoga, but am getting a little tired of bumping into the ‘hippies’ who believe anything they feel like.[/QUOTE]
You mean you love Hatha Yoga?
[QUOTE=YogiAdam;37120]Yoga has A LOT of nonsense intertwined with it, such as enlightenment, karma, prana, religion, levitation, pseudo-science and other assorted gobbledygook. Just wondering if anyone can ‘enlighten’ me, on the differences between Yoga and Pilates. Does Pilates have any similarities to Yoga in terms of relaxation techniques. What does Yoga offer (besides the traditional rubbish) that Pilates doesn’t. I ask this as I very much love Yoga, but am getting a little tired of bumping into the ‘hippies’ who believe anything they feel like.[/QUOTE]
YogiAdam,
Watch what you say about hippies! Remember I grew up in the 60’s and my grown kids still call my husband and I hippies! It’s all about love, peace, protest, civil disobedience and the like. Me.
Anyway, I find it hard to actually believe you think yoga has a lot of nonsense intertwined just from things you’ve posted in the past. You are much more on a journey of enlightenment then you think. Remember yoga is more universal!
As Omamana said, Pilates works the core. It not only incorporates mat work, but also pilates machines like the Reformer. Movement is more deliberate and isolated. Less repetition. Very low impact. Dance like movements. Not spiritual.
I’ve tried Pilates and stuck with yoga because I felt I got a more balanced practice. And with that, I felt physically better as well as mentally. Both help with improving posture and strength. I have a student who is a pilates teacher and comes to yoga because, as much as she loves pilates, she feels better after yoga class. While she was able to do fabulous with core work, she struggled with poses like Down Dog. She felt they complimented each other.
Many people do both and love how they tend to compliment each other. Try it, you may like it!
[QUOTE=lotusgirl;37142]I felt physically better as well as mentally. [/QUOTE]
Elaborate on this, please. How does one feel mentally better with Hatha Yoga?
I think Pilates may have been initially set up to rehabilitate amputees and war casualties after the war?.
Also Mr. Joseeh Pilates had studied and was probably heavily influenced by (traditional)yoga too.Likely had practiced it to some degree.
To me there seems to be something missing from both understanding and sensitivty to experienced(i.e how do you feel after postures or any other aspect of yoga than say compared to after ice-hockey,surfing,swimming or football) to compare yoga to just purely physical excercise such as those listed. There seems to be something else going on.What that else is speculative and in the realm of theory-activating energetic pathways perhaps,tweaking the nervous system perhaps? I think Pilates demonstrates and re-inforces the mind-body connection principally through the use of awareness.
I do remember that after my first yogasana class that i was struck how i actually felt more energised than tired.And that this concept/experience was odd to me.A first.
If you play an energetic game of footbal or sport alot of folk generally might feel like going for a rest afterwards.Depleting rather than re-chargig If you’ve got a full-scope sadhana and delved into yoga deep enough it would seem pretty obvius what Pilates might not have though i am not that up on it myself.
I think Pilates is just the tip of an ice-berg.
I think there are things probably missing from Pilates just as there are things likely missing from a regular game of badminton ,if you’re looking for and are into all the yoga benefits.
I believe, it was originaly devised to rehabilitate war casulaties like i say, i think.I think Joseph Pilates worked in Clinics in post-war Europe, alot of amputess and severely impaired folk and noticed he had to modify and deliver excercises that the patients in his care could actually perform.It might explain why you’ve got resistance strength training,maybe that’s what you call it(?), and that kind of thing(which admittedly i’m not partcularly up on though i get the rough idea;) )
[QUOTE=yogacracy;37150]Elaborate on this, please. How does one feel mentally better with Hatha Yoga?[/QUOTE]
Question is how can you not feel better? After my yoga practice I am calm, focused, present, and stretched. When I practice the asana portion of my yoga practice, I am completely present. I’m not looking back or thinking ahead. All I am thinking about is my breath and my body. I turn completely inward to feel , visualize and be that muscle. That stretch. My mind is completely clear from all the noise and chatter. It is bliss for me. What is challenging is to maintain that feeling throughout the day. With that I am getting better!
A side note. Pilates moves are very similar to yoga postures. There is a definite link between the two which is why they can be a nice compliment to each other.
To continue that feeling, outside of the hatha yoga session, other types of yoga are necessary. This is what separates yoga from pilates or any other forms of practice.
[QUOTE=yogacracy;37157]To continue that feeling, outside of the hatha yoga session, other types of yoga are necessary. This is what separates yoga from pilates or any other forms of practice.[/QUOTE]
What are you referring to? What other types of yoga? Are you referring to pranayam and meditation? If you are, yes you are correct. I do both and teach both. Both are an important part of a balanced yoga practice. I was merely referring to the asana portion of my practice as it compares to pilates.
In my view Adam, Yoga itself doesn’t have ANY nonsense associated with it. However the way in which it is wielded, practiced, discussed, embraced, and expressed may of course lack balance in one direction or the other; too rational and mental or too flighty and ungrounded.
Of course that is not your question but it does appear to be the basis or foundation for the question.
Pilates is a physical practice about 60 years old developed by a man in order to help human beings recover from injury. In this way it is literally a physical therapy. The physical practice IS the practice.
Yoga is thousands of years old and was, simply put, systematized to assist in human evolution or growth. At some point in Yoga’s development the practice added a physical element for two basic reasons, one, the body needed to be healthy to contain the light or divine force to come into it and two the human mind (in its state at that time) could most easily identify with the physical form (or body). In this last point one might construe (rightly so) that asana is merely a tasty bait.
If, as you say, you are tired of bumping into hippies then I’d offer two things. First is that we get what we need or ask for or require for our learning in this lifetime. We magnetize various things and when we don’t’ like what we’re drawing the responsibility must lie within. Second is that the things that bother us, annoy us, get us the most worked up, are often reflections of things we have not processed in ourselves. It is not exclusively true, there are some rare, extreme exceptions. But for the most part it’s an invite to look at ourselves, not the yoga or the hippies.
[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;37280]Second is that the things that bother us, annoy us, get us the most worked up, are often reflections of things we have not processed in ourselves. It is not exclusively true, there are some rare, extreme exceptions. But for the most part it’s an invite to look at ourselves, not the yoga or the hippies.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, spot on! I think you have a point. I guess if I decided to go to a gay bar, it would be ridiculous for me to be bothered by bumping into to too many gay people. Maybe I should keep on the Yogic path, for the very reason I am turned off by it. Maybe I need to look within or something. This world is so confusing! Maybe I’ll never get it.
I don’t profess that the path of yoga is for everybody Adam. If the path serves your life, that is lovely. If one is doing things only to be seen by others, stoke their own self-importance, and chat about poses over cappuccino, that is another matter:-) And, of course, not knowing you (and barely knowing me) I can speak only for myself.
maintain internal consistency. some people will absolutely use whatever pulpit they are given to preach gobbledeegook to you, but if you analyze and listen to what they are saying you can probably learn something about the nature of humanity… albeit maybe not what they are trying to have you believe.
I personally prefer Pilates to Yoga, although I love to do a bit of yoga after my gym sessions! My favourite thing to do is take a long weekend to myself or with a friend and head to a Pilates retreat. I usually go to reformer retreats as it's the best one I've been to by far.
Pilates is a physical exercise form that originated in Germany. Pilates focuses on core strength, flexibility and breath control.
Yoga is a series of physical postures and breathing exercises which are used to promote relaxation. It was originally practiced in India as part of Hinduism, but has recently become popular throughout the world.
Pilates is much less a religion than yoga. Pilates is not designed to teach you how to meditate or become spiritual in any way; it's simply designed to help you stay fit and healthy.
Yoga and Pilates are two different forms of exercise. Yoga is a type of physical activity that focuses on improving your physical health, mental well-being and spiritual connection. Yoga helps you become more aware of your body, mind and spirit.
Pilates is a type of exercise that focuses on strengthening the core muscles. It uses light resistance to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles while also stretching them. Pilates helps improve abdominal strength, flexibility and balance.
One difference between Yoga and Pilates is that Pilates is an all-around workout that involves multiple muscle groups at once. Yoga focuses mainly on strengthening the core muscles but also works on improving overall flexibility.
Another difference between these two types of exercise is how long you can exercise for in each session. While both Yoga and Pilates can last up to 90 minutes per session, Yoga typically lasts longer than Pilates due to its focus on improving flexibility and core muscle strength over time.