New Age Goes Mainstream: Is Yoga or Pilates for You? Quite Possibly!

Yoga used to be thought of as a meditation technique for mystics. And Pilates was thought to be reserved for dancers. Not anymore! Yoga and Pilates are so popular that classes are available in nearly every community.

Yoga means to join together, referring to the principle of bringing mind and body together. Yoga is more than 5,000 years old, and over the years, many types have developed. Hatha yoga is the type most of us associate with yoga. It focuses on mindful physical movement and postures, along with breathing techniques.

Yoga and observations of animal movement led Joseph Pilates to develop the Pilates method in the 1920s. Movements like the elephant and the swan were designed to stretch the body and improve balance and flexibility.

Yoga and Pilates are mind-body fitness practices. Now, this may sound a little too “New Age” to you, but actually, the concept of mind-body is straightforward. You’ve learned in other Active Living articles that it’s important to listen to your body. Mind-body practice takes this one step further. You pay attention to your breathing pattern and to what you’re feeling in your muscles. If this helps you relax and relieve stress, or you attain a contemplative state, like in meditation, so much the better! In this article, though, we’ll concentrate only on the physical aspects of yoga and Pilates.

This article focuses on the following points:

• The benefits you can get from mind-body practices
• Introduction to yoga
• Introduction to Pilates

Mind-Body Benefits

In both yoga and Pilates, practitioners flow through structured, controlled postures while using practiced breathing. Practitioners say they get these benefits:

• Increased flexibility, better posture, and improved balance from stretching those muscles
• Increased aerobic capacity. This makes for a stronger heart and lungs, lower blood pressure, and better cholesterol levels.
• Decreased low-back pain. These activities strengthen, tone, and firm abdominal muscles — the core muscles that help support your back
• Improved blood sugar control and weight management from increased burning of calories
• Reduced stress
• A feeling of being more comfortable in your body

You Go, Yoga

Although there are literally thousands of yoga positions (called asanas), a typical session is carefully structured and has three parts:

1. The Warm Up. A warm up is important before any activity to get muscles ready and prevent injury. For yoga, this means to do light and gentle postures. (Note that because yoga [and Pilates] is not very strenuous, anyone can practice it — even someone who is just starting an activity program or who has physical limitations.)
2. Posture-Pacing. In the next part, the practitioner moves mindfully through a set of traditional yoga postures that stretch, strengthen, and align the body.
3. Finishing. Finally, the practitioner stretches and breathes deeply, relaxing and perhaps even meditating.

Pilates, Please

Pilates is a program that requires practitioners to do each movement correctly. The idea is to use small movements that isolate and apply specific muscle groups. To get the most benefit out of Pilates, instructors advise their students to:

• Stay focused and in control. This means using mind and muscles to control movement. Practitioners think about the muscles and limbs they’re using. Research shows that this concentration gets better results.
• Be calm. The goal is to stay relaxed and centered, using correct spinal positioning to accomplish each movement.
• Flow through the movements. Movements are done continuously, and skilled practitioners glide from one to another as if they’re dancing.
• Be exacting. Being true to the Pilates method means doing each movement precisely. There is no such thing as “good enough” in this practice.
• Keep muscles awake. Even when practitioners are lying or standing, they concentrate on each muscle to keep it energized and lengthened.
• Breathe. It’s easy to want to hold your breath. Taking full, steady breaths, in and out, gives your body oxygen and helps you relax and concentrate.
• Align your spine. Proper posture is essential — open your chest, pull your shoulder blades down, tighten your abs, and straighten your spine, neck, shoulders, and head.

Is Yoga or Pilates for You?

Do you think you would like to try yoga or Pilates?

If you think you’d like to give some type of mind-body practice a try, find out what kind is best for you and what’s available in your area.

And don’t be a loner, at least when you’re getting started. Today, many group sessions are offered in which you can learn yoga or Pilates with a certified instructor. It’s a good idea to get some instruction in the basics before going off on your own. You certainly can practice these methods by yourself after you’ve learned them.

Summary

• Yoga and Pilates are mind-body practices that many people use to improve their fitness. Because the practices are not very strenuous, they can be used by just about anybody.
• Yoga and Pilates are said to improve flexibility, posture, balance, blood sugar control, weight management, heart health, and strength.
• Yoga and Pilates follow specific sequences and emphasize controlled movement and breathing. You are better off — at least at first — attending a class or getting one-on-one instruction.