Not every ‘body’ likes going to a noisy gym; more people are choosing to move their bodies in a far gentler fashion. Small-group classes in yoga and Pilates are two increasingly popular options and yoga practitioner Sonia Dezius and Pilates instructor Clare Gillett are happy to explain the differences between these two activities.
Sonia explains that yoga originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and was originally practised by a select few, predominantly men.
“The yoga we see today is very different from its original form. It’s now a fusion of East and West as it’s morphed into a practice tailored to Western bodies and the majority of those bodies are female,” Sonia says.
With yoga’s deep spiritual and philosophical roots, it’s still seen as a holistic approach to wellbeing as it encompasses physical, mental, and spiritual aspects.
Sonia says breathing plays a central role in yoga and that various breathing techniques are integrated into the practice to enhance relaxation, concentration and energy flow. Yoga’s meditative practice encourages us to slow down and relax and is undoubtedly one of the key reasons why so many modern-day Westerners have taken it up as a regular practice.
“In a nutshell… we live in a busy and hectic world where our nervous systems are on full alert. The good news is that the postures, breathing and meditation aspects of yoga help regulate the nervous system. They pick us up when we need energy and calm us down when we need rest.
“When we balance all our systems, it’s like hitting the refresh button on our computers. Yoga is less about what you do and more about what you feel.”
Yoga also includes a variety of postures that are often held for extended periods to increase flexibility and balance.
In contrast to yoga, Pilates is a relatively new exercise system encapsulating 34 explicit exercises developed in the early 20th Century by German fitness trainer, Joseph Pilates. Originally created as a rehabilitation program for injured soldiers and called Contrology, it became popular in the late 1940s after Joseph moved to America and established the very first Pilates studio in New York.
Pilates instructor, Clare, says Pilates is not about over-developing any one body part; it primarily focuses on physical fitness and core strength. Hence it works to improve posture, balance and overall strength through a series of controlled movements and exercises.
“I think of Pilates as a bit of a pick and mix or a smorgasbord, as you can add on or take away extensions to every exercise. You can also think of it as a bodyguard for your joints and muscles,” Clare says.
Both Clare and Sonia point out that those who work as instructors of these two activities do so in an unregulated industry, so every teacher of either discipline brings their own interpretation to what they teach. They also agree that every person in a class also comes with a different intention and that can change depending on what their mind and body needs on any particular day.
At the end of the day, choosing between these two popular practices really depends on your personal goals and preferences. Whether you seek a holistic practice (yoga) or a fitness regimen (Pilates) the best decision comes with simply turning up to a class and rolling out a mat.
