Flexibility with Yoga and Pilates

Have you ever wondered what yoga and pilates were about: what are they, who made them, or what's so different or similar about them? Then you've found the place for yoga and pilates information. Adding pilates or yoga (or both!) can help increase your flexibility, stability and balance.

 

Pilates

Pilates exercise was developed by Joseph Pilates, emphasizing the development of the body's balance through flexibility, awareness and core strength. This allowed to support efficient and graceful movement. In short, pilates emphasizes to use the mind to control the muscles.

Adaptable

All pilates moves are developed with modifications so that everyone working out can enjoy a safe and challenging workout at any level and strength. Pilates exercises have been known to help overcome back pain, since the torso is properly stabilized, allowing pressure on the back to be relieved, allowing the body to move more freely and efficiently.

The Foundation

These are the 6 principles, or the foundation, of every Pilates exercise, no matter whether you do specific pilates intructions, like Malibu Pilates, or on your own.

1. Centering: bring all focus to the center of the body, the source.
2. Concentration: maximum value from each movement will be obtained if one brings full attention to the exercise and does it with full commitment.
3. Control: do all exercises with every muscle - complete muscular control.
4. Precision: sustain awaireness through all and each movement.
5. Breath: use every full breath in each exercise.
6. Flow: do all exercises in a flowing manner - fluidity, grace, and ease.

 

Yoga

In the history of yoga, yoga means "union" or "action" in Sanskrit (the parent language of Hindi), where union is occuring between the mind, body and spirit. Yoga is all about creating balance in the body, where the benefits of yoga come through developing both strength and flexibility through all of the poses.

Benefits

• Flexibility: stretching your body helps bringer greater motion to muscles and joins.
• Strength: slowly moving in and out of poses, and to support the weight of your body increases strength.
• Breathing: breathing becomes better, as you stop breathing very shallow and start breathing deeper into the lungs, benefiting the entire body.
• Pain prevention: increased flexibility and strength to reduce pain.
• Muscle tone: you become stronger, so your muscles become long and lean.
• Body Awareness
• Stress Reduction
• Mental calmness

Different Yoga Types

If you are looking for different yoga types and yoga positions that suit your personality, then we have combined a list to show you of all the fluidity that comes with yoga. Try one or try all to discover your hidden yoga self!

• Eclectic: Vinyasa
• Gymnastic: Ashtanga, Forrest
• Injured: Iyengar
• Mellow: Hatha, Integral, Kripalu
• Self-Motivated: Ashtanga
• Spiritual: Ashtanga, Iyengar, Integral, Kripalu, Kundalini
• Workout: Bikram/Hot, Power Yoga, Vinyasa