Wailana on Yoga vs. Pilates

This is something a few of my new friends have been asking me about- what is better, yoga or pilates? There's a big argument. So well.. I go with what Wailana says here:

yoga and pilates

What is yoga?
Yoga is the best and most time-tested path to physical and mental well-being known to mankind. While some people think of yoga simply as physical exercise, it is actually a complete system for overall health and well-being. It includes everything from physical postures, personal hygiene, and a healthy diet to premeditation, breathing, and relaxation techniques. The most advanced forms of meditation and self-realization are also a part of yoga. Wai Lana’s workouts focus on yoga’s physical techniques.

Why do yoga?
Like many forms of exercise, yoga asanas effectively stretch and strengthen your body. The greatest benefits of yoga asanas, however, come from their profound effects on the internal systems of the body. By bending, stretching, twisting, and flexing in the various postures, you bathe your internal organs with oxygenated blood and prana, also known as life force energy or chi. Yoga asanas soothe and tone your nerves and regulate the endocrine system, which is responsible for the production of hormones—one of the keys to both physical and mental health. They also improve digestion and elimination, strengthen the respiratory system, and tone the reproductive organs. Although yoga techniques like asanas, breathing, and relaxation are extremely effective in relieving stress, it is Yoga Sound meditation that relieves deep-seated stress and anxiety, enabling you to experience yoga's greatest gifts: spiritual happiness and inner peace.

Wai Lana
It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find anyone who has had as much influence as Wai Lana in increasing the worldwide appreciation of the beauty and benefits of the ancient art of yoga. Wai Lana's internationally aired TV series attracts a huge audience and has played a significant part in the skyrocketing popularity of yoga. Click here to read Wai Lana’s biography.

What is Pilates?
Derived from ancient yoga asanas, the Pilates exercise system was formulated by Joseph Pilates over 80 years ago for more specific and limited purposes. Although Pilates is not a complete balanced or holistic exercise and health system, it is quite useful. Pilates focuses mainly on cultivating core strength in the body and lengthening the spine. Practiced for decades by dancers, Pilates has become popular in recent years for its largely aesthetic body sculpting effect. Pilates can be a valuable tool for enhancing strength, definition, and good posture in partnership with Wai Lana Yoga. Click here to explore Wai Lana's Pilates Yoga line of products

Guidelines for yoga and Pilates practice:
• Yoga postures, especially inversions and those that compress the abdomen, should not be done on a full stomach. Listen to your body—if you practice too soon after eating or drinking, certain poses will feel uncomfortable.

• It’s best to practice yoga asanas barefoot, using a yoga mat or nonslip surface for standing poses. A mat, rug, or folded yoga blanket will provide firm padding for other asanas.

• Wear comfortable clothing, something that allows you to move freely.

• Ideally, the room should be well ventilated. Have enough space to extend your arms and legs in all directions without hitting anything.

• While practicing, concentrate on the feeling that the asana is producing in your body.

• If you feel too weak or shaky in a pose, come out of it. Gradually, you will build up your strength and be able to hold the pose longer.

• Don't go beyond your personal limitations, but extend your boundaries gently. Doing the asanas correctly means doing them to the best of your ability without straining.

• Throughout the workout, focus on your breath, inhaling and exhaling fully and completely through your nose. Breathing with awareness not only feels good, but also balances and regulates energy flow within the body, strengthening your internal organs and boosting your resistance to disease.