There is a tremendous amount of interest these days in Yoga and Pilates together. Both are sophisticated systems of integrative exercise with a lot in common. The 6 Pilates Principles: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and flow, could easily be used to describe the principles of many kinds of yoga as well.

Pilates and yoga are also quite different from each other, and it is in the differences that we find many of the complimentary aspects of the two that make them such a great team.

Strength & Stretch

In a general view, Pilates focuses more on strength and Yoga focuses more on stretch. There are certainly exceptions to this statement as Pilates does include stretching, in fact, Pilates is known for creating length in the body, and doing yoga does develop strength. The difference is emphasis.

Many people are finding that the core strength and integration they develop in Pilates support them well in the daily activities and crosstraining they engage in. For those who also do Yoga, Pilates gives them the stability that they need to control and expand their Yoga poses safely. Conversely, the expansive stretching in Yoga provides a wonderful balance to the typically more core oriented Pilates exercises.  Read full article...