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Which Is Better - Yoga or Pilates?

by Dina Voigt

This is a question I am often asked. Is there really an answer to this question? I don't think so…it's like asking a parent do you like your son or daughter better. They are two separate entities… one complimenting and/or enhancing the other. It is my belief based on years of practicing both Yoga and Pilates that each can enhance the other. Let's explore…

Yoga and Pilates are distinct practices. Yoga is an ancient discipline dating back more than 5,000 years. Yoga is not just physical postures but a philosophy as well which encompasses a deep connection between mind, body and breath. Connecting breath to the movement and placement of the body creates openness in the muscles and the mind. Asana practice is essentially a moving meditation. There are many aspects of yoga practice, for the purposes of this writing, we will focus more on the physical aspect of yoga which helps us to create a strong mind, strong body and supple spine.

Pilates is a method of total body conditioning developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900's. Pilates focuses on engaging the Powerhouse of the body and also encompasses a connection between mind, body and breath. The Powerhouse consists of the transversus abdominis (the deepest layer of abs that wrap around the torso horizontally), the obliques, the lower back muscles (including deep core postural muscles) and the pelvic floor. These muscles are targeted for strengthening during complex movements. When these muscles are engaged and strengthened, a strong “corsetlike” support system is developed that helps to protect your back from injury.

Flexibility vs. Stability
Many yoga practitioners, as well as dancers who begin taking Pilates classes are “hyper-flexible” and tend to allow their flexibility to “take over” allowing their muscles to stretch them into the movements rather than strengthening and stabilizing them. Stability must not be sacrificed for flexibility. Many people tend to let the bigger, stronger muscles do all the work, neglecting and virtually ignoring the smaller, weaker parts of the body. Years and years of neglecting or not using the smaller, deeper muscles in the body creates an imbalance in the physical body.

It takes a lot of concentration and a true mind/body connection to change bad “muscle recruitment patterns”. This is one of many times that yoga can aid the Pilates practitioner…the focus and deep mind/body connection one develops by practicing yoga can be brought into Pilates practice to tap into these “sleeping” muscles! Strengthening of these muscles will create stability, which in turn will enhance true flexibility.

Integration of Muscles
The center of the body needs to be strong to support the rest of the body… developing and strengthening minor muscles, helps major muscles to strengthen and work more efficiently. Consistently working each muscle of the body aids in the uniform development of all our muscles. “As small bricks are employed to build large buildings, so will the development of small muscles help develop large muscles. Therefore, when all your muscles are properly developed you will, as a matter of course, perform your work with minimum effort and maximum pleasure.” - J. Pilates

If the deep core of the body is weak, the structure is weak and energy cannot flow through the body properly. When these muscles are strong you can then tap into the front and back of the body as well as the side body. Having greater awareness of your center can help you create a balance between your front and back body which can help in yoga postures such as Sirsasana (headstand). If your center is weak in this posture, you will fall over, or “over use” your lower back, risking injury. A greater awareness of the side body (from the hip to the armpit) will allow you to lengthen the waist and lift the ribs away from the hips…which is very beneficial for yoga practitioners as well….think Trikonasana (Triangle pose), Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog pose), Uttanasana (forward bend) and Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon pose) among others. Typically the side body is shortened during the above mentioned postures. The stronger the center, the more you can lengthen the sides from the center all else emanates!

A strong center also helps take pressure off the upper traps, shoulders and neck in postures such as Chaturanga Dandasana. By engaging your stomach muscles and working from your center your learn to distribute your weight throughout the rest of your body taking the weight off of the joints and allowing your yoga practice to flow much more smoothly (not to mention remaining injury free!)

The Breath and The Bandhas
Within the practice of yoga there are many abstract concepts, such as the Bandhas. “Bandha means bondage, joining together, fettering or catching hold of. It is also a posture in which certain organs or parts of the body are contracted and controlled.” - BKS Iyengar Light on Yoga.

In Pilates contraction of the Transversus Abdominis and the lifting of the pelvic floor muscle can be compared to or perhaps equated to Mula Bandha or “root lock” where instruction is given to “lift from your root chakra (base of the spine) up”…or “draw everything up from your Perineum”. Sri K Patthabi Jois has been said to cue “squeezing of anus” to get students to tap into the sensation of Mula Bandha. It is said to take years for students to grasp the concept of Mula Bandha. My teaching experience has shown me that many yoga students after practicing Pilates have actually tapped into the Mula Bandha due to their new found relationship with the pelvic floor muscle! This new relationship greatly enhances balance and strength in their yoga practice. Many credit yoga with giving them the ability to concentrate enough to connect to the pelvic floor…wow…is this the “what came first the chicken or the egg syndrome..”?

We all know how important the breath is in the practice of Yoga. It is equally important in Pilates. The breath is life, we take our first breath as we enter this world and our last breath as we leave! Our very life depends on breath. Joseph Pilates believed that the lower lobes of the lungs are where toxins and wastes congregate and get stuck. He believed the only way to dispel these toxins is with deep, full exhales. By recruiting the deep ab muscles, one can exhale more forcefully, thereby cleansing the stagnant air from the lungs and erasing dis-ease (disease) from the body. Typically in Yoga the breathing is in through the nose and out through the nose, in Pilates the breathing is in through the nose and a forced exhalation through the mouth, while contracting the pelvic floor muscle. Next time you are in yoga class, try the Pilates breathing while lifting and contracting the pelvic floor muscle. This will feel surprisingly like Mula Bandha!

Balance and Alignment
We have forever heard that Yoga is about creating balance (physical, and emotional). Pilates aims toward balancing the musculature and alignment of the body- creating symmetry between the right and left sides. When we work both sides together, we can compare the strength on both sides and learn to work them equally. Many Pilates moves are done lying down, with arms and legs moving at the same time. This helps you gain perspective of your body's alignment and allows you to correct it. Understanding your body's alignment can help you take many of your yoga postures to the next level. For example, Parvritta Trikonasana (revolved triangle). You may notice each time you are in class taking this posture you are always getting the same assist or adjustment from your instructor to square your hips. Once you are enlightened to your body's alignment, you will be better able to adjust your hips on your own.

The Answer
Among the fundamental principles of Pilates are Centering, Concentration, Control, Breathing, Fluidity and Precision…All of which are present or should be in a strong Yoga practice. The physical emphasis of Pilates can give Yoga practitioners a new awareness of imbalances, weaknesses and strengths in their bodies, as well as teach them to accept their limitations. The mindfulness of yoga and the meditative aspects can help Pilates practitioners go deeper into their practice. The next time you are in Tadasana or Samastitih, check in with your corset of muscles and side body…see where it takes your yoga practice.

So….in answer to the question…“which is better, Yoga or Pilates”. I say neither. They each have much to offer. I have found that my Pilates practice has greatly enhanced my physical yoga practice. I have also found that the mental discipline yoga has taught me has helped me in a profound way to deepen my Pilates practice.

So you tell me…..which is better? Yoga or Pilates? Take some classes and be your own judge!

Dina Voigt is a certified Pilates, Yoga, and Spin instructor, as well as a personal trainer. She is the manager of Fitness Incentive’s Studio Yoga and Studio Pilates programs.