Let's face it, being a woman is stressful. Most of us have to hold down careers, raise a family, keep a clean house and have dinner on the table by 6pm. Our physical health and fitness can be greatly affected by too much stress. As women we also have to deal with hormonal changes once a month and when we are pregnant our hormones are even more out of wacked. Yoga and Pilates are two excellent forms of stress management and are also helpful in keeping our hormones and body in check. What is the difference between the two and which one is better for you?
Let's start by talking about Pilates. Pilates was created early in the 20th century. The point of Pilates is to concentrate on the development of the core of the body or as you will hear in Pilates classes the Powerhouse. For years dancers used Pilates to obtain the lean and sculpted bodies that they needed. Benefits of Pilates included strong abs and a strong back muscles.
Now on to Yoga. Yoga has been around for centuries and has been shown to be a powerful tool to reduce stress, and lower blood pressure. Yoga poses are also designed to tone and exercise the muscles of your body which will help eliminate any excess fat. There are also breathing techniques, and meditation that is included.
Both Yoga and Pilates are what is known as 'mind body' programs. This means it requires its users to be mentally focused as they perform all the exercises. Both are slower than normal calisthenics and use have you use your breath with movement. The biggest difference in Yoga and Pilates is structure. Yoga can be loosely structured while Pilates has more of a stricter routine and is done in sets and reps. Each move of Pilates should be done in a very order and precise way. Technique is key with Pilates. Yoga tends to be a little more free form.
If you need order and want to follow things a specific way, then Pilates might be a better choice for you because of how displicne it has to be. Most of the time people who are considered a "Type A" personality tend to lean more toward Pilates. People who are more mellow might want to try Yoga since it is not as structure. No matter what one you choose there are some things you need to look for. First make sure there is a qualified instructor. Yoga and Pilates require their instructors to have completed in depth training to fully understand the subject and the techniques. The instructors should have a good knowledge of anatomy and human movement. There are many schools and training courses that a instructor can get their certification, some can last for a weekend while other can last month. A good instructor though will usually be certified in one of the two. In order to ensure that you find a good instructor you might want to enlist the help of either Yoga Alliance which provides you with a searchable database where you can find a qualified instructor, or you can check out the Pilates Method Alliance which provides you not only with a database of qualified instructors, it also gives you a list of questions to ask your instructor.
Regardless of what one you decide to go with, you will not be disappointed in the results that you will soon see.
Are you tired of those tiny colorful pills that your good doctor prescribes on every visit? You might be wishing to find some alternatives for standard medicine for many reasons which may include side effects, huge medical bills, and time spent on every visit to the hospital etc. Fortunately you can look forward to techniques like Yoga and Qigong that take you much near to nature and holistic health.
Both the techniques concentrate on the improvement of individual's health by following certain movements and breathing regulations. To a new person they might look same, but both are evolved in different directions although their purpose essentially remains the same.
What Is Yoga?
Yoga has its origins in ancient India and has been in practice for centuries. Yoga essentially means to sum up or to combine. To put it in simpler words it implies to connect oneself with the inner soul. When one does so, inner peace is achieved. This health exercise is beneficial for nearly everyone irrespective of the age.
People who practice yoga sit or stand in a position as told by the person who guides them while on the other hand some people do it on their own with the help of books and other resources. Meditation, slow rhythm, and positive thinking are the basic building blocks of this therapy. Any human being irrespective of health status can enjoy the benefits of the yoga. In modern days Yoga has caught the fancy of many and has even found acceptance amongst celebrities.
What Is Qigong?
Samurai warriors and fighters who took part in swordfights in feudal china often needed something to calm their unfazed minds. In their quest to find a solution they stumbled upon the fact that the body of a human is the store house of energy. They explored various dimensions in which humans can direct their energy and unleash it.
This technique primarily stressed the rhythm of the breathing pattern. Further on, this technique was refined and remodeled after various qigong masters.
People who follow this therapy are guided to swing their body slowly and gently as if they are in a slow motion dance. Qigong masters believe that energy moves in our body and if we could tap it then health and strong body can be achieved.
Conclusion
At first sight there are chances that both Yoga and Qigong may appear strikingly similar. Though they are quite similar in terms of result achieved, but the means that are utilized are slightly different in both therapy. In yoga, the practitioners try to attain the state of bliss along with the health; whereas in qigong, only the composed body with a fresh mind is the desired goal.
Yoga has the strict discipline of posture but in qigong modifications have been reported after every decade. Yoga has many stems specifically called schools of thoughts that derive their practice from the ancient texts written in the Sanskrit. This seals the authenticity of the Yoga whereas qigong was handed down by displaying it. So over a period of time many irrelevant postures mingled with the original. However what remains equally true for both of them is the fact that they both are quite effective in curing numerous health ailments.
Both Jess Harley & A. Thomas Perhacs are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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