What's the difference between yoga and pilates?!
Question:
What's the difference between yoga and pilates?
Answers:
No offense to the previous answerers, but I don't think they've taken a yoga class. I've done yoga and pilates both for 3 years and here's the difference:
1. All the exercises in pilates focus on strengthening and toning your core - basically, your abs. There are floor exercises (a bit like sit-ups) and there are various props you can use like batons, cords, and balls. There is also a pilates reistance machine, lots of cords and weights, that a lot of gyms and pilates studios have. Pilates is great and is a workout, but the benefit is to your core.
2. Yoga comes in lots of versions. Easy hatha classes are about learning yoga poses. These poses will challenge your flexibility, strength, and balance. Level 1 classes are not an aerobic workout, but you will tone all the muscle groups, including abs. Power yoga does all that and more because it is also an aerobic workout. I drip sweat during power yoga. It is a flowing combination of poses with power moves (push-ups, for example) connecting them. There is also hot yoga, a series of poses done in a super-heated studio. It's great for increasing flexibility, but personally I don't like it.
As for meditation, every yoga class I've been to ends with corpse pose - lying flat on your back for 3 - 10 minutes. sometimes 10. It's generally silent and dark in the room and it gives your body a chance to relax after the workout. You could meditate, but generally you are supposed to let all thoughts drift away.
Hope this helps a bit. Good luck.