Yoga & Pilates
[ 16 January 2008 ]
“What kind of classes are there and what they do for your body and mind? One of my new years resolutions is to do yoga and pilates but I would have no idea where to start…”
First of all, good on you! Congratulations! Yoga & Pilates are both tremendously rewarding forms of exercise with huge, immediate benefits. They are good for different things but practising both in tandem is really complementary, & as long as you throw some cardio into the mix, you will see a major difference in your physique.
GENERAL INFORMATION
How do I find a good class?
The internet is your friend! Google has been very good to me when it comes to finding classes. You can often find reviews of these places online, too. I recommend going to check out the place before you turn up for a class, & also calling ahead to say that you’ll be coming in. Some schools require that you do this. Another thing: many yoga & Pilates schools offer memberships or 10 class discount cards. Before you lay out the money for one of these, take at least 3 classes there. If you get bored or your teacher leaves or you lose motivation, you will have wasted a lot of money!
What should I look for in a good teacher?
The best teachers are friendly, give you enough instruction that you don’t feel lost, & encourage you to go further. The quality of teachers varies wildly. I once went to a one-on-one session with a Pilates instructor who basically told me I couldn’t do it so I shouldn’t bother. What?! Finding a good teacher can be really hard, but if you keep searching, the pay-off will be worth it.
What should I wear?
Relatively close-fitting clothing is best. Not so tight that you have circulatory troubles, but it’s beneficial for the instructor to be able to see what your body is doing beneath your clothes. That way they can make more appropriate adjustments if you’re not doing something properly. A tank top & leggings or a singlet & tracksuit pants are probably your best bet. Yoga & Pilates are both practised barefoot. Often you will be shown a locker room where you can stash your bag & clothes, but they don’t usually have “lockers” in them. You just find a space & put your stuff down. I like to take the bare minimum with me into those locker rooms, or I turn up already dressed & take my handbag into the room where we’ll be practising. Not everyone who does yoga or Pilates is a paragon of virtue & I’d prefer not to find out the hard way!
Should I eat beforehand?
Usually not, though it’s best to call the school & ask so that you can get their advice. I also recommend taking a big bottle of water with you, since it’s easy to dehydrate while you’re doing these classes.
PILATES
“Pilates is the only exercise programme that has changed my body and made me feel great.” — Jamie Lee Curtis
Pilates was developed during the First World War by a man named Joseph Pilates. At the time, he called it “Contrology”, in part because he believed that the power of the mind was what made the muscles work. However, at some point someone obviously decided that Contrology sounded a little bit menacing, & so it is now known as Pilates.
The aim of Pilates is to give core strength, increase flexibility, lengthen the body & help to align the spine. The practise of Pilates been adopted by celebrities the world over who rave about it & have helped bring it into mainstream consciousness. Belinda Carlisle claims that Pilates has helped her grow 6 centimetres (2.5 inches). With comments like this, who could help but be interested?
“I’m a Pilates person. It’s great. I had a hip problem. I had a chronic back, a pinched nerve and a hip problem and it’s completely solved all of it. I love it. It makes me feel like I’m taller.” — Jennifer Aniston
Let’s keep it simple, not go into politics & say that there are basically two types of Pilates. They both have their own advantages, but really, doing a mix of both types of Pilates is best. It will give you variety & help build your strength in different ways.
Mat Pilates
Mat Pilates is just Pilates done on the floor with a mat. It’s a good way to start because it’s less intimidating than lying down on a machine & sliding up & down. Mat classes are much cheaper than Reformer classes, & there are more of them. You can also do mat Pilates anywhere you like, without relying on equipment. It’s an excellent way to build core strength.
Reformer Pilates
I happen to think that Reformer Pilates is more fun than the mat version. I like that crazy contraption. Some Reformer classes are one-on-one with an instructor, which is the most expensive option, & some are group classes which are cheaper, but of course the quality of attention is sacrificed. You lie down on a machine, hook yourself into straps & bars, fiddle with weights & start gliding around. It is an intense workout & very effective.
YOGA
“Yoga is a metaphor for life. You have to take it really slowly. You can’t rush. You can’t skip to the next position. You find yourself in very humiliating situations, but you can’t judge yourself. You just have to breathe, and let go. It is a workout for your mind, your body and your soul.” — Madonna
There are lots of different types of yoga, all equally valid & all good for different types of people — or different moods. You don’t have to stick to one style. Sometimes Ashtanga’s where your head’s at, but other times you might just want to chill out & do some Hatha.
I have personally found it difficult to find a yoga teacher that I identify with or really enjoy learning from. However, one of the best things about yoga is that if you go to a few classes & learn the basics, you can then start practising in your living room, in a park, on a beach or anywhere you like. It doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise as long as you have someone show you how to do the poses safely at first.
There are also hundreds of yoga DVDs which account for all sorts of tastes. The one I’m using at the moment is MTV Power Yoga with Kristin McGee, but my next purchase is going to be Bryan Kest’s Power Yoga. I also hear really good things about Rodney Yee’s Power Yoga.
Here are the different types of yoga, who they suit & what to expect.
Ashtanga
Ashtanga is the type of yoga I like best. It’s not particularly spiritual, & is more athletic than its other counterparts. Ashtanga is fast-paced & intense & gives you a great workout. One of the best things about Ashtanga (I think) is that after you go through your poses, there is a relaxation period at the end, from which you wake up feeling blissful, energised & centred. Ashtanga is often called “power yoga” & has many celebrity devotees, including Madonna, Christy Turlington & Geri Haliwell.
Bikram
Bikram is also known as “hot” yoga because it’s practised in a very warm room (95-100°F or 35-38°C). It’s kind of like combining a sauna with exercise, which encourages the body to sweat & release toxins. It also helps to warm up your muscles, so that you’re more limber. It’s not recommended for pregnant women, but Bikram is amazing to practise in winter!
Iyengar
Iyengar is big on perfect body alignment. The most important thing in an Iyengar class is that you move slowly into a pose, carefully & with intent. You’ll also hold the pose for a long time, much longer than you do in Ashtanga, for example. For this reason, Iyengar is really good for people who are a bit nervous about doing themselves some damage, or for anyone who has previous injuries that they don’t want to aggravate. You often use props in Iyengar, like blocks, blankets & straps, to help keep the body aligned.
Hatha
Hatha is basically a blanket term for a lot of different types of yoga, but it’s a great place to start if you’re not sure that yoga is for you or you don’t think you’re particularly flexible. It is a gentle, slow series of movements which provide an excellent introduction to the world of yoga!
Jivamukti
Jivamukti is a modern style of yoga which incorporates ashtanga yoga movement with spiritual teachings, meditation, chanting & music. Gwyneth Paltrow, Russell Simmons & Sting are all devotees of Jivamukti yoga.
Kundalini
Kundalini yoga’s main purpose to help utilise untapped energy (what is called prana) that resides at the base of the spine. As you move through the poses, you will breathe in a certain way to help move that energy up through your body & spin & awaken each of the 7 chakras. Kundalini yoga is a very intense mental, spiritual & physical workout, & also involves chanting & meditation.
Laughter
Laughter yoga doesn’t depend on strange poses, mats or ujjayi breath. All you need is to start laughing! There are clubs in most major cities where people meet up every week to practise laughing — which has enormous health benefits. Find a laughter club near you!
Extra For Experts:
Need inspiration? The Yoga group on Flickr has a whole lot of pictures.
A Stretch Of Imagination follows a Telegraph journalist to an Ashtanga yoga workshop.
The Benefits Of Laughter Yoga with John Cleese on Youtube. I have posted this before but it is good enough to link to enough!
See Oprah’s makeover, all thanks to Pilates. “I did it every day this summer,” she said.
What to look for in a pilates instructor, from Hair Down Feet Up.
Celebrities love Pilates! I like Ruby Wax’s comment. “You have turned me into a Ferrari; my husband thanks you.”
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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WOW, only today I was thinking that I really wanted to start yoga and I even bought a yoga DVD... brilliant timing! This is so helpful, thanks Gala :)
Char — Hee, yay! I’m glad to help. I hope you enjoy your yoga DVD, what did you get? I wish I could give Pilates DVD recommendations too, but because Pilates isn’t my favoured form of exercise, I don’t know. Hopefully some nonpareils will have suggestions!
Admittedly, I’ve only tried Ashtanga yoga, but I LOVED it! “One of the best things about Ashtanga (I think) is that after you go through your poses, there is a relaxation period at the end, from which you wake up feeling blissful, energised & centred.” I couldn’t agree with you more, it was one of my favourite things too! :)
“Finding a good teacher can be really hard, but if you keep searching, the pay-off will be worth it.” Absolutely! I went to yoga classes at the Grey Lynn Community Centre when I was in Auckland & the teacher, Bec, was just amazing & one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. Trusting & respecting & genuinely liking & enjoying your teacher is instrumental to your enjoyment of, & ultimately your success with, yoga (I think).
Oh god, starting yoga again was one of my goals for this year anyways but now I’m totally amped about it, haha! I think the reason I stopped when I left Auckland was because I had doubts that I’d be able to find a teacher in Wellington that made it as enjoyable as Bec, but really that’s just silly as I’m sure there’s many, many wonderful Ashtanga teachers in Wellington (& everywhere for that matter).
Search starts now baby! xoxo
It’s Antonia Kidman’s Ashtanga Yoga one… it was the only one in my local shop but it’s good! I’d never heard of her before but apparently she’s a TV presenter in Australia… Ashtanga is great fun, I’m going to start looking for a class asap now.
Felicity — Awesome, good luck! I never did yoga in Wellington but I really liked the school I went to in Auckland (http://www.yoga.co.nz)! Though I think a yoga mat & a good DVD is an excellent thing for all yoga babies to have — wonderful when you don’t want to socialise, when you’re feeling a bit poverty line or if it’s raining!
I love both yoga and pilates, and go to a weekly ‘Strength and Stretch’ class that combines both of them, and that I am training to be an instructor for. Both disciplines are great in that they reinforce the mind/body connection, which I think is really important. Your body is more than just a vehicle for your brain! They develop great awareness of your body and muscles, as well as giving you a good workout. But DON’T do yoga/pilates just because you think you ‘should’. You’ve got to love what you do! Ride a bike, swim laps, go ballroom dancing – do whatever it is that makes you fall in love with your body’s wonderful capabilities.
I would recommend checking out classes offered at your local community college. They are SO MUCH cheaper than private instruction and in my experience just as good if not better. I love my class because it is not filled with uberflexible yoga pros with expensive gear; it’s good for beginners.
Another tip: look for a teacher with a good voice! My teacher has a really soothing nice tone and it makes me give myself up to the flow of the class instead of feeling like I am being ordered through the motions.
Haha, now I gotta leave the internet + go change for my class! Weird timing…
Oops, I tell a lie. Bec’s classes are apparently Hatha Yoga classes &, come to think of it, I think they did combine the best parts of both Ashtanga (i.e. relaxation) & Iyengar (i.e. using props for alignment). Either way, for anyone in Auckland interested in starting yoga, I couldn’t recommend her classes more. She officially comes with the Felicity seal of approval! ;D
“Hatha Yoga’ with Becca Wood will continue to run at 5.30pm each Thursday at the Auckland Buddhist Centre, 382 Richmond Rd., Grey Lynn. Contact Becca on 021 378 323.”
http://www.greylynn.org.nz/whatson-dailydiary.html
xoxo
I do another form of “hot” yoga – called Moksha – I tried out Bikram but it just didn’t suit me; it was a little too forceful for the gentleness I was seeking out of exercise. However, Moksha is the right fit! More calming & sensing your body. Good stuff.
Also, for those stay-at-home days, check out “Yogamazing!” (free downloadable video podcast with Chaz).
I now alternate moksha with hooping & am quite content.
Yay! I’m thinking on taking pilates or yoga in my university this year, so thanks for the information :) I’ve never tried it, but I really want to
One last thing! ;)
“I also hear really good things about Rodney Yee’s Power Yoga.”
I used to do regular self practice with one of his other DVDs – “A.M. and P.M. Yoga for Beginners” (http://tinyurl.com/2sadqk) – & I found him a very good “guide” for self practice. The DVD I had would definitely be a good one for beginners, although it’s more on the gentle/relaxation vibe, so I’d definitely suggest looking into the Power Yoga one Gala recommended if you want more of a “work out”.
Ok bye. :D
I LOVE Rodney Yee and also have the AM/PM yoga DVD’s. I would also recommend getting your own mat (around $9US) and a yoga strap. I have taken classes at the YMCA which will also let you “test” out the facilities for free. And check out www.gaiam.com – they have all kinds of great stuff.
My “musts” for an instructor and facility is to have good music and to do a dead pose at the end in the dark/semi-dark. So relaxing.
Also, you should put a few drops of lavender aromatherapy oli on your wrists at the beginning of your class for relaxation or sweet orange oil for energy. I had an instructor who would bring this for the class and it was great.
Have fun and enjoy your sun salutations!
Luv
Poochie
I took kundalini yoga for a term in college, and it was surprisingly intense.
I always wanted to take Pilates, but the classes at school would fill up almost immediately on registration day. My ballet instructor was also a Pilates instructor, so she incorporated some of her Pilates background into our ballet warm-ups and stretches.
Poochie — I’ve never been to a yoga class where they have music! Russell Simmons talks about a yoga class he loves because they have great music, I’m so jealous! I love those tips about using essential oils, too — brilliant!
Ha! I just got back from my Zumba class, which is excellent cardio, but I’ve been thinking I need a stretch-type class along with it… you read my mind, Gala!
After going to my university gym today (which was terribly crowded!), I decided I definitely need to get some dvd’s to do at my apt. Gala, how did you end up liking your ballet conditioning dvd’s?
xoxo
Melanie — They’re excellent but I’ll devote a whole post to dissecting them!
Yay, thanks, Gala! I’ve been thinking about booking a taster session at my local yoga centre. We have some books on yoga, but it’s a bit difficult to read whilst doing asanas!
i have some yoga dvd’s from baron baptiste which are really good. one has a ‘sun salute’ bit at the start too which is good to do when i don’t have much time. also, he’s so cute! hehe.
Great timing as usual Gala. Trying a yoga class is on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I can’t take any classes while at college because of conflicting class times but I might look into summer classes or maybe a dvd.
SQUEAL!!!!!!!!!!! THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU
YAY you did the article for me :-) im sooo happy n i have printed this off and i already started (tho with the dvds at home) & now i can start looking around properly n get started officially LOL
super super love
Emma Rose
xxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxox
All yoga classes should have a relaxation at the end, not just Ashtanga. Its one of my fave parts too.
Gala you should check out www.yogajournal.com there is heaps of great info on there. Their mag is great too, has cool home practice things it and suggestions for an itunes playlist for home practice which is always fun.
i love doing yoga, at the moment i do yoga, thi chi and a normal cardio work out 3-4 times a week in my effort to slim down! its hard work but im enjoying it!!!
gala, do you need to go to a class or can you just buy a dvd to get started? I’m not quite sure about whether i want to spend my money doing classes or whether i should just go to the video shop and borrow a dvd.
I really like Tara Stiles yoga video-podcasts for Ford Models yoga, which are available free from iTunes. I think they’re more supplementary than stand-alone, but they’re great to refer to after a run. No pressure on the spiritual front either, which is nice for some of us sometimes.
Particularly recommend the twist track and the lower back one for when you’ve been hunched over your computer too long!
lady jade — I recommend taking at least a couple of classes, just so you know what the aim is. DVDs move pretty quickly & you don’t want to damage yourself!
oooh hehe i’m going to a yoga class in an hour and a half! I’ve been to one class before about 3 months ago, and i was just trying to remember if you are suppose to eat or not before, how useful you just did an article on it! thank you! x
Thanks Gala! I did consider going to the yoga classes held at my uni, but my friend told me she went once and the instructor counts during the positions in an really bad Indian accent, despite talking in a South London accent the rest of the time! She could barely control her laughter and nobody else seemed to notice the weird accent change. I would find that hilarious so there’s no way I could go!
I’ve decided that I just can’t stand the idea of exercising in public yet so I’m going to start with DVDs/videos. I’m low on cash so I’m going to see what the library has got. I do have a book on yoga and a book on tai chi, but trying to look at a book and do positions is infuriating and doesn’t help create a calm atmosphere! I hate it when I’ve finished one position on the floor and I’m going to do one standing up and I have to pick the book up and put it on the table so that I can see it! Argh.
and though I feel like it is helpful in terms of strength training and toning, I have not yet seen any results in terms of weight loss. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for the best type of yoga for weight loss or if there was anything I could add to my workout to make weight loss possible, or more efficient. Thanks for the helpful post.
I have been thinking about doing yoga for the longest time now (at the moment, I am interested in Iyengar yoga). I have a ton of books on the subject and have been practicing on my own for the past couple of months (I had learned some poses from dance classes that I took during high school). But I definitely think I need the instruction of a teacher.
You’re post has inspired me to really think about dishing out the money to do it! I definitely need to spend some more time and energy (and even money) on myself and since I am really interested in yoga, it may just be one way to help me get back in touch with myself.
(Btw, I love Oprah too! I secretly watch her; only my husband knows that I do :oD You mentioned her in your “Things I Love Thursday” from the 3rd and I just wanted to say I totally agree!)
Dear person who isn’t losing weight from yoga,
If you’re only doing yoga, it’s not going to help you lose weight. Really the only way to lose weight is to burn off more calories than you’re eating. Yoga, while a good workout, won’t do much for you if you’re eating 5 hamburgers & a big bowl of ice-cream. The best thing you can do is stop eating junk (if you are), & incorporate some cardio into your exercise routine. Running, skipping, biking, whatever. If you do it for at least half an hour, about three times a week, you’ll REALLY start to see a difference in your body. & remember that the harder you go with exercise, the better your results will be. Good luck!
I’ve always wanted to do yoga, but never knew where to start—there’s so many. Thanks for this.
I do yoga and pilates everyday, which order do you think it would be best to do them in?
Lindsey — You do both every day? Wow, you’re more committed than I am! ;D I don’t think the order matters. Though I guess I would do yoga first, since I find it stretches me out more.
I went to ashtanga yoga this evening. I LOVED it! And can’t wait go back. It felt like a workout! I did Iyenger yoga back home for a while and used to leave feeling realigned and taller, but ashtanga kicked my ass too!
I had a lovely experience during the relaxation period – my hands felt full of energy then I felt myself enveloped in purple light (sounds really weird – I know), I normally get this if I get Reiki but was surprised that it resulted from yoga!
Nic — Yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Ashtanga is by far my favourite, I love that you have to work so hard. It totally pays off! Your relaxation experience sounds amazing, sounds like your energy was doing interesting things. Since I started using EFT I have become much more aware of my energy, & I know that if my energy is flowing strongly or things are shifting for me emotionally, I yawn like mad. Yoga makes me yawn my head off these days. Hahah!
Yep, really impressed with the dynamism of ashtanga!
That’s really interesting. I find myself yawning loads when I’m out walking (I do my best thinking and getting the day out of my hair as I march), wonder if there is more going on there?
Reiki is nice for soothing energy, my head is so full of chatter and I struggle with meditation – but have found that I’m more successful if I get or incorporate Reiki for relaxation.
Bizarre!! Yesterday I decided to start doing yoga again. Last night I did two rounds of Salute to the sun.
This evening I did two rounds of Salute to the moon and decided that I would do two of each, sun in the morning and moon at night.
Then I read this :)
Nic — Well as far as I am aware, yawning is an attempt to get more oxygen into the body, to help it deal with whatever’s going on. So it’s very possible that there is something deeper going on as you ponder & walk! If you like Reiki, have you heard of the Yuen Method? (http://www.yuenmethod.com/about.asp) My boyfriend does it a lot, & whenever he does it on me I feel it release blockages & free my energy up in a major way. Also, do you ever ground yourself energetically? That is awesome for clearing mind chatter.
Thanks for this comparison. It’s good inspiration for practice. I know I feel so much better when I practice yoga everyday. I’ve never been to a class, nor do I have any DVD’s, just an old worn-out copy of an early-80’s paperback. I think it’s Richard Hittleman’s Yoga for Beginners or something like that; the cover has long since fallen off. Still, I was able to work with that for years, modifying the form into my own stretching technique. Thanks for all the yoga/pilates links!
I’ll check out Yuen Method! For grounding, I like the method of imagining roots coming from my feet right into the centre of the earth – that feels gooooood! But I’m not very good at remembering to perform ‘rituals’, so always looking for ways that work without too much elaboration.
Hee! It’s nice to talk to someone about energy without feeling like a nut :-)
Nic — I try to ground myself as often as I can, sometimes I will do it as I walk along the street or whatever, I just find it’s really good for clearing the muck out of my head. I usually imagine myself lying down on top of the world (of course it is all vastly disproportionate!) & a cord coming down from my navel that goes down through the earth & wraps around its core. Sometimes I put an anchor on the end just so it goes ‘clunk’ & I know it’s gone far enough ;> I just do that & imagine all the gross stuff (negativity, anger, whatever) coming out of me, then imagine a jug full of sunlight being drizzled over me like honey. That works really well for me but everyone is different!
That sounds awesome! I love how our systems respond to visualization, I find it such a helpful medium. xx
Do you have to do yoga all the time? I mean would I see any benefits if I did it only once a week? Or is it not worth trying if I can’t give it more time than that? Sorry this is a little late! xoxo
Has anyone mentioned Kimberley Wilson’s Hip Tranquil Chick yet? I discovered her through her podcast by searching “yoga” in the itunes store. Haven’t listened to the podcast in awhile but she always starts off with a guided “pose of the podcast.” Plus, she’s written a great book that features a giant chunk on yoga. She uses cute line drawings to illustrate the different poses, and suggests ways to mix-and-match these poses into different sequences for different purposes (a sequence for energy, a sequence for stress relief, and so on). I’ll admit that sometimes she’s a liiiiiittle too hippy-dippy for me, but she’s a really sweet lady (I emailed her after ordering her book, and she sent a nice response) and you’re bound to learn a thing or two about yoga by checking out her website or podcast!
Thanks for the tip on the podcast. If you get a chance may i recommend PIYOLET? PIYOLET is a fusion of pilates, yoga and ballet from Roz Bazzelle. She has a great dvd that has 3 sections which challenge very hidden pleasure spots of the body – and this is done over music which is great. It was given to me for a Holiday present and out of all of my dvds, this is my favorite.