There is something extremely important about centering oneself mentally. It is the basis of success for everything else in life. A good way of maintaining a steady mental state is by being involved in a sport, but finding the right one can be contradictory. Both yoga and pilates are a great way of doing this. It is difficult to find many sports that enhance the mental state, maintain a ‘Zen’ state, and still manage to work you in a way that shows results.
Yoga and pilates offer all of this, with an additional confidence booster and tap of self esteem.
“[Pilates] made me a ton more energetic, and more at ease,” junior Elise Green said.
These two sports do share similar aspects, but they are not the same by any means. Pilates involve a machine that helps to increase strength, balance, and focus.
It helps with flexibility and stress relief for sure, but all of it is achieved differently than it would be in yoga.
“I noticed that I became more toned and flexible… it made me become more confident in myself, which I have struggled with, and… it is something I can do just to get my mind off of all the stresses of daily life,” Green said.
Yoga can also be quite the workout. It deals with the centering of one’s energy without the use of a machine. It is about using the body to fulfill everything it is capable of. Yoga involves a lot of stretching and balance.
“I was a lot happier and I was calmer. My yoga teacher specifically taught us about meditation,” junior Yutika Singh said. Both of these activities are something that anyone can do. The only necessity is proper motivation and a passion for being healthy.
Practice becomes more necessary with each advancement, much like any sport, but it’s something anyone can do.
“It takes a lot of practice to be successful because sometimes you have to do a lot of things that require balance, and so those things might obviously take time,” Singh said.
These sports are for everybody, making it a fun learning experience and a good time. There’s no discrimination based on appearance and skill, creating an incredibly welcoming environment.
“In every class, I have noticed all different people of all different sizes and athletic abilities doing the their best while looking great,” Green said.
Pilates and yoga both offer a safe environment to test one’s limits and mental capacity in a gradual state of mind. Both of these sports work the body, but also the mind, which is extremely important.
“It helps in terms of patience, and it can help with school, like if you ever just need a minute to just try and calm yourself down,” Singh said.