After moving to London, yoga practice shifted alongside new studio options that also offered mat Pilates. Pilates was initially avoided due to past experiences and the belief that yoga and strength training already provided enough movement. Weekly Pilates over three months became disorienting yet refreshing, encouraging a beginner’s mindset in yoga. Core engagement improved, with the belly, lower back, and hips participating more actively in plank, chaturanga, mountain, and triangle. Breathing and movement on the Pilates mat carried over into yoga, changing how poses are felt and executed. Yoga began to feel renewed through greater openness and less reliance on habitual expectations.
"Fast forward three months and I've been taking Pilates classes weekly. Although it's been long enough that I've stopped raising my hand when the teacher asks if anyone is new, I can never guess which movement will be cued next. Most of the time I'm not even sure what movement I'm doing while I'm doing it. Pilates has been disorienting, but also refreshing. The experience has helped me bring a beginner's mindset to my yoga practice-to be more open to possibility and a little less hemmed in by habit and expectations."
"After just several weeks of practicing Pilates, I've experienced some transformative shifts that are making yoga itself feel new again. 1. My core feels more engaged. It's probably no big shocker that Pilates does what everyone says it will do and helps activate the "powerhouse" of the body-the core. But now when I practice yoga, I can actually feel my belly, lower back, and hips participating in poses in which they used to take it easy."
"Still, I'd been doing so much walking in my new city that any class in which I could spend time lying on my back or side seemed infinitely preferable than any other way of moving."
Read at Yoga Journal
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