Pilates is an exercise created by Joseph Pilates to train the body to be more fluid and efficient in its movement via working on different muscles.

Over time, muscles become stronger and flexible; the body better toned and slimmer without superfluous bulk. You can tell a seasoned Pilates practitioner apart by the way he or she moves: graceful, smooth, economic with a posture to die for.

Like yoga, Malaysians are beginning to embrace Pilates. It is a challenging new discipline; popular especially young and hip professionals who want to look good, feel great and perform at an optimal level.

Yoga is an ancient system of breathing practices, physical exercises and postures, and meditation intended to integrate the practitioner's body, mind, and spirit.

It originated in India several thousand years ago, and its principles were first written down by a scholar named Patanjali in the second century B.C. The word yoga comes from a Sanskrit word, yukti, and means "union" or "yoke." The various physical and mental disciplines of yoga were seen as a method for individuals to attain union with the divine.

In the contemporary West, however, yoga is more often regarded as a beneficial form of physical exercise than as a philosophy or total way of life.

Yoga has been recommended as an adjunct to psychotherapy and standard medical treatments for a number of reasons. Its integration of the mental, physical, and spiritual dimensions of human life is helpful to patients struggling with distorted cognitions or pain syndromes. The stretching, bending, and balancing involved in the asanas (physical postures that are part of a yoga practice) help to align the head and spinal column; stimulate the circulatory system, endocrine glands, and other organs; and keep muscles and joints strong and flexible.

Yoga programs have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and anxiety levels. The breath control exercises, known as pranayama, emphasize slow and deep abdominal breathing. They benefit the respiratory system, help to induce a sense of relaxation, and are useful in pain management.

Check out the the classes being offered at Energy by selecting the links on the left.

Energy Pilates & Yoga Copyright 2009