are the teachings in pilates and the ashtanga bandhas one of the same?
pilates/ashtanga
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 yyyman |
pilates/ashtanga |
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Posts: 9 (02/28/05 23:06:52) |
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Ahavayoga |
Re: pilates/ashtanga | ||
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Posts: 582 (03/04/05 08:04:42) |
In my view, they are different ways of accessing the muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor. The physical results may be similar, but the method is different.
Here's a caveat: integrating breath with movement is intrinsic to ashtanga yoga vinyasa. Back in the ancient 1970's, when I studied Pilates, breathing was certainly not integrated with movement. It may be taught differently now... |
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tat tvam amasi |
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Posts: 2151 (03/04/05 09:50:04) Forearm Modulator |
I dabbled with Pilates for about 6 months until I discovered Ashtanga. There was a lot of attention paid to breathing in concert with movement when doing floor exercises (like 100's) but there wasn't as strict an emphasis when using the various machines.
doug |
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bandawoman |
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Posts: 2349 (03/04/05 12:33:54) Clearer of Obstacles |
Pilates does (at least now) emphasize the breathing, or at least on the videos I have seen. Nancy Gilgoff recommended this form of exercise as one of the few compatible with Ashtanga. (Of course, much of it is based on yoga...)
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hardcore4me |
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Posts: 160 (03/07/05 09:06:26) |
pilates is very popular here in the UK - probably because the brit's are a very lazy population.....or maybe it's just a london thing?
pilates machines are a different matter - very sorta...elongated ear rings, dark lip stick, and people in finance thinking they're friends with madonna and sting. |
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parisencore |
Re: pilates/ashtanga | ||
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Posts: 63 (03/07/05 22:43:35) |
i started ashtanga shortly after starting pilates. the breathing is integrated into the movement even when we work on the machines.
btw i've found them to be very compatible. improvements i make through pilates help my ashtanga practice and vice versa. my pilates trainer also does yoga and we discuss this quite frequently. for example, in pilates i get a lot of corrections which help me to engage the inner thighs more, especially on the reformer and with the wall-mounted spring unit. this has helped me with poses such as pavritta trikonasana (because of the the need to build strength in and engage that area). and vice versa. same thing with opening the chest area. the work i do on that in pilates helps my ashtanga practice. there is one noteworthly distinction between pilates and ashtanga-- how one does navasana is quite different from how one holds the c-curve in the similar pilates position due to the action of the hip flexors. pilates involves a lot of disengagement of the hip flexors so one can isolate the abs. otoh navasana engages the hip flexors. when i started ashtanga my hip flexors were weak yet moderately stretched out from pilates. at first, it was almost an actual muscle strain on them for me to hold navasana correctly. i slowly built up some strength in them (still working on all aspects of navasana tho!). it is a challenge but in theory they can be both strong and yet stay disengaged when i need them to be in pilates. i just have to maintain awareness of what they're up to. |
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yyyman |
Re: pilates/ashtanga | ||
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Posts: 9 (03/07/05 22:58:06) |
thanks guys.
After years of playing/practice i have experienced that the bandha/core thing just happens!- and all the books and teachings haven't got the words for that. Nor have i? Martial arts/Pilate's/yoga all the same to me. Anyhow, just thinking aloud. I am not a 100% sure of my theory. i think i believe that ultimately their is no contraction or even holding and that these are words for beginners? |
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tat tvam amasi |
Re: pilates/ashtanga | ||
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Posts: 2151 (03/08/05 03:35:54) Forearm Modulator |
> Martial arts/Pilate's/yoga all the same to me.
They are all very very different. And the contrast between Ashtanga and Pilates is a particularly pointed one. Pilates is rehabilitative therapy for damaged bodies. And that's it. Ultimately, Joe Pilates was a bon vivant and better health was a way to enjoy life. The healthy body allowed full expression of the self. "It is the mind which builds the body. Ideally our muscles should obey our will. Reasonably our will should not be dominated by the reflex actions of our muscles." doug |
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yyyman |
Re: pilates/ashtanga | ||
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Posts: 9 (03/08/05 15:56:04) |
what i mean is.....
say while in a sitting meditation posture i give some attention to my core/bandhas the perineum seems to lift on the exhale[the anus tones] i hold that with a casual intention and find that.. the next in breath seems to flow up from underneath filling the lungs. i allow the body to shape its self around the lungs. every thing just seems to fall into place it feels so right. when i come to standing i keep that inner awareness my martial art yoga practice whatever i do from that place seems/is better. [sorry im not god with words] so i ask myself is this what the pilates people/ashtanga people/ma people are talking about?! it must be there are no words to describe it it kinda just happens |
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hardcore4me |
Re: pilates/ashtanga | ||
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Posts: 160 (03/10/05 12:14:17) |
i love it.
can u see the light. your inner christ. step into the colors of the rainbow meet your inner guide drink green tea and knit a sweater but mind the crystals |
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yyyman |
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Posts: 9 (03/12/05 03:05:18) |
i love it.-good
can u see the light.-sometimes your inner christ.-yes step into the colors of the rainbow-using chakras meet your inner guide-thats what it all about drink green tea-dont like and knit a sweater-cant knit but mind the crystals -got no crystal |
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tat tvam amasi |
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Posts: 2151 (03/15/05 07:57:17) Forearm Modulator |
what the !??!!
doug |
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yyyman |
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Posts: 9 (03/16/05 00:09:09) |
what the !??!! indeed.
i still have this serious bandha question. i do find mr hardcore very rude and aggressive! is he taking the piss? |
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parisencore |
Re: pilates/ashtanga | ||
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Posts: 63 (03/16/05 20:15:37) |
>Pilates is rehabilitative therapy for damaged bodies.
And these days the average person's body IS damaged, even if it's not to the point of generting severe pain. The damage is postural and results primarily from using chairs, from working on computers, driving, and would benefit from pilates. JMHO |
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