Re: Yoga and Pilates (Off Topic)
Bella Lucia, i agree. I prefer yoga. I have a hatha yoga book i bought years ago, and like you say, it quitens the mind, and you can feel the chi or life-force engery moving through you, pilates doesn't do it for me. I also like tai-chi, which is definately like moving meditation and qi-gong.
I'm not keen on the dynamic, power type of yoga though. I also like the fact you don't need any equipment, pilates can be done without equipment, but they do use stuff, like boxes, and swiss balls etc.
There was a girl at the mall looking at the yoga books awhile back. She told me, she had been very nervous and stressed and had only been doing yoga a short while, but it had changed her life. She had never felt so calm. She was telling everyone about how great yoga was.
I'm looking forward to starting yoga and tai-chi again, now my back and neck problem is so much better.