Yoga was developed in India and East Asia over thousands of years. It was codified and popularized by a few specific teachers from the East. There tends to be a stronger spiritual aspect in Yoga practice.

Pilates was developed in the 1920s by a German-American immigrant, drawing from several sources including Yoga, gymnastics, and Western martial arts like boxing. Was first used for soldiers, then dancers, before gaining more widespread popularity.

I believe Pilates can also involve the use of machines to provide the correct resistance and alignment. Yoga can have some "props" like foam blocks and straps.

As such, many of the movements in yoga and pilates are similar, if not the same. Also, these days especially, the line between them tends to blur. A good friend does a "yogalaties" class twice a week. Is it Yoga? Is it Pilates? Yes and no.

The instructor you have is also going to make a huge difference, too. A good instructor, who helps you learn the movements, and guides you safely to improve, is more important IMHO than the type of exercise you do.

I'd say observe some classes if you can, or drop in on a few if it's allowed, and see what you like.

Yoga - It came way earlier

Yoga has been around for over 5000 years. It is something much more than just a way of exercising. In fact, it is a lifestyle change that many people need to take seriously. This type of program is centered on the spiritual healing of the body as well as the physical aspects. It uses a wide combination of breathing and movements to get the body back into its targeted range. Yoga is something that encompasses the entire lifestyle in ethical, spiritual and physical form.

It is important to note that yoga is centered on meditation and that the poses that are done are done to allow for better concentration and better meditation abilities.

Pilates - It's a whole different animal

Pilates, on the other hand, is a physical healing process that uses movements and breathing to work. In Pilates, the body is taken from one movement to the next in a fluid change. This allows for continuous improvement in the body in a normal way. Pilates uses Contrology in its dance form. In this, the poses that are done are more fluid and provide for a more natural movement from one to the next.

Both of these types of programs allow for individuals to improve in their health and well being through breathing techniques. Controlled, regulated breathing is very important to the success of yoga or Pilates. Which Should I Choose?

In order to know which of these you should choose, the best way to know which the better choice is for you is to actually give them a try.

http://www.pilates-shop.net/yoga-vs-pilates.htm

Yoga, as we all know it, is aimed to unite the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yogis view that the mind and the body are one, and that if it is given the right tools and taken to the right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment.

Unlike many other training programs, Pilates works the whole body, emphasizing control, precision and concentration in both the mind and the body. Movements are not performed rapidly or repeated excessively instead, the focus is on quality not quantity.

If after reading about both techniques you are still left with a question of which of these two fitness techniques is right for you then here is the answer: Do them both in conjunction! The nature of the techniques makes it easy for them to complement each other. Get the stretch from Yoga and keep it from Pilates. Strengthen your abdominals on the reformer and watch your poses improve. Join the breathing techniques of Pilates and meditative aspect of Yoga into your daily routine and see the stress of your everyday life, begin to dissipate.