Mat Pilates on the other hand needs no special equipment. This is Pilates in its most basic, raw form. Mat Pilates relies on your own body weight as the resistance and is often thought of as the more challenging of the two.  To get the full benefit, there should be more emphasis placed on form and positioning since you have no props to help you.  This is also the beauty of working on the mat.  You get to practice using the proper form which ultimately yields faster results and lower risk of injury.