WHY USE A BALL FOR YOGA?

The spherical shape of the ball is a natural fit for the human body. Our bodies are soft, round and bendable Round is familiar to the body. Not only is the yoga ball a great practical support tool, but using it feels great.

The Sphere, beautifully round in shape can be seen throughout all of nature along with spirals. Look at the twirl of a grapevine, the coil of a snake.even in the double helix of DNA, the very pivot point of all life. The muscles of the body wrap, they don't go straight up and down. When we do spirally movements such as twisting, rotating, curving, we awaken our bodies more fully than when we move linearly.

The beauty of using the yoga ball is that it teaches you a fluid kind of posture, which relates to everything you do in life. It teaches awareness and ease while both in motion and stillness. Both the muscles and connective tissue (fascia) respond by softening as you gently rock while resting into the positions on the ball. You can linger a bit longer in the positions so you begin to feel your body respond to the release. When supported by the yoga ball, your body can move in subtle ways, opening while learning how to work with gravity to anchor the movements.

The deep backbends open the front of the body from top to bottom and liberate movement of the lymph. This is great for the maintaining healthy breast tissue for both men and women. The side bending can be done most effectively using a yoga ball for support. Neck and shoulder tension disappears quickly as the ribcage releases and lengthens to its intended shape. This creates more space for the heart and lungs to do their job.

Forward bends are comfortable and effective with the yoga ball. Tight hamstrings are not an issue because the bending is done either seated, or with the ball under the upper body for support. Shortened hamstrings are due to compromised movement of the pelvis and lower spine. Using the ball releases the tension at the root (the spine), and then the hamstrings naturally lengthen.