Yin yoga and therapy balls

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Christie88
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:08 pm

Yin yoga and therapy balls

Post by Christie88 »

Hello!
I am toying around with the idea of beginning a new class that I would like to have some feedback around. I want to incorporate the use of therapy balls into the teaching of yin. Keeping everything on the gentle side, I would like to add the therapy balls into the specific targeted areas of each posture. So for example in Swan adding the option of placing the medium sized ball under the glutes or sitting bone of the targeted side(this could be made less intense by utilizing smaller or larger sized therapy balls) . I have seen classes that use the therapy balls with yin, but it is always that you roll the balls first and then do a yin sequence. Using the balls can be offered as an option, so students don’t have to incorporate the balls. I have just found so much benefit for my own body when I am able to soften over and onto the balls. So not so much of a “rolling” technique, but just like the yin, breathing into the sensation and softening over the balls.
I would be super interested to hear any feedback from other teachers around this. I appreciate your consideration!
Thank you,
Christie
Christie Alexander
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Re: Yin yoga and therapy balls

Post by Bernie »

Hi Christie

I personally have never worked with balls and rollers, so I can't offer you any advice, but I would be curious to hear what your experience is.

Good luck!
Bernie
bonnie golden
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2020 4:12 am

Re: Yin yoga and therapy balls

Post by bonnie golden »

Hello Christie,

I have offered (prepandemic) this workshop several times with focus on upper body, lower body, entire body. I have done is as roll out and then practice yin and have many times employed the balls as therapeutic tissue release where you basically drape over the ball. But I haven't felt that it had to be a yin pose, per se. During pandemic, have incorporated into my classes. Every person is very individual on how they benefit. Softening over the balls is really only Ok if the ball is the right size/density for the person/body area. There are so many variables; I still prefer to give the self-myofascial with the balls release it's own sequence and then yin its own sequence with any appropriate props as Bernie demos.
HTH! Bonnie
toaster
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:48 am
Location: Upstate New York

Re: Yin yoga and therapy balls

Post by toaster »

I know that this post is old, but I thought I would reply anyway. :wink:

Pre-pandemic I taught some classes where we did both ball rolling and yin - students loved it! I generally used the balls first too. Perhaps the balls help to start the process of targeting the connective tissues?

You can definitely use balls of various densities. My favorite balls to use as therapy balls are the "Hi Bounce Pinky Balls" - they can usually be found pretty cheaply on Amazon, in big box stores, and sometimes in dollar stores.
YogiBethC on FB, IG, and YouTube
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