Some of you may have seen one of my recent Instagram posts about my new yoga toy… my Yogi Bare yoga wheel. I was very honest with you in saying that prior to now I haven’t used one and I didn’t really get why people did, as I couldn’t work out the benefit (how close-minded of me!). Since getting one from a very good friend of mine a few weeks ago, I can officially say that I love it, especially as I struggle with back pain quite a lot.
A few people have requested that I do an introductory blog post about how to use a yoga wheel with some basic postures you can use it for. Instagram, as amazing as it is, is full of funky postures using the wheel that aren’t accessible to a lot of people. Here are my top five yoga wheel poses.
SPINE MASSAGE
So this is officially my favourite thing to do in my morning yoga flows. I have struggled with lower back pain for about two years now and having a way of opening my heart, massaging my spine, but staying totally supported is amazing. Pop yourself up onto the wheel as per the photo above and slowly roll back and forth. There’s always the option of keeping the feet firmly planted and even having the arms down by your side for extra support.
ASSISTED BACKBENDS
I have to be so careful about working on back bends, so this will really come in handy. Breathing into the postures for a good 10 breaths feels great on the spine, just be careful about coming out of it -put the hands down and engage the core to come up. This posture is also great for stretching out the quadriceps, so any runners of weight-lifters reading this – you can benefit from using a yoga wheel too.
SHOULDER STAND
Sometimes, especially in my early morning practice inversions are tough to find comfort in. Propping your bottom up onto the wheel and having it there to support you throughout shoulder stand is a really nice modification to take if you’re not quite ready for the full expression of the pose. You could also play around with leg variations here whilst still being supported.
CORE STRENGTH
This is such a great way to engage and strengthen the core, which will not only help for hand balances like these, but will also give you much more stability when it comes to inversions. Give this pike hold a go with the feet balanced on top of the wheel, root the palms into the floor and then try to lift the bottom, lifting the lower tummy upwards as you do so.
HIP OPENERS
Giving your lunges a bit of support will help you sink a little deeper into the posture and will allow you to lift your chest and possibly even take your hands up into the sky. Not only is this posture an amazing hip opener, but by coming up onto the front toes, you’ll find yourself having to work into the core even more to keep your balance, therefore building those ever-important abdominals.
I really hope this has been helpful for you. I can’t recommend getting one of these enough – it’s wheely good! I’m sorry! 😉
My yoga wheel is from my friend’s brand, Yogi Bare, and is available to buy on Amazon for just £24.99.
Love, Cat x