Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have practiced yoga for several years now but just recently purchased a stability ball, so I wanted a book that would teach me how to adapt yoga postures to ball work. Author Carol Mitchell takes awhile to actually get into the exercises, as she goes into quite a bit of detail about yoga tradition, yogic breathing, and posture work. While this information might be helpful to someone totally new to yoga, I found it to be overly long-winded and was eager to get started.
Mitchell begins the practice section with yoga sun salutations modified for the ball. Although the sun salutation series is traditionally performed in a relatively brisk flow to warm up the body for more challending asana work, I found the ball version to be rather awkward, making it much more difficult to move smoothly through the series. Mitchell then moves on to several chapters of postures on the ball; I found these sections to be much more relevant. It was interesting to learn how the ball could be used to enhance the classic poses, sometimes making the poses easier and at other times making them more difficult. For every exercise, Mitchell presents at least two and often three different levels of difficulty, which allows you to customize your practice. Each chapter focuses on a particular practice goal: flexibility and strength, balance, advanced work, and relaxation. At times, the ball seems to be used only for the sake of incorporating it somehow--eg, holding the ball over your head--rather than as an integral part of the yoga posture.
A final chapter, "Putting It All Together," explains how to combine the various asanas presented to create a practice customized to your particular level and goals. Although each speciality practice is illustrated, I found the diagrams somewhat hard to follow, both here and elsewhere in the book. A nice bonus at the end of the book is an appendix which reviews all of the major muscle groups and their functions; this was perhaps the most clear and concise summary of this topic which I have ever seen. Overall, this book provided a decent introduction to mostly beginner's level yoga work on the stability ball, and it is probably best suited to those new to both yoga and ball work. Rating: 3 1/2 stars.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Yoga on the Ball: Enhance Your Yoga Practice Using the Exercise Ball
Blends the ancient science of yoga with the unique training possibilities of the exercise ball to create an innovative and effective workout.
' A unique combination of Hatha Yoga asanas and ball work that builds lean muscles while providing natural stress relief.
' Includes a comprehensive workout adaptable to the needs of the beginner and those with a more advanced practice.
Written by Certified Medical Exercise Specialist Carol Mitchell, Yoga on the Ball combines the science of yoga with the technology of the exercise ball to create a workout that can be tailored to all fitness levels. Moving through yoga postures while using the exercise ball is meditation in motion. It allows you to engage several muscle groups simultaneously to create a total body workout and to lose weight naturally as your metabolism increases with special breathing techniques. The exercise ball provides a soft and cushioning base for the strong stretches and graceful movements of the yoga exercises, and with only a slight roll of the ball, the deep stretches can be altered to target different areas of the muscles.The complete workout lets you choose between sculpting your muscles with cardiovascular and muscle-toning exercises or relaxing your body and mind with stretching and breathing exercises. Yoga on the Ball pairs breathing and movement to create a rejuvenating flow of energy that will realign your mind and body, leaving you feeling calm, strong, and centered.
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