The tradition of yoga is older than 5000 years, so a comparison can be made regarding the physical progress of people who practiced yoga in that period (more than 5000 years ago) with people who practice yoga today.
Today’s yoga practitioners can progress much faster physically than the yoga practitioners more than 5000 years ago. The main reason for this is not the yoga instructors and yoga teachers, although we do not question their commitment to teaching (I myself am one of them), but the various yoga props which have become more and more available recently.
The Purpose of the Yoga Wheel
Thanks to those yoga props, people who practice yoga today can make great physical progress in a relatively short period of time. The purpose of yoga props is to enable a faster progress in the physical sense, of course with respect to the instructions that are given by the instructors, all in order to avoid possible injuries when using these props.
Although it may look like a very awkward yoga prop at first glance, the yoga wheel is actually a very simple and useful yoga tool.
When the yoga wheel first appeared, there was a debate among yoga instructors for a while about whether it was a very demanding yoga tool or not.
My personal opinion is that it all depends on the person that is using it. Given that they use it in poses that are meant for beginners, it will be very helpful for people who are just starting out with their yoga practice. Of course, these people are not expected to perform more demanding poses with the help of the yoga wheel.
On the other hand, the yoga wheel can be very useful for people who have been practicing yoga for a long time and who want to progress into more demanding poses. Generally, such people are mentally ready for more demanding poses. However, their bodies are not yet fully ready on a physical level. In this sense, using a yoga wheel means a lot to them.
However, regardless of whether they are people who are just starting their yoga practice or have a longer yoga experience behind them, if both of them encounter the yoga wheel for the first time, they are complete beginners when it comes to using this yoga tool.
Accordingly, in this article, we will review the poses that are intended for beginners when it comes to using the yoga wheel, regardless of the length of their yoga experience.
The yoga wheel is such a prop that, regardless of previous experience in yoga, every person must master the basic beginner’s poses at the beginning of using the wheel. Of course, people with many years of experience will master these basic poses faster and easier, while people who have just started their yoga practice will face a greater challenge in terms of using the yoga wheel.
Appearance and Use
When it comes to the appearance and design of the yoga wheel itself, it can be found in three different sizes: S, M, and L.
The biggest wheel (L size) is primarily aimed at improving balance. The M size is aimed at toning the muscles, while the S size is primarily aimed at massaging certain parts of the body.
The weight of the wheel itself is only 4 pounds on average, while on the other hand, the wheel itself can withstand a weight of up to 500 pounds.
With the help of the yoga wheel, people can improve their breathing to a greater extent by doing poses that not only open the chest and shoulders but also increase the flexibility of the spinal column and strengthen the whole body when practicing more demanding poses.
Given that with the help of the yoga wheel, the chest can be opened more and thus the heart chakra, the yoga wheel is often said to be a very important yoga tool for people who want to work on their “love rapture”. If you feel that you lack love, don’t wait; buy a yoga wheel right away.
Four Basic Poses with the Help of Yoga Wheel
- Child Pose
When you practice the child’s pose with the help of the yoga wheel, in addition to stretching your hips, thighs, and lower back, you are also very gently stretching your shoulders and chest.
This pose is very simple since it involves you in simply resting your palms on the top of the yoga wheel. Your arms are fully extended in this pose.
Feel free to stay in the pose for a few minutes as it is a very soothing and pleasant pose.
- Lizard Pose
The lizard pose is great for stretching your groin. If you are not sure how to get into the lizard pose, read the article that we wrote about this pose.
The yoga wheel in this pose serves as a support for the leg that is stretched, that is, the leg whose groin you are stretching. We recommend you to stay in the pose for at least five breaths.
In the full pose, you rest the top of the foot of the outstretched leg on the yoga wheel, trying to keep the outstretched leg in line with the hip.
- Half Pyramid Pose
In case you have problems with your hamstrings, a yoga wheel will greatly help you when practicing this pose.
The pose itself implies that you lean on the knee of the leg whose hamstrings are not stretched. That leg is bent at a 90-degree angle. The hip of that leg is above the knee, while the knee is in line with the ankle joint (the foot of that leg is completely on the floor).
Place the yoga wheel under the thigh of the leg whose hamstrings are stretched. Grip the yoga wheel firmly with both hands, on both sides. Gently move the yoga wheel forward until the calf of the outstretched leg is in a position where the calf is resting on the yoga wheel.
Your upper body is fully stretched. Stay in the pose for a minimum of five inhalations and exhalations.
- Basic Back Bend Pose
The yoga wheel that you will most often see on the internet is used for backbend poses.
The most basic backbend pose involves resting your upper back or midsection on a yoga wheel. While in this pose, your legs can be fully extended or crossed.
Try to stay in the pose for a few minutes.
Conclusion
Thanks to the use of the yoga wheel, you can progress very quickly in your yoga practice. If you are new to the yoga wheel, we advise you to master these four basic poses first. By practicing these poses, you will acquire and develop a certain sense of balance that you achieve while using the yoga wheel.
When you feel that you have mastered these poses, that you enter them without problems, and that you remain completely still in them, your body is then ready for more demanding yoga poses using the yoga wheel.
