Yoga on the Ball: An Introduction

Yoga on the Ball: an introduction... uses a stability ball plus other props (2 yoga blocks, but a blanket is also suggested) to enhance basic yoga postures. The case explains that instructor Linda Rado teaches 20 poses, but there are plenty of variations. Each posture/posture series appears briefly on screen, with the complete list as follows:

1. Bent Leg Seated Forward Bend

2. Spider Series

3. Pigeon Series

4. Backbend Series (includes several sub-segments such as arm pull, snow angel, full extension, and eagle arms)

5. Straight Leg Seated Forward Bend

6. Side Bend Series (includes clock and triangle arms)

7. Draped Rest

8. Locust

9. Plank

10. Dolphin

11. Kneeling Rest

12. Side Angle Twist

13. Toe Bend

14. Seated Wide Leg Forward Bend

15. Standing Wide Leg Forward Bend with Twist

16. Triangle

17. Standing Side Stretch

18. Seated Forward Bend with Twist

19. Seated Twist Deeper

20. Rest on Ball

The practice is about 37.5 minutes long, although the music continues for an additional 1.5 minutes during the final relaxation. Overall, I liked how the ball was incorporated into the postures and enjoyed this practice, but I did have several minor issues with it. First of all, the tone of the practice felt a bit uneven: although it was largely restorative (i.e., using the ball as a prop for going more deeply into the poses), there were also some fairly strenuous segments, such as the dolphin (a moving plank on the ball). Secondly, the transitions between the postures were often very quick, and so I found myself rushing to set up for the next pose. Finally, the frequent changes in camera angle/perspective sometimes made it difficult to follow Linda's movements. If you enjoy both ball work and yoga plus are able to overlook these flaws, I would recommend this video.