What is a Yoga Wheel?
A yoga wheel is a yoga prop, just like mats, straps, and blocks are props. It is a narrow and wide cylinder, and it is usually made of plastic or wood. However, it can also be made of a combination of materials. A yoga wheel is about twelve inches in diameter, and it is a supportive tool for yoga practitioners. It can deepen stretches, enhance flexibility, assist with balance, and act as a support. Of course, patients who want to use a yoga wheel should start with more grounded poses before attempting to use the wheel for difficult poses. There are many poses, ranging from beginner to intermediate difficulty, in which a yoga wheel can be used.1
How to Use a Yoga Wheel
The following are some of the poses that a yoga wheel can assist. First, child’s pose is a popular position that stretches the hips, thighs, and low back. During the pose, the patient can reach their arms forward and grip the wheel for a deeper forward stretch. Second, reclined easy pose helps relieve shoulder tension and encourages breathing. Patients can use the yoga wheel to support their backbend while they sit cross-legged. Third, fish pose stretches the pectoral and shoulder muscles in a backbend position. A patient can arch their back over the wheel to open the chest and stretch more easily. Fourth, the yoga wheel can help patients work towards more difficult backbend positions, such as wheel pose, king pigeon pose, and unassisted upward-facing two-foot staff pose. Furthermore, the wheel can also assist with half-pyramid pose, lizard lunge, and crow pose.2
How to Practice for Wheel Pose Yoga
The wheel pose is not easy to perform. It takes strong arms, quads, glutes, and core to support the body, and it takes a flexible back to form the arch. Fortunately, there are steps that a patient can take to strengthen their body in preparation for wheel pose. Patients should practice upward dog pose, first, to strengthen the arm muscles and gently bend the back. Then, they can perform the bow pose to stretch the core, strengthen the legs, and open the chest. After that, locust pose can build back, core, and glute strength by elongating the spinal muscles. Next, camel pose contributes to back flexibility. Finally, a strong bridge pose is a critical component of maintaining wheel pose. Bridge pose is a relatively light backbend, but it is still effective. It is also important to warm up prior to attempting wheel pose.3
Yoga Wheel Pose
Wheel pose is also known as urdva dhanurasana. It is a backbending asana, which means that wheel pose can help combat the forward-leaning posture of “text neck”. The pose opens the shoulders and upper back, and it also strengthens and lengthens the neck. The yoga wheel pose starts on the ground. The patient should have grounded feet, and the hands should be on either side of the head with the fingers pointed towards the feet. Then, they should push up into an arched position, and the stomach and chest should be pointed toward the sky. Patients should focus on breathing while holding the pose, and they should only stay in the pose for as long as they are comfortable. Usually, backbend pain is felt in the lumbar region when patients neglect to bend more in the upper back. The pose should not be painful.4
The Dharma Yoga Wheel
The Dharma Yoga Wheel was created in 2014. It is an example of a popular yoga wheel, and it is not the only product of its kind. The company also offers a more eco-friendly yoga wheel as well as the basic yoga wheel. In addition to the Dharma Wheel, the founders of the company also intend to release an instructional DVD to teach patients about the poses that they have performed using the wheel. Each wheel is made in the USA, and they are all tested for strength and durability. They are also very portable. Beginners and advanced yoga practitioners alike can benefit from the yoga wheel, and it can be used for warm ups and for offering deeper, more supportive stretches. As always, patients should consult their primary healthcare provider before trying any new exercise device.5
Other Choices for the Best Yoga Wheel
There are plenty of yoga wheel options on the market. Other products include wheels offered by UpCircleSeven, Pete’s Choice, Seigla, Gaiam, Mindful Yoga, Risefit, Reehut, JBM, Yoga Evo, and BodyGood. Some wheels feature grooves along the interior of the ring for better gripping, and others put the grip texture on the outside of the ring. Patients may prefer certain wheels over others due to the materials that they are made of, such as cork or recycled materials. Additionally, certain wheels are sized differently. UpCircleSeven offers one of the top choices because it is covered in a padded material for comfort. Gaiam is a notable name in the yoga community, and they offer wheels that are made of cork, rubber, and PVC. Each wheel comes with its own pros and cons, such as size, durability, comfort, price, material, and style.6
Deep Stretch Yoga Poses
Whether or not they have a yoga wheel, many patients can still perform the beneficial deep stretch yoga poses. Specifically, deep stretch poses encourage flexibility and loosen tight muscles. There are so many different yoga poses for stretching different areas of the body, and beginners can learn how to prepare to practice each one. Patients will learn how to pay attention to their body to find out which positions are best, and yoga can be performed casually and through classes. There are three well-known poses that patients can try to achieve a deep stretch: downward-facing dog pose, camel pose, and extended triangle pose. Furthermore, each pose can be deepened with a yoga wheel. Downward-facing dog strengthens the arms and legs, elongates the spine, and stretches the chest and shoulders. Camel counteracts poor, hunched posture. Extended triangle stretches the chest to the legs.7
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