What is a Yoga Wheel? Is It Safe For Beginner Yogi’s?

The Yoga Wheel or ‘Dharma Wheel’ was created by a Yogi named Shri Dharma Mittra and his son, Yogi Varuna. The design has been refined somewhat over the years and we now have creations sourced from wood, cork and plastic.

It has been designed for use much like other yoga props. Other yoga props that can assist beginners or allow deeper movement into a pose are the block, strap, bolster or specifically designed pillows. The benefits of incorporating a wheel however means that it can also be used as a way to release tension and pain, particularly so for back pain. Many athletes swear by using a yoga wheel in replacement of a foam roller in order to strengthen and tone muscles.

What makes the yoga wheel safe for beginners?

• You can start with simple poses using the wheel (see the suggestions below) and then increase complexity over time
• Helps to provide stability and much needed support for beginners
• Aids in getting into more difficult poses
• Provides support and increases mind body connection

Incredibly versatile it can also be used by more advanced yogi’s:

• Improves overall flexibility
• Helps to retrain and strengthen the body
• Aid’s the body to get into more difficult poses over time unassisted
• Can deepen the practice of more advanced students to use a wheel during challenging poses
• Provides endless creativity, inspiration, versatility and play!

Let’s learn more about all of the amazing benefits!

5 Benefits Of Incorporating A Yoga Wheel Into Your Practice

1. Helps with spinal health:

• Provides a beautiful spinal massage
• Improves spinal strength over time
• Helps to connect you to the seven main chakra systems located along the spine

2. Works to improve your posture over time:

• Simply fantastic if you work full time and are desk bound 9-5
• Can be used as an at home alternative to expensive massages
• Aids in getting rid of deep knots and tension
• Great for using in an end-of-day wind down evening routine

3. Opens the front body and creates space:

• Regular use of a Yoga Wheel can help to prepare your body for further heart opening poses
• Also great to help your body prepare for backbends
• Trains your body to naturally create better alignment for more difficult poses
• Keeps your front body open which allows you to breathe much better

4. Eventually might allow you to get into Wheel Pose safely:

• Helps to strengthen and prepare your body for Wheel Pose
• Wheel pose strengthens arms and legs
• Tones abdominal organs

5. Strengthens core:

• Using a Yoga Wheel is an easy way to strengthen your core over time
• A strong core helps to protect the spine and lower back
• Improving core strength is key for getting into deeper poses like wheel, shoulder stand, head stand and hand stand
• Strengthening the core can also help with any balancing poses like dancers pose or tree pose

Some people believe that emotions and trauma can get stuck throughout our bodies. Moving your body in a different way can release and open up different parts of your body which can allow you to release any emotions that might be painful or limiting for you.

How Can A Yoga Wheel Provide Support With Back Pain?

• It can work to relieve pain in the spine and shoulders
• Helps to deeply massage the back all the way along the length of the spine
• Helps get a much deeper stretch and works to release tension
• It can also help to release any tension and pain throughout the front body
• Aid’s in pain relief throughout the back, hips, chest, shoulders and abdomen
• Can be used by athletes to get into deeper stretches and release ongoing tension and pain
• Can be used in place of a foam roller working to increase blood flow and speed up recovery time

5 Beginner Yoga Wheel Exercises That Can Help To Release Your Back

1. Get started with a simple side body stretch/shoulder opener

2. Kneeling back & shoulder stretch @ 1:02

3. Low lunge @ 0:23

4. Reclined hero’s pose @ 2:15

5. Relaxing shoulder opener to end @ 0.25

Follow the hashtag #yogawheel on instagram for more ideas ♡

Links:

5 Reasons to start a daily yoga practice

23 Yoga Wheel Poses + Exercises from Chakra Galaxy