Did you know that you can also use your balance board for yoga exercises? Balance Board plus Yoga results in the new trend sport "Balance Board Yoga", which we would like to introduce to you in more detail. But we can promise you one thing in advance: You'll feel muscles after Balance Board Yoga that you've never felt before - that's how intense and challenging the workout is. At the same time, the playful bobbing and wiggling of Balance Board Yoga gives you unrestrained freedom of movement and thus pure joie de vivre. Sounds good? Then let's get started right away!

Get to know Balance Yoga

With Balance Board Yoga you have to balance yourself permanently, which activates even more muscles than with classic yoga. Exercises that you can actually do in your sleep by now get a whole new challenge in Balance Board Yoga, allowing you to take your body control to the next level. The minimal movements required for balancing primarily train your deep muscles as well as your fasciae. When they are in perfect working order, they in turn can better stabilize your joints. This reduces the risk of injury, even when practicing other sports. In addition, the constant balancing act on the board strengthens your core muscles and improves blood circulation. Both prevent tension and help you maintain a healthy posture, especially in everyday life.

It sounds strenuous, and it certainly is, - but Balance Board Yoga is also about lightness, playfulness and letting go. You control your movements very specifically in Balance Board Yoga, but you also have to get into the flow that the Balance Board gives you. Anyone who has ever stood on a balance board can confirm this: The bobbing and wiggling immediately creates a joy of movement that you may remember from your childhood. You can switch off perfectly and concentrate fully on your body. The noticeable results, which experience has shown to come quickly with Balance Board Yoga, also increase your self-confidence enormously.

What you need for Balance Board Yoga:

• First and foremost, you need a suitable board for Balance Board Yoga, for example the wahu Balance Board. It offers you particularly good stability due to its slightly curved shape on both sides, the so-called rocker shape. With the cork roller underneath you can enjoy optimal rolling characteristics.
• On the natural wood you stand on the Balance Board Yoga pleasant, especially barefoot. Of course, you can also put on stopper socks or sneakers with flexible soles, if you feel a little safer with them. Just try all variations and then decide on your favorite.
• In any case, you should use a mat for Balance Board Yoga, such as our Sisal Mat. It supports the flowing rolling movements of the board and helps you with your exercises. In addition, a mat also protects your floor from scratches in case something goes wrong.

What is Vinyasa Yoga?

And which yoga style can you use for Balance Board Yoga? In principle, of course, any - although particularly energetic yoga styles such as Power Yoga naturally present a great challenge on the board. Maybe that's why we start our Balance Board Yoga with slow, relaxed movement sequences, as they are common in Karana Yoga, and then move on to the somewhat faster, flowing movements of Vinyasa Yoga. Here we would like to direct your focus - besides the balance - mainly on the breathing. With the help of the breath, you will connect the individual asanas with each other and thus get into a pleasant flow, which will support you well in keeping your balance. In detail, this means that each movement is framed by a breath. You control your breathing very consciously. First you inhale, then you start your movement with the exhale, which ends at the same time as the exhale. This is followed by the next movement and so it goes on and on.

Balance postures in yoga

In addition to breathing, the focus is of course on your posture, your balance. You have already trained this well in classical yoga on the mat, so that you can now perfect it in Balance Board Yoga. This is possible because your Balance Board responds directly to your movements - and you have to react immediately to this feedback. This directs your attention in Balance Board Yoga even deeper into your body, to the small, fine muscles that you might otherwise neglect. As we've already mentioned, it's primarily the deep muscles and fascia that are activated during Balance Board Yoga. In this way, you experience already familiar asanas in a completely new way. The increased concentration during Balance Board Yoga calms your mind even more - and you can be in the here and now with every fiber.

Balance Board Yoga also offers you the chance to make your Balance Yoga asanas even more flowing through the movement of the Balance Board. But Balance Board Yoga is not only possible while standing. The board also supports you while sitting by replacing the seat pads. Once you've connected with your board, you're ready to go, like this:

Here's how to get started with Balance Board Yoga

Get on your board in the basic position, balance yourself and stay in this position for a while. Close your eyes and breathe consciously. Feel the small, subtle movements of your balance board and adjust to them. Extend your arms to either side if needed, but try to move them as little as possible.

Now shift your center of gravity minimally and get into a slight sway. Control this rocking with soft, flowing movements and breathe evenly. Now bring your arms into play and bring them above your head. Balance yourself and hold this position for a breath.

Play with the board, get to know it better and let your imagination run wild with Balance Board Yoga. You can use both the long and the short side and position the cork roll both long and short under the board. What do you like best? Feel free to give us feedback in our wahu board community - or get additional ideas.

Yoga Balance Exercises

If you are now more familiar with your Balance Board, you can implement specific exercise sequences from classical yoga with the Balance Board. We have a few suggestions for you:

• The classics: as an introduction to Balance Board Yoga, try a few planks first - preferably in different versions, for example as a forearm or side support, push-up plank, reverse plank and plank with leg raises. They help you to further improve the feeling for your board.
• A first challenge: Then you can tackle the L-Sit Lift. Here you will certainly need a few attempts until you find the right position without wobbling. If you manage it, you can be really proud of yourself - enjoy it!
• Important Stretching Exercise: Balance Board Yoga is also about stretching. You can do different versions of Anahatasana with your hands on the board. Try to stay as still as possible while doing this.
• For pros: Once you are really confident on the Balance Board, exercises such as the Dancer, Warrior II and III, or the Squat can also be integrated into your Balance Board Yoga.
• In the end: Once you're done with your Balance Board Yoga session, don't forget about deep relaxation. For example, you can lie down on the floor and place your legs on the yoga board. This way you will feel the strong connection to your board once again and can return to natural breathing.

Our tip: Especially at the beginning of Balance Board Yoga, there will be a lot of wobbling and you will certainly fall out of one or the other posture. Remember at this moment that no master has ever fallen from the sky. Namaste - take it easy, smile and restart your movement routine. Balance Board Yoga is meant to be fun!

Want to do more?

Want to incorporate some classic balance boarding tricks into your Balance Board Yoga workout? For relaxation in between or just as an additional way to connect even better with your board, we can only recommend it. Two jumps are particularly well suited for this: the Hippy Jump and the Bunny Hop. For the Hippy Jump, stand wide-legged sideways on your balance board. Balance yourself and then hop upwards very briefly. After landing, you have to find your balance again as quickly as possible. You can increase the jump height bit by bit. The Bunny Hop is the direct continuation of the Hippy Jump. Here you jump high and turn around so that you land forward on your board. Pretty cool, isn't it? If these two tricks made you want to do more, check out our balance board exercises. There you'll find lots of ideas and more tricks, jumps & flips!