A few weeks ago in one of my many attempts to clean my hall closet, I came across my Yamuna Body Rolling balls tucked away on a shelf. I decided to put them to use again and now I cannot imagine why I ever let them disappear into the abyss of my closet in the first place!

Yamuna Body Rolling is a series of routines using 6 – 10 inch balls specifically designed for the practice. According to the YBR website:

“(it) works the way a hands-on practitioner works -only using a ball. The ball replaces hands as it moves on muscles to stretch them, dislodge tension and discomfort, increase blood flow, and promote healing. Lying over the ball, you literally roll your body out almost like dough, stretching and elongating your muscles. The YBR routines follow specific sequences that match the body’s own logic and order. Starting where each muscle begins, at its origin, you roll toward where it attaches to the point called its insertion.”

I was introduced to Yamuna Body Rolling by a couple of my pilates instructors (one of who also runs marathons) and took a few classes to learn some of the routines. But eventually, making time to do the routines became less and less of a priority….too busy rushing around….and lo and behold, the balls ended up in the back of the closet!

However, in these past couple of weeks, I have been making the time to do a couple of the routines, both the night before a morning run and following a run (much harder with the kids and the demands of the day calling), as well as after a weights workout. I’m finding the level of soreness in my muscles is diminished, and that alone is reason to continue to make time for it!