I'm pretty well aware that I am writing this blog for a bunch of stress monsters…so I'm always on the lookout for new and practical ideas to help talk at least a few of you out of that unhappy tree…
Yesterday, former inCYST intern and soon to be inCYSTer Sarah Jones invited me to stick around the yoga studio where she works after a business meeting we had. She thought I might be interested in meeting the instructor, who is also pursuing a degree in acupuncture.
The instructor based her class around a set of acuballs…the best way to describe them is that they are like little plastic blowfish that you use to massage yourself with. You can hold them in your hand and use them on your legs, etc., or you can place your body on top of them and move back and forth to massage hard-to-reach parts of yourself.
I absolutely fell in love with how it felt to gently roll my spine over my acuballs. It felt like several sets of massage hands meticulously spreading every muscle fiber apart and stretching it to its potential. I especially loved putting it at the base of my skull and letting it do its job of releasing all of the tension that builds up from all of my computer time.
I sometimes have a hard time with yoga because of my fibroids…they make it uncomfortable to assume any position on my stomach. So when the instructor asked us to place the acuball underneath our abdomens and move back and forth, I was hesitant. It did feel uncomfortable at first, but it actually started to feel good. And when we were finished with the exercise, assuming the next stomach position didn't hurt at all. I couldn't help but think they would be a nice tool to use to help improve circulation to reproductive organs.
If you'd like to try them for yourself, you can find more information at http://www.acuball.com/