“Yoga is the fountain of youth.
You’re only as young as your spine is flexible.”
Bob Harper
“Yoga is excellent for un-kinking the muscles and the spine. It is great if you’re really kinky.”
Terri Guillemets
In the town where I was born,
Lived a man who sailed to sea,
And he told us of his life,
In the land of submarines,
So we sailed on to the sun,
Till we found the sea green,
And we lived beneath the waves,
In our yellow submarine,
We all live in a yellow submarine,
yellow submarine, yellow submarine,
We all live in a yellow submarine,
yellow submarine, yellow submarine.
Lyrics to the Beatles’ song: The Yellow Submarine
When people talk of yoga balls what immediately comes to your mind? Well, as I sit here on my own version of the yellow submarine, my yellow (65 cm. in diameter), yoga ball I drift above the waves. I bounce as if I am out to sea. I drift from side to side. As on a sailboat sailing on a windy day I change directions frequently. I even rock out in stormy weather as I listen to my music. The sun shines through my window and I see the sparkles that reflect off the bay. I’m even surrounded by the green vegetation that grows up from the bay just as if I am below the deck of a sailboat or submarine.
Evidently, as being out to sea, my spine becomes more flexible with the motion of my self-made waves. Because I’m trying to stabilize myself and not fall overboard I hear that I’ll develop those six-pack abs that I keep hearing about. The motion definitely is a stretch for my body, as is trying NOT to slide off my yellow yoga ball. One word of warning… don’t sit on your yoga ball in your nightgown and slippers on a slippery floor. Then you might succeed in falling overboard as I nearly did.
The consistent moving around keeps the blood flowing through my body and improves my circulation. However, when I stop moving with the waves, it takes me a while to regain my land-legs so I grab for the nearest stable object and hold on for dear life!
What I’m really looking forward to is the increased energy all of this drifting around will provide me. It is even rumored that I will lose approximately one pound every ten days. Hopefully, it means the extra weight will drift off to sea and never find me again. I won’t leave a return address.
Since I absolutely love the water, I’m learning that this drifting around on my yellow yoga ball benefits me emotionally too, as I sit here with a smile glued to my face.
Hi,
Very nice article. I once took a water gymnastic course in a wellness center and enjoyed it very much. I too found it easier to do some exercises in water than doing them in the gym. However, I don’t know whether I lost any weight. 🙂
Shalom,
Patricia
I’m sitting here drifting around on my yoga ball in my kitchen-office area in front of the computer. If we Skype, I’ll have to lay the screen back and point it toward the ceiling in order for you to see me. You would laugh at the size of my ball. I almost can’t get it through my doorway into my house when I ask the PT office to inflate it more.
Hey, I’m hoping that sitting on the yoga ball will do something exciting for me. Just watch out for the explosion if that thing gives out. It is liable to blow me up into the Osprey nest behind my house! 😉
Hi Gwynn, this reminds me to get my yoga ball pumped – since moving to the townhouse its been sitting out in the garden. I’ve used it for years, for sitting at my computer. I really believe it is great for posture. Maybe an EXTRA reason now for getting it pumped is to imagine all those lovely thoughts that YOU have while sailing away ..
How’s the radiation glow? hope it’s subsided?
ONE MORE DAY TO GO!!!!
Garden of Eden Blog
Thanks Susan for being such a lovely support and following my crazy stories throughout this Challenge. I’m stressing as to what to do for “Z”… maybe Zero, Zilch, and … ALL DONE!!!! 😉
I am learning to appreciate my yoga ball. I do have great posture, but the ball is supposed to help stretch and loosen up sections of my body. However, when I do get up from the ball, I do feel like I have been out to sea for a month or two as I still feel drifty!
As for glowing… I think I’m all done, at least according to the time-line on my paper that I carry. I do wonder if all that nuclear stuff the doctors pumped into me would ignite my gigantic yoga ball and blow me up into the Osprey nest behind my house. Ohhhh… that’s what I could write about… ZOOM!!! 😉 You are an Angel… Thanks for the idea!
Two things I love — the Beatles and yoga. 🙂 So, I’m definitely in the right place here.
Great analogy on yoga and drifting. I never thought of it quite that way, but you’re right. It is kind of like being out to sea. If I close my eyes and imagine myself on the yoga ball — yeah, I hear the water, feel the flexibility in my joints, feel the peace.
I used the ball a few times — great exercise — and I also took yoga classes (the easier type, can’t do the complicated stretches).
Wonderful post, Gwynn. So glad I found your blog. I look forward to many more visits ahead, post AZs.
Hi Sylvia, I love the sea and the sensation of floating. My yoga ball is my own sailboat now. The problem I have is getting up and walking after drifting on my ball as then I must look like a drunken sailor.
I have taken some yoga classes and enjoyed them, but it turns out some of the positions are harmful to my back. However, frankly I’m much happier simply sitting up drifting into my new world. I can create whatever I want now.
I have so enjoyed meeting you and appreciate your time in stopping by. I too look forward to reading more of your delightful posts.
I’m going to have to get one of those, Gwynn, especially after Susan suggested using it for sitting at the computer. My computer chair puts me in a Quasimodo position. I love your analogy to The Yellow Submarine. Sounds like a wonderful, relaxing effect.
Yes, I am here on my yellow submarine responding to you. It is also my hope that I don’t fall overboard from my wobbling away. Did you read Silvia’s comment too? She took my analogy one step further to even visualizing the sound of the surf…. now since the sun is out all I need is a sandy beach!