Yamuna Save Your Shoulders

I have been curious about the Yamuna technique, developed by instructor Yamuna Zake, for some time. I have tried various other types of self-massage, including foam rolling, Jill Miller's Yoga Tune-Up, and Elaine Petrone's The Miracle Ball Method, all with varying degrees of success.

This DVD uses two Yamuna balls, one larger "gold" ball and one smaller "black" ball. Because I already own various balls, I decided NOT to purchase the recommended Yamuna balls. For the gold ball, I used my squishy Overball; this worked fine, although was perhaps slightly soft for the intended purpose; a simple playground ball (about 10") should also work fine here. For the black ball, I used one of my Petrone balls referenced above, and this worked perfectly, especially since it can be inflated to different degrees.

Oddly, this DVD is in black and white--I am not sure why that was chosen. It is led by Yamuna Zake herself, who teaches live in a studio with about 4-5 participants. In her brief (2 min.) introduction, Zake describes how bad posture can affect the shoulders, and she shows some of the relevant anatomy on a skeleton model. The DVD is chaptered; I have provided a brief summary of each chapter (along with approximate times) below.

LIFTING THE RIB CAGE (3.5 mins)
This section uses the larger gold ball. Lying face down on the mat, the ball is placed just under the collarbone, and the legs are moved back several times to lift the chest further and further.

ROLLING AROUND THE UPPER RIB CAGE (18.5 mins)
The black (smaller) ball is used for the remainder of the workout. This section also begins lying face down, with the ball placed just under the collarbone. The ball is gradually moved towards the armpit, pressing the body's weight into the ball, and then travelling the ball under the arm, on the shoulder blade, and onto the back. The progress is the reversed, bringing the ball back to the front, and then repeated on the second side.

WORKING CHEST SHOULDER AND ARM (9 mins)
Again, start lying face down with the black ball just under the collarbone. Stretch one arm out perpendicular to the body and move the ball towards that side while twisting the chest up to the opposite side, all the while keeping the arm extended. Repeat on the second side.

ALIGNING THE ARM IN THE SHOULDER JOINT (12.5 mins)
This section starts with a bit more demo by Zake than the other segments. Again, start lying face down, this time with the ball placed close to the armpit. Rotate the ball around the outside of the arm and onto the back, pinning back the shoulder blade. Return to front and repeat on the second side.

LOWER THE SHOULDERS (9 mins)
Starting on the side this time, place the ball at the top of the arm. Use the top leg to elevate the hips, place weight into the ball, and slowly roll the ball down the arm to just above the elbow to relax the shoulder down. Repeat on the second side.

Following the conclusion of the workout (about 52 minutes total), there is a brief (1 min) section on "Quick Tips: Resetting the Shoulder. Here Zake uses one of her students to demonstrate how to properly set the shoulder blade on the back.

I enjoyed this routine. Although it uses balls, it is less about self-massage and more about alignment, which worked well for me. I commute 45 minutes each way to work daily, and then I spend quite a bit of time sitting in front of a computer all day, so my shoulders definitely have a tendency to hunch forward. This DVD will be extremely helpful for counteracting the effects of my daily life. I am especially glad that it is chaptered, so I can work in short segments as needed. Highly recommended for anyone with postural, shoulder, or similar issues!

Instructor Comments:
I thought Yamuna's instruction was fine. She mostly uses the class members to demonstrate the exercises and does not always complete the routines herself. My only issue with her was that she was a bit wordy at the start of each segment--I would have preferred getting right into it.

Beth C (aka toaster)