When YogDev, a newish yoga prop brand out of Vancouver, British Columbia offered to send me a YogaDev wheel to test, I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with it. On their site, people are getting into some pretty intense backbends. When I Googled the YogDev wheel, I even saw people perched on top of it in some grand feat of balance!
Well, my household has a pretty casual approach to yoga these days. I seem to spend more than my share of time in child’s pose while the dog licks my arms. But with some experimentation, my husband and I have identified a few ways we like to use the YogDev wheel.
Meet the Wheel
The elegant YogDev wheel.
But first, let’s meet the wheel! The lightweight, portable wheel comes in four colors: black on the outside with light green inside; grey on the outside with white on the inside; and two choices of pink on the outside with light green inside. Our household received the sedate grey/white combo, which is probably in sync with our current practice.
The YogDev wheel is 12 inches in diameter and five inches thick. The six millimeters of padding add to its comfort level. Weight capacity: 300 pounds.
Meet the Company that makes the YogaDev Wheel
YogDev is a compound name. The “yog” comes from yoga, or union, and the “dev” is Sanskrit for god. The idea is to help connect humans to their higher selves through yoga. Or, in this case, yoga props. The YogDev team is committed to making high-quality, affordable props that improve mobility, strength, balance and flexibility. In addition to the wheel, they sell microfiber towels and eco-friendly mats. For a general introduction to yoga mats, check out reviews here.
Stretching Our Backs
The YogDev wheel is especially made for backbends, and that’s the way my husband likes to use it. You can see him here doing a supported bridge over the wheel, arms reaching over head to stretch his chest, too.
YogDev wheel is made especially for back bends.
My backbends have never been very deep – my back just isn’t that bendy, and I’ve been extra-conservative after a painful pinched nerve in my neck a couple of years ago that still occasionally haunts me. However, I have been enjoying stretching my back with the wheel in forward bends. You can see me here in three different positions rolling the wheel forward to stretch my back. It feels really good!
But I like using it to stretch my back in lunges…
…and standing forward bends…
…and seated forward bends.
Now some of you young, flexible folks will find more exciting ways to use the wheel. I’ve seen your tricky maneuvers on Instagram. But I think it has a wide appeal, and not just for people who are trying to balance atop it or get into scorpion. And since I love yoga and fitness entrepreneurs, I wish YogDev all the luck in the world as they get the word out about their quality props.
