Experiences with Yamuna body rolling (specifically new DVDs esp. the ankle one)?

[Eibhinn]

I'm curious to hear about people's experiences with Yamuna body rolling, and specifically to get some details about what her new DVD series is like. I find the info on the Yamuna website to be lacking, and my searches on the topic on VF haven't really yielded much info either.

I'm curious about the quality of the DVDs - They look pretty lo-fi. What is the quality of the picture and sound? Are they chaptered? Is there music, or was that just added to the clips (as I suspect)? Are they DVD-R or pressed DVD? Do they feel like follow along or instructional? What is Yamuna's instruction like --- clear, detailed, and to the point, or confusing, meandering, and wandering off topic (like Miranda Esmonde-White chatting about makeup while messing up rep counts because she isn't paying attention)? Also, what is the quality of her gear like (balls, foot wakers/savers etc.) Everything on the Yamuna website seems really pricey - is it worth the cost? Have people found the practices to be helpful/rehabilitative/biomechanically sound?

I'm mostly interested in the Save Your Ankles kit. I have ligament laxity in both my ankles which causes frequent injury and pain, and haven't found a doctor who thinks anything can be done about it. As a result, my ears perk up whenever I occasionally see anything about rehabbing ankles. I'm also curious about her Foot Fitness and Shoulder DVDs, but I'd be happy to hear about any experiences - good or bad - with Yamuna Body rolling.

[glamgal]

I can't comment right now, but I will try to do so next week. I ordered several Yamuna items and most of them arrived this week. I sort of pieced together what I needed and wanted from various kits or dvds on Amazon (check their prices, because in most cases they are cheaper and you get free shipping). I only ordered 2 items directly from Yamuna.

Here's what I ordered:

Save Your Face Kit (Amazon)
Foot Fitness Kit w/ Foot Wakers (Amazon)
Save Your Shoulders dvd (Amazon)
Save Your Knees dvd (Amazon)
Save Your Hips dvd (Amazon)
Pregnancy Kit (Amazon...you can't beat it for the price of $50.78; even if you don't use the dvd, the balls and pump alone are worth the price)
Save Your Ankles dvd (Yamuna website...waiting to be delivered)
Pearl Ball (Yamuna website...waiting to be delivered)

I was gifted a pair of Foot Savers previously, so I already had those.

I expect my Save Your Ankles dvd to arrive on Monday, so hopefully I can comment on that routine Tuesday or Wednesday. Otherwise, I have used the smaller ball in the Save Your Face kit and love it! I used it to help release some tension in my right jaw and it worked pretty well. I like the material of the ball. It is of a much better quality than the Miracle Balls I own.

I discovered Yamuna's website recently when I was looking for Pilates information online. I look forward to incorporating Yamuna body rolling into my low impact Ballet Body / Pilates / cycling rotation. Will try to give more informtation next week when I have done the Save Your Ankles routine.

[Eibhinn]

Thanks Jennifer - I look forward to hearing what you think of the Yamuna stuff - especially the ankle one. What are the foot savers like? They look really hard and uncomfortable, and I saw a massage therapist on another website recommend people start with the foot wakers, but I'm already using Jill Miller's Tune Up balls on my feet with no problems, so I'm not sure whether or not the foot savers would be alright.

[glamgal]

I finally did the Save Your Ankles dvd. It is a recording of a live class in Yamuna's New York studio. Filmed in black and white. It is chaptered. Yamuna suggests that you do the entire dvd the first 2 or 3 times before skipping chapters. It is a pressed dvd. I can't answer your question re: lo-fi because I don't know the difference between lo-fi and hi-fi. However, I didn't notice any problems or issues with the picture quality or sound. There is no music on the dvd.

Regarding Yamuna's instruction, it is very clear, concise, and stays on topic. The equipment (balls and foot savers) are great quality. I also have Miracle Balls and Yamuna's balls are definitely better quality. The foot savers are a bit painful (for me, anyway, and remember this was my first time using them). They are not as hard as they look online, but they are pretty stiff.

After specific exercises, Yamuna would have you stand or walk or rock back and forth on your heels and compare how your ankles felt before versus after. I did feel lighter in my ankles, but part of me wonders if that is because Yamuna tells you to "feel the space in your ankles; isn't there a lightness there that you don't normally feel?" So part of me wonders if some of the lightness I felt is due to Yamuna pointing out that I should be feeling lightness.

Hope that makes sense. I want to try the knee dvd next. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and I will try to answer the best that I can.

[kitty12]

Thanks Jennifer - I'm curious what the chapters are? Like how much time on the foot savers versus other exercises?

[glamgal]

Chapters are:

Introduction
Foot Thrusts Forward From Heel
Stretching and Strengthening
Aligning the Inner Leg
Increasing the Spring in Your Step
Knee to Ankle
Increasing Ankle Flexibility

I would say that half the dvd is done on the foot savers. The other half uses the calf balls and the gold ball. You are using the calf balls on the shin and behind the knee. You are trying to stimulate the shin bone. My shins are sensitive (I can't stand for DH to touch my shins...even lightly). These exercises are a little painful for my shins, but I worked through them and I think they will strengthen my shins in the long run.

[kitty12]

Thanks Jennifer. Aligning Your Inner Leg sounds similar to what is on the Save Your Knees DVD - squeezing the ball between your legs starting from top and going down? The thing you describe for the ball behind the knees and on the shin - the same that is on the cover picture I think - is also on the Save Your Knees DVD. Is that the Knee to Ankle chapter?

Was curious how much new material there is. Of course Save Your Knees doesn't have the foot savers on it.

[glamgal]

Hmmm...interesting! Yes, the exercises you mentioned with the ball between the legs from top to bottom is on this dvd. I have the knee dvd, too. I will compare the chapters of both dvds and will reply with similarities / differences.

[glamgal]

Originally Posted by kitty12

The thing you describe for the ball behind the knees and on the shin - the same that is on the cover picture I think - is also on the Save Your Knees DVD. Is that the Knee to Ankle chapter?

Yes, the picture on the cover of the dvd is Knee to Ankle chapter.


Save Your Ankles chapters:

Introduction
Foot Thrusts Forward From Heel
Stretching and StrengtheningAligning the Inner Leg (same as Save Your Knees: Inner Leg Routine)
Increasing the Spring in Your Step
Knee to Ankle (similar to Save Your Knees: Knee Routine # 2, but uses 2 balls on right leg and then 2 balls on left leg, working back of calf and front of shin at the same time)
Increasing Ankle Flexibility

Save Your Knees chapters:

Introduction
Hamstring Routine
Hip Joint - IT Band
Quadracep Routine
Inner Leg Routine (same as Save Your Ankles: Aligning the Inner Leg)
Knee Routine # 1
Knee Routine # 2 (similar to Save Your Ankles: Knee to Ankle, but only uses 1 calf ball on each leg, working back of calf first and then front of shin)
Knee Routine # 3
Knee Tips

[kitty12]

Thanks for the comparison. I did use two balls on the Save Your Knees DVD for the calf part, but it was more of a support and you slowly move it down the leg. I think I'll probably get the Ankle DVD too.