Wall Yoga’s Mind-Blowing Benefits for Ultimate Fitness and Well-Being!

Have you heard of wall yoga? I hadn’t so I decided it’s high time we find out more!

Over time yoga practitioners have developed many different styles and techniques to improve their practice and deepen the experience.

One of the latest innovations to hit yoga is Wall Yoga, which uses a wall to get support and resistance to enhance traditional yoga poses.

Today I’ll give you the low down about what Wall Yoga is and the wonderful benefits that come along with it.

It doesn’t matter if your very experienced at yoga or a total newbie, Wall Yoga could be for you!

What is Wall Yoga?

It’s the practice of yoga using a wall for stability and resistance, which can help yogi’s of many years and total beginners.

The wall helps deepen stretches and allow for better alignment.

It’s a prop that allows us to perform poses with more accuracy and ease.

How’s it Different from Traditional Yoga?

Traditional yoga is normally practiced using a yoga mat on the floor, where wall yoga uses the wall as a vertical support to add a new dimension.

The wall gives us the opportunity to explore poses that we may not be able to do on a mat, do poses with greater precision and hold poses with more stability and alignment.

Here’s a great 15 minute Beginners Wall Yoga session that will be perfect to get your started.

Benefits of Wall Yoga

WebMD confirms “The main benefits of the Legs-Up-the-Wall pose are: 

• Deep relaxation
• Stress relief
• Knee pain reduction
• Tension relief in the neck”

1. Better alignment

Some of us might use a yoga mat with lines for guiding us into alignment, another option is to use the support of a wall.

It gives us a point of reference when getting into some poses and supports us while doing them.

2. Increases Flexibility

Using a wall to support you allows us to deepen poses for more of a stretch, without compromising on your alignment.

It can also help you to hold poses for longer than you otherwise could.

3. Accessible Inversions

I don’t know about you but handstands and headstands are a huge challenge for me.

Having the wall behind you offers a bit of security when you’re first learning and getting more confidence with this style of poses.

I hadn’t felt comfortable to attempt a headstand without someone helping me, until I discovered using the wall for support.

4. Mind-body connection

As with many of the styles of yoga, using a wall for support also helps us to get some of tension out of our bodies.

It encourages us to focus more on our breathing and quieten our mind, which calms our system down and increases our mindfulness.

5. Improved circulation

Certain poses when done using the wall can move the blood around our body much more effectively.

After a long day at work, I love putting my legs up the wall for 10 minutes.

It gives your heart a rest, and allows blood to pump more easily back to the heart.

Healthline says that “Elevating your legs can help improve circulation by reducing pressure in the leg veins and redirecting blood flow back toward your heart. This can also help with lymphatic drainage and fluid buildup to help reduce leg swelling”.

6. Gentle backbends

Backbends can be challenging because of the flexibility needed or discomfort they can cause.

Doing a gentle version against the wall can ease us into the process and prepare our muscles for later doing backbends without the wall.

Using the wall as support can open up the chest and improve your flexibility.

7. More core engagement

When you’re doing poses against the wall you often need to engage your core muscles to support your poses.

This helps us to strengthen our core and enhance our overall balance and stability.

8. Better balance

For any of us who struggle with balance and remaining stable while doing yoga poses, the use of the wall is helpful.

The wall helps us to feel more in control and able to hold poses for longer, especially when learning new poses.

9. Relaxation and restorative poses

The wall is a comforting support when we are doing restorative poses such as Child’s Pose.

It allows us to fully relax into poses like Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) and Reclined Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana).

Robert Sapa, MD, MPH, Chair of Wellness and Preventative Medicine says that “Research shows that yoga can, in general, have a positive impact on your body’s stress response systems, and restorative yoga poses like legs up the wall are intended to guide your body into a state of relaxation”.

10. Adaptability for all levels

The benefit of using a wall can be felt by practioners at all levels from brand new beginners to seasoned yogi’s.

Beginners can benefit from the support of the wall, and more experienced yogi’s can use the wall to deepen poses and refine their form.

FAQ’s

What poses can I do against the wall?

There’s some poses that are specifically created for use with a wall and others that can be adapted to include the wall, here are some to get you started: wall-supported inversions, backbends, and restorative poses. I suggest you try others and see how you can use the wall for support.

Is wall yoga suitable for beginners?

Definitely, it’s actually suitable for anyone from beginners to very experienced practitioners. It can help beginners to get some stability and balance and help you to feel more confident when starting to tackle some of the more tricky poses too.

Do I need a special wall for Wall Yoga?

No, Wall Yoga can be done against any sturdy, vertical surface like a solid wall. Make sure the surface is safe and doesn’t have anything sticking out which could hurt you.

Can I do Wall Yoga at home?

Yes, you sure can and it’s the ideal place to practice your yoga poses. Make sure you’ve got plenty of space and you’re not going to hit anything nearby before you get started. You might also need other props like blocks, straps and bolsters to help support your poses.

Can wall yoga help with back pain?

Yes, yoga in general can help improve back pain. Wall yoga can do the same as it increases your muscle flexibility and strength and also helps reduce tension in the body.

Can Wall Yoga help with flexibility?

Flexibility is one of the key benefits of doing Wall Yoga, it helps you to stay in stretches longer, increasing your flexibility.

Is wall yoga safe for people with injuries?

Wall Yoga can be modified to accommodate people with injuries. It’s best if you talk to your instructor and also have a chat to your doctor before you get started on Wall Yoga poses just to make sure you’re safe and it’s manageable.

Can I still practice traditional yoga after Wall Yoga?

You can mix Wall Yoga sessions into your week and also do traditional yoga when it works for you. It’s a really good idea to mix your yoga sessions up so that you remain interested and enjoy learning new poses too.

How can I find Wall Yoga classes near me?

There’s lots of options here, google your area and Wall Yoga, have a look at yoga studios and fitness centres and community centres. Another option you might want to consider is doing Wall Yoga online, there’s lots of different classes offered online now.

What should I wear for Wall Yoga?

Wear comfortable, strectchy and breathable clothing for a Wall Yoga session. Avoid very baggy clothing that might get in the way of your poses. The main focus is to be comfortable while your doing your session.

Conclusion

Wall Yoga offers us all an exciting new way to practice our yoga poses and mix things up a bit.

We all like a bit of support some days and on those days you can use your wall.

Keep things fresh and give new things a go when it comes to yoga – don’t get stuck in a rut.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about all the benefits and that Wall Yoga is good for improving your balance, flexibility and offers a chance to get some tricky poses more precise.