At war with the yoga board
The Balance Board from Strobel & Walter is a sustainably produced piece of jewellery. It is designed to promote stability and mindfulness. Yoga teacher Sabrina Kriesi tells you what she thinks of the concept.
In the beginning was the sea. The waves of Cape Town inspire founder Dominic Strobel to create the land-based version of a "wooden surfboard". Back in Germany, he becomes an entrepreneur and sets off for new shores with his idea. The result is 178 centimetres long, weighs eleven kilograms and rests on a curved underside. The surface looks elegant with its beech wood veneer layer. The yoga board is manufactured in Wiesenbronn, Bavaria, from where Strobel & Walter now exports it to over 30 countries.
Sabrina Kriesi also needs to do some travelling to find herself. In Australia and New Zealand, she plunged into the waves and her stressful job as a hotel manager before finding balance, fulfilment and a new attitude to life with traditional Haṭha yoga. Pausing, controlling and grounding the mind. That's what it's all about. She draws conclusions. Completes a teacher training course in Bali, starts teaching and never stops learning herself.
Not a pleasure for the knees
In Zurich's lush green Pause at Foifi, where Sabrina offers "Jungle Yoga", she tries out the balance board. It's a first for her, who has surfing experience but has practised yoga traditionally on a mat until now. And her trial session on the board won't change that. "It's no fun for the knees during certain exercises," says Sabrina. The wooden surface can be painful and offers little support for sweaty hands.
How unstable the board is depends on the surface. According to the description, it is suitable for both beginners and professionals. Sabrina places it on her normal yoga mat and feels the effort. "My core has to work a lot harder than usual," she says. "It's not a board for beginners, you need a certain amount of experience." Sabrina has this, but she wouldn't buy the balance board for several reasons. Hollow construction or not - it remains an unwieldy accessory that doesn't match her philosophy.
In my opinion, the Yogaboard contradicts the principle of yoga, which embodies lightness and simplicity.
In terms of this teaching, you need nothing more than your own body. "If you want to challenge your stability, I recommend practising blindfolded, blocking out visual distractions and focussing your mindfulness completely inwards," says Sabrina. It's a wonderful and very intense experience to push yourself to your limits. Without any aids. Her conclusion: "As the board costs a lot of money, you have to think carefully about whether you really want it." After all, the purchase must not only match your philosophy, but also your wallet.
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Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer, dad of two. Likes to be on the move, shimmies through everyday family life, juggles with several balls and occasionally drops something. A ball. Or a remark. Or both.
