THE BODYMIND BALLWORK METHOD

A Self-directed Practice to Help You Move with Ease, Release Tension, and Relieve Chronic Pain

Ellen Saltonstall, North Atlantic Books (OCTOBER) Softcover $21.95 (184pp), 978-1-62317-290-9

The Bodymind Ballwork Method describes and instructs how to feel better using a variety of rubber-ball techniques.

The book begins with foundational concepts: how the nervous system responds to stress, the kinds of tissue that make up the body, the physical impact of body image, and how the body responds to trauma. Next, the book details ways to use balls to provide therapeutic effects—moving them and resting to relieve tension and ease pain. This two-pronged approach, both mental and physical, maximizes the book’s impact and provides a path to long-term relief, not just short-term symptom management. The author’s background in yoga supports her grounded, holistic approach.

Each technique’s description includes instructions about which ball or balls to use, how to position the body, basic movements, how to increase the impact of the technique over time, how long to continue the movement, any physical conditions that make the technique inadvisable, and the specific part of the body that’s affected. Photos and sketches are easy to understand, bolstering the thorough instruction. The models are mostly women, and many of the images depict more mature adults; this invites the book’s target audience in a way that is accessible, and eliminates feelings of intimidation or trepidation.

The detailed, clear voice imparts a wealth of knowledge about the body and how it works, which is a gift above and beyond the specific methods that the book describes. It empowers people facing chronic pain—an often defeating, hopeless-feeling condition—to find real relief.

The Bodymind Ballwork Method affirms the power of the body and mind in pain management.