Meditation balls, or Baoding balls, are ancient Chinese stress balls. They’re often used to put pressure on the chi points in your hand to improve stiffness and dexterity, but they can also calm the mind, body, and soul. In many traditional meditation practices, these balls can reduce stress and improve focus while meditating. We talked to mindfulness coach Evelina Renta to give you the best advice on using meditation balls and getting the most out of their spiritual benefits.
Meditation Balls: Quick Overview
Meditation (Baoding) balls are small metal, stone, or wooden balls said to help improve relaxation, focus, and hand dexterity. Use meditation balls by placing them in your hand and rotating them around your palm using your fingers and thumb.
Steps
Using Meditation Balls
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Place 2 meditation balls in your hand. Hold your hand flat. Place one ball between your pinky and ring fingers. Follow up by setting the second ball between your middle and pointer fingers. Curl your fingers over the tops of the balls. When starting out, you’ll need to rely on your finger strength to move the balls. [5] X Research source
- Baoding balls can be very heavy—it wouldn’t feel good to accidentally drop one on your foot. So, to prevent accidents, sit at a table or keep your hand away from your body. Don’t use the balls over glass or any other breakable objects.
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Rotate the balls clockwise with your fingers. The goal is to have the balls swap places. Use your thumb to push the outermost ball towards your body. At the same time, use your smaller fingers to shift the other ball to your larger fingers. Continue swirling the balls in your hand as long as you can. [6] X Research source
- Renta suggests starting by rotating the meditation balls clockwise for optimal focus.
- Once you get the hang of moving the balls clockwise, try rotating them the other way.
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Practice rotating the balls until you can do it smoothly. As you master the movement, the balls will collide with each other less and less. If the balls have chimes, listen for them to ring smoothly and without interruption. Once this happens, you’ve successfully mastered the basics. Feel free to continue practicing until the balls don’t touch at all. [7] X Research source
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Integrate rotating the balls into your meditation practice. Once you get the hang of rotating the balls in your hand and can do so seamlessly without looking, you’re ready to add them to your meditation practice. Hold the balls in your hand, start rotating them, close your eyes, and meditate . Let the movement and sound of the balls pull you deeper into a meditative state.
- You don’t have to close your eyes during meditation. Keep a soft gaze on the rotating balls if that makes you more comfortable.
Purchasing Meditation Balls
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Pick balls that fit your hands. As a beginner, look for balls around 40 millimetres (1.6 in) wide. This size, which is slightly less than a golf ball, is enough for the balls to hit all pressure points on an average hand. Balls smaller than this are better for children or adults under 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m), while larger balls are better for experienced users and people over 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m).
- Ball sizes are usually measured in millimeters. Renta recommends trying 35 to 40 millimetres (1.4 to 1.6 in) if you have small hands or are a beginner, and if you have bigger hands, trying a 40 to 55 millimetres (1.6 to 2.2 in) pair.
- Renta stresses the importance that one ball should balance comfortably between your ring finger and little finger while the other is held with the remaining fingers and thumb.
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Choose the type of ball material you prefer. Meditation balls are made of materials ranging from wood to metal. Metal balls are heaviest, so they’ll stimulate your hands more but are generally the cheapest option. Stone balls , such as ones made with jade or marble, are rarer and more expensive. [9] X Research source
- Hardwood balls are the rarest type and are very light, so they’re not used as often as other varieties.
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Get balls with chimes for greater sound feedback. Balls that have chimes are hollowed out. A hollowed steel ball is far lighter than a whole one, but this allows the chime to make noise when the ball is moved. Some practitioners like the soothing sound that chimes provide. As a beginner, the chimes let you hear how smoothly you’re moving the balls in your hand. [10] X Research source
- For example, a smooth and even chime sound informs you that your movements are fluid. In normal balls, you can hear this when the balls no longer clack together.
Expert Q&A
Tips
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about meditation, check out our in-depth interview with Evelina Renta .
References
- ↑ https://www.aurahealth.io/blog/discover-the-benefits-of-meditation-balls
- ↑ https://www.aurahealth.io/blog/discover-the-benefits-of-meditation-balls
- ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34642062/
- ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37318078/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ahwayZ3o_YI?t=9&feature=share
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cEFVWlsSdAs?t=16&feature=share
- ↑ http://www.yinandyangliving.com/wp-content/uploads/kalins-pdf/singles/boading-balls-living-better-longer.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/33_4Da1TgYw?t=149
- ↑ https://www.aurahealth.io/blog/discover-the-benefits-of-meditation-balls
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