Baoding Balls Composition, Uses and Healing Qualities

The Baoding balls or the Yin and Yang balls are based on the theory of meridians and acupuncture points. This practice contains 2 or more balls which are placed in the palm of an individual & then manipulated by fingers and hands.

The balls are rotated in various directions and patterns. Once the ball is moved clockwise and then counter-clockwise with the help of the fingers. This helps in applying pressure at the vital acupuncture points that are present in hands and then stimulate the blood flow.

This technique has been used for many centuries by many physicians and other medical practitioners.

What is the History of Baoding Balls?

The Baoding balls or the Yin and Yang balls are being used from many centuries. Various writings & texts from the past have mentioned the use of these particular balls.

What is the History of Chinese Exercise Balls
What is the History of Chinese Exercise Balls?

The first use of these balls has been dated back to the Ming dynasty, which was present from 1368 to 1644. Originally, the balls were solid & then later they became hollow and light in weight for making the use easy.

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The present balls are generally made up of metal from the outside and hollow from the inside to give a smooth finish and less weight to the ball.

Sounding plates are installed inside the hollow Chinese balls for creating the sounds when they are rolled over the palm.

The high sound represents Yin and sound while the sound which is low in amplitude is known as Yang.

In the present scenario, a variety of Yin and Yang balls are present in the market which is made up of different materials like stone, metals, and wood. Many of them are beautifully decorated by drawing artistic pictures on them.

The metal balls are the most commonly used ones because they are the most durable and are not easily damaged when they fall from the hand.

Another advantage of using metal balls is that they are considered to be therapeutic.

How Can One Choose the Right Exercise Ball?

It is very important from the user’s point of view that he or she chooses the right exercise balls for themselves to get the maximum benefit. They are typically solid balls that are made up of hollow metal.

Right Exercise Ball
Right Exercise Ball

It is always recommended by the medical practitioners and physicians that children should always use balls with a measurement of 30 mm while all the adults should rely on the balls which are a little larger, up to 60 millimetres.

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For an average woman, it is recommended that the Yin and Yang balls should measure somewhere between 35 millimetres to 40 millimetres.

And balls ranging from 40 mm to 50 millimetres are suggested for the men of average weight and height.

If someone wants to move to the advanced stages of this practice, then it is always advised to use balls that are smaller in size so that they can hold more than four or five balls every single time in their palms.

How to use Baoding Balls?

The Chinese massage balls can be used in your daily routine by just holding them in your palms and rolling them in different directions.

How to use Chinese Exercise Balls
How to use Chinese Exercise Balls?

They send positive signals to the brain and also helps in getting out the thoughts that are making the individual anxious or worried.

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The balls should be rotated for 3 to 4 times, once in the clockwise direction, and then in the counter-clockwise direction. This process should be repeated twice a day, for a period of 15 to 20 minutes.

The individual will himself or herself experience that if this particular practice is continued daily, then after sometime, it will help in boosting the concentration and the efficiency of the individual and the hands will also become stronger noticeably.

Healing Qualities of Baoding Balls

It is believed that if someone does regular exercise with the Baoding Balls, then it helps in restoring the energy and improving the blood flow throughout the body.

Healing Qualities of Chinese Exercise Balls
Healing Qualities of Chinese Baoding Balls

As the nerves of the palms are believed to be connected with the brain, bones, and muscles of the body.

It also improves the overall health of the individual and ultimately results in making the life span longer.

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According to the Chinese practitioners and beliefs, the fingers which are present in the hands are connected to the cranial nerve and the other vital organs of the body like liver, heart, lungs, gallbladder, kidneys, spleen and stomach.

It is also seen that using these balls daily helps in providing relaxation to the joints and muscles of the body and also improve the memory of the person.

It also enhances the quality of the sleep which one gets and reduces anxiety and stress.

Composition of Chinese Exercise Ball

The Baoding balls or the Yin and Yang balls are also known as by the name of Iron balls. This is because they were originally made up of iron in the Ming dynasty of China.

Composition of Chinese Exercise Ball
Composition of Chinese Exercise Ball

As metalworking advanced and technology got into the production of these balls, the methods of manufacturing these medical balls also changed and evolved.

The majority of the balls are made up of metals and are hollow from inside.

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They contain wire and marble inside the hollow sphere which acts in the form of a chime that rings whenever the inner ball strikes the outer sphere.

It is believed that if the sound made is high in amplitude, then it is compared to the Yin and if the sound made is low and amplitude, then it is compared with the Yang, which has given the name Yin and Yang ball to it.

The balls which are present in the modern era are decorated with brass and with other marble designs. These balls are now also being made with the help of solid Jade, marble, and other types of stones.

The hollow balls are generally considered to be more therapeutic because of the lighter weight and also as the heavier balls, which are made up of steel or tungsten carbide require more effort from the side of the individual to rotate them in the palm.

These balls are specially used to develop strength through resistance training.

What are Yin and Yang?

Yin and Yang are a part of Chinese philosophy, which represents complementary aspects of the mind and the body of an individual. It helps in achieving the optimum point or the balance in terms of the well-being and health of the human being.

What is Yin and Yang
What is Yin and Yang?

The yin reflects the passive and non-moving elements along with the feminine energies.

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On the other hand, Yang is symbolic of more dominant energy and is a symbolism of activeness and fast-moving parts of the masculine energies.

The pairing of both the feminine and the masculine energy is considered to be the pairing of yin and Yang and symbolizes the bonding of the opposite energies together so that the whole circle of life is completed and balance is maintained.

Other Names of Baoding Balls

The Baoding balls or the yin and Yang balls are also famous by the names of Chinese health balls and Chinese stress balls.

Other Names of Chinese Exercise Balls
Other Names of Chinese Exercise Balls

Some people, who like therapy and visiting therapists use the term Chinese therapy balls for this particular acupressure providing balls.

But the most common name by which these balls are known in different parts of the world is the Baoding balls.

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Conclusion

The Baoding balls are the special balls made up of steel or some other metal which are used for acupressure by rolling them in the palms in pair.

These special massage balls help in improving the blood circulation of the body and also removes tension and stress.

These are also used for providing physical therapies to some special individuals and also for strength by resistance training.

People Also Ask (FAQs)

Is one allowed to touch the Baoding balls?

Yes, you are always free to touch the Baoding balls and keep them in the palm. But it should always be kept in the mind by the user that these balls should not be handheld when they are spinning as this will reduce the effect which it provides to the body.

Why do the Baoding balls chime when they are rolled?

The Baoding balls make the sound of the chime when they are rolled on the palm because these balls are hollow from within and contain a small marble inside it. When this ball is rolled, the marble strikes the inner side of the sphere and makes the sound of Yin and Yang.

Are Chinese balls good for arthritis?

This exercise will not only help relieve pain in your joints, but it can help strengthen your grip and relieve stress as well. This move can be easily executed by using a stress ball or a toy ball and squeezing it 10 times, making sure to hold each squeeze for a few seconds.