Props Used in 360° Breathing Mini Course

Small Pilates Ball

A Pilates ball is a gentle, supportive prop for 360° breathing, especially if you’re sensitive to firmer tools. In this course, it’s often used in place of yoga blocks to help redirect airflow and provide feedback without encouraging bracing or pushing.

Because the ball has give, it allows the ribs and belly to yield and expand softly, making it easier to sense organ lift on the exhale and subtle rib movement on the inhale.

  • Offers a softer alternative for rib and side-body breathing work

  • Supports pelvic floor and diaphragmatic awareness without gripping

  • Helpful for nervous system regulation and down-regulation

  • Can be used for mobility, posture support, and restorative exercises

The Pilates ball is a great option if you want feedback that feels supportive rather than demanding, or if firmer props feel too intense.

Yoga Blocks

Yoga blocks are a helpful reference tool for 360° breathing because they provide clear feedback about where breath is going. In this course, blocks are used to gently redirect airflow into underused areas of the ribcage and to reveal patterns of rib gripping or bracing.

Because yoga blocks are firm, they offer a strong tactile reference. For some people, that density can feel too intense or encourage pushing into the prop rather than soft expansion. In those cases, a Pilates ball can be a better option, offering the same feedback with more give and comfort.

  • Helps identify and reduce rib gripping and bracing patterns

  • Supports asymmetrical breathing and side-body expansion

  • Useful for posture awareness, mobility, and restorative work

  • Can be used on its own or swapped for a softer prop depending on sensitivity

Choose the prop that allows you to feel expansion without effort or pressure — both are effective when used gently.

Foam Roller

A simple foam roller is one of the most versatile tools you can add to your breathing practice. In this course it supports positions like seated posterior expansion, helping you maintain rib height and keep the belly from dominating the inhale. It also provides gentle feedback so you can feel subtle shifts in rib and diaphragm movement without gripping.

Benefits beyond the course:

  • Encourages better thoracic mobility and chest wall expansion

  • Helps release fascial tension in the back, hips, and shoulders

  • Supports nervous system regulation by creating space for quieter, easier breathing

  • Enhances recovery after training by improving fluid (lymph) flow

  • Serves as a support in other mobility sequences

Lightweight, affordable, and effective — the roller is a great companion for both breathing and movement work.

Stability Ball (55 cm) — Breath Expansion & Alignment

This ball creates a supportive yet dynamic base for your 360-breath practice. In the practice it is used to find a neutral pelvis. It can be used outside of the course for stability and expansion exercises. Used as a chair your pelvis can settle into a neutral position while your ribs and diaphragm have space to expand fully, giving the pelvic floor tactile cues for expansion. It’s simple, effective, and teaches you to breathe with ease and structural support.