If you like to shop fair trade and also have that extra boho flair that brought you to Global Groove Life’s website then you probably already have an unique home design theme going on. Cheers to that - good for you!

Circular seating continues to build interest in your space and provides seating options that alter from the norm (always a good thing with the bohemian crowd).

Functional And Fun

Need additional seating? Roll in some balance balls from the office or studio instead of having your guest “pull up a chair.” This is way easier to do than carrying chairs around to move them - and it works especially well if you have multiple areas of the house that are used for socializing with people.

Red Flower of Life Cover

Gone are the days of uncomfortable office chairs. If you work from home or are otherwise spending a lot of time sitting at a table or desk then you should really try sitting on a yoga ball. They’re quite comfortable and you can easily find wheeled bases that keep them more stable beneath you if straight up sitting on a ball sounds like a bit of a challenge.

Here are three of our top reasons why we recommend using a balance ball as your new favorite chair:

1. You’ll experience a new level of comfort while sitting on a balance ball! 


Say goodbye to uncomfortable wooden chairs and other unforgiving materials and hello to a flexible, responsive seat. The slight bounce that the ball provides allows you to make constant micro-adjustments instead of stagnating in the same position for hours at a time.

Although sitting in one single position may seem like it would be more comfortable, studies have proven that staying sedentary hour after hour (for example while working, watching TV, or scrolling through the internet) can lead to potentially lethal complications! Sitting on a yoga ball is a simple way to keep your body and life force energy moving.

2. It’s good for you!

We know, we know - we sound like your mother responding to child you when you asked her why you need to eat your vegetables! We’re not trying to dredge up old memories … but just like your mama we see the importance of looking out for your health and wellbeing!

Balancing on a yoga ball strengthens your core muscles. You know, the ones in your stomach, sides, and back that keep you moving around with ease (or not depending on the state of your core). Maintaining a strong core is very important to your overall balance and range of motion. So we’re big fans of anything that can be done to keep this part of the body toned.

3. A new perspective!

You probably know by now how passionate we are GGL are about gaining new perspectives - on everything from style to life. If you are desk-bound for a large part of the day then you could probably benefit from the change of perspective that replacing your desk chair with a balance ball will bring you.

Cobalt Geometric Cover

Changing your point of view can really transform your whole mindset and therefore your entire day! You can funnel your newfound energy and enthusiasm into more productivity and efficiency.

Style It

Naturally as a bohemian (i.e. individual with a strong sense of self and personal expression) you’ll want to explore the unique style opportunities that come along with using yoga balls as seating. Global Groove Life has so many options to transform your balance ball from blah to chic.

Plum Geometric Ball Cover

Want to use your ball as an accent piece? Choose a brightly colored or a boldly patterned yoga ball cover. Here are a few of our favorites below.

Orange Rhapsody cover

Tribal Sand Cover

Alternately, you may want to be able to use the balance ball as a chair in multiple rooms and as a workout tool in your studio. In that case you couldchoose a few different covers - or - go for a more neutral tone.

Black Flower of Life Cover

Olive Geometric Cover

We’re sure that you’ll find your perfect groove however you choose to use and decorate your balance balls. Send in photos of how you’re using your yoga ball in your space - we’d love to see it!

 

Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, writer, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing and speaking about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.

Practical and encouraging support as you renew your outlook on life in 2018. Expectation- and pressure-free, step-by-step advice that you can use at will (or not!) to refresh and revitalize yourself, step outside the box and into the life of your dreams!

Conscious consumerism allows us to flex our spending power and shift humanity towards a more just and flourishing global society. Transform Black Friday and create a sustainable world with your gifts!

It’s no secret that sitting in a chair all day is terrible for your spine (and soul). Solutions to this problem vary widely, from obscenely expensive ergonomic chairs to standing desks to fake sick days. Using a yoga (or exercise) ball is a popular trend, but what are the actual reasons to give one a try besides introducing a “conversation piece” to your office decor?

 

1. Low Cost

A decent yoga ball can cost as little as $10-15. As health/lifestyle experiments go, this is extremely low-impact both on your wallet and the effort needed to implement it.

2. The Cool Factor

OK, just because “everyone” is getting one doesn’t mean you should too, but right now, yoga balls are cool. If you bring one into work, you’re creating an opportunity to lead (or join) a healthy revolution in office culture!

3. Core Strength

Keeping a ball balanced beneath you requires coordination of your abdominals with your glutes, quads, and more, leading to improvements in strength and balance. Muscle groups required to keep your standard office chair still: zero. Need we say more?

4. Movement

Lots of people say they’re going to take a break every hour to stand up and walk around, but how often does that actually happen once you get sucked into a project at your desk? Sitting on a ball leads to movement and changes in position even when you’re not going anywhere, which is better for your circulation as well as sanity throughout the workday. Of course, you should still aim to stand up and walk around frequently as well!

5. Posture

This is a big one, not just because good posture is so important to your long term health, but also because there’s no “right” answer. Sitting on a yoga ball engages your core and shoulder muscles, encouraging you to sit up straight and alleviating the pressures on your hips and spine associated with slouching. However, research has also shown that not having arm or back rests while sitting for prolonged periods can create pressure on other areas of your spine. The truth is, sitting for eight hours just isn’t good for you! However, by alternating between a chair with good lumbar support and a yoga ball throughout the day, you can have the best of both worlds: feel great and look cool doing it.

Afraid having a giant rubber ball in your office may not fit in with the boss’s “business appropriate” decor? Better yet, are you the boss trying to lead by example with your professionalism? Cover your ball! Global Groove Life’s yoga ball covers come in a fantastic variety of designs, ensuring that you’ll find the perfect fit for your personal and professional style.

sources: livestrong.com, prevention.com

So you bought a yoga ball. Now what? The name seems to imply that there’s only one use for this magical rubber globe, but don’t worry - Global Groove Life is here to help you broaden your ball’s horizons!

 

The Obvious

1. Yoga:

Let’s get this one out of the way. A yoga ball is an essential tool for taking your yoga game to the next level. Check out some beginner, intermediate, and advanced moves you can do in the comfort (and style) of your own home!

2. Exercise:

The distinction between yoga and a “work-out” is not as subtle as it seems. Learn how to incorporate your exercise ball into a great core workout--Get your pilates on!

3. Stretch:

Professional athletes have a professional staff to keep them loose and limber. You have your yoga ball! Avoid muscle cramps by trying some helpful stretches with your yaga ball!

 

 Take a Seat

4. Desk Chair:

We’ve all heard about the benefits of incorporating a yoga ball into your seating options at work. Give it a try!

5. Table Chair:

Instead of eating so much you have to be rolled away from the dinner table, stay mindful and healthy by rolling up to the dinner table on your exercise ball!

6. Footrest:

Want to keep your feet up while working your core? Swap your ottoman out for your yoga ball and get your balance game going during a Netflix binge.

 
               

 The Home Stretch

7. Baby Bouncer:

Lots of trendy moms are turning to this fun alternative as a way of getting babies to sleep or even just to evoke that adorable giggle!

 

8. Physical Therapy:

Consult your doctor and/or physical therapist on this one, but yoga and/or bosu balls can be fantastic tools for getting back to your former glory.

9. Family Time:

Roll the dice and stretch your family game repertoire while stretching your muscles! Cozy & comfy or bouncy & crazy.......whichever way your family rolls, we've got the fun times covered! 

10. Style Piece:

If you think ideas 1-9 are great, and for the sake of that big rubber ball eyesore in your living room or office, elevate your style with one of our beautiful yoga ball covers!

 

 We know our yoga ball covers will liven up your room decor and make you smile when you see your favorite pattern! SHOP BALL COVERS HERE!

Global Groove has been providing color, pattern and texture options for exercise ball covers without delay.  If you are the proud owner of a 55cm, 65cm or 75cm exercise ball, then you have more than likely transformed your exercise or living space into something just a wee bit more palatable and groovy than the mood that the sticky, yucky plastic ball creates on it's own!  Maybe you have a fluffy fur exercise ball cover, or a racey animal print balance ball cover.  Maybe you've chosen a precious pink birthing ball cover, or funky swirl stretch cotton yoga ball cover.  Whatever your personal style may be, without a doubt that your personal space looks and feels a whole heap better now that your exercise ball is a functional piece of art and not an eyesore shoved behind the couch or in the closet!  

 

But what about your smaller folks?  You've been asking and you've been waiting and lo and behold, you have been heard!  Global Groove is happy to announce that we have introduced exercise ball covers in the 45 cm size to accommodate healthy kids' decor too!  

Remember that the 75cm covers now come in a wide variety of options, too.  So, you six footers and up, time to get stylie and groove out your exercise ball cover!  Join us in fashionable living and shop for ball covers in all sizes here.

 

Adun, our quality control and packing supervisor carries in our custom-made stretch cotton fabric, just delivered from the printer. The first step of the process was picking out colors of knit cotton which comes in tubes.

Before being printed, the fabric has to be cut so that we can print both sides of the tube. 

Our master tailor, Dia, is so excited to see this new fabric. She's been making our balance ball covers for 4 years now but this will be the first time that she's using stretch cotton fabric. It's time to adjust the patterns again! She is in town for the day to pick up the new fabric and then take it back to her village co-op where she will distribute the fabric and supplies to her team in outlying villages.

 

Greg and Gina discuss specs for the ball covers with Dia to make sure everyone is on the same page. 

Here's a sneak peek at the final product, our stretch fabric yoga ball covers. These are awesome and so easy to put on thanks to the long, heavy-duty YKK zip which wraps around three quarters of the circumference of the ball.

The cover above fits a 65cm ball and the cover below fits a 55cm ball, perfect for a balance ball chair as you can see!

 

 Machine washable, 100% cotton fabric. 

To boil yoga down to a simple catch-phrase is extremely difficult. There are so many different types of practices and flows, and it tends to mean something different to every yogi. But most of us would agree that a central tenet of any yoga practice is that mind, body and spirit are one, and that improving one aspect means improving all three.

It’s at this point that yoga and Fair Trade truly intersect.

Yoga practitioners crave yoga products that have been produced in fair, ethical and safe environments, because they already understand honouring the spirit in others that is a reflection of the spirit in you - a true expression of 'namaste'.

Yoga and Fair Trade beat with the same heart.