The Whale

This is my second backbender, the first having been sold many years ago in one of those life upheavals...well, finally I have place, time, and money for another, and I am very happy with this version. Although it is smaller than my first backbender, there are advantages to this (and I am 5'5", so the size is ok for me)--this bench is very lightweight, easy to scoot around or just pick up and move out of the way. This is a good thing if one does not have a dedicated yoga space--right now it lives nicely tucked away under the overhang of a large kitchen island, easy to pull out when I come in from gardening and my back is fried, or when I've been on my feet baking for some time and need rejuvenation. And this is rejuvenating, opening the chest and lungs, stretching the internal organs and pelvis, letting the head hang--awesome. Backbending is, after all, the one movement of the spine that we do not engage in everyday movement, so the body needs some help here, and is boy, is mine ever grateful to get it.Here are the caveats: if you are quite tight, as I have always been (still more so now that I am older), you'll need to ease into the full curve; start with your knees bent, put a support under your head/neck, etc., as you need to, in order to be able to RELAX and conform to the backbender curve. This is not a pain = gain situation; quite the opposite. Better yet to have a teacher to show you the ropes, but if none are available, you can teach yourself to let go, a bit at a time (there's probably a tutorial on youtube for this). My impression is that the curve of this piece is a bit flatter than my older, larger whale, but then, since I myself am a lot older and with many more physical challenges, it's a little hard to be sure.If you know the backbender well, and want to be able to use it for sirsasana and paschimottanasana, this bench has good handholds for doing so, as long as your shoulders aren't too wide. If you are a larger guy, this is probably not the prop for you. The footrest of the one I got has a little give to it, and may need a couple of screws run in to resist really vigorous extension of the heels when lying stretched out full length. Otherwise, for the price (and Amazon points!), this is a very good piece.

Decided to buy a back bench to stretch the entire spine and relieve pressure on the vertebrae. Am 68 with recurring "misalignments" as well as gluteal tendinopathy (sore butt!) and I needed something that would aid me at home. The whale is not only solidly constructed, it is a beautiful work of art and lightweight. It came packaged efficiently and easy to open ... no wastage. Customer service was exceptional in answering questions. I am 5'6" and of average weight ... it fits me perfectly and given that I am a "senior citizen" I appreciate the ease with which I can use the bench and also move it, as needed. Already my back alignment feels better. The whale offers the necessary support and allows each person to go as deep in the stretch as they can ... it is easy to use and you feel safe on it which isn't always the case in some yoga classes! Thank you staff at Bean! I would definitely buy it again as a gift ... worth every cent.

I just love this back bender: it opens up my back, abdomen and chest, producing complete relaxation. Sometimes I use it with a pad and sometimes without a pad, because coming into direct contact with the wood also feels good on my spine. The first time I lay on it, I heard quite a few pops as my spine aligned, and the second time I got on it, my back popped so many times in so many places it was amazing.I have been using an inversion table for many years; this whale bench provides a completely different experience from an inversion table, although I'm sure that using the inversion table regularly has helped me to prepare for using this whale bench. I feel completely stretched out after using it.One caveat: this one isn't made for a very large person to stretch on: it's only 16 inches wide. There are larger versions for sale; just look around. But if you know what you're doing and you're used to yoga-type postures and stretches, this is an excellent investment.

Great for my back ... and its super light and its not an eye sore

After a long day hunched over a computer, or desk, this is a great way to counter-stretch the hunch and relieve your back.

My mother had this and it was amazing for my back. I never felt better than with it. Too bad it's so expensive.