The BeCalm Balls and BeCalm Back Balls are one of those rare well-being device finds that, once you’ve experienced them, you want everyone you know to try them.

Developed by Robert Harris, these are remarkably helpful tools for restorative rest that deserve to be in more people's self-care toolkit.

As the co-founder and director of the Cranial Therapy Centre in Toronto (Canada's largest treatment centre specializing in craniosacral therapy, founded in 1987, alongside his partner, Alix McLaughlin), Robert has decades of specialization in the field. His commitment to improving access and awareness to craniosacral therapy helps drive his work with BeCalm Balls, his uniquely designed product that helps bring the modality’s wide-ranging benefits to as many people as possible from the comfort of their own home.

The BeCalm Balls themselves are designed to support your head in a specific way that immediately interrupts the stress cycle within the nervous system.

When positioned correctly — which takes a bit of practice at first but we promise, it does become intuitive — they are designed to hold your head at a particular width similar to your eyes, which then creates a nervous system response that signals safety to your body.

The result is a quality of relaxation that's difficult to describe: a deep quieting that can help ease off some pain, improve sleep, and interrupt the body's habitual stress patterns.

The BeCalm Back Balls follow similar principles but are designed for the spine and neck. Rather than applying pressure to specific points, they work by encouraging restricted areas to release and lengthen. You can position them at the base of your skull, anywhere along your spine, or at your sacrum.

The design — including how firm or soft different sections are — helps tight areas soften while supporting the spine's natural alignment.

Speaking of design, these are substantial in terms of their quality and materials. They don’t feel flimsy or like they’ll fall apart; all of the components are well-structured, and the fabric is soft and supportive. We’ve had ours for more years than we can search our email archives for the receipt, and they still look and feel great.

We were drawn to the BeCalm Balls and Back Balls because we are big fans of craniosacral therapy — it creates a floating, weightless sensation and a depth of rest that feels genuinely restorative. These items created by Robert offer a way to access something similar at home, which has been wonderful. We use the BeCalm Balls along with two sets of Back Balls along our spine, typically for 10 minutes before bed, or during the day if we’re feeling particularly sluggish, achey, or fried.

The only thing we would say to keep in mind is that there's a slight learning curve. Getting them positioned correctly requires patience and some trial and error, but the website offers helpful guidance and, once you understand how they work, it becomes second nature.

The time invested in learning proper placement pays off in the quality of rest and nervous system support these lovely tools provide!