How to Use Yoga Props

You may think of yoga props as somehow cheating at the exercise, but props are often used by those who are physically unable to completely perform the poses on their own. When you learn how to use props, you can add a new experience or dimension to your yoga practice. Props can be beneficial even if you are fully able to execute yoga poses. These props can be used as training wheels as you learn new and more complex yoga poses. Yoga props do not need to be a permanent fixture in your yoga practice but implemented whenever you need them.

Part 1 - Using Yoga Mats and Blankets

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→ Use your yoga mat to prevent slipping. Yoga mats serve many functions in the practice of yoga. One of the main uses for yoga mats is to provide a safer, nonslip surface for you to practice your yoga poses.

→ When you do yoga, your hands and feet often get sweaty and slippery. If you use a yoga mat, it provides a kind of sticky surface that your body can cling to and not slip.

→ This also allows you to lean more fully into a pose if you are not so preoccupied with slipping.

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→ Integrate yoga mats into your routine to prevent back injury. Yoga mats also provide you with a somewhat padded surface on which to perform your poses. This can help give a little cushion to those with injured backs or who aren’t quite able to do yoga on the hard ground.

→ The extra support of the yoga mat helps people with existing back injuries safely practice yoga, as well as aiding in the prevention of additional back injuries.

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→ Use a yoga mat to define your personal space during group classes. The mat functions to create a kind of private space for the user, a space which others cannot infiltrate. In a yoga class, the bare floor is a public space that any person can walk on. But your yoga mat defines your private area in the context of this shared space.

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→ Incorporate yoga blankets into your yoga activities. Yoga blankets are often placed on top of yoga mats to absorb any additional sweat and help prevent you from slipping. They also add a little extra cushion to soften the effects of the hard floor on your joints and muscles while doing certain poses.

→ Roll up a blanket to give your back support during poses. It can also be used for underneath your neck. Try it at different thickness to determine which best suits your need. Vary the thickness of the blanket for the same pose to experience something different.

→ You can use yoga blankets to help give you added support by rolling it or folding it into a certain needed size for various poses.

Part 2 - Using Yoga Straps and Belts

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→ Purchase a yoga strap or belt. Yoga straps and belts help you settle deeper into various yoga stretches and poses. Using these items can also help you improve your flexibility in general as well as your balance, especially while in certain yoga poses.

→ They can also be used to hold your legs together so your feet do not slip during a pose where you need to keep your legs elevated and still.

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→ Use yoga straps. With yoga straps, you are able to grip both ends of the strap as it is wrapped around another part of your body to help you lengthen your stretch. Over time, you will no longer need the yoga strap.

→ For example, if you are attempting the bow pose – on your stomach and pulling your legs up from behind you with your hands – but you can’t quite reach your legs, then you could use a yoga strap to help you reach and pull yourself into a deeper stretch.

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→ Try yoga belts. Yoga belts work in much the same way as yoga straps. The main difference is that a strap is open on both ends, while a belt is connected into a continuous circle.

→ The yoga belt can help you get into deeper stretches and improve flexibility, but it can also help you improve without requiring the use of both of your hands like a yoga strap. This often allows for a greater range of motion than with yoga straps.

Part 3 - Using Yoga Blocks and Bolsters

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→ Decide if you need yoga blocks or bolsters. These yoga props are great for creating the kind of support and height you need to perform your poses safely. They also help you achieve the necessary body alignment in your posture that contribute to safe and effective poses.

→ If you are struggling to maintain the correct posture for certain poses, you may want to consider purchasing a yoga block or bolster.

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→ Use yoga blocks. Yoga blocks are firm and don’t reshape to your body. As such, they are more supportive, but less comfortable. They help you stretch and support your muscles and limbs. Yoga blocks allow you to position your body at the right level for each pose you wish to attempt.

→ Take advantage of blocks to help support a part of your body while practicing yoga. They can help elevate a leg or brace your arm should you need help with balance. Blocks, chairs, and counters are especially beneficial for more complex poses or if you have physical limitations.

→ For example, if you use a yoga block to raise your hips while in seated poses – like Sukhasana, or Easy Pose – this will allow your spine to maintain the natural curves of the body and help you keep the proper posture for the pose.

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→ Try yoga bolsters. Yoga bolsters are made of dense fibers (like thick pillows) that alter their shape according to the pressure placed on it by your body. This means it is less firm and supportive than a yoga block, but it will still give you added support when you are attempting difficult yoga positions.

→ For example, you can lay flat on your back and place the bolster directly under your chest, just below your shoulders. Your shoulders should hang off the edge of the bolster. Place your arms out on either side of you. This will help open up your chest, ribs, and stomach.

TIPS

→ Yoga poses can become more challenging while using props.

→ Household items such as chairs, ledges, counters, doorways, walls, or tables can also be used as substitute yoga props.

→ Props allow you to be able to do a pose safely, which you may not have been able to execute otherwise.

→ Yoga props can help you hold yoga poses longer than you might be able to otherwise.

→ Inverted poses can also benefit from the use of yoga props.

Warnings

→ Do not rely too heavily on yoga props as they may hinder your yoga experience.

→ Do not use props to go beyond your comfort level; this may lead to injury.