Are Yoga Props a Cop Out?
Using Yoga Props Effectively
Every yoga studio in the land has a jenga style stack of blocks, a nest of blankets and a tangle of straps in the corner of the room. (It’s likely that they start out stacked tidy, but that’s a story for another day.) What are they for? Are they ‘just’ for beginners. If you use props does it mean you are terminally inflexible? How can you use props to enhance your yoga practice?
Let’s chat first about skeletal variation: Back in the pilocene epoch, when I started my yoga practice, students were expected to wrangle their bodies into various yoga shapes. There are still styles of yoga that will not allow students to attempt the next pose until they mastered what came before. This left many students discouraged, thinking that they cannot ‘do’ yoga as they were unable to progress past a primary series.
We now recognise that some yoga shapes are impossible for some of us, simply because of how we are built. The ratio of our arm length to our torso will make arm balances tricky for those of us with shorter arms. Hips that externally rotate mean that doing hanumanasana (that’s the splits, there’ll be a test later) will not happen in this lifetime. The length and angle of some people’s spinal processes (the sticky-out bits of the vertebrae) will limit the capacity of some of us to find depth in backbends. Some of us backbend from the lumbar spine, some from the cervical spine and some of us use our capacity for excellent hip extension to find our way in the pose. It’s individual.
Limited joint mobility plays a part here too. It’s widely recognised that yogis from Asian descent have softer joints. And many people who are drawn to yoga (and who sometimes become teachers) are naturally hypermobile: they were born with joints that easily and safely move a little further beyond what is considered normal range. This appears to make them ‘good’ at yoga but in reality it’s simply how they are built. Joint mobility changes as we age. As we acquire wisdom and depth in our practice, it creates an opportunity to embrace aspects of yoga beyond asana.
A little history lesson: When Mr BKS Iyengar brought his style of yoga to the west, he quickly recognised that his students were unable to perform even the simplest of poses. In India, his country of origin, school children sat on the floor for their lessons and were very comfortable sitting crossed legged. Not so for westerners who sit on chairs from kindergarten. So he developed blocks and straps to support western yogis to practice with stability and ease.
Modern yoga celebrates our difference. It’s what makes us all more interesting after all. The yoga world has also innovated to find ways to make yoga shapes more assessable to a range of body types. Yoga teachers are becoming educated to cue based on how the pose feels from the inside and to let go of the external aesthetics. Each student may look different externally as they practice, but if they are able to feel the pose in the target area directed by the teacher, perfect!
Enter Yoga Props! [Stage left] Use them to deepen your yoga stretch and maintain alignment. The best thing since yoga pants! Here’s a list of common yoga props and how to use them:
1. Yoga Blocks: these are usually mode of cork, wood or foam. The bring the earth little closer and are a wonderful innovation which allows students to more comfortably reach the floor. They help to open the shoulders in reclined backbends, they elevate the hips in bridge and extend the length of the arms to allow for tricky arm balances. I still remember the ‘ah ha’ moment I had when a teacher offered me a block when I was doing a side angle pose. At first I was miffed, because I thought I was rocking the shape, but when I placed a hand on the block as instructed I was able to open more through the chest. I felt stable! Strong! It was a revelation!
2. Yoga Straps: There are countless ways to use a yoga strap. They provide support, improve posture and help you to get an even more incredible stretch. In seated poses, yoga straps can be used around the feet to hold poses. Perfect if you have tight hips. In standing poses where balance is key, the strap can be looped around your foot to increase your stability and stretch without losing your form. Yoga straps will allow you to get a more intense opening for your shoulders and chest. Lastly, for arm balance poses like shoulder stand, the strap can be used to keep your elbows stacked under the shoulders creating a more stable base.
Make sure you have a strap with a buckle which is long enough to play with, especially if you are tall. You’ll find dozens of ways to make it a part of your personal practice. Pro tip: this is not about using the strap to pull yourself into a pose. It’s to gently support you to move deeper into the experience.
3. Blankets: Yoga blankets make savasana, everyone’s favourite pose, more cosy and delicious. They have other uses too: A rolled blanket tilts the hips anteriorly to make sitting on the floor more comfortable. They can be used to elevate a hip in pigeon pose, to add a little extra padding for knees in kneeling shapes or to support tight hamstrings in a seated forward bend. Experiment with a yoga blanket and you’ll see for yourself!
4. Bolsters: Yoga bolsters are large firm cushions, often sausage or oval shaped. They are used mostly for yin and restorative yoga. By supporting the body, they allow you to relax deeply into each shape so that myofascia, which we target in these yoga styles, can released slowly and patiently. You’ll feel comforted and cocooned allowing the mind and body to rest and find calm.
5. Yoga Mats: While it’s undeniably nice to have a stylish pair of yoga pants, in reality (sadly) they doesn’t assist your yoga practice at all. On the other hand, if you practice vinyassa and other flowing styles of yoga, the having the right yoga mat is a gamechanger. It will improve your balance, cushion your joints and keep you stable and strong in every standing pose. Choose a mat which is grippy and environmentally friendly. Some have a lifetime guarantee. Pro tip: Don't be tempted to buy a cheap mat from a discount store. They are usually too thin (or conversely too spongy), they breakdown and flake quickly and end up in landfill. You’ll need to spend over $100 to find a good one, but it will last!
Finally: As a teacher, whenever I see a student reach for a prop, internally I’m giving them a little internal high five. It shows a maturity and their capacity to listen carefully to their body so that they can get the most from each pose, each breath, each practice. Try using props in every yoga session and you’ll squeeze even more juice from your practice. Good luck!
At Seed Yoga we love to support other small and local businesses. If you feel inspired to spruce up your home practice space with props, we use and recommend the following fabulous suppliers:
· Rest and Digest, based in Blackburn, stock ethically sourced and environmentally friendly yoga essentials: Think straps, block and yoga mats. Claudia is a Seed Yogi so she gets extra bonus points for being awesome. Use code SEEDWFH for free shipping. Snap!
· Calm Buddhi, based in Coburg, stock bolsters and meditation cushions with hand-blocked prints and attention to detail. Our friend Angela works directly with Indian artisans to create these beautiful pieces to enhance your home practice. For Melbourne metropolitan orders, enter ‘Seed’ at checkout for free shipping.
· Seed Yoga Shop: based in Blackburn, we have gorgeous blankets, mats and meditation shawls sourced from small family-based Indian suppliers.