Embracing Yoga Props: Enhancing Your Practice and Achieving Your Full Potential
When I first started my yoga practice, I did the typical thing every newbie would do. I thought props were a cop-out to getting into the full shape of an asana. I wished that in my earlier classes, the instructor would have explained that props are a way to deepen your practice. If you have ever been to any of my classes or viewed any of my online sessions, you will know that I love to teach modifications with props. When doing research for peak poses, I love seeing modifications that I can teach. I am one who loves the challenge of a pose I have not been able to achieve full expression, and that dedication is part of my practice.
How Can Props Help Advance Your Practice?
When attempting an asana, inflexibility, mobility issues, or just the way our bodies are made might prevent us from achieving full expression. We may need a little help until we gain full range of motion, attain flexibility, or even if it is physically impossible to achieve the full expression, we can still embody it. Everyone has the ability to embody these asanas in some way.
- The block can bring the floor up to you.
- The strap can help bring the legs closer to the torso.
- The blanket can tilt the pelvic bowl forward for a deeper fold.
- The bolster can provide padding so you don’t face plant into the floor.
All of these props are for you to utilize so that you aren’t misaligned and cause injury to yourself. Sometimes it takes months, even years of working with the props before you can achieve full expression. This brings me to a quote I love to remind myself when I am in practice:
“Yoga does not ask you to be more than you are. But it does ask you to be all that you are.” - Bryan Kest
Fun Facts About Using Yoga Props
- Origin of Yoga Props: B.K.S. Iyengar, a renowned yoga teacher, popularized the use of props to make yoga accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical limitations.
- Eco-Friendly Options: Many yoga props, such as blocks and mats, are now available in eco-friendly materials like cork and natural rubber, making your practice sustainable and kind to the environment.
- Versatility: Yoga straps are incredibly versatile and can be used for various poses, not just for stretching. They help deepen your practice and improve your range of motion.
- Advanced Practitioners: Even advanced practitioners use props to explore new variations of poses and deepen their practice safely.
Here Are Just Some Ways to Embody an Asana with the Help of Props:
Fire Log Pose:
- This pose is a seated asana where we stack both of our shins on top of each other. It may not be available to some bodies due to the external rotation needed in both hips.
- Place a bolster in front of you and place the top leg on the bolster.
- Bottom leg is directly behind the bolster.
- Both shins are in front of you.
- If you can stack your shins on top of each other but there is not enough space in the body to comfortably rest the top leg onto the bottom leg due to tight knees, place a block between the bottom and top shin, or the knee and the foot.
King Dancer:
- This standing asana not only involves balance but is also an advanced backbend with shoulder rotation and lengthening of the quads. This advanced pose may not be available to some bodies, and you can easily use a strap to extend the reach of the foot without compromising yourself to injury because of the deep backbend.
- Loop the strap and insert your foot.
- Begin to balance onto the opposite leg, slowly holding the strap overhead.
- Begin to lift the leg behind you, being careful not to pull the strap and lifting the leg by force.
- Once the leg is as high as your body can manage, begin to walk the hands up the strap moving closer to the lifted back foot, creating a backbend. If you feel any pinching, tingling, or sudden pain, back off of the stretch immediately!
Lizard Pose:
- This is an intermediate lunge pose opening the hips, lengthening the back quads, targeting glutes, and hip flexors.
- Begin by starting off with the front knee bent at 90 degrees and back leg extended with kneecaps pulled forward.
- Bring hands down to the mat on the inside of the front foot.
- This pose is normally practiced resting on the forearms for a deep hip opener. If going onto the elbows is not available, use blocks to bring the floor up to you so that being on your forearms is accessible. If one block is not enough, stack another block up. There is no rule on how many blocks are needed.
Closing Thoughts
Props are not just for beginners; they are valuable tools for yogis at every level. Embracing these aids can lead to a deeper, safer, and more fulfilling practice. By using props, we honor our bodies' unique capabilities and limitations, ensuring that we practice yoga with integrity and mindfulness. Remember, yoga is about the journey, not just the destination. Embrace the use of props and discover how they can transform your practice, allowing you to embody each asana fully and safely.
Whether you're a seasoned yogi or just starting out, I encourage you to explore the world of yoga props. They can provide the support and guidance needed to unlock new dimensions of your practice.
Namaste.
