Yoga, Meditation & The Use of Props

An Introduction to Yoga Props

For years I practiced yoga, without using props I thought they would make me look like a beginner - even though I was a beginner, we all have to start somewhere! I wanted to fit in, or at least appear to fit in. This was especially the case in classes where I didn’t see the teacher using props. This resulted in me skipping poses I thought I couldn’t do, or worse, forcing myself into the posture and subjecting my muscles and tissues to way too much stress.

Only after training to be a yoga teacher did I begin to appreciate the benefits of props, and now I ALWAYS use them in my personal practice. In fact, I have come to own many different props and love to explore different ways to use them - as you will soon learn the use of these props is different for every body.

I wanted to write a bit here to help you understand the benefits or props for practitioners of all levels so maybe next time you are at a studio you will feel empowered to use them in your practice! I will also explain how you can use items you have at home to experience the same benefits as yoga props.

What is the Purpose of Props?

Yoga props are used to support your practice. They allow the individual to modify postures to suit their body by: creating length, space, and improving alignment. For example: in my meditations I often recommend siting on something to elevate the hips higher than the knees. This allow the spine to lengthen (rather than round), which also creates space in the chest, to ultimately improve the flow of breath in the body. One prop - three benefits!

In this article I will go through use of two commonly used props (the blanket and the block), though there are many many more.

Yoga Blankets: 

Yoga blankets are one of the most versatile props. They can provide support, as well as comfort. What makes a blanket a yoga blanket is its soft yet rigid structure (i.e., it can hold some shape). Yoga blankets come in all sizes and textures so you may want to experiment to find what works for you.

Here are some typical uses for yoga blankets:

• under your seat in meditation

• under your head, or rolled up under your knees in a lying down meditation position

• draped over you for extra warmth in restorative yoga

• under the knees for support in kneeling postures

A great alternative to a yoga blanket is a beach towel. They are often a little more rigid than your regular bathing towel, but provide the same flexibility and comfort.

Yoga Blocks: 

Yoga blocks are the most well known prop used in yoga and are available in most studios. A pair of yoga blocks is pretty low cost and will come in handy for any class you take! I consider this a must have for all practitioners. Yoga blocks provide support, but also allow you to experience poses in a more restorative way.

Yoga blocks can be found in a variety of materials; the most common are cork, wood and foam. In the foam variety you will also find blocks of varying thicknesses. Cork/wood blocks are heavier and more rigid, great for poses where you want to find support, where you may be exerting force on a block and want to feel stable in your posture. Foam blocks are lighter and more portable but are better suited to postures where you are looking for the block to provide comfort. This will become a little more clear when you look at the examples I have noted below.

Here are some typical uses for yoga blocks. I have included (C/W) and (F) below to indicate which type of blocks I recommend, in some cases both types can work:

• under your seat in meditation (F)

• under your hands in downward dog to release pressure on the wrists (C/W, F)

• near your foot to allow you to find stability and opening in poses such as triangle or extended side angle where your hands may not be able to reach the ground (C/W)

• under the hips in pigeon to provide relief for those with tight hamstrings (F)

• under the head in child’s pose (F)

• under the hand to bring the floor closer in half moon (C)

If you are an advanced practitioner, you can use blocks to increase the depth of your poses (e.g., in a seated forward fold, place a block behind the soles of your feet to get an even deeper fold/stretch).

If you don’t have yoga blocks at home, you can try taping together some old VHS tapes (remember those?) or use books that are roughly the same size. Stacked hardcover books would be more like a cork block and stacked paperbacks like foam.

There are so many more props that can be used in yoga: bolsters, straps, rollers, etc. I hope this article has peaked your interest in learning about all the other wonderful ways you can grow your yoga practice with the use of props. I also hope the next time you are in the studio you won’t be afraid to grab a block or two and at the very least use it to bring some ease to your meditation seat!

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.