How to Use Yoga Props At Home

Yoga props can help both beginners and advanced yogis to deepen their practice.

New to yoga props and don't want to spend money? Read on to see how to use household items as yoga props!

Yoga blocks can help reach the floor

Yoga props are often seen as tools for beginners to use. This is only half true. Props are great for beginners, but they also help intermediate and advanced yogis deepen their poses. If you've ever heard a yoga teacher say, "feel free to grab a block or strap if you'd like", you may have felt that only inadequate people are grabbing them. Maybe you think by grabbing a prop you are admitting you cannot do the pose on your own. Don't feel like you are downgrading by opting to use a prop! Props can be used by everybody to deepen your pose, whether you are a beginner or an advanced yogi.

Why Yoga Props Are Useful

• they extend the reach of your arms or legs

• they provide stability so that you can focus on correct, safe form

• they give you a sturdy platform to push against

• they help pull muscles closer together or further apart, depending on the pose

• they allow you to practice the pose correctly so you can build the muscles needed to deepen the pose without the props

Common Props to Use at Home

Yoga Mat

Yes, a yoga mat is considered a prop! You can certainly do yoga without a yoga mat but having a mat can enhance your practice as it provides a sturdy place for your body to "stick to" and push against. Yoga mats are usually the first prop people purchase because it is a great basic prop to have. Luckily, most yoga mats are not expensive. You can get one at Walmart, Amazon, Kohls, Target, or you can look up some more enhanced yoga mats online that have some added features such as greater cushion, eco-friendly, sweat absorbing, extra sticky (so you don't slip), etc. Again, you can choose to start practicing yoga on a carpet, a rug, or even grass or sand outside.

Blocks

Yoga blocks are a great prop to think about getting because they act as platforms or extensions of your body. You can use them to grab onto while stretching. You can place them under your butt or back to elevate your body in a sitting or lying down position. You can place one in-between your knees to keep reminding yourself to pull your knees together. You can use them to raise the floor up in order to keep good form instead of rounding your back to reach the floor. These are just a few examples. Yoga blocks made out of cork are a great option because they are solid (won't change shape over time) and a great eco-friendly option. If you would rather not spend money on blocks or you are practicing at home before you are able to buy blocks, you can use a stack of books or a firm pillow instead!

Yoga Strap

A yoga strap can be used when you may not be able to reach a certain part of your body while in a certain pose. It can also be used to further deepen a stretch. For example, while laying on your back and raising your leg in the air, you are stretching your hamstring. To deepen that stretch or to be able to reach your leg with your hands easier, you can use a yoga strap around the back of your hamstring and pull it closer towards your chest. This will allow a deeper stretch in a way that makes it more accessible. Yoga straps can also be used in binds, to open tight shoulders more, or to take the next step in a pose. If you do not want to purchase a yoga strap but want similar benefits, grab a belt or roll up a beach towel and grab onto either end!

Bolster

A yoga bolster is a fancy firm pillow used to create more space in restorative poses. It can allow you to be more comfortable in a pose that you will be in for a while, and therefore it will help you to relax more. Examples include using a bolster under your chest during child's pose, sitting on one during a seated meditation, using it under your back in supine (lying down) positions, or placing it under your chest during a seated wide-legged forward fold. Bolsters are typically firmer than an average pillow and are shaped a little differently, but you can absolutely use a big firm pillow in its place while you decide if you want to purchase one.

Don’t Shy Away from Props

Overall, props are awesome tools to keep you safe while also deepening your yoga practice. They should not be seen as something beginners need to use, because beginners and advanced yogis should all be using props! If you use props during your practice, you'll stay in alignment easier which protects your body, you will deepen your stretches, you'll move to advanced versions of poses faster, and you will relax your body more while practicing.

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