4 Yoga Props for Beginners

Raise your hand should you’ve jumped into a brand new bodily exercise headfirst. 

And increase your hand should you ended up hobbling away from that exercise since you did approach an excessive amount of approach too quickly. We’ve all been there as a result of, properly, we wish to show that we are able to do it — or that we’ve nonetheless bought it.  

But should you go into yoga with a “progress not perfection” mindset, it can save you your self from a world of bodily damage. And yoga props could be instrumental in protecting you protected and steady throughout courses or your at-home observe. If you’ve been avoiding them, yoga specialist Johanna Goldfarb, MD, RYT 200, has some good causes for embracing them. 

What are yoga props? 

Yoga props are instruments that you need to use to make yoga poses extra accessible or comfy. It doesn’t matter should you’re new to yoga otherwise you’ve been training for years, props supply one thing for everybody.  

“As a yoga instructor, my mission is to always make yoga accessible to my students. This includes making the asanas, or poses, accessible to as many individuals as possible, regardless of starting level of fitness or flexibility. The purpose of props is to make the practice of yoga available to people no matter what their present level of flexibility is,” says Dr. Goldfarb. 

The greatest props to make use of 

You could be tempted to purchase the identical props that you simply’ve utilized in a studio or throughout a group class. But you could find good yoga props in any respect value factors and even use gadgets from round your own home.  

“When it comes to yoga props, there are no must-haves. However, the most useful props are a yoga block or two and a strap,” says Dr. Goldfarb.

Yoga blocks 

Yoga blocks are precisely that — blocks made of froth, rubber cork and even wooden. They come in useful while you’re doing standing poses that require steadiness and good alignment (the precise approach {that a} pose must be carried out to stop harm). 

“For example, in triangle pose, if a student cannot reach the floor and maintain proper alignment in the pose, a block can be used to bring the floor to the student,” explains Dr. Goldfarb. “Instead of allowing a student to reach to the floor and turn their chest out of alignment, I can guide a student to keep their back straight and bring the forward arm towards the floor. And instead of straining to reach the floor, they can place their hand on top of a block.”    

The thicker the fabric, the sturdier the block. Firmer blocks are nice for standing or balancing poses. But if you’d like one thing to help your head, neck, backbone or decrease physique whilst you’re mendacity down, you’ll wish to get blocks which are comprised of a softer materials. If you’re unsure what you want, you’ll be able to ask your yoga teacher or get a really feel for the several types of blocks at a sporting items retailer.  

If you’re training yoga at dwelling and don’t have blocks readily available, Dr. Goldfarb says you need to use massive, heavy books.  

Yoga strap 

Yoga straps are useful for poses that require stretching. If you’ve gotten tight hamstrings or shoulders, you’ll recognize this yoga prop for certain. Yoga straps appear to be belts which are made from supplies like hemp, cotton or nylon. They can vary from six- to 10-feet in size and act as an extension of your limbs when holding poses.  

“A strap can make a seated forward fold more effective for people with tight hamstring muscles. By adding our arms to this stretch, we can maintain alignment and keep the back straight. Without the strap, it is possible to simply reach forward while being mindful of the back, but the strap makes the pose much easier to do,” advises Dr. Goldfarb.

If you’re in a seated ahead fold (legs out in entrance of you, toes flexed) and you’ll’t lean ahead and seize your toes, that’s wonderful. You can take your strap and put it across the balls of your toes. Hold the strap in each arms and use it to maintain your backbone aligned as you sit upright. Don’t drive your self to bend ahead. Just breathe and sit as tall as you’ll be able to.

If you don’t have a strap, you need to use an previous necktie or perhaps a T-shirt instead of one. 

A blanket 

Many yoga studios have blankets for folks to make use of. They could be made out of supplies like recycled wool or cotton and are available quite a lot of thicknesses. Blankets are nice for offering heat should you’re mendacity down throughout a restorative or meditation observe. They may present extra help throughout poses or cushion your knees while you’re kneeling or on all fours.  

“A blanket is another useful prop since most of us have one on hand. It can be used to support the knees or you can sit on it to support the hips. This might make sitting in cross-legged poses easier for some,” says Dr. Goldfarb.

A bolster or pillow 

Just like a block, a bolster can assist carry the bottom as much as you throughout seated or reclined positions. This lengthy, rectangular pillow could be positioned below your knees throughout savasana or remaining resting pose to create area in your decrease again. This permits your physique to loosen up extra and might present aid for many who reside with decrease again ache.

You may sit on a bolster to help your hips throughout seated poses or you’ll be able to relaxation your head and chest on one in balasana, or little one’s pose, for extra consolation. Bolsters may make heart-opening poses, like a supported restorative backbend, extra stress-free by permitting your chest, shoulders and stomach to open up whereas your head, neck and backbone are absolutely supported.  

If you’re training at dwelling and don’t have a bolster, you need to use agency pillows and even roll up a big towel or blanket and place it the place you need extra help.  

Don’t let your ego compromise your security 

Yoga isn’t about how far you’ll be able to push your physique. Instead, Dr. Goldfarb says it must be a “union of the mind, body and breath.” But you’ll be able to’t have that union should you’re uncomfortable and even in ache. So, while you stroll into a category or arrange for a yoga observe at dwelling, be certain that to seize what it is advisable guarantee a easy, serene and cozy movement.  

“Sometimes, in a studio, it can feel like the best yogis do not use props because they are so proficient with poses. And there can be a stigma attached to the use of props, either real (given the culture of the studio) or imagined. We also impose expectations on ourselves (needlessly),” notes Dr. Goldfarb. “But the role of the teacher is to keep reminding our students that we should practice where we are at that day. Learning to listen to our bodies and doing what is best each day is one of the primary goals of a yoga practice.” 

Dr. Goldfarb additionally says that you simply deepen your yoga observe each time you step in your mat. When you drive issues, you place your self in danger for accidents.  

Use yoga props to achieve your objectives 

You would possibly want a prop right this moment however discover {that a} month from now, you not want it. Or, you might need go-to props for each observe. Your consolation and stability matter most, so do what works greatest for you.  

“A prop can become optional or we may continue to use it if it fits our practice. Either way, props can make our practice more satisfying by helping to promote the correct alignment and improving our flexibility so we can accomplish our personal goals,” says Dr. Goldfarb.