*Photo courtesy of www.theexaminer.com
This article is an extension of an article I previously wrote, regarding anatomy titled, “Come As You Are.” There are many preconceived notions regarding props in the yoga room, I know before I understood their primary use, I had my own notions; one of which would be that a prop means you cannot complete the pose properly. In reality though, just as this is an extension of the article regarding anatomy and bone structure, you can think of a yoga prop as an extension of your body. And if you have not read the article, I suggest that you review it (http://theyogaandwellnesscollective.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/come-as-you-areanatomy-and-yoga-the-overlooked-yet-incredibly-important-aspect-of-bone-structure.html) so you have a better understanding of what we are working with (in regard to the human body!)
In this article we will be focusing on two props in that are found in the classroom, the yoga block, the foam 6x4x2 rectangle, and the yoga strap, which kinda looks like a boyscout belt, but longer. How do blocks and straps become an extension of the body you might wonder? It is all about proportion, remember everyones body is different. Some folks have long arms and legs, some have long arms and short legs, some have long torsos and short limbs, etc. unto an infinite amount of possibilities!
When you are unable to reach your feet in a forward fold, toss a strap around them, and use your biceps to pull your torso in toward you legs. You will still be folding forward, still be lengthening the spine, and you will be increasing your range of motion, because you will have something to leverage against, just as if you were holding on to your feet and pulling forward. You can use the strap in and fold, or to pull your legs in toward your body in case you have trouble wrapping your arms around your legs.
Blocks can be used in many different and creative ways during practice, they are commonly used during twists and arm balances, but it does not have to end there. Take triangle pose for example, Your lead leg is straight, toes pointed forward, back foot pointed toward the length of the mat; arms are stretched out into “t,” and you reach forward through your lead hand, taking an inhale, before you exhale, hinging forward and bringing your lead hand down toward the mat, while the other raising up toward the ceiling. You stop just inches short of the floor, then decide on leaning forward slightly to reach the floor... because it is obviously more comfortable to have something to rest against! Back up for a second though, your arm may not reach the floor her, but that does not mean you are “inflexible,” it just means your arm isn't long enough to reach the floor with your legs positioned as they are. Solution? Maybe your legs can be further apart from one another, look down, are they three to four feet apart? If they are, you are all good there! If not, bring them apart a little further, and start over. If you are comfortable in your stance, and still unable to reach the floor, then, instead of leaning forward, sacrificing the alignment of your spine, take a block under your lead hand, it can be on its side, or sitting tall, depending on where you are that particular day. With the block under your hand you can focus on pushing the top shoulder, and top hip back, creating a straight spine, which is always the goal.
Using props in practice not only will help you to improve your alignment and poses, but also, if your increase flexibility. Performing the poses properly will put less strain on your body, and after a while, you may find that you can reach farther and fold deeper.
Props are your friends! They are an extension of your body which will help improve your practice. Using yoga props in class demonstrates that you understand your body, which as I always like to say, is one of the main benefits of a yoga practice! I urge you next time you are in class, try a prop out, see how much further you are able to go!
Peace-
Dana
This article is an extension of an article I previously wrote, regarding anatomy titled, “Come As You Are.” There are many preconceived notions regarding props in the yoga room, I know before I understood their primary use, I had my own notions; one of which would be that a prop means you cannot complete the pose properly. In reality though, just as this is an extension of the article regarding anatomy and bone structure, you can think of a yoga prop as an extension of your body. And if you have not read the article, I suggest that you review it (http://theyogaandwellnesscollective.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/come-as-you-areanatomy-and-yoga-the-overlooked-yet-incredibly-important-aspect-of-bone-structure.html) so you have a better understanding of what we are working with (in regard to the human body!)
In this article we will be focusing on two props in that are found in the classroom, the yoga block, the foam 6x4x2 rectangle, and the yoga strap, which kinda looks like a boyscout belt, but longer. How do blocks and straps become an extension of the body you might wonder? It is all about proportion, remember everyones body is different. Some folks have long arms and legs, some have long arms and short legs, some have long torsos and short limbs, etc. unto an infinite amount of possibilities!
When you are unable to reach your feet in a forward fold, toss a strap around them, and use your biceps to pull your torso in toward you legs. You will still be folding forward, still be lengthening the spine, and you will be increasing your range of motion, because you will have something to leverage against, just as if you were holding on to your feet and pulling forward. You can use the strap in and fold, or to pull your legs in toward your body in case you have trouble wrapping your arms around your legs.
Blocks can be used in many different and creative ways during practice, they are commonly used during twists and arm balances, but it does not have to end there. Take triangle pose for example, Your lead leg is straight, toes pointed forward, back foot pointed toward the length of the mat; arms are stretched out into “t,” and you reach forward through your lead hand, taking an inhale, before you exhale, hinging forward and bringing your lead hand down toward the mat, while the other raising up toward the ceiling. You stop just inches short of the floor, then decide on leaning forward slightly to reach the floor... because it is obviously more comfortable to have something to rest against! Back up for a second though, your arm may not reach the floor her, but that does not mean you are “inflexible,” it just means your arm isn't long enough to reach the floor with your legs positioned as they are. Solution? Maybe your legs can be further apart from one another, look down, are they three to four feet apart? If they are, you are all good there! If not, bring them apart a little further, and start over. If you are comfortable in your stance, and still unable to reach the floor, then, instead of leaning forward, sacrificing the alignment of your spine, take a block under your lead hand, it can be on its side, or sitting tall, depending on where you are that particular day. With the block under your hand you can focus on pushing the top shoulder, and top hip back, creating a straight spine, which is always the goal.
Using props in practice not only will help you to improve your alignment and poses, but also, if your increase flexibility. Performing the poses properly will put less strain on your body, and after a while, you may find that you can reach farther and fold deeper.
Props are your friends! They are an extension of your body which will help improve your practice. Using yoga props in class demonstrates that you understand your body, which as I always like to say, is one of the main benefits of a yoga practice! I urge you next time you are in class, try a prop out, see how much further you are able to go!
Peace-
Dana