20/04/2021
LETS HEAR IT FOR PROPS
Over the next week I will be looking at different props. and how best to use them and also the substitutes we can find around the house. We all find some poses are more easily accessible than others, and it is important for us to use props without feeling that we are cheating somehow! Props are great to help us access poses and find our own alignment, finding more openness and energy flow.
BLOCKS
Yoga blocks or bricks are one of the most common pieces of kit in a studio. They are used to lengthen our arms.... So that we don't need to struggle to reach the floor. As an aid to balance and also to lift or lengthen the body in seated poses, to make a stretch more accessible. We can also use blocks to support parts of the body that otherwise might be dangling uncomfortably.
If you don't have a yoga block use a sturdy book, a solid shoe box, or even a rolled and tied up towel.
In standing poses
We can use the block to lengthen the arms or bring the floor closer.
In Triangle Pose( see photo )I am using a book as a balance and to reach lower in the pose.
If your back feels uncomfortable in forward fold use a block to take off the pressure( you can also put a small pad under the heels ).
In seated poses
Can sit on block to sit us up taller, slightly tilting us forward so that gravity can do its job . We can also use the block under our head for support . when we are leaning forward.
For example Butterfly pose sitting on block , and block under head.
In Balances
We can use the block as an aid for balance or even as a confidence booster to train our body to relax into poses . In the photo I am using a shoe box as a confidence booster going into crow
