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Props. Love ’em or hate ’em?

Yoga Props. Yes or no?

February 2, 2015 By Monica Stone 3 Comments

Do you have a love-hate relationship with props? Do they help or hinder your practice?

I’ve had teachers that will not allow them, and then I see highly respected teachers like David Garrigues encourage the use of them. 

Check out this video. He has his student working on dropbacks. He has him use the wall, then a block, and then a prop to even tie behind his back!

Ok … so how do we know?  

How do we know if we are cheating or deepening our practice?  

SO hard to know, right?!?

I’m dedicated to how I was taught (the no props version), but there have been times I’ve rebelled and tried practicing with props.

I think I came up with my own Ashtanga(fied) solution for this, and here’s what I think. 

First thing to remember: Everyone is different. This is SUPER SUPER important.

I certainly can’t pretend to know what YOU feel like in YOUR body (or mind for that matter)! I can only speak from my own experience. 

Second thing to remember: Everything we do should be to deepen our practice. I mean this spiritually and physically. 

I’ve had instances where using a prop really helped deepen my practice. I’ve also experienced certain props being completely restricting and limiting on learning a posture. 

Examples of how I’ve deepened my practice with props: 

A. Pasasana: When I roll up the mat to practice, so that I can rest my heels, I can really work on the twist to find out where I’m constricted, and deepen it.  This gives me the opportunity to keep my balance so that I can create awareness in other areas. 

B. When I do backbends with my hands against the wall, I’m able to deepen my backbend by seeing how far I could walk my feet in. This is an extra backbend I sometimes add in when I have extra energy. 

These two examples above give me the opportunity to really isolate parts of my body, so that I could gain some awareness. Then, I can work on the posture without a prop later using the same awareness – and knowing exactly where to work. I also encourage my students to do this in specific postures when they’re practicing at home. 

Example of how props have restricted my practice: 

One posture I struggle with (big time) is Supta Kurmasana. I’ve tried using a towel between my hands with the objective of pulling the hands towards each other, but this is a complete hinderance. The act of my hands gripping the towel or strap change the dynamic in which my shoulders move. I am not able to move or open my shoulders. When my hands grasp the strap, it’s like they freeze. I’ve also seen that become a habit with people who can’t bind. They automatically grab for the strap vs. trying to open the chest and shoulders. 

The purpose IS to open, and NOT just use a prop to mimic the posture. This would be an example where a prop DOES NOT deepen the practice.

Let’s Define Prop:

A prop can be anything, but when these items are used to create awareness and deepen our practice, they no longer become props. They’re only really props if you are dependent on them.

We just have to change our mindset about it. It’s like having a teacher guide you into a posture except this is just a physical object to assist you. 

If you need to use a guide (not prop) to help you open and understand what’s going on in your body, or maybe to assist you through an injury, then do it! Make sure you’re always returning to normal practice, so you can put into practice what you learned. 

Just don’t bring one of these into a Mysore shala! That might be a bad idea. At least discuss with your teacher first. 

Your Homework (Yay, adult homework time!):

1. When you’re practicing at home this week, pay attention to the posture you’re struggling with the most. If you’ve been using a prop, I challenge you lose it and see how it changes your practice. Are you able to deepen the posture more without the prop? 

If you haven’t been using props, I challenge you to find a way to use one with your most difficult posture to create more awareness and deepen your practice. 

2. In the comments below, tell me how you’ve used props and your experience with them. Need advice, leave a comment! 

3. Check out this page of props on Yoga Outlet. Are there any that you think would help deepen your practice? Tell me how!

Filed Under: Instruction Tagged With: Home Studio, Props

Monica Stone

About Monica Stone

Monica is a lover of all things yoga, a vegetarian, an avid tea drinker, and never gets sick of soup and noodle dishes. She teaches yoga, practices daily, and runs a Spiritual Book Club in Orlando, FL. She likes to challenge the strict rules of yoga, and makes it accessible for everyone - especially people who suffer from daily life and work stress.

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Hi! I’m Monica

Monica StoneWell hello there! I'm Monica. I'm a yoga & meditation teacher (and junkie). I teach yoga practices that are quick and effective for the busy person who just needs a few minutes of quiet time in their day. Click around and you'll find quick meditation tips for calming the mind to simple stretches to relieve stress and tension. If you are sick of being intimidated by yoga or just confused by all of the different styles out there - then this page is for you. Yoga helps me daily & I know it will help you too! I'll show you how! Welcome to The Yogi Movement :)

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Testimonials

  • Jaime ShearerJaime ShearerYoga Student Since 2012

    Monica is dedicated to her own practice and the true path of yoga - the one of personal experience - which makes her an outstanding teacher. She is warm and easy to talk with, and she allows the student to have their own experience on the mat. She explains postures and breath in ways that are understandable so that the student "gets it." She makes yoga real and tangible in ways that truly serve the student. Work with Monica. You'll be glad you did.

  • Jacob AbercrombieJacob AbercrombieYoga Student Since 2011

    have always wanted to try yoga, but was always nervous. Monica took that fear away and made me feel like i was the only one in class with a room full of strangers. She is able to work with multiple students during the same move and still make it a personalized class for one.

  • Serena JonesSerena JonesYoga Student Since 2010

    Monica has been a highly influential teacher to me. She creates a safe environment for learning and practice. I have always felt grounded in her classes, and she pushes me beyond my own expectations. She inspires and motivates! I can't imagine my life without sharing a path with her!

  • Angela OrofinoAngela OrofinoYoga Student Since 2011

    Monica is a caring, wise, thoughtful, and talented yoga instructor. She has an in-depth knowledge of the philosophy and spirituality of Ashtanga yoga. My previous yoga experience had mostly just been at my local gym. Luckily, last year I found Monica. She has been guiding my practice at least once a week since then. As a newcomer to Ashtanga yoga, Monica made me feel comfortable and had the patience to teach me the basics. She also encouraged me to start an at home practice so that I was able to obtain a deeper understanding of Ashtanga. Monica is always encouraging and lets me know in subtle ways when she feels that I am ready to move deeper into my practice. I feel that the growth in my practice over the last year has been tremendous. Not only do I notice the change in me but others around me do as well. I am so grateful to have found Monica!

  • Sasha TamarSasha TamarYoga Student Since 2012

    I’ve come across many a yoga instructor over the years, but Monica stands out as genuinely amiable, as she glows with an infectious inner light, and highly devoted to and passionate about her practice. Her dedication to Ashtanga as a lifestyle is very clear, and creates for a contagious motivating force. Every time I’ve practiced with her, she eagerly transmits her devotion and passion of Ashtanga and meditation to everyone in class; she makes the most fledgling beginner feel at home, and simultaneously challenges the more advanced students. While I only practice Ashtanga with her, I know she provides therapeutic yoga sessions as well as meditation. And, if her methods of guiding students out of the Ashtanga vigor into the more meditative savasana are indicative of her meditational techniques, I’d recommend her to anyone

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