When practicing yoga in a studio or shala, the teacher is essentially your prop. The use of props is a sticky subject mainly because people can become dependent on them. I was reluctant to use props for a long time, but when I started practicing at home, I gave in, and I’m glad I did! Some of you might say I sold out, but haters are gonna hate, right?
Props, if used correctly, can help you create body awareness and advance in your practice in the way a teacher can if you were at a studio. When I started practicing at home, I had to become my own teacher, and learn to give my own self-adjustments. Let me open your mind to some ways props helped open me, and how to use them correctly so you can grow in your practice, and not become dependent upon them.
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What is it: The Wall
What Postures: Handstands, Backbends
How It Helps:
- When using the wall for a handstand, it helps to build strength, learn your center of gravity, and get over your fears of falling.
- For backbends, you will strengthen the spine, increase flexibility, and get over your fear of dropping back as you start to catch yourself closer and closer to the ground.
How To Use it:
- Handstands: kick up, and when you lean into the wall, start to kick one leg off at a time still keeping your balance. The first step is building strength, then balance. Eventually kick up and try to not use the wall. You might end up falling into it a few times, but eventually you’ll balance on your own.
- Backbends: Work on crawling your hands down the wall as you drop back. This will help to strengthen your spine and legs, and also build flexibility. Eventually start to drop back, but catch yourself on the wall. Another option is to push up to a full backbend from the ground with your arms against the wall, and walk your feet in, increasing your back flexibility.
How To Not Use It:
Do not use the wall every time you practice. Remember, this should only be used to help create body awareness and as self-assists. Using the wall should be on the occasions where you have extra energy, or you’re curious how it can help. Always try the postures both ways. If you’re doing handstands, try it without the wall as well. If you’re doing drop backs, do standing backbends, and try to increase your distance on the way down in addition to the wall. Also, DO NOT DO HEADSTAND using the wall. This can be dangerous because of the pressure on the neck. Headstand should always be taught using your own strength and center of gravity.
What is it: Strap or towel
What Postures: Forward Bends, Twists
How It Helps:
In a forward bend and twist, using a strap or towel will mimic the posture, so you can feel what it is like to actually do the posture. It will also start to open your body in the areas that are tight, so you can start to move deeper into the postures.
How To Use it:
- Twist: When doing a twist which leads to a bind, twist holding the strap, and then when you get into the posture as much as possible, grab the other end. Wiggle your hands together as much as you can, then create awareness and breathe. When binding hands, the tightness is most likely in your shoulders or chest, and the strap gives you something to hold onto so that you can become passive.
- Forward Bend: If you can’t reach your toes, bring the strap around your feet as you hold onto it with both hands, and reach. As you fold forward, breath into the areas of tightness. These areas are most likely in your hips, lower back, or a rounded upper back. Pay attention to your hamstrings, and go into this gradually. Forcing a forward bend could over stretch your hamstrings. In addition, if your hips are opening, this could also cause knee pain. Be patient and open slowly.
- When I’m working with a teacher giving me an adjustment, the same feeling occurs. Open the shoulders, open the heart, and try to create the posture as if the strap wasn’t there. Perhaps the awareness is also in the hips. As you bind, tension should release from the hips for you to twist further.
How To Not Use It:
The purpose of using the strap or towel is to feel what’s happening internally, and not just to mimic the posture. Don’t just reach, reach, reach! Now that you can create the shape of the posture without constriction, breathe deep, feel for the areas of tightness, blockages, and tension, and breathe into it. Don’t use a strap to over stretch or force a posture either. You don’t want to come out of a forward bend with a popped hamstring, or knee pain. Yoga helps to create consciousness, and if you go into it without internal awareness, and the understanding of energies, you’re more prone to injury.
What is it: Yoga Mat
What Postures: Pasasana – Noose Posture
How It Helps:
Will help you balance so that you have more freedom to work on the twist.
How To Use it:
When doing Pasasana, roll up the mat so that you can rest your heels and balance (see video below). When doing this, you won’t lose your balance so easily, and that way you can give more attention to the twist. When you’re falling all over, and not able to bind, it’s almost impossible to learn Pasasana. I believe that you should always try practicing with and without the mat rolled. That way, you can work on opening the chest and binding, but you’re also working on dropping the heels as you continue to practice. Once you bind, I say get rid of the mat!
How To Not Use It:
Don’t make it a habit to always use the rolled mat when practicing Pasasana. This will cause a dependency, and hold you back from the success of the posture. Only use the mat when you have some extra energy, and don’t let yourself move on until you’ve practiced it both ways.
What is it: Meditation Cushion
What Postures: Lotus, Crow, Arm Balances, backbends
How It Helps:
I could write a full post on meditation cushions, but I’ll do my best to condense it here! Meditation cushions help to relieve pain in the hips and knees when sitting in lotus. They can be used as a cushion to help you get over your fears of falling on your face in arm balances, and you can also stack them up if you’re working on drop backs.
How To Use it:
- Lotus: When your hips are a little tight, then sitting in lotus or even crossed legged for a long period of time can cause pain in the hips and knees. This can be relieved by elevating your hips so that they are above your knees. Sitting on a meditation cushion, or a bolster is the perfect prop for this. When I was at a meditation retreat, I stacked two pillows which helped considerably.
- Arm Balances: In the photo below, I show how using a cushion can help you get over your fear of arm balances. When you’re practicing crow, or Bhujapidasana, it’s common to have a fear of falling on your face. It’s actually okay if it happens. I’ve done it! However, if you need a little confidence, it helps to have the pillow right where you think you’ll fall to encourage you move forward in the posture.
- Dropbacks: When working on dropping back into a backbend, it can be helpful to start with a stack of cushions to help eliminate the fear. If you think you’re going to fall on your head, then at least the cushions are there to catch you. As you practice the posture over and over, you can remove a cushion (preferably each week) until you are doing it on your own!
How To Not Use It:
The same as above, don’t grow dependent on these cushions. Always try these postures with and without the cushion. Sit in lotus until you feel some discomfort, then add the cushion if it becomes unbearable. Make sure to remove the cushions during arm balances and dropbacks so that you can see how you’re improving. If you’re not using them to get over your fears, then you’re just enabling them.
What is it: Block or Foam Roller
What Postures: Fish or Bridge
How It Helps: Open the heart, find length in the spine, and opening of the upper back.
How To Use it:
- Fish or Bridge Posture: Use a block to sit under your back as you lift up your chest. This can really be done in any kind of backbend or bridge close to the ground. I recommend using it if your upper back is really tight or rounded. Using the block will create a passive stretch, so it’s working on own open to release any tension and tightness while you lay still. This will help you find length in the spine, and assist in removing any blockages in the back that may exist. Really pay attention to how laying into the block encourages your spine to naturally open. Also feel what is going on in your spine when you remove it. Are you able to still release? Do you tighten up again? How can you create the release after the block is removed?
How To Not Use It:
For postures like this, I think it’s important to use the prop as an opening stretch for preparation. Don’t use the block as a way to just imitate the posture, or because it feels good and easy. Use the block for five breaths to open up and feel how your back releases. After your five breaths, remove the block, and take five more in the true expression of the posture.
And Now, Your Free PDF Guide to Yoga Postures with Props For Better Sleep!
(Click link or picture below for PDF download!)
Tweet ThisI hope you enjoyed this, and you found it to be helpful! I’d love to work with you closer through my Google Helpout online yoga & meditation instruction
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Love,
Monica
