You got to love Props

Iyengar yoga school introduced props into the modern practice, on account of the correct alignment of the body and to allow all practitioners to access the benefits of the postures regardless of their body, mobility limitations, age, etc. For those that share the idea that props are for lazy people, let me tell you that you could not be further from the truth. One thing is certain, physical and mental availability, frequent and consistent training, as well as willpower combined with the correct use of props is what’s going to allow us to progress in our yoga practice and also break down barriers that in the beginning, our body is not prepared or open to doing or even due to several other physical and mental factors. It’s important to reinforce the idea that the main goal of the yoga accessories or props is to fill the lack of support, giving stability and at the same time the confidence and efficiency of the practitioner in each posture. 

WHY USE PROPS?

1. Increases confidence and efficiency in the practitioner;

2. Promotes stability;

3. Helps to develop a conscience and insight into proper alignment;

4. Increases the time you can stay in a posture;

5. It helps to reach more advanced postures.

It is important to mention, that depending on the style of yoga you practice, you may need more or fewer props, and before you invest time and money in these accessories you might want to ask your teacher or do some research, to find out if you will know how to use them, or are they going to confuse you, or simply do you need them. So choose wisely and hope this post will help or give you some insight and clarity.

MUST-HAVE PROPS

• Yoga mat;

• Strap;

• Blocks.

YOGA MAT

The yoga mat is the most important and personal prop in yoga. It should protect our body from the cold, impact, and hardness of the ground and it’s also the place where we understand, gain a conscience, perceive and develop our relationship with our body.

A standard yoga mat is rectangular with 180 cm length and 70 cm width and usually 5 mm thickness.

What you should take into consideration when you’re choosing a mat:

​THICKNESS	​The thicker the mat the comfier it gets. Take for example if you do Yin yoga, where you stay in a pose for quite a long time, and a major part of the body is in contact with the mat. If it's too thin, probably you will feel the hardness and cold of the floor. If you practice an active style of yoga like Ashtanga, Vinyasa, or even yoga flow, and you do a lot of dynamic pose transitions with a lot of jumps and move in a very energetic way, a thicker mat will reduce the impact with the ground. Now, there are also cons. With a thicker mat, it will probably be more difficult to do standing balancing poses, because it becomes more challenging to maintain balance. So you gain in comfort and impact reduction, but you lose the balance. Also if it is a “normal thick mat”, you can lose the grip, especially if you tend to be overly sweet. When it comes to the time to buy a mat, talk with your teacher or take into consideration the thick/grip relationship.
WEIGHT	Once again, the weight of the mat could be important… If you are going to move around for a long period, walking or on public transportation with your mat, choose a lighter one.
​MATERIAL	Take into consideration the type of materials used in the manufacturing of the mat. There are a lot of mats on the market made from PVC, being therefore toxic and containing cancer-causing products. Nowadays, you find mats 100% cotton made, with plants combination (like latex and hemp), or even cork mats.
PRICE	​​The price is undoubtedly an important and personal criterion to take into account. Therefore, the advice that I can give you is to make some good research on the internet and in the yoga stores comparing well the prices and features of the mats, having as a rule the price/quality relationship and what your needs are.

STRAP OR BELT

The yoga straps are an excellent help and allow us to understand and improve the postures.

They give us the stability to the joints, help us gain more flexibility and sensation in the poses, steady and level up the body (or parts of the body), and produce traction and space in the asanas. Yoga straps can come in different lengths and widths. I prefer a strap between 2,5 to 3 meters long and also a wide one because this gives me so many more options.

DO YOU NOW HOW TO BUCKLE UP A STRAP?

If the strap has this type of buckle…

If the buckle is in a “D” shape…

BLOCKS

The primary function of this quite versatile prop is to bring closer the floor toward the practitioner. It’s also a powerful ally on flexibility progression, core stability, alignment improvement, and also in wakening the dormant areas of the body. In short, it works with balance, strength, and suppleness. Like the straps, there is also a huge variety of blocks with different sizes, widths, heights, and textures, but I must confess that my favorite ones are the standard size cork blocks, for the reason that they combine the stability, weight and the ability to slide in the floor when needed. Many practitioners use and prefer the foam blocks because they are lighter, softer, and easy to move and carry around, well what they gain in comfort they may lack in stability and balance when used on certain standing poses like Ardha Chandrasana (Half moon pose), and also e some backbends asanas. The blocks can be placed in 3 different ways with 3 different heights options:

OTHER RELEVANT PROPS THAT CAN HELP US DEVELOP OUR PRACTICE...

1. Blankets;

2. Yoga chair;

3. Bolsters;

4. Zafus for meditation;

5. Sandbags;

and so many more.

Source: Eyal Shifroni @EyalShifroniYoga

Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Hands Pose)

Like in Tadasana, in this posture, the practitioner stands tall, like a mountain with the hands raised over the head.

Urdhva Hastasana is an uplifting pose that seems so easy and we take for granted so many times but in fact, is full of subtleties and manages to work our body balance, height, and extension as well as our focus. With this asana, we find a sense of release by clearing the shoulders away from the ears.

​DRISHTI / GAZE	Forward or to the thumbs.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS	Strengthen the arches of the feet, ankles, knees, and thighs. Tones the abdominal muscles, buttocks, and thighs. Aligns the spine. Opens the chest. Improves posture. Works the shoulders extensors and elevators and elbow flexors.
MENTAL BENEFITS	Increases and develops concentration and focus. Develops willpower. Reduces anxiety.
COUNTERPOSES	Uttanasana (Standing forward bend pose), Tadasana (Mountain Pose) Balasana (Child’s pose)
THIS ASANA PREPARES THE BODY FOR:	​Vrksasana (Tree pose) Utkatasana (Chair pose) Surya Namaskara, Other standing poses.
CAUTIONS:	If you have high blood pressure or any cardiac condition do not stretch the arms up for over 30 seconds.

NOW LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN WORK THIS POSE

1. Stand up with the feet parallel. Big toes joining together and heels slightly apart. Ground down through the four corners of each foot.

2. Lift the shinbones and the kneecaps, engaging the quadriceps/thigh muscles and drawing the inner and outer knees (without straining them).

3. Neutralize your pelvis by pulling the pubic bone toward the navel lengthening the spine and the trunk. This action prevents an excessive curve on the lumbar spine and also keeps the lower rib cage in.

4. Inhale and extend your arms to the side parallel to the floor with the palms facing down, raising your shoulders height. Exhale and turn the palms towards the ceiling externally rotating from the top of the humerus bones.

5. On the next inhalation circle the arms up alongside the ears, and keep the shoulders away from the ears by relaxing them. 

6. Make sure your lower ribs are not splaying out. Keep your gaze at the horizon, your chin level, and your throat soft and open.

Source: Iyengar Yoga with Heather @IyengarYogawithHeather