A Guide to Yoga Bolsters

Yoga bolsters can be your best friend when it comes to supporting your asana and allowing for comfortable restorative poses, deep heart openings, supporting back bends, cushioning more advanced poses, inverted postures, creating the most beautiful savasana and pranayama practise … which of course is always the highlight of any Yoga practise. Bolsters can be rectangular, square round, kidney shaped or in futon style and large or lean so it is often difficult to decide what you actually need.

It is important to buy a bolster that has a removable cover so can you wash it regularly with a hidden, seamless zipper to reduce it catching on your clothes. Some materials like micro-fibre are also fantastic to use as they are plush and soft but keep you dry and if it has a carry handle it will be much easier to move around. Some bolsters are made from lightweight recycled fibre, cotton or natural kapok but can also be filled with buckwheat for more even support. Buckwheat degrades over time and needs to be refilled but for people with scoliosis or posture issues, a buckwheat zafu contours to your body shape and elevates your meditation practise to a whole new level of comfort.

Then of course there is the ‘plushness’ factor, ranging from super soft to firm to help cater for students with joint pain, less flexibility, are prenatal or need more cushioning. We often suggest a medium firmness to start with and then you can always look for more alternatives as your requirements and ability progresses.

If you are looking for a bolster for a particular practise we recommend the following –

Restorative and Yin Yoga – Oval Bolster to give extra support and padding so you can really drop into your practise.
Hatha Yoga – Rectangle Bolster which can be used for stability in a large variety of postures and poses as well as meditation and under knees for savasana.
Travelling – Travel Bolster that can be used for yoga practise, meditation and sleeping.
For Knees – Yoga Pillow or Pranayama to take the pressure off during kneeling positions and lunges.
For Breathing Practices – Lean Pranayama bolster to support your back and open your heart to access your full breath.

An absolute favourite bolster for meditation practise are the Zabutons with a Zafu cushion on top. Zabutons are a large square cushion, the perfect size to support seated positions and when coupled with a Zafu cushion is like meditating on a cloud. You can use each of these items separately but together, they are the ultimate accessory to help you sit tall, keep your hips above your knees and really support your posture and spine during meditation or pranayama practise. You will love this combination so much that you may just end up joining the 5am club as an excuse to use your meditation cushions more often!

Then of course, is the most divine and gorgeous accessory you could include in your practise, is the Meditation Futon by Calm Buddhi. This is the ultimate in savasana heaven for lying meditations and not only feels like you are floating on the ground but they are also the most incredibly beautiful addition to your home. Coupled with a matching yoga pillow which can also double as a lean yoga bolster, and a scented flax seed eye pillow for deeper relaxation, you will want to do your yoga nidra practise daily and may never want to leave home.

With so many props, brands and designs on the market it is hard to know which ones will best suit your Yoga and Meditation practise, especially without being able to trial them first. Considering how lightweight a product is, how much support you require, if they are eco-friendly, what you want your practise to feel like and what beautiful colour scheme will make you smile and feel good while taking care of yourself are all important aspects of your purchase. Asking friends and coaches is also a great way to get feedback about the pros and cons of different brands and designs.

But the most important thing to remember is that no matter what props you use, that they are simply a tool to help you drop in, let go, ground yourself and support your incredible body, mind and soul. After all, you totally deserve it.