Yoga is a wonderful and versatile combination of exercise, mindfulness and breathwork that is packed full of health benefits for your mind, body and soul. Yoga is all about exploring your inner self and your body, and is a great way to get in shape, increase your flexibility, strength, mobility and balance.
One of the most popular ways to practice Yoga is with the use of Props like mats, straps, bolsters, blankets and blocks for use in both static and restorative poses as well as during flowing movements, vinyasa and even while relaxing in savasana meditation poses. The use of yoga props don't indicate that you are struggling with a pose. They are actually used as an intelligent, evolving step in order to reach new heights and work towards more advanced positions without sacrificing your comfort. And for most props, the more you use them to stretch, twist, sweat and breathe with, the better they become, just like your practice.
Yoga props can be used for a number of reasons in your practice. They can –
- Provide extra support when you need it
- Open up new pathways of movement
- Help you achieve deeper poses while still being supported
- Move towards more advanced techniques with gradual increases in difficulty level
- Help increase your strength & balance
- Provide extra balancing options
- Improve flexibility with supported positions
- Allow for total release in restorative poses
- Transform poses from difficult to easier or visa versa
- Provide total relaxation in savasana and meditation poses
Exploring and playing with yoga props opens up endless possibilities to access new experiences, emotions and movements to transform your body and mind. But most importantly, Yoga props are designed to elevate your practice, better support your body, cater to your unique and changing needs and help increase your strength, balance and flexibility over time.
Here are some of the most common props that we love to use in our regular yoga and meditation practise:
Yoga Mats
Your yoga mat should be a perfect extension of you. It is a vital tool that helps to create your poses while also providing stability in your technique, and is vital for students just starting their yoga journey.
There are yoga mats to suit every length, weight, colour, design, cushioning and body-type and they come in different materials from vinyl to PVC and newer, more eco-friendly and sustainable options made from natural fibres or recycled materials. Closed-cell materials are also better as they seal out moisture and bacteria so are easier to disinfect and clean.
What is most important is that the texture of your yoga mat, from its density through to material selection, traction and grip, is both stable and comfortable for joint protection and to properly support your asana. Different surfaces create different sensations depending on how much pressure is applied during certain poses and it is important that they feel great against your skin too. After all, your yoga mat is where you lay, rest, roll around and ground yourself so it needs to be comfortable and flexible.
Depending on what surface you will use your mat on will also influence the mat density. If you have a hard floor you may want to use a thicker matt that has more protection for your knees, feet and hands and is also quieter to work on. If you are practising on carpet, this may not be such an important issue and instead traction to the carpet may be of greater concern so you aren’t slipping around. The amount of stickiness is also a consideration as a sticky yoga mat with high performance grip keeps you from sliding and helps you maintain your alignment as you move through your poses or hold them for longer periods. With some mats you can break them in by sprinkling coarse sea salt all over them and leaving for 24hours, then adding just a bit of water to exfoliate and air dry. For all other mats, you will naturally wear them in so the goal here is to practise, practise so your mat gets better as you do.
Length is also an important factor when choosing a mat for your body-type. Standard mats normally range from 173-183cm long and 60cm wide but there are some brands like Manduka that feature extra-long 218cm mats or extra large pro mats that are 198cm x 198cm or 200cm x 132cm for taller or more dedicated yogis. Just remember that longer and thicker mats are often much heavier so you may want an additional travel mat with a mat carrier or bag if you need to take your yoga practise with you. Manduka even provide a lifetime guarantee so you know that your investment will still look and feel incredible to use in years to come.
Having a good mat spray or cleaner with a refreshing aroma and using this to cleanse and disinfect your mat after each use is vital. Not only will it keep your mat in great condition but it will help remove surface dirt and stains, kill bacteria, reduce odour and extend your mats lifespan. There are different cleaners required for closed-cell, open-cell, natural rubber and hot yoga mats so make sure you choose the right cleanser for your specific yoga mat, and preferably one that uses 100% naturally derived ingredients that are biodegradable to look after your own health as well as our environment.
Don’t forget to to store the mat horizontally if possible, and if you need to roll it up for any reason, keep the top side facing outwards which will keep the corners of the mat flat when you roll it back out and start practising again.
Yoga Straps
Yoga straps are the multi-purpose tool of the yogi from Beginners to Advanced students. Straps can be used to support your stretching, increase the amount of stretch you want or to stop you from sinking too far into a stretch. They are also fantastic for binds for when you can’t quite reach your limb, for leg extensions, balancing or providing traction for different poses
The strap should be long enough for you to extend in poses where the final asana is just out of reach. For restorative practices, a longer length provides more options and enables flexibility with movement while maintaining a hold. On the other hand, shorter versions are perfect for more basic positions where stability isn't really an issue.
Having a lightweight yet strong yoga strap is vital to eliminate slipping and securely hold your posture, especially in more challenging positions. There are also different strap belt widths with thicker options giving more support and comfort to your hands and feet and using a strap with metal buckles is also ideal as they are often more secure than looped ones.
We prefer eco-friendly 100% cotton straps that are unbleached with non-AZO dyes and are heavy metal-free and suggest washing your yoga strap regularly to sanitise from sweat absorption.
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.
Yoga Blankets
Yoga blankets have been a staple in yoga classes around the world for centuries and are an essential part of any yoga student's arsenal. They are not only be used to keep you warm, but also prevent bad posture, provide comfort and support, soothe stress and tension away and can help you find your focus when used correctly.
A good quality yoga blanket is just a great investment, as they are the most versatile prop in both restorative and dynamic yoga poses. Being moldable and foldable, they can be used as a replacement bolster, be wrapped around a stack of books as a block equivalent, underneath your knees or wrists in kneeling positions, to support shoulder stand, as a cushion when you are meditating, but importantly provide warmth and security over your whole body or folded over the abdomen when completing lying meditations and savasana. Keeping warm after yoga class has a vital role in body healing and keeps your muscles warm to reduce fatigue and stress.
A dense weave that is weighted and stretch resistant, with 100% recycled fibres like cotton or wool blends will ensure your blanket is not only versatile but long-lasting. Overlocked edge stitching is also recommended as it prevents fraying. You will need to wash your blanket regularly and as most of these are wool will require a gentle cold wash cycle or hand wash and line or flat drying to prevent shrinkage and pilling.
Yoga Blocks
Yoga blocks, wedges and chocks are highly durable and versatile devices that can provide you with extra length, height and stability and even make some balances like tree pose, when standing on them more advanced. Blocks can be used individually or in combination with bolsters and blankets to help support restorative back bends, balancing postures and stretches and achieve more advanced poses allowing you to reach further, drop into deeper postures and fully support your practice. They can even be used as a replacement for a meditation bolster especially when doing shorter sessions, as it raises your hips above your knees for better posture.
Blocks come in a range of sizes from mini through to large which is especially handy for people who either don’t have much space or the need large ones, or have bigger hands and feet. They also come in a range of thicknesses from lean through to tall depending on how much extra height you need or less stretch you want.
When deciding on the right blocks for your practise, lightweight and recycled options are always ideal and the best designs are highly stable and strong, easy-to-grip and slip-resident with radiused edges so they feel comfortable and aren’t too sharp when using them for back support or stretching. Traditional cork blocks are an old favourite as they are naturally antimicrobial, water-resistant and long lasting but are often quite heavy. In comparison the newest recycled foam blocks come in a range of divine colours are unbeatable in comfort and can be as little as half the weight of their cork predecessors.
Meditation Stools
The old Zen saying goes ‘you should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you are too busy; then you should sit for an hour’. If you aren’t lucky enough to own a Zabuton with Zafu cushion or find it too uncomfortable to sit cross legged for longer periods then a meditation stool could be just what you are looking for.
Designed as a small, lightweight but super strong prop, the goal of wooden meditation stools is to help improve your posture, keep your back straight, take pressure off your hips and knees and reduce ankle strain. The major differences between stools includes the seat section and if is slanted or straight, the width of the seat itself and the height of the seat. Legs can also be situated towards the outside of the seat or in the centre which reduces leg restriction and some even have rocker legs so you can adjust the seat to the correct angle for your practise.
One important tip is to use a non-slip pad or little pillow for extra cushioning as wooden seats can become quite hard after sitting on them for longer periods. There are also foldable designs available which cater for easier storage and portability.
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.
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