3 essential yoga props

Have you been curious about what all the fuss is about the props other yogis are using during class? Our dream team here at Ignite Yoga in Centerville, Ohio is here to teach you about the how’s and why’s of the 3 most essential yoga props. Read along and learn how you can use them to enhance your yoga practice

Why use yoga props?

A lot of people assume that props are only used when someone is just starting out in yoga, or isn’t flexible enough for the pose. Our instructors will tell you, this is just a yoga myth! Props were designed to improve yoga practice for everyone and have been used with yogis from beginner all the way to advanced power yoga instructors. 

Props offer several benefits during your practice, including:

+ support
+ change in joint position
+ lifting the ground for stability
+ manipulating parts of the body not readily available (I.e. using a strap around the foot to mobilize the leg)

3 must-have props

1. Block: Yoga blocks are the most commonly recognized and used during yoga practices. Most often, you will see a yogi reach for a block during a balance pose in order to lift the ground higher, giving them the support needed to maintain the pose for desired duration. However, blocks can also be used to 
2. Strap: I’ll be honest, prior to Ignite Yoga, I had never seen or used a yoga strap, but it is a very handy tool to enhance your practice. Most commonly used in foot-reaching poses, the yoga strap allows you to manipulate and stabilize your lower body in postures where you are unable to reach with your upper body.
3. Bolster: The yummiest of the props, a bolster is a typically a rectangular pillow yogis use most often in restorative classes. The bolster adds cushioning and lift to postures where your goal is to allow the body to melt into a hard surface. 

Now that you know a bit more about how props can help you during your practice, hurry over to Ignite Yoga for a class! All 3 props are available during all of our classes for your convenience. If you aren’t sure how to incorporate a prop, one of our qualified instructors will be happy to help!