How to use yoga props to enhance your restorative practice
Rest and relaxation are two things we don’t always associate with yoga. We tend to focus on movement, building strength and improving flexibility and balance. However it can teach us how to relax too.
Yoga lessons with props can help us learn to let go. Whether you use a bolster, blanket, block or strap there are ways to support your body to allow it to release and soften.
Lets explore the art of support
How does support help us to relax?
Our bodies can work really hard when we are in a relaxed yoga pose. We may be tensing our muscles, keeping our shoulders away from the ground or using our leg muscles to stay in position. Perhaps our head and neck are trying to find a comfortable position.
If your body feels like it is not supported it can make it hard to let go and relax. By adding support through props we can decrease the amount of effort our body is working to stay in position. When our body feels supported our breathing can slow down and our minds can calm.
Instead of telling our body to work harder we can ask ourselves: What can I relax if my body is supported?
Head support
Having your head supported can make a big difference to how relaxed you feel in a pose. Your neck and shoulder muscles can be working to hold your head up. Using a folded blanket or bolster under your head can help these muscles to let go.
Especially when practicing restorative yoga we want our body to be able to release and not try to force a shape. If your head is comfortable you may start to feel a sense of letting go in your body. Small changes can make a huge difference to your practice.
Leg support
Adding props to your legs can be beneficial too. Depending on what position you are in, adding a bolster or blanket under your knees or calves can help relax your hips and lower back. Your legs won’t have to hold themselves up which can help muscles to release. Especially if you have been on your feet all day, exercised or sat for long periods of time.
You don’t have to stretch your legs out more than you’re already doing. In restorative yoga we don’t want to be stretching. We want to add enough support so our body feels supported. Your body will start to feel heavy and grounded when you add support to your legs.
Arm support
Our arms can hold tension as well. Throughout the day our arms are used for almost everything we do. Typing, driving, lifting and many other tasks. When we come to relax we may not realise that we are using our arm muscles to hold our arms up.
Using a blanket, bolster or block can help support your arms. This will allow your shoulders to relax and open your chest. Not forcing it to open, but by allowing your body to feel supported you can soften your chest.
Why use yoga props?
Some people believe that if you use props you’re just making the pose easier because you aren’t flexible enough. But yoga props can be used by anyone.
Someone who has been practicing yoga for years can use them to help relax more deeply. Or someone who is new to yoga can use a block to feel more stable. If your body has been overworked or you are feeling tired you may benefit from using props to feel supported.
Using props doesn’t mean you aren’t challenging your body, it’s about challenging it in the right way. Learning how to let go can be one of the best practices.
Allowing yourself to rest
Giving yourself permission to not do anything can be very difficult for some. We are used to living life at a fast pace. Trying to be as busy as possible and achieve all the things on our list. Allowing yourself to rest can be hard.
By using props we can support our bodies to relax. We can allow our breathing to slow down, let our muscles let go and clear our minds. Allowing yourself to rest is part of the practice of yoga. So learn to use props to your advantage.
Ask yourself: Where am I using effort? How can I support my body? Can I relax and let go?
Use props to support your body
By simply adding a blanket under your head, bolster under your legs or a block to support your hands you can feel a world of difference in your practice.
At Mount Martha Yoga we encourage you to find what works for your body and your practice. We encourage the use of props to help you relax, to learn to let go and allow your body to be supported. You’ll feel a world of difference in our private yoga lessons.
