Props!

This post begins with a description of the props we use most frequently in our classes, including points to consider when buying your own props - and how to use household items as substitutes. At the end of the post, I briefly explore why props are a controversial topic in the yoga industry.

N.B., I haven’t recommended stockists in this blog post, but I’m happy to suggest places within your price range/location, or put you in contact with people selling second-hand props, should you wish. If you live nearby, you are very welcome to borrow props so that you can try out the variations in texture, size and shape before buying ones that you are confident will suit you.

Blocks (also called bricks)

This is the one prop I consider an essential - even more than a yoga mat! Their main purpose is to extend the arms or legs so that they make contact with the floor, which helps both our balance and our alignment. By setting up a pose using blocks, we can protect vulnerable parts of our bodies (e.g., weak wrists in downward facing dog), and therefore move more confidently and safely within the pose. We also sit on blocks, use them to support the limbs in various prone and supine poses, and even use them as weights in core exercises. In some situations, books can work as an effective substitute (see the fourth picture) but the real advantage of a block is that has three settings in which it is equally balanced, and that it can be picked up easily to allow multiple uses within a sequence.

What should you think about when choosing blocks?

Firstly, always buy them in pairs. Yes, there are some poses where you only need one. But there are lots more where it’s beneficial to have two matching blocks.

Now think about size. As you can see in the first picture, most blocks are the same height (approx. 22cm) and length (approx. 11cm), but their depth varies considerably and this third ‘setting’ can be where you find the most use for the block. If you only buy one pair, I’d suggest going for a big setting (at least 7cm deep). Personally, my favourite blocks are the biggest (the cork ones, which are really sturdy and have a nice texture) and then the smallest pair (the dark green foam ones, which are very light and are a good size for wedging under a stray hip or knee during seated poses). In addition to serving very different purposes individually, when stacked they can offer further combinations for height and density.

Your final consideration should be for material. Foam (both light and more dense) and cork are the most common options, and there are ethical options available for both. You can also buy wooden blocks but they are heavy and often not very forgiving when dropped on toes. Personally I find that blocks of the ‘wrong’ material can be really unpleasant and ruin a yoga practice: some foam blocks just feel itchy on my hands. If you’re not sure what material to go for, definitely try to handle a couple of different options (and from different manufacturers) before buying.

Most blocks can be washed easily with soapy water and a cloth, so they should last well. I put all of mine in the bath tub once a month! The typical cost is £15-30 for a pair of blocks, depending on size and material.

The third picture also includes a set of push-up handles. If you find it difficult to put weight through your wrists (e.g. on all fours on in downward facing dog), these may be worth trying. You can stack them safely on top of sturdy blocks, to get the same effect of extending the arms in inverted poses. If you want to find a pair, do a thorough Google search. Prices vary greatly between stockists, but you can normally find them for under £20 if you click on a few different options. Related, but not pictured, are cork wedges.

Mats and blankets

Having the ‘right’ yoga mat can really increase your comfort and stability, but where to start? Prices range from £5 to over £100 and there’s a daunting amount of choice. Length, width, grip and thickness are the main variants, and you may also want to consider cleaning options and sustainability. All of these affect the weight of a mat, which used to be a factor when we carried our own mats to studio classes. Now that we are almost all practising at home, I suggest getting the most comfortable (for you!) mat that you can, even if it is less portable. In the left-hand picture you can see a 3-mm and a 5-mm mat. They’re the same length and width, but that extra thickness makes the black 5-mm mat much more bulky - and much comfier for slower forms of yoga.

You absolutely can do yoga on an exercise mat, rug, or just straight on the floor, so don’t rush to buy a mat, But when you do, it’s worth getting one that really suits the type of yoga you enjoy, and the size and shape of your body. It’s best to avoid generic exercise mats or Pilates mats, which are designed for different types of movement. They often don’t have enough grip for yoga, which can lead to you sliding across the floor during a transition. Some mats are now machine washable, and most others can be rinsed off in the shower. I have a mix of both, all of which I find are easy to clean, although the thicker mats obviously take longer to dry.

Blankets are a fantastic prop and don’t need to be specialized in any way. As you can see in the pictures above, I use them to pad hips and knees, and for warmth in Yin and restorative classes. It’s great to have a selection of thicknesses which you can adapt for different poses. In the fourth picture I’m sat on a block, have a medium-sized blanket rolled under each thigh, and have used a thin scarf/small blanket to pad each ankle. Although these adaptations may seem a bit fiddly, they really do help to make the poses more enjoyable.

Bolsters and cushions

Yoga bolsters are quite a big investment. The grey ones in these pictures cost about £45 each, and I certainly don’t expect you to get seven bolsters for your personal use, to recreate the supported downward dog in the first picture! They are denser than most cushions, and tend to be long enough to support the body evenly. Bolsters are generally round (like the turquoise ones here) or rectangular. If you only buy one, I’d suggest a rectangular one, since it immediately offers you two different thickness options. Fillings vary too. Buckwheat bolsters tend to be more responsive to body weight, whereas fabric bolsters are generally very sturdy. This is great for finding poses like the pigeon shown in the middle picture, when more generic cushions offer less support.

If you are new to yoga and don’t want to splash out on the perfect bolster just yet, there are lots of options. The third picture shows how a bedspread or a couple of pillows will generally create a similar shape to a yoga bolster, so do play around with household items to find the right density and size for you. Generally you’ll need to create a stack of items that are thicker than a bolster, because most household cushions etc will sink more than a bolster would. You may like to try filling a holdall with cushions, if you find that an unstructured stack tends to tip over mid-pose! If your sofa cushions are removable, you may find that they create a useful base, and a small foot stool can also be great for poses like pigeon.

In addition to bolsters, it’s often handy to have a couple of small cushions for Yin and restorative yoga. They can pad joints, support the head in reclined poses, and add a bit more ‘lift’ when a block isn’t quite enough. Any fairly flat cushion will do.

If you are buying bolsters, look for ones with removable covers. A good design, where the cover has a handle and a zip, makes it easy to remove and wash the cover. You also want a material that feels ‘nice’ to you and that is free of decorative details which will create an uneven texture.

Chairs, straps and balls

A chair is great in lots of yoga contexts, not just designated chair yoga classes. A dining chair or any other arm-less chair will do: just check that it’s on a non-slip surface and that it’s not got any precarious wobbles that need adjusting.

We use yoga straps (also known as belts) to support, lengthen and align the limbs. You can use a scarf or dressing gown belt instead, but as the third picture shows, they are generally shorter. Additionally, a strap normally has a metal or plastic fitting that allows you to make loops easily. As a guide, you want your strap to be at least three times your leg length, so that you aren’t stretching the arms in order to reach the strap round your feet. Most straps cost £5-10 depending on length, thickness, and the type of fittings.

Finally, we don’t often use balls in groups classes but the small balls are great for releasing tension and for strengthening the feet. They come in different densities and sizes, and some have spikes to add self-massage effects. If you want to learn more about them, I can recommend some useful resources and you can get started with a regular tennis ball. A set of 3 balls is normally about £20. The soft ball is more commonly associated with Pilates, but it can also be handy in yoga for those moments when you can’t decide whether to use a block or a cushion. It’s a great way to add some support to a limb whilst still having flexibility in shaping a prop. They cost around £5-10.

There are plenty of other yoga props, but these are the ones we use most frequently in our classes. If you’d like to chat about other props and whether they may help you in your yoga practice, do let me know.

So why are props a controversial topic in yoga? Most of the ‘top’* yoga influencers rarely use props, and it’s often the case in group classes that ‘advanced’ practitioners do not use props. As such, they are often assumed to be only for beginners or those who ‘do not have a yoga body.’ Some people feel that using them makes poses easier and is therefore cheating. Some people feel that the word ‘prop’ is itself problematic and we should refer to ‘equipment’ instead. Which is an interesting comparison, because if we think about other activities like Pilates, weight training, cycling, or running, there’s often a message that ‘you don’t need much to get started’ before using extra resources to improve your skills. Given that most of us do not criticize advanced marathon runners who use a specialist watch, heart-rate monitor, performance gels, body tape, etc, maybe we should alter our thinking about the role of equivalent resources in yoga.

*I’ve used quotation marks because these are terms that I consider to be problematic, but this isn’t the place to critique them. Have a look at my Instagram feed or some other blog posts if you want to think about them some more.