Yoga Blocks

Yoga blocks are helpful yoga accessories that support your body while you are gaining strength and flexibility to do challenging asanas without the use of the blocks. Yoga blocks help to relieve the strain when you do not have enough flexibility to do a full pose on your own. The yoga block eliminates the space between your hand and the floor so that you can get better alignment than you could without it. So, they help you to be grounded so that you can extend the pose to its fullest extent.

People come to the practice of yoga at a full spectrum of levels of strength and flexibility. The more you practice yoga, the more open and flexible and strong your body will become. The use of large yoga blocks and other props can be seen as a bridge to take you from where you are in your practice to where you would someday like to be.

A typical yoga block is made of foam that is firm but soft. They are also sometimes crafted from cork. They come in pleasant colors, and you can also find black yoga blocks. They are lightweight and strong. SO you can throw them on your yoga bag and they are not heavy nor do they take up much space.

The yoga block along with many other yoga props and accessories were brought into popularity in the practice of yoga by the great yoga master, B.K.S. Iyengar. Iyengar pioneered an approach to yoga that is purely focused on performing yoga poses correctly and with proper alignment of the body. Iyengar ushered in the widespread use of yoga props such as yoga blocks with the purpose of assisting his students to attain proper alignment even while the body is not yet open or flexible enough. Using blocks helps to get you there.

How To Use Yoga Blocks

Here is an example on how you would use a yoga block during the Ardha-Chandrasana, or half moon pose. Begin in downward facing dog pose and step your right foot forward into a lunge. Standing on your right leg place your fingertips either on the ground or on a yoga block for stability rather than strain to reach the floor. Next raise your left leg behind you so that it is parallel to the floor. Turn your torso up and open your left hip. raise your left arm so that your arms forma straight line. Engage the muscles of your standing leg without locking your knee. Hold that pose for one more breath than you think you can handle.