MY TAKE ON: Using props

 

Belts, cushions, bricks and blocks, wedges, walls, chairs and bolsters.....use whatever it takes. I'm not a yoga purist (in case anyone could have assumed otherwise) hence I fully condone the use of all the above.  I believe getting the most out of a position using any which way you can. 

Props in yoga are simply "tools" which enable you to align your body , reach little further or to use as support (for example a block placed beneath your shoulder blades when lying down - legs crossed - enables you to open much more than you would otherwise). They allow a position to become more accessible and often safer. It's about aiding not about CHEATING.  Many people loath to use props as they feel they are somehow inferior to those who don't need them. Please remember that we do not all have the same body structure. Proportionally you may be very different from the tall lanky girl on the mat next to you.  You may have tighter muscles, shorter legs, less mobility around your joints, this does not make you less of a "yogi"! However long or short , tall, skinny, plump, stocky, old or young  one may be,  one should be able to hold a position and feel challenged yet comfortable. This means that your breathing during the process remains soft, slow and silent. Pain is to be avoided so you may find that often by using a yoga belt for example, you are able to remain in a position comfortably which, without would render the asana an exercise in physical suffering or simply completely impossible (think of cowface for example). 

There are great benefits to be reaped from holding a position over an extended period of time - props can help make you comfortable enough to hold for longer. It makes the whole experience more interesting and enjoyable.

If you need to sit on a cushion in order to avoid hunching/rounding your back when  your legs are out in front of you (or crossed) - then great, don't be shy. I'm more interested in correct alignment than the fact that you can hold a position without props yet wincing. Yoga should not be an endurance test. 

SO feel free to use props if and where necessary, if at home invent! Anything from your granny's dressing gown belt, a pair of stockings to Heinz Baked Bean cans can be used.

And don't forget....advanced yoga practitioners and instructors use props too - me included.