As with all exercise plans and fitness regimes, we all want tools and aids to help us to be really good at our chosen style. In yoga, various fads went unnoticed for a long time, as practitioners were dedicated to the simple yet effective basic style of yoga and these additional extras were deemed unnecessary by many.
Iyengar yoga for example have used props within their classes as a means of students being able to achieve all of the benefits of correct positioning and advanced postures, even if the students did not have the full flexibility or range of movement. Using a prop such as a block enables the student to not have to strain their body and receive an injury for the sake of pushing to reach a more advance final position.
They also work well with injured or tired students as they can still participate without straining at all. Iyengar yoga still focuses on balance, flexibility, strength and stamina but the use of props enables the beginners to participate and to reach their maximum potential right from the start.
Props include:
Blocks rectangle blocks which can be stacked on top of one another to the required height so that the student can still master the correct pose even though not be able to reach the advanced position.
Yoga mat- these come in all different colors and textures and help the student to be more confident when practicing.
Belts- these help the student to be able to reach further without straining.
A yoga mat is one of the most important pieces of equipment, which should be purchased. Although most classes will have some spare mats, there is nothing like having your own, which eventually becomes an extension of yourself. A yoga mat is an inexpensive purchase and they can also depict your personality or characterize your own working space.
Whether at home or in the class, unrolling your yoga mat can immediately make you feel ready for your practice session on a psychological level. Even more importantly, having the right type of yoga mat can prevent injuries from occurring through slipping. It is essential to have full trust of the equipment that is used in each session, from belts to blocks to a yoga mat; they are then to help and to not hinder.
Other items which can help in a yoga practice session and can also make the session vastly different is the use of a yoga ball, these are used in other exercise programs too but can help with strength and balance when used in yoga. There is a multitude of DVDs available all showing different styles or sessions of yoga, these can help with much needed practice at home and it looks like yoga props may be here to stay.
