Why yoga blocks can enhance your yoga poses:
Did you ever try using blocks for yoga? If not, you should consider incorporating them into your yoga routine. Blocks can be extremely useful to your yoga practice. They can help provide length, stability, and comfort, but can also create a challenge and are a great way to enhance your practice.
Blocks can help you progress into the more challenging variations of certain yoga poses, helping you build better strength and balance, and allowing your body to get into a more effective shape of the posture.
Yoga blocks provide: Flexibility, Strength, Support, & Balance
As you work to increase balance and flexibility in your practice, yoga blocks are a great tool. Yoga blocks allow you to safely move into poses so that you are aligned, open, and feeling good. When your are having a hard time performing some poses, for example half moon pose, warrior pose, pyramid, or triangle; the blocks can serve as a supporting tool that you can place your hand(s) on to help bring the floor to you, allowing for added length to your arms and getting full extension in the pose. Choose the block height based on your flexibility. Note that you may choose a different height each time you get on your mat.
Yoga blocks can also provide support. Blocks can support your head and neck during lying positions or support your weight during sitting and standing positions. In a lying position, place the block under your neck to avoid straining your neck or spine. In seated positions, try sitting on a block; either cross legged or legs behind you as in hero’s pose for example. Sitting on a block is a great way to alleviate any tension or discomfort on your knees. When in a standing pose, for an extra challenge or degree of difficulty, try standing on the block (i.e. maybe in tree pose or warrior III) and see how it feels, this is a great way to work your balance and your core.
Additionally, since yoga blocks can help support weight, they can also maintain balance. This is helpful during standing, squatting, as well as sitting positions. Blocks will help you find your center of gravity so you can maintain your balance and hold a position longer, feeling more open and aligned.
So next time you're in class, rather than worrying about how the blocks will make you look, think about how they will make you feel!
