Have you ever used props in your yoga practice? Have you ever tried any yoga block poses?
Many times, yoga practitioners have been lead to believe for one reason or another that the use of blocks, or any other prop for that matter, is a crutch that they just don’t need in their physical practice if they are truly committed to yoga.
Some yoga teachers and students have bought into the narrative that using a prop is a sign of weakness or lack of discipline; as if the goal of yoga was to force ourselves into shapes, almost adding suffering, instead of utilizing the practice as a path toward well-being, self-empowerment, and balance.
In truth however, yoga props, and blocks in particular, are an incredible tool that both new and experienced yogis can use to support and enhance their asana practice.
The belief that supporting ourselves in our practice with props and other tools (or in our lives!) is a weakness can often hinder our ability to go through certain experiences or access particular postures.
B.K.S. Iyengar was one of the first believers that bringing props into the practice isn’t only recommended but necessary to make the practice accessible to people; the point is not to adapt ourselves into the shapes, but for the postures to be modified and adapted to fit the practitioner.
In this article you will find:
- What Are Yoga Blocks and What are They For?
- Types of Yoga Blocks
- 10 Best Yoga Block Poses to Try
- Alternatives to Blocks
What Are Yoga Blocks and what are they for?
Yoga blocks were one of the props introduced in the 1970’s by B.K.S Iyengar, one of the founders of yoga as we know it in the West, as well as of the alignment-based style of yoga named after him.
He recommended that yoga blocks be similar in size to a house brick, 9 x 4.5 x 3 inches (22.5 x 11 x 7.5 cm) in size, yet there are other popular sizes that we will discuss in the next section.
These bricks, or yoga blocks, are used in yoga studios and home practitioners; by teachers and students all over the world as a tool to improve bodily awareness, balance, boost stability, as well as an instrument for accessibility.Blocks can both support as well as to add challenge to any practice, and if you’ve never used them before, maybe this will encourage you to try some yoga block poses!
Blocks are tridimensional rectangles, hence providing you with three settings to experiment with:
- Setting 1: Flattest Edge Down
- Setting 2: Thinnest Edge Down
- Setting 3: Shortest Edge Down
Types of Yoga Blocks
Even though Iyengar suggested a very specific size for yoga blocks, nowadays, there are two main sizes you will find when shopping for yoga blocks:
- Thin Blocks – 3″ x 6″ x 9″
- Thick Blocks – 4″x 6″ x 9″
Some practitioners will benefit from the thinner yoga blocks, yet the thicker ones are in general more stable and sturdy to practice a wide variety of yoga block poses.
When it comes to materials it is also user preference, but there 3 main materials that yoga blocks are made of:
1. Foam Blocks
Foam blocks are the most affordable and most common type of yoga block you’ll find. If you’re looking for eco-friendly options, there are several companies that make their foam blocks with recycled EVA foam.
Foam yoga blocks are a bit softer and spongy, giving the user a more supportive experience, yet it also makes them the less stable yoga blocks of the three.
2. Cork Blocks
Cork blocks are quite a popular choice for those looking for a natural, eco-friendly prop that is a bit more sturdy than foam to practice yoga block poses.
They are often free of all chemicals, and their porous nature makes them easier to disinfect and clean.
3. Wooden Blocks
One of the most aesthetically pleasing blocks, wooden blocks, are hollow on the inside and are often made of bamboo, birch, maple, pine, balsa, and poplar wood.
Wooden yoga blocks are definitely the most robust, also the most rigid. They can be great for balancing postures since they can truly enhance stability, and less ideal as a support, since wood is not exactly a comfortable surface to lay on.
Whatever material you choose when getting your own yoga blocks, consider buying a set of two, since that is what is most often used and cued in yoga classes and will allow you to explore a variety of yoga block poses.
10 Best Yoga Block Poses to Try
We can choose to use yoga blocks as an accessibility tool as well as to challenge us.
One of the main things to remember when practicing yoga block poses is to get creative and stay open to innovative ways to access the asanas; not to make them more complicated, but to provide variations for different yoga practitioners and their needs and practice goals.
Here are the best yoga block poses to try:
1. Balasana – Child’s Pose
If you’re looking to make child’s pose more accessible for you or your students, bringing a yoga block under the forehead is a great option to avoid forcing the shape.
To open up your shoulders, consider extending your arms forward and bringing your yoga blocks under your hands. To increase the sensation through the arms and shoulders, lift the yoga blocks toward a higher setting.
2. Supta Badha Konasana – Reclined Bound Angle Pose
Reclined Bound Angle pose is one of the most common yoga block poses, and here are two ways to practice it;
To support and decrease intensity place a block under each knee or thigh, bolstering the opening of the hips.
To get deeper into your hips, consider bringing a block at a height of your choice right under the outer edges of your feet, creating a deeper gap between your knees and the ground and requiring further hip flexibility and stability.
3. Setu Bandhasana – Bridge Pose
Bridge pose is a great shape to open up the front of your body. If you’d like to practice it with yoga blocks, you can use a block on setting 1 right between your thighs to promote alignment and proper leg engagement.
It can also be used to make the asana more restorative by bringing one block on setting 1 or 2 underneath your tailbone and taking a few breaths resting there.
4. Chaturanga Dandasana – four limbed staff pose
Chaturanga is a yoga posture that requires full body strength; using yoga blocks under your shoulders when practicing high to low plank, is a great way to develop shoulder, arm, and core strength and promote healthy alignment.
To build more leg engagement and stability, consider practicing Chaturanga with a yoga block between your thighs.
5. Anjaneyasana – Low Lunge Pose
Use your yoga blocks on setting 3 under your hands to give your hips more space in low lunge; allowing your legs to be stabilized and making room for deeper stretching in the psoas.
6. Utthita Parsvakonasana – Extended Side Angle Pose
If your legs and hips feel flexible enough to take your elbow off your knee in side angle but the ground is still a bit too far, consider this yoga block pose; using a block on any of its settings on the outside of your front foot to bring the ground up to you and enhance the sensation in side angle.
7. Ardha Chandrasana – Half Moon Pose
This standing balance asana is one that can often be seen as a yoga block pose because it becomes much more accessible if we choose to use support.
Bring a yoga block a few centimeters in front of your front foot and gently place your hand on top before floating your back leg for half moon.
8. Sirsasana – Headstand
If you like playing with inversions but want to keep your neck safe, this yoga block pose is for you; bring blocks directly under your shoulders, accessing the pose without any pressure on the neck.
To make headstand more challenging, bring one block between your thighs and work on rising your legs up straight, working on your leg and core strength and your balance.
9. Bakasana – Crow Pose
If you have been practicing your crow pose for a while and need a bit of help lifting off, use one of your blocks on setting 1 under your feet, allowing your hips to stack further over your shoulders with less effort. Fly up from there.
10. Savasana – Corpse Pose
Place your blocks on setting 1 underneath your knees to release pressure from your lower back and find deeper relaxation in your Savasana.
Alternatives to Blocks
If you’ve read through this article and want to try some of these yoga block poses but realize you don’t have any blocks, consider other items you may already have at home that have a similar shape and firmness than yoga blocks.
For example, a sturdy metal water bottle can replace a block when practicing Ardha Chandrasana.
A thick book can be a great substitute for a yoga block in seated forward fold.
Whether you choose to practice yoga with blocks, other props, or even makeshift alternatives at home, consider the importance of adapting and modifying the practice to how you feel and what you need every time you get on your yoga mat.
If you’d like to explore other props, check out: Ten Ways to Use a Yoga Bolster
