Props as a Metaphor for Support

Lately, I have found myself saying to my students, “Place your blocks under your hands, everyone. We want to ground ourselves when we come to our yoga practice.”  This prompt usually comes during the first uttanasana (standing forward bend), when I see fingertips either floating in space or barely brushing the floor, backs slightly rounded.  I always encourage all of my students to start with blocks, even if they don’t think they need them. 

There is a common misconception that using props during asana is only for beginners, or for people who are injured or less flexible.  One of my teachers’ teachers often said it was smart yogis who knew how to use their props.  By smart, I think he meant seasoned.  And I agree.  For students who are new to the practice of hatha yoga, they have yet to experience the breath deepening or the body expanding to new edges with the aid of props.

It’s a very common occurrence for my regulars to enter the studio and ask me what props they will need for class.  Many times, the list is long and everyone will start laughing and chatting as they gather what they need.  It’s always a group effort pulling out the chairs and bolsters, carrying in piles of blankets, counting blocks and clearing any clutter away from the walls.  I love it and welcome the spirited community engagement. This preparation time, for me, is in many ways just as important as the actual class itself.  We are gathering the resources we will need to feel supported, safe, strong, confident and comfortable.

I like to think of my yoga props as my friends coming to hang out on my mat with me, offering support when I need it.  In our daily lives, if we are injured or unwell, if we need some help or a listening ear, we can look to other people for support.  On the mat, if we need to lift the floor up a little closer, if we need to move our bodies into a challenging pose while maintaining good alignment or if we need a little help connecting with our breath, we can look to our props for support.

Practicing with props doesn’t just give us the tools to “do” a pose, but props can help us deepen our understanding and awareness of what is happening both physically and energetically in each pose.  Props have the potential to make so many poses more accessible to every body. Anatomically and functionally, we are all a little bit different, so our bodies will naturally meet each pose differently. Props can support us to find more strength; they can support us to find more rest. They can help us to (re)direct our energy and refine each moment on the mat. They give us more support than we’d otherwise have if we were practicing sans props (and by the way, I think there is great value to be had in practicing without props as well.) 

In many ways, yoga props are there to help us, to assist us, in both practical and emotional ways, just like friends.  Who among us doesn’t feel like they could use little extra support in these very unsteady times we are living in?  So go ahead, grab those blocks!

I could go on, but I’m curious: what are your thoughts on yoga props?