| If you've ever been fortunate enough to have spent | | | | perpendicular. The Half Moon pose can be difficult or |
| some time in a traditional village anywhere in Asia, you'll | | | | impossible without the aid of a yoga block, but with a |
| have marveled at the natural flexibility and coordination | | | | block, it becomes "doable." |
| of the villagers. They sit in the half-lotus or lotus position | | | | The Hero Pose (Virasana) comes naturally to |
| as naturally as we Westerners sit in a chair and squat | | | | indigenous peoples everywhere, but is deceptively |
| flat-footed and chat together for hours without the | | | | difficult for Westerners and can cause injury if it's not |
| slightest discomfort. Indian yogis begin their practice of | | | | eased into gradually. Virasana is a seated pose. Ideally, |
| hatha yoga with this kind of natural flexibility, but we | | | | your buttocks will rest flat on the floor while you sit in a |
| need to train ourselves. The best of the gurus who | | | | kneeling position with a straight back. Using a block for |
| brought hatha yoga to the West understood this and | | | | your buttocks not only makes it possible to sit |
| helped their students develop blocks and other props | | | | comfortably with a straight back in the Hero Pose, it |
| to assist them in their practice. | | | | protects your knees from potential damage. |
| Yoga blocks and yoga straps are the two most | | | | The Yoga Strap |
| common and useful yoga props. There are many | | | | Another extremely useful yoga prop is the simple |
| others. Some, like the yoga ball, have their roots in | | | | yoga strap. There are many varieties available, but |
| Western fitness regimes, but have proven themselves | | | | they all serve the same purpose. Basically, yoga straps |
| to be valuable aids in the practice of yoga. Like the | | | | (sometimes also called yoga belts) bridge the gap |
| guru who was perceptive enough to notice a | | | | between your hands and your feet and allow you to |
| non-traditional need in his students and ingenious | | | | do yoga asanas that might otherwise be difficult or |
| enough to find a solution in a simple brick, Western | | | | impossible. |
| yogis have found new yoga props that enhance the | | | | Both the Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) and the |
| practice of yoga while depriving it of nothing. | | | | Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) require |
| The Yoga Block | | | | grasping the toes while keeping the legs straight. The |
| The yoga block is perhaps the most versatile yoga | | | | benefits of gently stretching the spine and the leg |
| prop. Usually made of stiff foam or cork, the yoga | | | | muscles in this way are so great that the inability to |
| block resembles a brick. Rumor has it that this is | | | | reach that far without the risk of injury should never be |
| because when a hatha yoga guru saw his students | | | | an obstacle to doing these yoga postures regularly. |
| struggling with an asana, he scanned the immediate | | | | With the aid of a yoga strap, anyone can do them and |
| area and found some cast off bricks. These common | | | | benefit from them. |
| bricks became the first yoga props in the West. | | | | If you feel held back in your practice because you |
| With three surfaces of different heights to work with, | | | | can't do yoga like the masters overnight, don't worry, |
| the yoga block is versatile as well as useful. The Half | | | | nobody can! Go online and learn about yoga props, find |
| Moon pose (Ardha Chandrasana) is a standing pose | | | | the ones that you need and keep practicing. Even if |
| that requires you to extend one leg parallel to the floor | | | | you never master the one finger hand stand (don't |
| while balancing on the opposite arm. Executed | | | | panic - there's no such thing!), if you do yoga regularly, |
| properly, your entire body will be parallel with the floor | | | | it will do you a world of good. |
| while your supporting leg will stand straight and | | | | |