Good morning...i hope you are well and enjoying your xmas time....
Thank you for sharing my journey ....this is just a little bit of information about props and my feelings on them...( i hope you find it informative )
Props
Should
I use props in yoga?
What
are props?
Props
are items that can help with alignment and getting into a posture safely (
where otherwise you may not be able to…
either through mobility/illness/injury/issues etc)
They
can come in the form of blocks bricks straps blankets bolster
(
even a chair could be seen as a prop..a folding one would be a good choice if
you are on the move! )
Props
don’t always have to be purchased from shops/gyms etc…. a phone directory or
book can quite easily double up as a block at home and most belts, especially
the canvas ones, are perfect as straps…..
The short answer is YES
of course it is OK to use props.
It
is fair to say that a lot of people see props as a sign of a beginner ( not everyone
likes to let on that they have not done yoga for very long ) or that
they are not very good at it…. or even as a failure.
( I must admit
I was one such person, the idea that the instructor would offer me props
( when I 1st started doing yoga ) would have been
mortifying……)
people
wrongly think that if you use props that you are not a 'proper
yogi'
But
when you realise that BKS Iyengar
encouraged the use of props ( especially after he had a motorbike accident for
his own personal recovery journey) He
even eventually became known primarily for his
emphasis on using props….. it gives you a whole new take on the use of props.
Its
probably fair to say that a lot of yoga classes do not introduce props or
instruct how to use them and it is left to the individual to use them if they
choose to.
Over
time ( thankfully ) I have come to realise that it is Ok and even good to use
props if you want to or feel it will enhance your practice…. because it is
your practice…your journey…
Props
can and do help the individual to get into postures safely and with proper
alignment ( where otherwise said postures may not be accesible ) It allows you to experience the pose and its
benefits.
So
even if your hamstrings are short/tight or shoulders/hips are tight, for
example, you can still experience the poses.
Props help to make yoga accessible to beginners/those
with injuries/those with physical limitations and other issues.
And that is always a good thing..
(
more about props, and HOW to use them to follow )
