New to yoga or looking to take your yoga poses to the next level? If so, something you might be wondering is how to use yoga blocks.
Yoga blocks are one of many popular props used in yoga. You may have seen them online, or spotted them in the corner of your teacher’s yoga studio!
There are many different ways to use yoga blocks. In general, yoga blocks are used for support and assistance. Yoga blocks are also used to make some yoga poses more challenging.
Yoga blocks can be placed upright or flat to support various parts of the body – not just the feet and hands, as is often assumed.
So, it goes without saying that there are infinite ways they can be used!
For everything you need to know about yoga blocks, including the benefits of yoga blocks and how you can use yoga blocks, make sure to keep reading.
What Are Yoga Blocks?
Yoga blocks are, well, blocks. They look like bricks and come in different sizes, but are most commonly 4” (width) by 6” (height) by 9” (length) blocks.
Yoga blocks also come in different materials, and these include wood, cork, and foam.
They also come in different colors – something you’ll be glad to know if your yoga studio has a certain color aesthetic!
Yoga blocks are one of the most popular props in yoga, alongside yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga wheels, yoga straps, and yoga blankets.
And much like the other props, yoga blocks offer many purposes and benefits that can improve your overall yoga experience.
What Are Yoga Blocks Used For?
Yoga blocks can be used to support yoga poses, or make them harder. But in most cases, yoga blocks are used for support.
So, how can yoga blocks make yoga poses easier or harder?
Many yoga poses, such as floating stick pose (utpluti dandasana), are too difficult to perform without prior practice or training.
In this case, placing yoga blocks under the feet will support the pose and help build strength.
For advanced yogis—for example, those who are flexible enough to perform splits pose (hanumanasana)—yoga blocks can be placed under the feet to lift the body off the ground.
This provides more space to get deeper into the yoga pose and, as a result, increase flexibility.
Those are just two examples of how yoga blocks are commonly used.
Yoga blocks are super versatile, so there are many more ways they can be used to offer support and stability, as well as increase strength and flexibility!
The Benefits Of Using Yoga Blocks
To summarize the above points, these are the key benefits of yoga blocks:
- Yoga blocks can assist and support various yoga poses
- Yoga blocks can be used to help achieve advanced yoga poses
- Yoga blocks can increase the difficulty of yoga poses to increase strength
- Yoga blocks can be used to help stretch and increase mobility in different areas of the body
In addition to those benefits, yoga blocks are versatile, widely available, affordable, and easy to use and store away.
So, no matter whether you are a yoga newbie or experienced yogi, there’s no reason not to invest in a pair of yoga blocks!
How To Use Yoga Blocks In Yoga Poses
As mentioned, there are many ways yoga blocks can be used.
Yoga blocks can be placed upright, flat, or on their sides to assist with various yoga poses, from basic yoga poses to intermediate and advanced yoga poses.
To provide some examples:
- Bridge pose – yoga blocks can be placed underneath the back to help lift the body
- Cobra pose – yoga blocks can be placed under the hands to elevate the pose and increase flexibility
- Floating stick pose – yoga blocks can be placed under the hands to bring the body further off the ground, making it easier to lift the legs
- Splits pose – yoga blocks can be placed under each foot to get deeper into the pose and increase flexibility
- High plank pose – yoga blocks can be placed underneath the hands to make holding the plank less challenging
- Cobbler’s pose – yoga blocks can be sat on to make seated meditative yoga more comfortable
Types Of Yoga Blocks (What To Buy)
Yoga blocks are available in different sizes and materials. They are also available in different colors but this, needless to say, does not affect performance!
The most common dimensions for yoga blocks are 4” (width) by 6” (height) by 9” (length), but it’s also possible to buy smaller and larger yoga blocks, depending on your preferred weight and grip, as well as how portable or storable you want them to be.
Aside from size, another factor to consider is the material.
Yoga blocks can be made of wood, cork, or foam – wood being the most durable, cork being the most eco-friendly, and foam being the cheapest.
Can You Use Yoga Block Alternatives?
If you don’t have the money to invest in yoga blocks just yet, there’s nothing stopping you from using alternative objects as yoga blocks, as long they are safe and sturdy enough to use.
Yoga block alternatives include:
- Bricks
- Books
- Paint cans
- Rigid boxes or metal containers
- Planks of wood
- Firm cushions or footrests
- Folded towels or blankets
In fact, some of these yoga block alternatives, including cushions, blankets, and towels, can be more beneficial to use than yoga blocks when providing support to fragile areas, such as your back, neck, or head.
Conclusion
Yoga blocks are super versatile and can be used in a host of different ways.
Overall, you would use them to offer support and assistance with different yoga poses – for example, placing yoga blocks underneath the feet to assist with floating stick pose.
In addition to offering assistance, yoga blocks can be used to make some yoga poses harder.
One example is increasing the difficulty of splits pose by placing yoga blocks underneath the feet to be able to get deeper into the pose to increase flexibility.
The positive effect yoga had on me was indescribable. Every aspect of my life improved, from social to mental, physical to emotional.
I want my website to help more people get into the world of yoga and teach them how to be present for themselves - even if that’s just for a few minutes a day.
- 10 Best Yoga Retreats In Costa Rica - September 30, 2022
- What Are Yoga Sutras? - September 1, 2022
- Best Bra For Yoga - September 1, 2022
