How Yoga Blocks Can Enhance Your Yoga Practice
Once you’ve discovered the many benefits of using yoga blocks, you will remember to put them in your yoga bag before going off to class. Yoga blocks have a whole variety of uses, but before we discuss what they can do for you, plus the many types that are on the market, let’s review a bit about Yoga, itself.
Yoga Mind/Body Benefits
Habitual yoga practice will stimulate your mind as it enlivens your body! Yoga practice involves clearing your mind and becoming fully aware of each pose. This improves inner awareness. Habitual yoga practice fosters a healthy body through proper breathing for more oxygenation, greater flexibility for ease of motion, added muscle strength for confident movement, and perfect alignment for enhanced energy flow. The goal of yoga practice is to create a union between the body, mind and spirit.
If you would like to master a yoga pose, you will need extraordinary patience, plus time and dedication. No one is a master the first time they try to do anything. But, slowly over time, as you practice and try to perform each pose correctly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will find that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.
Try to create a clean, graceful space for your yoga practice, with a bare floor, if possible, and a clear wall. Remove any distractions from your yoga environment. Preferably, you should not eat for at least 2 hours before practicing. If this is not possible, then try to eat something light, such as a piece of fruit, but no more than 1 hour before you start your yoga practice.
Always be mindful with your movements, and if you experience pain or discomfort as you attempt a pose, pause or stop, and then try again.
Yoga props and accessories, such as yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga straps, yoga blocks, yoga mat bags, and even yoga towels are perfect for benefiting you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing a flawless pose, and in practicing in a wholesome way.
Here are some of the many benefits to using yoga props:
- Pain relief and body comfort
- Structural strength to avoid injury
- Stress relief and relaxation
- Maintain proper alignment
- Enhance movement
- Open up the joints
- Develop awareness and understanding
Comfort, or rather the nonexistence of it, can more often than not make yoga newbies end their efforts before they’ve barely begun! Yoga blocks can help anyone, but particularly those just starting out, to feel less strained during yoga practice because yoga blocks aid to improve alignment. For instance, when a standing pose includes one hand being on the floor, flexibility issues arise. In other words, the floor can seem a long way down for someone just starting out. Think of a yoga block as an extra extension to your arm. While a novice is in the process of developing flexibility, he or she will still be able to do the standing poses properly by placing a hand on a block that’s been positioned appropriately on the floor. A yoga block is a wonderful transitional aid. In addition, a few sitting poses make use of a yoga block. Yoga blocks assist with balance, poise, and stability. Who could ask for more from something so “square.”
Yoga blocks come in several different materials. For instance: Foam blocks are durable and lightweight, an manageable add to your yoga bag! Wooden blocks are also lightweight and hollow, yet essentially indestructible (even Fido would find one hard to destroy!). Finally, there is the eco-friendly cork block. An added bonus is that the natural makeup of the cork gives some extra traction.
Yoga blocks are usually sold singly but, for utility, you’ll probably want to buy more than one.
No related posts.