My Love and Appreciation of Yoga Blocks

I was first introduced to yoga blocks when I started to practice hot yoga. The blocks enabled me to find increased stability and balance in various asanas (poses). I did this with some direction from the teachers, but also as a natural extension of my work as a Therapeutic Recreationist; I was modifying the poses and using an assistive device to help myself feel ‘successful’ in poses.

At the time, I did not realize the extent and benefit I would receive from using yoga blocks in my practice over the next 8+ years! I am a bit stubborn at times, and as well, I know my body (and myself) well enough that I would not continue to do something I did not feel successful at it! Even though this is not the purpose of yoga, in my naivete I didn’t know any different. I ended up using blocks to assist me in various balancing poses like eagle pose, standing splits and half moon pose… so stabilization was the first area in which I used blocks.

Once I got past the fear of falling and my balance improved, I started to use blocks as extensions of my arms and assist in improving the alignment of my spine during poses like the half moon pose, half way lifts and twisting triangle. The blocks then allowed me to deepen my poses by creating support in deep lunges, chair pose, half or full splits or while in extended side angle pose. I also used blocks as a tool to assist in drishti – focus - and strengthening engagement of leg muscles.

Then there were times when I truly needed support and the blocks were there to help me reach the ground and move gingerly through the flow while nursing injuries or other bodily discomforts that seemed to appear now and again! I may have needed that extra bit of length in my arms to reach the floor and help me get down to the mat or support to walk forward from downdog to a forward fold. 

I did make it to a place in my practice where I use them for the variety, extra challenge and fun of creating and exploring transitions and ways to support more intricate poses. But, my love of using my blocks really deepened when I started to use them in supportive poses during my power yoga practice like the supportive fish pose or supportive bridge and as I learned about other styles of yoga, restorative yoga and yin yoga practice.

So, I encourage you to take up your blocks and make them an integrated part of your practice! I invite you to share how you use your blocks…. and if you are not using your blocks, why? 

If you would like to explore using your blocks together, I invite you to join me in my upcoming worshop: What’s Blocking You...from using your blocks? Here’s the information about this interactive online workshop

SUNDAY MARCH 13, 2022 | 2:00–3:00pm ET | FREE

*Registration is required