Yoga Props: A Review
The "style" of yoga I practice is alignment-based and is heavily influenced by Iyengar Yoga; we use props to assist us with getting into a pose to have proper alignment. In 2013, during my teacher training, we were required to attend public classes taught by our teachers (I can't remember what the number of hours were anymore) and to develop our home practice. Having a home practice (which I'm so glad I started because I'm happy to say I still have it today!) required us to have the appropriate props at home.
I volunteered to procure the props because I wanted to make sure I purchased the best props (IMO, of course). I visited several studios in my area to test their props and shared the results of my research with my classmates. I also made arrangements to purchase our props at a discounted rate from several manufacturers/distributors.
Sidebar: I've been meaning to do this for a while... There are a lot of new yoga studios opening up and I've been really disappointed with their props, so I thought I'd put this out there to help the yoga community, so please... Spread the word!
I've noticed that it's usually cheaper to purchase yoga props from Amazon (Full Disclosure: I'm part of their Affiliate Program). Occasionally, you can get deals from REI (when they give their members a 20% discount, which is what most manufacturers offer teachers and yoga studios). The Holiday season is also a great time to purchase props because manufacturers, like Manduka, offer a 25% discount.
Below is the what, why, and which props I recommend.
Basic Yoga Props
Mat: practicing yoga on a mat is the norm. My grandfather used to practice on a banig, a woven plastic mat. Today, most mats are rubber and you see people carrying their mats to/from class.
Deciding which mat to use is a very personal decision. If you can try before you buy, go for it. For public classes, I use a Manduka PROLite (I use the 71" mat). I like this mat because it's thick and provides nice padding for bent-knee poses, in addition to a yoga blanket. At home, I practice on a Manduka eKO Lite 4mm mat (there's no reason why you can't use this for public classes). I use this mat at home because our floors are carpeted. For more stability, I practice on a thinner mat and use a Lifeboard, a great prop for carpeted floors (nice to have), but not a must for practicing. Manduka mats provide me with the grip I need during my practice. My hands don't slip, which is very useful, especially in adho mukha svanasana/downward facing dog. Another mat I've used and like is the Jade Travel Mat. You'll definitely require a blanket in bent-knee poses, but it has excellent grip and it's great for travel. I don't recommend this mat if you're using it with a Lifeboard because the surface underneath doesn't grip and it moves around on the surface of the Lifeboard.
A lot of yoga studios now offer mat rentals; some also offer memberships, where they typically provide you with a mat for class. This is a good way to try different mats, especially if you attend class in different studios.
Blocks: a must when practicing yoga, you can use them in many creative ways (e.g. In uttanasana/standing forward fold, if you're unable to reach the floor, the blocks can help; lying over a block can help with opening your chest; the use of blocks can teach you how to internally rotate your thighs, etc.).
Firm blocks are a must. Wooden blocks are great, but they can be heavy. The next best thing are cork blocks. I especially like the ones by Manduka. Compared to other blocks, they don't crumble as quickly - crumbling is a given with cork blocks, it happens over time.
The most commonly used blocks today are foam blocks. Again, I'd like to emphasize that the blocks should be firm. Manduka and Hugger Mugger make excellent foam (4-inch) blocks. Hugger Mugger also makes 3-inch blocks, which is sometimes more useful than 4-inch blocks.
- Strap/belt: another must that helps you get into a pose (e.g. In paschimottanasana/seated forward fold, you may use the strap when you're unable to reach your feet with your hands). I highly recommend D-ring straps (versus the cinch) because they're much easier to use and they're less likely to break during your practice. I've seen plastic buckles break and I've also found other buckles to be so cumbersome that it can disturb your practice.
I don't have a personal favorite when it comes to straps, but I suggest using at least an 8' strap made of thicker material. I'm not a fan of Manduka's straps, which are very thin and their buckles are not very sturdy. I've seen several break in less than year's time. Hugger Mugger makes a better strap if you had to choose between these two popular brands, but you can find a great strap from Yoga Mats or Amazon.
Blanket: A must for those who practice sarvangasana/shoulderstand (my teacher always suggests to use at least 3 blankets) and it's also very helpful for those of us with tight hips in seated poses (especially those of us who sit at a desk/in an office all day).
There are two props that I'm super picky about and this is one of them. You want a blanket that is firm and will provide you with support, typically wool blankets. Sometimes, people are allergic to wool blankets; instead, cotton blankets can also be used.
The best blankets I've used, which also come highly recommended by my teachers, are the Italian Military Blankets. These blankets are spendy, I know; but if you're lucky, you can find them at an Army surplus shop where I managed to find them at $40/piece, a steal!
If I had to choose between a Manduka blanket or Hugger Mugger blanket, I would choose the latter, which is thicker and firmer than the former.
Really Nice to Have Yoga Props
Bolster: A great prop for a restorative practice, seated meditation, pranayama/breathing practice, and savasana/corpse pose (unfortunate name!).
This is the other prop I'm very picky about. I sampled what seemed like hundreds of bolsters before I found the perfect bolster. The P-E-R-F-E-C-T bolster. I found this bolster from Yoga Mats. Specifically, I recommend the 9", round, cotton fill bolster with a weight of 7.25 lbs. I personally met the owner of Yoga Mats, Brenda Beebe. Brenda used to hand sew the bolsters herself in San Francisco. Today, she oversees a factory in Los Angeles who manufacturers the bolsters for her. The great thing about ordering bolsters from her is that you can have the specific color you want (lots from which to choose) and weight. I felt like Goldilocks when I was testing out her bolsters - one was too hard, the other was too soft. 7.25 lbs was perfect!
Backless chair: Another prop that's useful when you're learning how to get into sarvangasana/shoulderstand, twists, restorative poses, etc.
You can find this prop on Amazon or you can purchase a regular office folding chair and remove the back yourself (or have someone handy remove it for you).
Sandbags: helpful in standing poses, restorative poses, hip opening poses, chest openers, etc. The list is very long.
I prefer Yoga Mats sandbags because I like the cover, which is soft (other sandbags are covered in nylon, which is rough) and the fact that they have sand in their bags (some manufacturers use gravel, which is not as comfortable).
Temple Pillow/Eye Pillow: helps to make restorative yoga more relaxing, including savasana/corpse pose. Like the mat you use for practice, this is a personal choice. They come in different types of material, filling, etc. Some people don't like to use them at all.
Wedges: helpful in standing poses, seated poses, twists, etc. I prefer Hugger Mugger for these props for the same reason I like their blocks. I would purchase the foam wedges over the cork wedges.
The list above is what I typically use during my practice, but I don't use all of them everyday. The props have helped me immensely in my practice. I'd love to hear about your thoughts on the props you use. I'm also open to trying new and different props. Please leave your comments below.
