The Complete Guide to Yoga Props

Book excerpt: Explore the possibilities of using props in your yoga practice! Contrary to popular belief, props are not necessarily for beginners. Research shows that props can be an essential tool to modify and deepen poses, achieve optimal alignment and comfort, accommodate physical limitations, aid in injury recovery, and facilitate a safe and effective practice. The Complete Guide to Yoga Props provides over 120 poses with more than 800 variations that use a yoga prop such as a block, strap, bolster, blanket, chair, or wall to modify, progress, or otherwise change the pose. The poses are grouped together as follows: Standing, kneeling, and lunging poses Seated and squatting poses Backbending and heart-opening poses Arm balances Inversions Prone poses Supine poses Packed with beautiful photos showcasing the pose variations, no other resource offers the sheer number of options to make your yoga practice truly personal for every body and need. Learn what to look for when choosing a prop and how and where to position it depending on whether you want to make a pose more challenging, need to make a pose more accessible, or just want to try something new. Each pose includes the English and Sanskrit names to aid in identification and help foster a deeper appreciation for the historical and traditional roots of yoga. Whatever form of yoga you prefer, using props can supply you with a limitless variety of ways to customize your practice. The Complete Guide to Yoga Props is an invaluable resource—an authoritative guide you will turn to again and again.