5 Fantastic Yoga Poses to Practice with a Block- no matter who you are!
If you have been practicing with me for a while, you may know I have a major love affair with blocks. I became increasingly interested in these tools while completing my backcare certification and found that they had a dramatic impact on my body. I am also a fan of "taller" poses in general and this has been a newer motto for me recently when teaching. Too often I find people reaching for the ground- falling for the ground- or slumping for the ground like their life depends on it. The goal of yoga poses should not be to touch the ground all the time, even if you feel you have the space to do so. Grab a block and control the level of your own ground in accordance with your body and proportions (every body has different proportions, seriously). You may be surprised at just how useful these tools can be!
1. Sukhasana- easy seat/pleasant pose. When it comes time to sit at the beginning or end of practice, especially if preparing for a longer mediation, it's a great habit to get into sitting on your block. If you have sat for long periods of time, you may notice that legs and feet can easily fall asleep or become cramped and trigger discomfort. Try sitting on your block on the smallest level so you have the widest base of support for your seat. This will elevate your hips to increase blood flow to the lower limbs and feet, keeping things fresh! Sitting on a block also encourages a taller seat by more rightly stacking the vertebrae of the spine, yielding a better posture. Try it out!!
2) Twisting triangle- Parivrtta Trikonasana
Twisting triangle is a fairly advanced pose that requires balance, hip space, and rotation of the spine. One of the most common things I see in this pose is people leaning into a forward fold (creating flexion in the back) and trying to twist from there- which is very hard to do! Instead, grab a block to give you some height (I might suggest the middle level) and help you achieve a flat back shape. The longer and taller you can make your spine the easier it will be to access the twisting action and hold the posture.
3) Half moon - Ardha Chandrasana
Half moon is another fairly advanced balancing asana. It can be hard to aim the chest to the side of the room and rotate rib cage upward in order to stack one side of your body over the other. Many people tend to dunk down crashing into their lower arm, crunching their lower side, which inhibits there ability to roll upward and open, as this a very spacious pose. Grab a block! Place it beneath the lower hand and shoulder, allowing both sides of the torso to have length which allow you more upward rotation and a better chance at truly stacking your shoulders to feel freedom.
4) Viparita Karani (like legs up the wall)
This pose is a great alternative to shoulder stands and other inversions if you're not feeling up for them or they are not yet in your practice. This posture is ultra restorative and when done properly should feel effortless! Start by laying supine with your knees bent. Raise your hips to slide a block on the smallest level beneath your sacrum or your hips. Be extra careful not to place the block in your lower back (ouch)!! Once your block is centered and secure, take your legs up to the sky. The knees and feet can be softer since it's a restorative pose. You'll know the block is in the right place when it feels like it's holding your legs up for you. If practicing on your own, I recommend holding your legs up for 2 minutes to start. This is one of my favorite poses- sometimes it feels like my legs are floating in space! Enjoy the euphoric essence and relaxing nature.
5) Savasana - corpse pose.
Allergies much? Headache? Battling that head cold? Let me share with you one of my favorite tricks to help remedy these situations!! When it comes time for that sweet rest at the end of the asana practice that you worked so hard for, you deserve to be comfortable. Feel free to take a block on its smallest level and slide it right underneath the back of your head (not your neck at all). The edge of the block should rest just by the base of your skull. It should really just mimic a firm pillow. This will elevate your head about 5 inches off the ground which can make it easier to breath and better able to relax for your worthy rest.