A Blissful Life 3/11/25: Props In A Yoga Class

Founded by BKS Iyengar, Iyengar Yoga is a style of yoga that focuses on alignment and the use of props to achieve correct postures in yoga poses. Iyengar discovered that he could help his students find their poses with greater integrity using aids, such as blocks, straps, blankets, bolsters, and walls. He taught quality over quantity, and he focused on posture first. Iyengar believed that if you could get the physical body into alignment, the other pieces (mental, emotional, and spiritual) would follow suit.

At Ocean Bliss Yoga, we encourage our students to make use of props throughout classes as needed as a means to bring them into their most authentic expression of the yoga poses. So often, people refuse to use props on the mat because they think it makes them look weak. However, the seasoned yogi knows that using props when necessary is a sign of strength, not weakness.

One of the main reasons we practice yoga is to bring ourselves into alignment so that our vital energy (prana) can flow throughout our system with ease. Imagine water flowing through a garden hose; if you bend or kink it, the flow will be obstructed. This is why during our yoga practice, we focus on straightening out any kinks in the “hose” by aligning the body properly in different shapes and creating pathways for energy to move through. We then use breath and mindfulness to guide the energy along these lines to promote a “prana flow” throughout the system. When our energy is circulating throughout our body effectively, we find ourselves in a beautiful and harmonious state of health and wellbeing.

I often encourage my students to, “find a little bit of Mountain Pose in every pose.” In Mountain Pose, we are standing up tall, with our shoulders down our backs, hearts lifted, and abdominals engaged to support a neutral spine. No matter if you are in a forward fold, closed twist, open twist, backbend, hip opener, shoulder opener, arm balance, or inversion, finding a “Mountain Pose spine” within your yoga pose will guide you into greater alignment. This might make you feel like you have less range of motion in the pose, however, you are performing it correctly and reaping its full benefits– and aren’t the benefits of yoga why we show up to the mat in the first place? The reason why most of us practice yoga is to get better at life, not yoga asana. Over time and with consistent practice, your body will become more able and you will naturally move into deeper expressions of your poses, with correct posture.

Using our props when needed also helps us to meet ourselves where we are with acceptance, appreciation, and gratitude. When we should be using props, but refuse to do so because our ego tells us that is feeble, we are subconsciously disrespecting ourselves and going against yoga’s foundational moral imperative: ahimsa, or, nonviolence. Practicing nonviolence on the mat involves using the supports we need when we need them. In this way, we cultivate a practice of authenticity, integrity and grace that grows and evolves with us. This lesson, just like many of the lessons we learn on the yoga mat, translates out into life.

I invite you to join me and my team of seasoned instructors at Ocean Bliss Yoga for yoga classes, mat Pilates classes, sound baths, and monthly workshops. Sign up at oceanblissyoga.net. Call me with any questions at 917-318-1168. We are located on the 3rd floor of the Belle Harbor Yacht Club. Parking available downstairs in the lot. All are welcome.