Yoga Blocks How to Use – Yoga Poses With Blocks

yoga blocks how to use

Yoga block how to use? Yoga blocks are an essential item to use whether you’re new to yoga or have been practicing for some time but can’t manage to gain more flexibility or strength. Yoga blocks, also known as yoga bricks, are the most often used yoga props. They bring the floor closer to you in standing postures and give support to seated and reposting.

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Why use yoga blocks?

By using yoga blocks, an incredibly helpful and clever tool, you may make substantial progress toward enhancing both the quality of your physical health and your yoga practice. They could help you with the methods listed below, for example:

• Boost your upper body’s strength.
• Be certain that your alignment is correct.
• Weak wrists should be reinforced and protected.
• Deeper into the poses

You will want to immediately go out and get a set of blocks for yourself after finishing this article, I can promise you that. But first, double-check that you have the right ones.

Yoga blocks come in a variety of sizes and materials. Foam, cork, and wood are the most often used materials for yoga blocks.

Because foam blocks are soft and light, they are easy to travel to and from a studio. Because they are softer than other types of blocks, they may be more pleasant in some restorative poses.

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CORK VS FOAM YOGA BLOCKS

Is yoga block necessary?

Do yoga blocks have to be used? No, you do not need blocks to practise yoga. Still, it is common for yoga teachers to suggest or even require that their students use one or two blocks in their classes.

Why should you use yoga blocks?

When it comes to improving your yoga practice and overall health, using yoga blocks may be a game changer. They assist you with the following tasks:

• Develop upper-body strength and good posture
• Enhance the strength of weak wrists by providing support.
• Improve your posing skills by going deeper into each stance.

I guarantee that after reading this post, you’ll immediately want to get a pair of blocks for yourself! Before anything else, double-check your selections.

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What kind of yoga blocks should you use?

Yoga blocks come in a different shapes and sizes, and you should choose the one that best meets your needs and your goals. They make their decisions based on the type of material and the thickness of that material.

Different block materials

• FOAM: Foam is softer and lighter than other materials. They are best for beginners because they can be used in more supporting poses.
• CORK: Some people find foam blocks too light or not gripable enough, so they use cork blocks instead. Cork blocks are a good choice for beginners because they are softer and heavier than wood blocks. They are also better for the environment, and they tend to last longer than foam blocks.
• WOOD: The first yoga blocks were made of wood. Most of them are made of bamboo nowadays. Since foam blocks are more pliable, I wouldn’t recommend them for beginners who want to use them in restorative poses. The upside is that they are very strong and last a long time, but the downside is that they cost more. Remember that as you sweat, they lose their hold on you.

Different Yoga block sizes

There are generally three different yoga sizes that are used:

1. 9″ x 6″ x 4: Wider than traditional blocks
2. 9″ x 6″ x 3: The average yoga block size
3. 9″ x 6″ x 2: Thinner than average yoga blocks

As a general rule, you may not want to get the thickest blocks if you have small hands. As you get more flexible and don’t need as much support, the thin yoga blocks could come in handy.

I suggest starting with the standard size of 9″ x 6″ x 3″, which is a good starting point for most people. Depending on how you turn the blocks, you can make the structure shorter or longer.

Do you need 1 or 2 yoga blocks?

If you’re going to spend money on yoga blocks, I’d recommend buying a set of two. Most of the ways yoga blocks can be used to build strength and increase flexibility require two blocks, one on each side of a yoga pose.

Unless you buy more expensive blocks made of bamboo or hardwood, yoga blocks usually come in sets of two.

How to Use Yoga Blocks

Yoga blocks can be used in many different ways, but their main purpose is to help you stretch, build strength, and stay steady while you practise. We have shown you how to use yoga blocks by showing you 12 different yoga poses you can do with them. The positions below show how yoga blocks can be used in many different ways.

Lengthen

In other words, you are trying to improve your posture while also stretching deeper.

If you find it hard to stay in a certain stance, you should use a block.

If you want to get the most out of the position, you must be in the right position while you do this.

Use yoga blocks to avoid overstretching, improve your posture, and go deeper into poses so you can become more flexible.

If you can’t put your hands on the ground while in a pose, you should use yoga blocks.

Yes, you can rest your hands on your shin or ankle instead, but blocks are much more stable and comfortable, letting you go deeper into the pose and improve your flexibility.

In different yoga positions, you can use yoga blocks in many different ways to get a deeper stretch.

1.Triangle

In Triangle Pose, if you can’t get a good grip on your ankle or shin, try using a block instead. You can’t get to the ground because your hamstrings are too tight. In a triangle pose, you need to feel comfortable in order to improve your alignment.

In Triangle, you should be able to fit between two walls. Most of the time, your body automatically hunches over while your hand or shin struggles to stay on the ground or shin. When doing Triangle, a block gives you more support and makes it easier to lift your torso, stretch your fingers, and tuck your front leg over.

How to do Triangle Pose with a yoga block:

In Mountain Pose, step your toes apart and widen your stance. You can do this by pointing your right foot forward and turning your left foot 90 degrees to the left.

Triangle yoga blocks how to use? Put a yoga block on the heel of your left foot. Take a deep breath and slowly lower your left arm until it’s touching the block. Raise your chest as you reach your right arm up toward the sky. Let your eyes follow the length of your fingers as they get longer and longer. Be aware of your core and don’t slouch or arch your back.

You need to change the height of the block to get the right alignment and a good stretch.

2.Standing Forward Fold

Your hamstrings are too tight, which is why you can’t reach your hands to the ground in Triangle. If your hamstrings are too tight and you can’t get your hands to the ground, the benefits of Standing Forward Fold may be lessened.

What’s good about using yoga blocks? In a standing front fold, if you want to stretch your back and hamstrings, you’ll need to keep your back straight. Using blocks gives you more flexibility and control over how deep you fold. This lets you focus on extending in while keeping your spine in the right position instead of straining to reach your toes.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Standing Forward Fold:

1. In Mountain Pose, your feet should be on two blocks.
2. Fold forward from the hips by putting your hands on your hips, engaging your core, and bending forward from the hips. Keep your back straight.
3. As soon as your spine starts to curve and you feel a stretch, put your hands on the yoga blocks and keep them there until the stretch is over.
4. You can change the height and space between the yoga blocks to fit your needs. If you keep the yoga blocks further away, you can get a gentler stretch. If you move them closer to your feet, you can get a deeper stretch.

3.Camel

The camel pose in yoga is a great way to open your chest, but if you have back pain or tight shoulders, it can hurt.
You can use yoga blocks to help you do yoga. With the help of a yoga block, you can make your backbend longer so that you don’t go too far. Because you are flexible, you will be able to gradually get better at something instead of having to dive in headfirst.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Camel Pose:

1. In Hero’s Pose, take a few steps forward and then drop down to your knees. You can put your legs about hip-width apart with your toes out.
2. Place a brick on each side of the middle of your heels. I think it’s best to start with the person who is the tallest.
3. Raise your chest high and put your hands first on your hips, then one at a time on each block with your fingertips pointing toward your chest.
4. Take a gentle backbend as far as you can comfortably go and let your gaze fall backwards.
5. To get out of the position, lift your upper body until your spine is straight by bringing each hand back to your hips one at a time.

4. Downward Facing Dog

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog): Even though more experienced yoga practitioners call Downward Dog a “resting pose,” for beginners who aren’t very flexible, Downward Dog is anything but a relaxing pose. People often have trouble balancing their weight so that it doesn’t all fall on their upper body, feel pain in their wrists, or can’t stay in the position because their hamstrings are too tight.

By lifting your upper body off the ground, you take some of the pressure off your wrists. This lets you sink deeper into the position and improve your flexibility.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Downward Facing Dog:

1. Set up shop on a tabletop. Grab two bricks and position them beneath your palms to support your weight. Depending on your preferred height and the comfort of your hands, you may decide to utilise the broad or narrower side.
2. As you inhale, lift your hips and tuck your toes. Sink your heels deeper into the mat while elevating your upper body.
3. Remember to keep your core, arms, and legs engaged in this position even if you are using blocks.

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Strengthen

With the help of yoga blocks, you can get your whole body stronger. Many yoga poses can help you get stronger, but you might not get the full benefit if you can’t keep your alignment or form right or aren’t strong enough to get into the pose.

Use blocks to keep you from moving out of your stance and make sure your body is perfectly aligned. For example, you can use them to give yourself a little more support in some hard poses so you can better control how hard the pose is, which will help you build strength more quickly.

Here are some yoga poses you can do with blocks to get stronger and more flexible:

1. Boat Pose

The Boat Pose is a great way to work out your core and get stronger. Unfortunately, many people don’t have the core strength and hip flexor flexibility they need to keep good posture. This makes the pose less effective.

What are the advantages of using blocks in yoga? To get the most out of the boat pose’s ability to strengthen your core, you must use your legs and core the whole time. If you have a weak core or weak hips, it might be hard to do this pose right. This is a great way to strengthen your core. Putting a block between your legs makes it even better.

How to do Boat Pose with a yoga block:

1. Put your feet flat on the floor and bend your knees to make yourself comfortable. Yoga block between calves and hands on ground.
2. Lean back until you can feel your abs contracting and your back getting longer. Always keep your back straight and your chest up.
3. Hold the yoga block between your knees and lift your legs up so that they form a 90-degree angle in the air. If you want to, you can straighten both legs and squeeze the block.
4. Make a V with your hands, with your fingers pointing toward the audience.

2. Chaturanga

If you want to get stronger in your upper body and core, you’ll need to do Chaturanga, which uses both. If you don’t, you will probably fall down. When I first started, this was a really hard position for me to get into. It seemed hard to keep my elbows in and keep the right form without collapsing.

Chaturanga is a type of push-up that you do with your elbows tucked into your sides. As with a normal push up, you should keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the exercise. It’s a different story for people who don’t have much upper-body strength and tend to only work their arms and not their core.

What are the advantages of using blocks in yoga? By putting two blocks under your shoulders, you are helping your body to get into the right position. Then you can work on strengthening your upper body and core and getting your core to work. The fact that the blocks are under your shoulders doesn’t mean you should rest on them. As a short-term solution, they are just a safety net while you work on building up your endurance.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Chaturanga:

1. Place one block under each shoulder at its highest point when you’re in a typical plank position.
2. Hold the position for a few seconds, then slowly let go of the squeeze to open the range of motion.
3. Slowly move down to the floor by resting your elbows at a 90-degree angle on the yoga blocks.
4. Avoid taking any rest. During the workout, the arms, core, and legs should all be moving at all times. After you’ve been in this position for a few seconds, try to get up and focus on your strength so you can do a full chaturanga.

3. L Sit Arm Balance

If you are having trouble getting your poses off the ground, start with this easy arm balance. You might not be able to do an unsupported arm balance if you don’t have enough upper body, core, or hamstring strength. For this position to be done right, these three things are needed, and practising them while being supported is a great way to do so.

Using a yoga block under your hands makes it easier to lift your body off the ground. Yoga blocks aid. You can now work on your legs, core, and arms to make them stronger. This is where most of your strength will come from.

How to do L Sit with yoga blocks:

1. Assuming you are in Staff Pose, place a block on each hip.
2. Put your hands on the blocks to work your core and legs.
3. To get up off the ground, use the added height of the blocks as a lever to lift yourself up. Start by holding the blocks as high as you can for a certain amount of time. Once you can hold them comfortably for that amount of time, slowly lower them.
4. Start with a 5-second hold and work your way up from there.

4. Crow Pose

While Crow might be difficult, it’s doable with a consistent yoga practise. For all arm balances, you need a strong core to hold your body up, so arm strength is a must. Wrists, shoulders, and the top of the back are all strengthened as a result of this exercise.

People find crow pose difficult for usually three reasons:

1. They don’t have enough upper body strength to be able to stand on their own
2. They have a hard time getting off the ground because they can’t put their weight in the right places.
3. People are afraid of tripping and hitting their head on the ground if they fall forward.

What a yoga block can do for you: If you put one under each of your toes, you can strengthen your upper body and test your ability to keep your centre of gravity.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Crow Pose:

1. Start in a toe stand with a yoga block under your feet for support.
2. To get ready for crow, put your hands on the ground and use the height of the block to help you.
3. To start, lift one foot off the ground at a time to work on your balance.
4. Remove one foot at a time and see what happens to your balance.

Support

Those who lack flexibility may find many of the so-called restorative yoga positions to be physically taxing and of little use. Blocks may be used in a variety of ways in each posture to help you get deeper into the pose and release any stiffness you may be feeling.

1. Hero’s Pose

Hero’s Pose is a great way to stretch your hips and quadriceps. Most people say that when they stand in this way, their ankles start to hurt or the front of their thighs can’t take the strain.

You might be able to stay in the pose longer if you put a yoga block under your seat. This will give your ankles support and make the stretch less intense. If you think one block isn’t enough, feel free to add another one.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Hero Pose:

1. Get on your hands and knees and move into a tabletop position.
2. Pull your seat back and untuck your toes so that you’re sitting on your heels.
3. Raise your feet and spread your legs slightly, then put a yoga block right under your seat. If you think it’s necessary, you can add another block.

2. Shoulderstand

The restorative position of shoulder stand may be seen towards the conclusion of many yoga sequences as a way to unwind. While this posture is fantastic for stretching the hamstrings and lower back of your body, if you don’t have enough hamstring flexibility, it may be difficult to lift your legs straight in the air or just hold them in the air in this position.

It is easier to lift your legs into the air if you place a yoga block beneath your sacrum. To get the most out of the posture, focus on engaging your legs and pushing into your heels.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Shoulderstand

1. Set up for Bridge Pose by starting in a supine position with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place the yoga block beneath your sacrum after raising your seat off the ground. It’s possible that you’ll have to fiddle with it a few times before you find the right setting.
3. Lift your legs into the air and bend your feet toward you after the block is properly situated. With the block under your feet, you’ll find it much simpler to straighten your legs.
4. Put your hands at your sides and relax.
5. Gently extricate yourself by elevating your legs just high enough to remove the block.

3. Fish Pose

Fish position is a backbend that is frequently done following Plow posture, although it might be uncomfortable if your chest, shoulders, or back have limited range of motion. As a result, it might be difficult to maintain good posture and put strain on your neck.

An example of how using a yoga block is beneficial: The remainder of your body may relax by placing a yoga block between your shoulder blades. When you’re just starting out, you may still reap the advantages of backbends while avoiding the agony.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Fish Pose

1. With your hands at your sides in Staff Pose, begin the exercise. Block the area behind you where your shoulderblades will rest while you are lying on your back. (Don’t worry if you make a mistake; you can always make adjustments.)
2. Allow yourself to rest on the block while you slowly come onto your forearms. Move the block and readjust if it does not feel correct or if you experience pain.
3. If it’s safe to do so, allow your body to totally relax onto the block and into the slight backbend. When you exit the posture, focus on your breathing and gently roll to your side before sitting back down.

4. Pigeon Pose

There are a number of factors that make Pigeon Posture challenging for new students, one of which being the fact that many people have tight hips that make the pose difficult. If you can’t hold this position for more than a split second, it will have little effect on loosening up stiff hips.

Using a yoga block below the hips of your bent leg relieves strain on your knees while also reducing the intensity of the stretch compared to doing it on the ground. This will aid in the stretching of your hips until you are ready to lower yourself to the floor.

Yoga Blocks How to Use for Pigeon Pose

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your toes tucked. Bend your right knee and raise it up to a parallel position with the mat as much as is safe for you to do so.. Put a yoga block beneath your right hip.
2. If you’re able to, untuck your toes and straighten your rear leg. As much as you can, try to keep your hips as square as possible.
3. Throughout the position, elevate your chest and, if you’re comfortable doing so, fold over slightly. Remove the block and twist your body into a sitting position to exit the pose.

I hope you found this essay useful! As a bonus, we’ve put up a library of yoga routines that you can print out and practice whenever you have time. We’ve created an infographic using these positions for your convenience.

How to Use Yoga Blocks?

1. Lengthen:

2. Strengthen:

3. Supports

We are constantly adding to the library, and always email our readers when we’ve added new stuff for them!

Faqs

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