There is no shame in using props. Mr. Iyengar himself uses props. I think about how I practiced other methods of yoga in the beginning which didn’t use props. When I tried my first Iyengar yoga class, the teacher had us use blocks and ropes. I didn’t understand this. I thought, “I don’t need props”. Now, after my many years of practice, I have an understanding of the role of props in my own practice.

Of course the first and foremost prop is the yoga mat. Originally, the ancient practice of yoga was performed on kusha grass, on plain hard earth or on the rug of a deer or tiger skin. When yoga was introduced in the West, people found it difficult to practice on carpet or wooden floors. Students found their hands and feet would slip. There is some confusion as to who actually invented the yoga mat but it seems someone started using a thin green material that was originally manufactured as carpet underlay which came in rolls from Germany. This material has gone through several evolutions and today mats are called non-skid mats, non-slip mats or sticky-mats. They certainly have made a difference in how students practice yoga.

Other props used in the Iyengar method include cotton or Mexican blankets, belts, wooden or foam blocks, chairs, benches, wall ropes, sandbags and other types of weights. Mr. Iyengar cultivated the use of props to allow all students of yoga to access the benefits of the asanas regardless of physical condition, age or years of practice. For example, if a student can’t reach the floor in trikonasana, they can use a block to rest their hand on, allowing them to get the alignment and benefit of the pose until they’ve practiced it enough to reach the floor.

Props allow the yoga student to create the most optimal body alignment. Specific actions or poses become more accessible to those who may not be able to perform the asana because of physical limitations. Props can aid in adjusting or supporting the yoga student to work in a range of motion which is effective and most importantly safe. Sometimes a prop can highlight a particular quality, action or aspect of an asana to improve the student’s personal understanding of a pose and its effects.

Props help all practitioners, even the most advanced, increase sensitivity to the balance between effort and relaxation in a pose. They can provide support so the practitioner receives the deep benefits of holding a pose for longer time periods. Props can be very helpful in enhancing the restorative or therapeutic qualities of an asana. Mr. Iyengar says allowing students to use props creates confidence. Confidence along with will power is built up with props and allows the student to more easily receive the teaching of the practice of yoga.

In my own personal practice, I really struggled with shoulder stand early on. I was unable to get on the tops of my shoulders, my neck hurt and my elbows were splayed out wide. But I didn’t need at belt! Then I attended the Yoga Journal conference in Estes Park when Mr. Iyengar traveled all the way from India to speak to us. During his address, many of the senior teachers of the Iyengar method were sitting on the stage behind him. While he was speaking, Mr. Iyengar asked for someone to demonstrate shoulder stand. Patricia Walden stepped up to the front of the stage, placing her blankets in position to go up into shoulder stand. The first thing she did before kicking up was to put a belt around her elbows! After that I told myself, if Patricia Walden uses a belt for shoulder stand, so can I. I’ve been practicing with a belt on my elbows ever since, and using all the other marvelous props Mr. Iyengar advocates.

By Susan Abernethy