Props - Let’s Be Creative! By Calia Marshall, 2020

As we do our best to practice community care, some of you are making the decision to practice yoga at home. Others of you may be continuing to practice at the studio and bringing your own props. Here are some ideas for how to support your practice, even if you don’t have the typical yoga props you use at Third Root: Furniture/Walls

Chairs, coffee tables and countertops can be a great help in your yoga practice. Many of us don’t have much/any wall space, but don’t forget doors! Go upside down against a closed door (make sure you do it on the side that opens out, just in case it’s not latched properly!) or lay down and put your legs up against the door for viparīta karani (legs up the wall). This is a great pose to practice right now, as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the opposite of our fight, flight, freeze response.

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Is your back hurting from sitting around at home too much? Try this half forward fold to lengthen your back. Stand facing the wall. Bring your palms to the wall at hip height. Slowly walk back until your torso is parallel to the floor. Check that your feet are parallel to one another and stacked under your hips. If your back or the back of your legs feel too much pull, bend your knees as much as you need to. Press your palms into the wall while reaching your sit bones away. Breathe! To come out of the pose, bend your knees and slowly walk toward the wall, keeping your gaze lifted and chest open until you are standing tall.

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Books or Boxes as Blocks At home, grab some of your most inspirational books and make some sturdy stacks. Play with the idea of leaping into uncertainty with courage by practicing hanumānāsana (split) with a stack of books under your hands or your pelvis. Pick a book up from your stack and read a page for each side.

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Although boxes aren’t as stable as books, they’re lighter and, therefore, easier to carry to the studio. Fill them with some t-shirts to make them more solid. Or use a tissue box! Try practicing utthita pārśvakonānsana (extended side angle) with a half bind to ground into your legs and rotate your heart center toward the sky.

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Blankets or towels as blankets Any blanket or towel will do. I decided to practice pigeon pose (eka pāda rājakapotāsana) to open my heart center and to get into some of those emotions held in the hips. There’s a lot of feels right now, y’all!

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Pillows or Toilet Paper Packages as Bolsters Couch pillows make great bolsters. Grab a few and combine with your other homemade props to practice reclined bound angle (supta baddha konāsana). Take the time you need to make yourself really comfortable. Stay here as long as you’d like (maybe even take a nap)! You deserve it, and probably need it.

Use belts or scarves as straps, wash cloths as eye pillows. Be creative! Take this time to really be with your body, be with your breath, be with yourself. Even though we’re in a really scary moment, remember that we have one another. As yoga teacher Amber Karnes said during a recent online conversation, “Even though we’re isolated, we’re not alone.” Be well, friends, and see you online soon.

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