Props for a home yoga practice
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What do I need to start a home practice? What about chair yoga? I get this question often so I’ve put together a guide here.
First of all, you do not need to go buy 100 things for a home yoga practice. You probably already have decent tools within your space. I’m sure you have blankets or towels, perhaps a few heavy books or packages, a belt or resistance band, a couch cushion – you can make just about anything work. The most important thing I found when beginning my own practice was a space to set everything up or leave it out. When I see my space all ready for me, it is much more inviting and I’m more likely to spend time in my personal practice. If there’s even a small obstacle, like sourcing items throughout the house, I can often talk myself out of practice all together. So my best advice is: find a space in your home for your yoga stuff to live. Remove the barrier of beginning – you’re already all set up.
Ok, and what about chair yoga? Well, I recommend a folding chair. If you don’t have a folding chair, a chair with a flat seat, back or back bar , and no arms, like a desk chair or dining room chair, will work just fine. Something you don’t sink into when sitting on it is ideal, but almost anything can work. I personally use a metal folding chair with a back bar.
Now, if your budget allows for it or you have a sustained home practice and are looking to invest in a few good quality props, I have a few recommendation and things you may want to consider.
Of note: part of my personal ethos is to reduce my consumption of plastic and plastic products. For me, paying more for natural fibers or materials is ok, but I understand it may be unrealistic for everyone. Therefore, I am including my personal purchases as well as some alternative options.
The Yoga Chair:
After my first chair yoga class, I found myself craving the support and scaffolding it offered my body, so I took the plunge and invested in a folding yoga chair. This is different from a regular folding chair because the back of the chair has been removed and wrapped in fabric (or cork) for your protection if leaning over the bar.
What I purchased: Pune Yoga Chair
The Pune Yoga Chair will come with warning from State of California about titanium dioxide - I’ll let you do your own research on that but it’s an inactive tinting pigment commonly found in many other items. I’ve come to the conclusion that since I’m not ingesting it, it is safe for me. If you have additional questions, their website is very good at responding to emails.
Another great option: Double back bar chair
This one has a double bar on the back legs for added stability, and may be a better option for you depending on that. Since the back bar comes as bare metal, I recommend getting some cork handlebar tape for bicycles to wrap around it for protection and additional padding.
Blocks:
Blocks are the most versatile prop in the practice. They can be used for hands, feet, and hips. If you invest in nothing else, having a pair or few pairs of blocks will get you the most return for your money in your home practice.
There are several material types to consider for blocks. Think about stability vs. personal preference for what you will be using it for. The more dense the block, the easier and more safely it will support you. For example, if you’re standing on one leg in warrior 3 with both hands on a block, a denser block like wood or cork will keep from buckling side to side more than a less dense foam block. But if it’s under your hips for a supported bridge, you may prefer a less dense block. I find I reach for my cork blocks most often in my home practice, but I do have several options that I also enjoy.
What I Purchased:
Straps:
Belts, towels, and resistance bands make great straps for everyday use. If we have strapped our legs, arms, or torsos together in class and you really digged that, I would look for LONG strap with a quick release option so getting in and out is less of a hassle. The longer the strap the more uses it will have, I recommend always buying the longest option.
What I purchased: 9' foot Quick Release Belt
Blankets:
If you are looking for a dedicated yoga blanket, I would get a couple so you have dome options. Look for a more dense blanket and a lighter weight one. The denser one will be great for supporting shoulder or rolling up as a thicker bolster and the lightweight one will be great for sitting or using under the arms.
What I purchased: Cotton Blanket, Wool Blanket
Bolster:
For bolsters, look to purchase something denser than a pillow (since this is probably what it will be replacing). I started with a couch cushion then went to a yoga bolster, and finally settled on buying bolster covers and stuffing them myself to get the correct density. A lot of yoga bolsters are too bouncy for my preferences, and I don’t want that uncertainty if I’m trying to land my butt on the bolster on the chair in forearm stand.
What I purchased: Rectangular Linen Bolster Cover , Round Linen Bolster Cover and Cotton filling from Amazon.
I previously purchased this canvas rectangular bolster and do still enjoy it, except for the bounciness, as previously mentioned. I do see now that it has gotten recent reviews about possible toxic chemicals. I did not see this with mine, but I did purchase it back in 2019.
Sandbags:
I used blankets or my weighted blanket as sandbags for the past few years and have only recently decided to purchase proper sandbags. I wanted something that was easier to move and reposition than a blanket, especially if I’m in a forward fold and can’t move around very easily. The weight is wonderful for longer holds and settling the nervous system down from over-efforting. If you do purchase, get the unfilled bags to save on shipping costs and fill with rice or sand later. Life hack: just use bags of rice - works well (unless slippery plastic)
What I Purchased: Unfilled Yoga Sandbags
Pilates Ball:
Two great uses: posture and mobility. If you are interested in either, then pickup up a pair of these will greatly aid your home practice. First for posture, placing the Pilates ball into your arm pit gives the lung more space to expand. I’ll do this sitting at my desk or while lounging on the couch and it really makes a difference. Secondly for mobility, if you are working on increasing joint space in the hips or shoulders, a Pilates ball can be great for isolating movements and creating stability.
What I Purchased: 1 pound weighted Pilates ball
Hopefully this helps! Let me know what you use in the comments.
