If you’re new to yoga practice, you may be wondering why you need a yoga block. Yoga involves different poses. This is why using a mat during yoga is practical, as well as accompanying this with other yoga accessories.
Yoga blocks are tools or props that help people who practice yoga in three basic ways:
- Serve as support
- Make poses easily accessible
- Develop strength
Yoga blocks are a common tool to help you correctly do yoga. If you’re not sure why a cork yoga block is necessary, below are some reasons to use one.
Benefits of cork yoga blocks
Using a yoga block for your yoga practice has the following benefits:
- Support tool with yoga
Generally, some yoga poses are difficult to achieve and maintain, but with the right tool, such as a yoga block, you can get your poses right and maximise the benefits of yoga. For instance, in bridge pose, placing a yoga block underneath your bottom can serve as support to help you get the posture correctly and relax into it.
- Develop strength with yoga blocks
Building strength from yoga involves adaptation. This requires your body to get used to the pose over time and add more challenges which help to strengthen the body.
Your body can get used to maintaining a pose over time, but it doesn’t necessarily strengthen you. However, adding a cork yoga block Australia to certain poses can help you develop strength.
For example, when you add more resistance with a yoga block when stretching out your hands during poses, you help your arms to build more strength
- Yoga blocks can add tension
Some yoga poses create more tension than others, and to enjoy the benefits of yoga, you need to relax in every pose without pain or discomfort. If a pose seems to be intense, you can add blocks to modify the pose and help you relax in it.
An example is the hero pose. Most people have a hard time holding the hero pose since it causes tightness in the quadriceps and ankles, but when you place a cork yoga block under your seat, it reduces the intensity of your stretch, allowing you to hold the pose for a longer period.
- Bring the ground closer with yoga blocks
You have to reach the floor in many yoga poses, but many people can’t achieve these poses without straining a joint or muscle. When you use a block for certain poses, you can bring the ground closer to you without straining your body and have a proper alignment.
For example, your back needs to be flat in the forward-fold pose, but if you have tight hamstrings and can’t reach the ground, your spine will become curved. However, adding a block to support your hands allows you to keep your back straight and enjoy the full hamstring stretch.
- Create asymmetry with yoga blocks
Different yoga poses keep the body in a symmetrical position. Still, others are asymmetrical, allowing two sides of your body to do different things traditionally to achieve progressive overload. Progressive overload involves applying the right next level of challenge to strengthen your body.
For example, the plank pose is symmetrical. When you bend your elbows to a low plank chaturanga pose, you still have a symmetrical pose, but this is more difficult to achieve since your muscles would be working harder to maintain the angle. You can make the pose asymmetrical by placing a block, low setting under one hand. This makes the affected shoulder work harder, and you can intensify the pose by lifting the opposite leg on the block.
Why cork yoga blocks are better to use
Different types of yoga blocks are available, but getting the right one is important to ensure your yoga poses are done correctly and that you enjoy the benefits of using a yoga block for yoga practice. Cork is natural, biodegradable and sustainable. Cork blocks also smell pleasantly ‘woody’ and have a lovely tactile surface. Cork also has natural anti-microbial properties making the block hygienic to use.
Cork yoga blocks are suitable for people who are new to yoga and those practising yoga for a long time. They are secure and firm, providing you with the required support for different yoga poses.
Visit Anjali Generation online to view our range of eco-friendly yoga accessories.
