Yoga blocks are a easy and cheap prop usually neglected by yogis who need to problem their follow. Many don’t know any good difficult yoga block workouts to include into their follow.

Unfortunately, blocks are sometimes regarded as instruments only for newbies. Although they’re nice props to assist help newbies, their usefulness doesn’t finish there.

If you’re trying to problem and shake up your asana follow, it’s time to reintroduce blocks to your follow.
 

 
 

How to Use Yoga Block Exercises to Challenge Your Practice

One of the simplest methods to up the ante with blocks is to stability on them somewhat than your yoga mat. Standard foam blocks are supportive, however nonetheless present a little bit of give.

The little little bit of give, or squishiness, makes balancing on the blocks far more difficult than the stable flooring or mat. Your toes and core need to work a bit tougher to seek out stability on a supple floor.

Here’s How to Use Blocks in 10 Common Poses (With Modifications to Ease or Deepen Each Posture)

When utilizing blocks for these poses, take a while to type a stable basis. Whether you’re standing, sitting, or balancing in your fingers, make agency contact with the blocks.

Spread your fingers, toes, or sitting bones and press into the block to offer your self as a lot floor space contact as you possibly can. Use your core to help and stabilize your entire physique, after which transfer into the pose.
 
 

Try These 5 Yoga Block Exercises to Challenge Your Practice:

For this yoga tutorial, you will have two yoga blocks. Grab your trusty blocks and prepare to sweat!

A fast technical observe: If your toes are longer than the block, then use a strap to safe two blocks collectively. The strap will maintain the blocks from sliding aside, so that you don’t stumble.
 

1. Bird Dog Pose/Balancing Tabletop (Bharmanasana Variation)

This is a good warm-up posture to activate your core and discover your stability.

Let’s attempt it:

• Start in your fingers and knees together with your fingers lined up underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips
• Slide a block underneath your left hand
• Spread your fingers vast and press into the block
• Grab a second block and slide it again underneath your proper knee
• Bring your proper fingertips again to the bottom for stability
• Point your proper foot so your toes are off the bottom
• Hover your left shin off the bottom
• Once you could have your stability, prolong your left leg again till it’s parallel to the bottom
• Point your left foot
• Extend your proper arm lengthy in entrance of you together with your palm dealing with in and your fingertips stretching ahead
• Use your core to help your backbone and assist discover size within the pose
• Return to all fours on the bottom earlier than attempting on the opposite facet

 

2. Atomic Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana Variation)

This yoga block train takes your Down Dog to a complete new degree and builds on Bird Dog Pose.

Don’t be stunned if it takes you a number of tries to get into this pose. If you discover your blocks slipping beneath you, then transfer them onto a sticky yoga mat.

Let’s attempt it:

• Start in Down Dog with one block on the surface of your left hand and one on the within of your proper foot
• Move your left hand and proper foot onto the block
• Spread your left fingers vast on the block and grip together with your fingertips
• Add a bit of lifting motion to your wrist to maintain from dumping into your hand
• Press your toes, ball mound, and the heel of your proper foot (if it reaches!) into the block
• Lift your left leg into the air discovering 3-Legged Dog with a straight leg
• Keep your hips impartial on this pose by dropping your left hip consistent with your proper and internally rotating your left leg barely at your hip socket
• Come onto your proper fingertips
• Once you could have your stability, prolong your proper arm again by your hips
• Gaze wherever you discover probably the most stability, so long as it’s not creating pressure in your neck
• Try to stabilize and maintain for as much as 5 breaths
• Intentionally come off the blocks earlier than attempting the opposite facet

 
Use a Yoga Wheel to Turn Up the Heat In These 7 Poses (Photo Tutorial)
 

3. Lifted Bow (Dhanurasana Variation)

As you progress together with your Bow Pose, you’ll start to shift your weight extra into your thighs and off your stomach and chest. Use a block underneath your ribs to assist in giving you some additional raise and chest opening.

Let’s attempt it:

• Start in Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) with a block close by and your legs hip-width aside
• Slide your block on its shortest top underneath your decrease ribs
• Lift and lengthen your legs briefly to decompress your decrease again
• Bend your knees and convey your toes up towards your glutes
• Reach again and seize the within or exterior of your ankles
• Press your hip and pubic bone into the bottom
• Kick again together with your toes, lifting your chest and shoulders additional off the block
• If you flared your knees wider than hip-distance whereas coming into the pose, convey them again consistent with your hips
• Hold for 5 breaths, launch your legs, and take away the block
• Bend your knees and let your ankles fall backward and forward to launch pressure from the pose

 

 
 

4. Dancer on a Block (Natarajasana Variation)

If you glide into Dancer’s Pose with ease, then it’s time to problem your stability by standing on a block. Your Dancer’s Pose might not be as elegant as regular with this added problem. Take it sluggish and work as much as your full expression.

Let’s attempt it:

• Start in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) together with your proper foot on a block
• You can kickstand your left foot to the bottom to start out with till you discover your stability
• Press into all 4 corners of your proper foot, and raise gently via the arch
• Ground every of your toes into the block to make sure you have most contact
• Bend your left leg and convey your heel towards your bum
• Reach again together with your left hand and seize your foot or ankle
• Reach your proper arm as much as the sky, internally rotating your arm so your palm faces in
• Activate your core with out changing into inflexible to seek out stability
• With management, kick your left leg again and up as you hinge ahead into Dancer’s Pose
• Lift via your chest and broaden throughout your collar bones
• Gaze ahead or at your prolonged proper hand
• With management launch your leg, step off the block, and discover Mountain Pose between sides

 
The Symbolic Story Behind How Natarajasana (Dancer Pose) Got Its Name
 

5. Boat Pose on a Block (Navasana)

No one actually loves Boat Pose, and also you may adore it even much less after attempting it on a block. This yoga block train builds on the core work by including a little bit of a stability problem to it as nicely, making it full of advantages in your physique.

Let’s attempt it:

• Place your yoga block on the ground on its shortest top
• Sit on the block guaranteeing each of your sitting bones are making contact with the block
• Use two blocks subsequent to one another for a bit extra room if desired
• Bend your knees, leaving your toes on the bottom to start out with
• Extend your arms lengthy beside your knees, together with your palms dealing with one another
• Lean again and discover your stability in your sitting bones and tailbone
• Draw your core muscle groups in towards your backbone for help
• Lift your legs, bringing your shins parallel to the ground, or prolong them totally to make a “V” form
• Hold for as much as 10 breaths

 
 

Use These Yoga Block Exercises to Fire Up Your Practice

These poses might be difficult sufficient on their very own. So for those who’re nonetheless having hassle discovering stability and breath in these asanas with out the block, then you definitely’ll need to get comfy with the poses first earlier than including the extra problem.

Besides the added problem, training acquainted poses in a brand new means will help to reawaken your follow and invigorate your body-breath-brain connection. Not solely will you shake issues up, however you may even re-discover a few of these core stabilization muscle groups.

The subsequent time you’re feeling bored or unchallenged by your follow, seize a few blocks and provides these yoga block workouts a attempt!
 
 

Ready to Try Out Some Yoga Block Exercises?

Practice Yoga with Props with Samy Mattei on YA Classes!

With Samy Mattei

22-minutes Class | Beginner

0——0—————June 10, 2022