The classic yoga prop provides support, creates proper alignment, and grows with you as you progress in your practice.
Do More With is a series highlighting equipment around the Club that can help you reach your fitness goals. In this installment, we highlight the yoga block, available on the Club floor and in the yoga studio.
As a longtime yoga instructor, I can assure you that a yoga block is an essential prop for any practice. It’s a tool that can both support you through your flow — helping to lift the floor, provide stability, and establish proper alignment — and further you in your yoga journey, adding the challenge of increased instability and range of motion, to name a few perks.
Yet, some folks may not be taking advantage of the small, foam- or cork-based rectangles, whether it be due to a lack of knowledge of the benefits and uses or a bit of self-consciousness. Sound like you? Here’s why, in my point of view, the yoga block is beneficial for all levels and can truly transform your practice.
Why Practice with Yoga Blocks
Traditionally, a yoga block is used as a prop to bring the floor to you. Imagine practicing triangle pose: Your legs are spread wide on the mat, and you’re hinging forward from the hips to lower one hand toward your foot while reaching your other hand toward the ceiling. If you have a hip impingement or limited flexibility in the hamstrings, you might struggle to reach the floor. Fight through those limitations anyway, and you could end up folding through your upper back rather than the hips, causing tension and pain.
Enter: a yoga block. Set it next to your front foot and, depending on which side of the block you’re using, you can raise the height of the floor by up to nine inches or so. Then, when you settle into the pose, place your hand on the block instead of the ground beneath you. Basically, this allows you to keep your spine in proper alignment so nothing feels achy. Plus, you’ll be able to release deeper into the stretch, as the support under your hand allows your back to relax into the fold — not tense up and overstretch.
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On a similar note, a yoga block allows you to feel more supported and well-aligned in any posture. For example, you can place a block under your back hip during pigeon pose or under each of your arms in a plank to allow the chest to get a little bit more length and to keep the head lifted above the heels. Ultimately, those poses will become much more effective.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced practitioner, a yoga block can provide stability as you dip your toes into balance-challenging postures. Think of the half-moon pose. Just one leg supports all of your body weight in this posture. One arm is extended up toward the ceiling and the other is extended toward the floor. Adding a yoga block to the mix brings the floor to you and offers stability. You can place your hand on it and ground down without needing to soften your standing leg — or feel like you’re on the verge of toppling over.
There are even ways to use yoga blocks to enhance your practice and make things more difficult. You can place one foot on a block for a deficit lunge, which creates additional depth and space for your body to move and adds an element of instability. It forces your body to find the center of the foot, helping you spread your weight as opposed to favoring one side. Don’t worry: The block is sturdy enough that you can really ground yourself.
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It’s important to remember that bodies are constantly changing, and how you feel one day may not ring true the next. A yoga block allows you to embrace your chosen posture regardless of how tight and stiff you are. Think of something like a seated forward bend. Imagine your legs are extended in front of you and you’re folding forward from the hips. If you’re not able to fully release one day — no matter how experienced you are — stack a block underneath your head, either vertically or horizontally. The added support will allow your body to completely give in and release into the posture, ensuring you reap all its benefits.
How to Use Yoga Blocks
Too many people, especially at the beginner and advanced levels, overlook the value of a yoga block. When it comes to beginners, you can bring the floor to you in a lunge or pyramid pose by having one block on each side of your front foot to offer balance support. Or, use the prop to support one part of your body so you can fully relax into the stretch. There are no wrong answers.
As you advance, you can use the blocks to lift the floor so that jump-throughs and core work can become more invigorating. Similarly, once you’ve achieved your full split, placing the yoga block under your front heel allows you to get into the more complex oversplit. You can also use the prop to create an unstable or uneven challenge for the body. Much like front-foot-elevated lunges, you can place one hand on a block for a single-arm-elevated push-up, which makes the traditional exercise significantly harder. Even if you consider yourself a pro, there’s so much that a block can teach you about alignment; to double-check that you’re using your triceps correctly in crow pose, for instance, you can place a yoga block in between your elbows.
If barre is in your wheelhouse, a yoga block can help you progress that workout, too. The prop can be squeezed with the thighs, arms, and other body parts to create a feeling of resistance and openness. For example, if you put it under your elbow next to your ribcage, you can really feel your back open by pressing into it. If you hold the block between your palms in front of your sternum and press your hands into it (like you’re trying to clap your hands together), that’s a great way to force your chest to activate while simultaneously opening up your back. We usually use an exercise ball for those purposes. But because the block pushes back on you, so to speak, it allows you to enhance muscle engagement, openness, and alignment, depending on your goal.
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Regardless of the posture or purpose, the block should feel fully supportive of your body. With a cork block, which is denser than a softer foam version, make sure to place it under a fleshy area of your body, avoiding bones and joints (like the spine). You never want it to feel painful or press into you in an uncomfortable way.
The bottom line: A yoga block grows with you. It starts as a tool that helps you achieve postures that you can't do on your own, and then it eventually becomes a tool that helps take your practice to the next level. No matter your experience level, don’t discount its worth.
Michael J. Clark started as a dancer working with Beyonce and performing in two Broadway Tours which fueled their love of fitness. Having been with Equinox for 13 years, Michael has helped develop various Equinox Signature Programs including Sculpted Yoga, in addition to now being the Group Fitness Manager at Equinox Hudson Yards.