Tools and props have always helped man improve their skills in any practice. We learn to ride bikes by starting with training wheels and we use floaties to help us learn how to swim. In yoga, there are certain tools and props, like the yoga wheel and yoga pillow, that are said to help beginner yogis and yoginis the same way training wheels and floaties help bikers and swimmers. But do they really?
Yoga has been around for thousands of years but has only recently seen a spike in practitioners. Along with this increase of yogis and yoginis, we see a massive increase in businesses that want to take advantage of yoga’s newfound popularity. The yoga tool and prop market is booming and this article discusses their purpose in one’s yoga practice.
About Yoga and Why We Have Yoga Socks, The Yoga Wheel, and Drunk Yoga
Yoga is a mind and body practice that’s been around for thousands of years – 5,000 years to be exact. The practice involves various physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. Yoga was first practiced to grow spiritually. But it has so many physical and mental benefits as well hence its rapid growth in popularity in the Western world.
With this popularity came the entrepreneurs who wanted to take advantage of the hype. While there are those who genuinely want to spread the practice, many entrepreneurs only want to make a pretty penny. Today, you can’t walk three blocks without seeing a yoga studio or at least an advertisement for a yoga class.
You’ll find shops selling yoga-specific gear like yoga socks, yoga tools like yoga blocks, special variations of yoga like hot yoga where you practice in a hot, humid room, or drunk yoga where you drink wine or beer between poses.
Yoga Socks and Other Gear
Fitness, in general, has become more popular with the rise of fitness influencers on social media. That said, workout gear is not uncommon, especially in recent times. But workout gear has become increasingly workout-specific as certain workouts gain popularity – yoga included.
There are yoga-specific leggings, shirts, gloves, and even socks. The practice of yoga involves a lot of stretching and sweating so it’s understandable that people would want to use gear that enables them to stretch more and sweat less.
Yoga socks are special gear that have grips at the sole to prevent yogis and yoginis from slipping.
Part of the practice involves focus and concentration. Being inconvenienced with sweat, uncomfortable gear, and slipping can definitely shift one’s focus away from the practice. So yoga-specific gear would come in handy if these inconveniences are distracting.
However, they still aren’t exactly necessary for the practice. Before all the hype, yogis and yoginis wore dhotis – sarongs that resemble trousers that make for a comfortable yoga flow. Some people even practice naked.
The Yoga Wheel
Yoga wheels aren’t exactly common and they’re pretty new to the yoga world – they definitely weren’t around 5,000 years ago – but they’re known to be helpful to beginners who are just dipping their feet into the practice.
Yoga wheels are basically cylinders around 12 inches in diameter. They can be made from wood or plastic and is used to help beginners deepen their stretches to enhance flexibility or support them as they do difficult poses. This gives beginners a safe way to get into the stances they want. More advanced users may also use a yoga wheel to make their practice more challenging.
Regardless of skill level, yogis and yoginis can use the yoga wheel to relieve aches and pains. Certain poses done with the help of a yoga wheel can help diminish aches felt in the abdomen, chest, shoulders, and hips. Those suffering from back pain can also benefit from this tool as it can massage the length of one’s spine.
Early yogis and yoginis definitely did not have the yoga wheel to aid them in their practice. They had to build strength and flexibility the hard way. So this tool is not exactly essential for one’s practice. However, it’s proven to significantly help beginners progress more quickly.
Yoga Pillows
Yoga pillows or bolsters are basically firm body pillows that can be rectangular or circular in shape. They’re used by yogis and yoginis to encourage relaxation. This tool is used more for the spiritual aspect of yoga, to provide comfort as one clears their mind and meditates.
Despite being made for meditation, it also helps with one’s physical form as it helps soften one’s posture and aids in opening one’s body. Like the yoga wheel, it can be used to support your poses and increase your stretching as well. For this reason, it’s also found to be especially useful for certain types of yoga like restorative and prenatal yoga.
While some people do find yoga bolsters useful, they’re not necessary at all. One can achieve the same results from using a normal throw pillow or floor pillow. Heck, one doesn’t even need a pillow at all. Meditation can be achieved anywhere regardless of what they have.
Meditation can be hard, though. Without a trained mind, it’s easier for one to get distracted by sounds, sights, and sensations during a meditation session. Beginners may find this aspect of yoga difficult but may find it easier to do with the help of a yoga pillow.
To practice yoga, one doesn’t need anything but their bodies, really. However, those who are just starting out may need extra help from yoga tools to ease into the practice more. They can use these tools and props to help them build strength until they’re able to practice on their own and perform all the poses comfortably.
More advanced yogis can still benefit from these tools as well. Even though they don’t particularly need help with their practice, they can still enjoy the increased comfort that yoga gear can provide, the deeper stretches that a yoga wheel can help with, and increased relaxation from yoga pillows.
Leave a Reply