Yoga Block Exercises: 5 Variations to Fire Up Your Practice

Yoga blocks are a easy and cheap prop typically ignored by yogis who wish to problem their apply. Many don’t know any good difficult yoga block workouts to include into their apply.

Sadly, blocks are sometimes considered instruments only for learners. Though they're nice props to assist assist learners, their usefulness doesn’t finish there.

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

Tips on how to Use Yoga Block Workouts to Problem Your Apply

One of many best methods to up the ante with blocks is to stability on them moderately than your yoga mat. Commonplace 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 strong ground or mat. Your ft and core should work a bit tougher to search out stability on a supple floor.

Right here’s Tips on how to Use Blocks in 10 Widespread Poses (With Modifications to Ease or Deepen Every Posture)

When utilizing blocks for these poses, take a while to kind a strong basis. Whether or not you’re standing, sitting, or balancing in your palms, make agency contact with the blocks.

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

Attempt These 5 Yoga Block Workouts to Problem Your Apply:

For this yoga tutorial, you'll need two yoga blocks. Seize your trusty blocks and prepare to sweat!

A fast technical word: In case your ft are longer than the block, then use a strap to safe two blocks collectively. The strap will preserve the blocks from sliding aside, so that you don’t stumble.
 

1. Chook Canine Pose/Balancing Tabletop (Bharmanasana Variation)

It is a nice warm-up posture to activate your core and discover your stability.

Let’s strive it:

• Begin in your palms and knees together with your palms lined up underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips
• Slide a block underneath your left hand
• Unfold your fingers extensive and press into the block
• Seize a second block and slide it again underneath your proper knee
• Convey your proper fingertips again to the bottom for stability
• Level your proper foot so your toes are off the bottom
• Hover your left shin off the bottom
• After you have your stability, lengthen your left leg again till it's parallel to the bottom
• Level your left foot
• Prolong your proper arm lengthy in entrance of you together with your palm going through in and your fingertips stretching ahead
• Use your core to assist your backbone and assist discover size within the pose
• Return to all fours on the bottom earlier than attempting on the opposite aspect

2. Atomic Canine (Adho Mukha Svanasana Variation)

This yoga block train takes your Down Canine to a complete new stage and builds on Chook Canine Pose.

Don’t be shocked if it takes you just a few tries to get into this pose. When you discover your blocks slipping beneath you, then transfer them onto a sticky yoga mat.

Let’s strive it:

• Begin in Down Canine with one block on the surface of your left hand and one on the within of your proper foot
• Transfer your left hand and proper foot onto the block
• Unfold your left fingers extensive on the block and grip together with your fingertips
• Add a little bit 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
• Carry your left leg into the air discovering 3-Legged Canine with a straight leg
• Maintain your hips impartial on this pose by dropping your left hip in keeping with your proper and internally rotating your left leg barely at your hip socket
• Come onto your proper fingertips
• After you have your stability, lengthen 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
• Attempt to stabilize and maintain for as much as 5 breaths
• Deliberately come off the blocks earlier than attempting the opposite aspect

 
Use a Yoga Wheel to Flip Up the Warmth In These 7 Poses (Photograph 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 further carry and chest opening.

Let’s strive it:

• Begin in Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) with a block close by and your legs hip-width aside
• Slide your block on its shortest peak underneath your decrease ribs
• Carry and lengthen your legs briefly to decompress your decrease again
• Bend your knees and convey your ft up towards your glutes
• Attain again and seize the within or exterior of your ankles
• Press your hip and pubic bone into the bottom
• Relax together with your ft, lifting your chest and shoulders additional off the block
• When you flared your knees wider than hip-distance whereas coming into the pose, deliver them again in keeping with your hips
• Maintain for 5 breaths, launch your legs, and take away the block
• Bend your knees and let your ankles fall back and forth to launch pressure from the pose

4. Dancer on a Block (Natarajasana Variation)

When 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 will not be as elegant as regular with this added problem. Take it gradual and work as much as your full expression.

Let’s strive it:

• Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) together with your proper foot on a block
• You'll be able to kickstand your left foot to the bottom to begin with till you discover your stability
• Press into all 4 corners of your proper foot, and carry gently via the arch
• Floor 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
• Attain again together with your left hand and seize your foot or ankle
• Attain 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 search out stability
• With management, kick your left leg again and up as you hinge ahead into Dancer’s Pose
• Carry 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) Acquired Its Identify
 

5. Boat Pose on a Block (Navasana)

Nobody actually loves Boat Pose, and also you would possibly like 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 effectively, making it full of advantages to your physique.

Let’s strive it:

• Place your yoga block on the ground on its shortest peak
• 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 begin with
• Prolong your arms lengthy beside your knees, together with your palms going through one another
• Lean again and discover your stability in your sitting bones and tailbone
• Draw your core muscle groups in towards your backbone for assist
• Carry your legs, bringing your shins parallel to the ground, or lengthen them absolutely to make a “V” form
• Maintain for as much as 10 breaths

Use These Yoga Block Workouts to Hearth Up Your Apply

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

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

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

Able to Attempt Out Some Yoga Block Workouts?

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With Samy Mattei

22-minutes Class | Newbie

0——37—————June 10, 2022