Choosing to use a prop in yoga isn’t always  a practical decision but more often an emotional one.

Each prop carries a unique energy and symbolism, resonating differently with individuals.

Whether it’s the comforting embrace of a bolster or the grounding stability of a block, or your nervous system feeling supported nestled into a meditation cushion, we may gravitate towards props that evoke a sense of safety, support, or empowerment or indeed shy away from them completely feeling that they are an indicator or inability or beginner status.

In an active practice they can feel like a fiddle to incorporate and theres an argument for not using them to avoid trying to make the shapes at any expense and centralising that as a concept or goal. But for those who know the dark arts of rest and the incredibly transformative qualities of a soft and supportive practice, props are golden.

( I secretly think the vast majority of my private clients only come for the cushions, bolsters, heated blankets, heated eye masks and meditation pillows and its worth it for the smiles, joy and comfort they provoke)

Our choices reflect not only physical needs but also emotional connections, making the yoga practice a deeply personal journey of self-discovery and growth and our views on using them generally changes as our practice evolves.

So, next time you reach for a prop, consider the emotions it stirs within you, our attachments, our aversions, our ego, our misunderstanding of them- it might just reveal more than you expected about your inner landscape.