A yoga brick or yoga block is a smooth block of wood or of firm but comfortable material, such as hard foam rubber or cork, used as a prop in yoga as exercise.
The use of wooden bricks to assist in alignment was introduced by B. K. S. Iyengar, founder of Iyengar Yoga, and has spread to practices such as Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga.
B. K. S. Iyengar, who founded Iyengar Yoga in the 1970s, introduced the use of yoga props including bricks and straps to assist his students towards correct alignment in the asanas. He recommended that yoga bricks be similar in size to a house brick, 9 x 4.5 x 3 inches (22.5 x 11 x 7.5 cm) in size. [1] [2] Iyengar yoga institutions sell unbranded props such as bricks, belts, bolsters and blankets. [3] [4]
Yoga bricks are manufactured in a variety of materials, sizes, and colours. Lydia Willgress, writing in The Independent , states that the key considerations are the hardness of the material, which influences the comfort and support they provide; size and weight; and appearance. [5] Some brands, such as Lululemon, also provide "motivational messaging" [5] on both the packaging and the actual block. [5]
Practitioners may choose to own only a single block, but some asanas require a block under each hand, or a stack of two blocks, so purchasing a set of two may be practical and economical on shipping costs. [1]
The earliest yoga bricks were made of wood, providing excellent support and durability but relatively little comfort. They are hard, often heavy, expensive, and tend to become slippery when wet. These considerations led to the development of yoga bricks in other materials, and to the marketing of hollow wooden blocks, which are lighter but more costly and less durable. [1] Woods used include hardwoods like birch and maple, and softwoods like pine; hardwood blocks are heavier (up to about 2.5 pounds or 1.1 kg) and more durable than those made of softwood. [2] Lightweight wooden blocks made of balsa are available from some manufacturers. [6] Bamboo blocks are durable, but relatively expensive. [7]
Cork is a natural material, making it an attractive choice for yoga practitioners concerned about ecological impact. [5] It provides good grip, and since it is naturally waterproof, it usefully resists absorbing sweat. [5] All the same, they do eventually absorb odours, and they also tend to crumble with use. [1]
Foam plastic or rubber blocks (often EVA foam) are lighter than cork, ranging between 200 and 400 grams (7 to 14 ounces), so are convenient to carry around, and they are often inexpensive, so they are widely used by yoga studios. [5] [1] [2] Those of relatively soft foam are comfortable to sit on, but provide less support for other parts of the body as may be needed in the more advanced asanas. [5] [1]
Manufacturers such as Manduka make recycled foam blocks, offering the combination of a light and strong prop with a low ecological impact. [8]
The yoga teacher Benna Crawford notes that brick and block are usually synonyms for the same yoga props, but that manufacturers sometimes use "brick" for a slim one, about 2 inches (5 cm) thick, and "block" for a thicker one of 3 inches (7.5 cm) and above. [6]
Most yoga bricks are cuboidal blocks, often with chamfered edges for comfort. Well-designed blocks have unequal length, width, and thickness, offering three different heights for different uses in the yoga class. [5] Some manufacturers have explored other shapes; for example, Yogamatters make an oval block, comfortable for sitting but less versatile as a support. [5]
The yoga teacher and author Candace Moore writes that yoga bricks can be useful for both beginners and advanced practitioners. Beginners can benefit from supporting their hand in asanas such as Trikonasana, Triangle pose, sitting on a block in a forward bend such as Paschimottanasana, or supporting one buttock in Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana (King Pigeon pose), giving a beneficial forward tilt to the pelvis. [7] [9] Moore suggests that a pair of blocks can be used to support the knees in the seated Baddha Konasana, Cobbler's pose, [7] while practitioners can work towards more advanced poses using a block under each hand to practice arm balances such as Eka Hasta Bhujasana (Elephant's Trunk pose), a preparatory asana for Astavakrasana. [7] Similarly, in Iyengar Yoga, a pair of yoga bricks can be used under the feet in Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upwards Bow pose) to enable the lower trunk to lift better, or the hands can be placed on yoga bricks. [10]
Yin Yoga (founded c. 1975) uses props such as blocks to help get sensation into whichever area is of concern; the purpose may be to increase stress in an area, to reduce stress where it is not wanted, to make some poses accessible to the practitioner, to provide enough support to allow the muscles to let go, and to make poses more comfortable, permitting them to be held for longer. The Yin Yoga teacher Sarah Powers explains that "When the bones feel supported, the muscles can relax;" [11] an example is the use of blocks to support the knees in Butterfly pose, the Yin equivalent of Baddha Konasana. [11]
Restorative Yoga (founded c. 2007) uses blocks extensively, for example arranging them under a bolster to create a ramp or to raise a part of the body. [2]
Iyengar Yoga, named after and developed by B. K. S. Iyengar, and described in his bestselling 1966 book Light on Yoga, is a form of yoga as exercise that has an emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of yoga postures (asanas).
Lotus position or Padmasana is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha yoga, and is widely used for meditation in Hindu, Tantra, Jain, and Buddhist traditions.
Pashchimottanasana, Seated Forward Bend, or Intense Dorsal Stretch is a seated forward-bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. Janusirsasana is a variant with one knee bent out to the side; Upavishthakonasana has the legs straight and wide apart.
Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. It is commonly performed in a cycle of asanas in Surya Namaskar, Salute to the Sun, as an alternative to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Upward Dog Pose. The Yin Yoga form is Sphinx Pose.
Sarvangasana, Shoulder stand, or more fully Salamba Sarvangasana, is an inverted asana in modern yoga as exercise; similar poses were used in medieval hatha yoga as a mudra.
Halasana or Plough pose is an inverted asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. Its variations include Karnapidasana with the knees by the ears, and Supta Konasana with the feet wide apart.
Trikonasana or Utthita Trikonasana, [Extended] Triangle Pose is a standing asana in modern yoga as exercise. Variations include Baddha Trikonasana and Parivrtta Trikonasana.
Shavasana, Corpse Pose, or Mritasana, is an asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, often used for relaxation at the end of a session. It is the usual pose for the practice of yoga nidra meditation, and is an important pose in Restorative Yoga.
Viparita Karani or legs up the wall pose is both an asana and a mudra in hatha yoga. In modern yoga as exercise, it is commonly a fully supported pose using a wall and sometimes a pile of blankets, where it is considered a restful practice. As a mudra it was practised using any preferred inversion, such as a headstand or shoulderstand. The purpose of the mudra was to reverse the downward flow of vital fluid being lost from the head, using gravity.
Chakrasana or Urdhva Dhanurasana is a backbending asana in yoga as exercise. The one-legged variant is often chosen by yoga practitioners who wish to advertise themselves.
Akarna Dhanurasana, also called the Archer pose, Bow and Arrow pose, or Shooting Bow pose is an asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. The posture resembles an archer about to release an arrow.
Ardha Chandrasana or Half Moon Pose is a standing asana in modern yoga as exercise.
Gomukhasana or Cow Face Pose is a seated asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, sometimes used for meditation.
Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle Pose, Butterfly Pose, or Cobbler's Pose, and historically called Bhadrasana, Throne Pose, is a seated asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. If the knees rest on the floor, it is suitable as a meditation seat.
Meditative postures or meditation seats are the body positions or asanas, usually sitting but also sometimes standing or reclining, used to facilitate meditation. Best known in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions are the lotus and kneeling positions; other options include sitting on a chair, with the spine upright.
Virabhadrasana or Warrior Pose is a group of related lunging standing asanas in modern yoga as exercise commemorating the exploits of a mythical warrior, Virabhadra. The name of the pose derives from the Hindu myth, but the pose is not recorded in the hatha yoga tradition until the 20th century. Virabhadrasana has some similarity with poses in the gymnastics of Niels Bukh the early 20th century; it has been suggested that it was adopted into yoga from the tradition of physical culture in India at that time, which was influenced by European gymnastics.
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Rajakapotasana, or [One-legged] King Pigeon Pose is a seated back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. The Yin Yoga form of the asana is named Swan Pose, while the Aerial yoga variant, supported in a hammock, is called Flying Pigeon Pose. The basic pose is described in the 20th century by two of Krishnamacharya's pupils, Pattabhi Jois and B. K. S. Iyengar; several other variants have been created. It is one of the yoga poses often used in advertising to convey desired qualities such as flexibility and grace.
Prasarita Padottanasana or Wide Stance Forward Bend is a standing forward bend asana in modern yoga as exercise.
Restorative Yoga is the practice of asanas, each held for longer than in conventional yoga as exercise classes, often with the support of props such as folded blankets, to relax the body, reduce stress, and often to prepare for pranayama.
Props used in yoga include chairs, blocks, belts, mats, blankets, bolsters, and straps. They are used in postural yoga to assist with correct alignment in an asana, for ease in mindful yoga practice, to enable poses to be held for longer periods in Yin Yoga, where support may allow muscles to relax, and to enable people with movement restricted for any reason, such as stiffness, injury, or arthritis, to continue with their practice.
