I have been teaching yoga since 2013 and with the growing dependence on distance learning, I have seen more and more students practicing yoga from home.   Here are 4 tools you should have at home while practicing yoga!

Yoga Tools for Beginners at Home

Doing yoga at home is easier than we might have thought. Take a moment to gather items, set up a comfortable space, set aside a little time, and then you are on your way to a daily habit.  

1. Props

• Roll out your yoga mat (paid link) on any surface, the hardwood floor, tile, or carpet. A good mat can handle it!

• Grab your yoga block (paid link) or a stack of hard cover books in a pinch to help you reach further to the floor in standing poses. (See below for helpful tips about yoga Blocks!)

• Have a yoga strap (paid link) or towel handy to help with flexibility in seated poses.

• I prefer a Mexican Blanket (paid link) for yoga but any mid-weight blanket will do.  You can use a blanket for comfort in twists, savasana, and propping hips.

2. Set up your space

• Set up your yoga space near a blank wall if possible.  In a yoga class, there may not be room to use a wall so this is one of the benefits of yoga at home.  More wall yoga tips below- read on!

• Do not feel like you need a lot of room to practice yoga.  Your mat width and length is all you really need!

3. Internet Connection

• All you need is the internet connection and a devise to watch your favorite yoga teacher. 

• As a beginner, you may want to follow a teacher online.  May I suggest my studio, Yoga Traveler Online!  I offer recorded classes to be viewed anytime, one to one private sessions, and group classes!

4. Find the Time

• This may be the hardest tip- finding the time to practice yoga!

• Luckily, you do not need huge chunks lot of time to practice yoga.

• Strive to set aside 15-20 a few times a week to establish a good yoga habit.

• When we are at home, we cannot expect that we will spend an hour- hour and a half like we do in a studio class. In fact, 15-20 min a day of yoga is better than one class a week. It will keep your body constantly warm and bendy!

How to Use Yoga Blocks at Home

One of my favorite yoga tools for beginners at home is the yoga block.  Here are five ways you can use your blocks:

1. The block can be used as a gentle chest opener. You can place it along the spine or under the shoulder blades lengthwise. You will open your chest and heart by letting the shoulders roll back. Your throat is open, stimulating the thyroid. Knees bent will release pressure in your lower back. If your head does not reach the ground, use a second block under the head.

2. Use the blocks as a guide for alignment in chaturanga.  Placing shoulders on two blocks will help you to feel the angle of elbows and wrists for building up strength in the upper body.

3. Pigeon pose can be very challenging.  We try to line our bent leg perpendicular to the top of the mat.  This means that the hip may not come all the way to the floor.  So we place a block under the hip so that we can fully lengthen the other leg and feel balanced in the pose.  

4. Placing a block at the sacrum in bridge pose can lift our body and hold it in place while we relax our muscles.  We can relax our glutes and hamstrings while opening our chest and stretching the front of the body.

5. Use the block to reach for the floor in standing poses.  Take the ego out of it and enjoy better balance and stability in standing poses by bringing the floor closer to you! Blocks make yoga possible!

How to Use the Wall for Yoga at Home

The Wall is a wonderful yoga tool for beginners.  Here are some ideas to get you started with wall yoga poses.

I love this restorative pose- legs up the wall. We can relax our core and back as we reap the benefits for our circulation and metabolism.

The wall can be a powerful assist when learning the alignment needed for a handstand or head stand.  It is just simply less scary to be upside down when there is a strong wall behind you!

The wall can assist us in alignment while in forward folds.  It is easy to lean too far back on our heels when in Uttanasana or Prasarita Padottansana.  The wall will push us to line the hips with our heels and get a deeper stretch for the hamstrings.

Try this Yoga Wall Sequence at Home!