Why I love using a loop

If you have joined me for my Flow or Presence classes, you'll know I almost always ask you to have your loop -- also referred to as a yoga strap -- within reach.

Using a prop does not reflect your ability to find a particular shape. A prop is a supportive way to find that shape that meets you where you are.

Props like a loop can also help you maintain softness as you find a challenging pose.

My favourite way to use a loop is when finding reclined hand-to-big-toe pose. Using a loop here helps us to explore the often sticky spaces at the back of the body while keeping our shoulders down and resting.

Without a prop in this pose, we would be interlacing our hands at the back of our legs or wrapping our first two fingers around the big toe. The loops helps us to find the right kind of challenge in the backs of our legs, without being challenged by other spaces in our body, like our upper back or shoulders.

It also allows us to control the pose more readily and provides options like drawing small circles on the ceiling, increasing our proprioception, and improving mobility through the hip.

Some of the benefits of using a strap/loop in your practice are:

1. Improved Flexibility: Yoga straps can assist in stretching and increasing flexibility, especially for hard-to-reach areas of the body. By holding onto the strap and gently pulling or pushing, you can gradually and safely deepen your stretches, making them more effective and helping to improve flexibility over time.

2. Enhanced Alignment: Proper alignment is crucial in yoga to prevent injuries and get the most out of each pose. A yoga strap can help you achieve and maintain correct alignment by providing support and guidance. It can help you align your body in poses that require reaching or twisting, ensuring that you are practicing with proper form.

3. Increased Range of Motion: Yoga straps can be used to expand your range of motion by allowing you to go deeper into poses that would otherwise be challenging. They can help you extend your reach, improve your posture, and explore new variations of poses, enabling you to progress in your yoga practice.

4. Injury Prevention: Yoga straps can be used to reduce the risk of injuries by providing support and stability. They can assist in maintaining proper alignment, preventing strain or overstretching, and avoiding undue pressure on joints or muscles. This can be particularly helpful for beginners, individuals with limited flexibility or mobility, or those recovering from injuries.

5. Deepened Relaxation: Yoga props, including straps, can help you relax into poses and release tension, allowing you to experience a deeper sense of relaxation and calm during your practice. Straps can be used to support restorative poses, helping you hold poses for longer periods of time without straining, which can promote relaxation and stress relief.

6. Versatility: Yoga straps are versatile props that can be used in various ways to support different poses, making your practice more accessible and enjoyable. They can be used in seated poses, standing poses, balancing poses, and even in inversions, offering endless possibilities for modifications and variations.

7. Independence: Yoga straps can provide you with a sense of independence in your practice, allowing you to perform poses that may require more strength or flexibility than you currently possess. They can be used as an extension of your arms or legs, helping you explore new poses and movements without relying on assistance from others.

Props are tools to aid your practice and that benefit your practice. Other ways to incorporate a loop into your practice include:

• Around the back of your knee in figure four or wind-reliever.

• In cow face pose, a loop here can help as you work your hands toward each other, maintaining some softness through your hands while keeping your spine long.

• You can also use your loop around your arms in downward dog (check out this Instagram Post!) to develop a sense of feedback in your postures.

Remember, the time on your mat is yours. Take what you need. Honouring your body with the use of supports like blocks and loops is a powerful form of self-care.