Supporting Your Body and Strengthening Your Practice with Props
Your Inner Yogi recently welcomed Dr. Krishana Clark, DC, RYT-200, to the studio for a sensual slow flow class and a special workshop on The Art of Props. We were blown away by her intuitive teaching that invited students to deepen their mind-body connection and move with purpose. As we seek to promote a stronger relationship with ourselves—the most important human relationship we’ll ever cultivate—we’re excited to share Dr. Krishana’s wisdom with our readers and students.
“A strategically placed prop can elevate the physical and spiritual trajectory of your yoga practice.” ~Leeann Carey
The Art of Props
The human body never ceases to amaze me! We are intelligently designed and can achieve great things through this vessel. Our body, continuously compensating to keep us functioning and alive, when injured, compensates to protect and keep us expressing life. Muscles, organs, tissues, and cells begin functioning differently for survival. The journey of studying the body in all its awe and glory has continued to lead me on a path to help people move well while deepening the exploration of self.
No one knows their body better than themselves. We live with it and carry it with us everywhere we go. We never detach from it, EVER! Learning to better understand our bodies and how to live in them can enhance our existence. A little support goes a long way. Props are simple tools that we can use to support our body’s needs during yoga practice, creating space to explore new experiences through movement.
Props Make “Going Deeper” more Accessible
We hold onto memories of pain and failure and work diligently work to avoid those experiences again. This is a survival mechanism that keeps us alive. But sometimes, this is a default reaction, one that can hamper our growth. Trusting ourselves on the mat is a BIG step. We are asked time and again to step outside of our comfort zone and into a situation, pose or asana that we’ve either never done or don’t think we are “good” at. We tell ourselves “I can’t do that” after one or two experiences with an unfamiliar or familiarly uncomfortable pose. And then we alter our practice to avoid it.
Props open new doors for us. They provide a challenge while maintaining support. They can play a valuable role in helping us heal old physical and emotional wounds. A purposefully placed prop can encourage us to explore and experience new positions we wouldn’t have otherwise attempted. Consider simple movements, like taking a block under our hands in a forward fold to bring the floor closer to us. Or placing a block under our feet in a forward fold, asking us to reach further. With either utilization, the block is meeting us where we are and allowing us to move deeper into exploration.
How Props have Evolved my Practice
I started exploring yoga with props in my personal practice to gain a deeper awareness of how I move. I wanted to explore what feels good/bad/awkward/amazing, and how I can move into challenging or intimidating postures with more ease and understanding. As a teacher, I feel it’s important to have a safe practice and one guided in enhancing awareness of self. Alignment cues are definitely helpful and beneficial, but no body is designed the same. Utilizing a prop can offer the guidance your body seeks in that moment. Whether it’s an engagement of a muscle group or a shift in perspective, a prop can support that area needing attention.
Initially I didn’t see the need for using props in my practice. I had the “I got this” attitude! I’d been practicing asana and didn’t need help. “I’m not weak; I am capable of doing this” were my first thoughts on props. If I was unable to transition into a pose, I would work like heck to try to find it on my own.
It wasn’t until one day, a friend placed a prop—with good intention and helpful hands—under my head in order to strengthen my crow pose. He asked my permission to help me (WHAT!?!). In that moment, every thought I had about props transformed. Before, props meant I couldn’t do it. Because I am so determined I knew that I was able to do it on my own. Maybe not in that exact moment but I would definitely get there. Yet afterwards I realized that with help, things don’t have to be so hard. Props, just like people, are supportive and helpful in challenging times.
Because you Can
Giving permission to be helped is so rewarding! It’s not because you can’t, it’s because you can. Support, courage, confidence, thoughtfulness, permission, and strength are all very empowering. Imagine now practicing while feeling empowered and encouraged. This practice is going to look and feel completely different in mind, body, and spirit.
Many times we cognitively, emotionally, physically detach, limiting our potential and the possibilities available to us. With a prop, we can approach a difficult posture with a certain amount of confidence. We begin to explore the possibilities of what can be. Trying and remaining open to the “this just might be crazy enough to work” idea. The movement that was once intimidating thus becomes more manageable and approachable. We’ve broken down our defenses and allowed for ourselves to play, creating a safe space on our mats and in our life. Props allow for a safety net, guidance, and support that’s not usually available to us. Through this added expansion and shift in perspective, our bodies begin to trust us again. Really we begin to trust or body and ourselves again.
“If you’re not willing to risk, you cannot grow. If you can’t grow, you’re not becoming your best. If you’re not becoming your best, you can’t be happy. And if you can’t be happy then what else is there!?!” ~Les Brow
About the Author
Dr. Krishana Clark is a chiropractor in North Carolina focusing on listening and gently nurturing one’s body to health. As chiropractic and yoga are great resources for healing and wellness, Krishana decided to obtain her 200-hour training certification from Wilmington Yoga Center at the beginning of 2017. Follow her on Instagram at @mydeeplyrooted and @intu_me_i_see and visit her website at mydeeplyrooted.weebly.com.