Stretch Your Practice: Four Ways to Use a Yoga Strap
Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or a complete beginner, there are times when we can all use a little help to go further and deeper in certain yoga poses. Meet the humble yoga strap – a simple and versatile accessory that provides valuable assistance in many yoga poses.
The yoga strap is useful for achieving a safe and precise alignment of yoga poses (asanas), especially if you have tight muscles or if your flexibility is not yet well developed.
Here Are Four of Our Favourite Ways to Use a Yoga Strap:
The ‘Up n Over’ shoulder raise:
If you spend long hours hunched over a keyboard or steering wheel, you’ll love this simple sequence! Designed to loosen tight, cranky shoulders, this strappy movement also opens up the chest for full, easy breathing and encourages good posture.
A Luscious Leg Stretch
This SuptaPadangustasana (reclining big toe pose) sequence is perfect for an evening wind-down and a welcome relaxation for stiff hips and tight thigh muscles. Here the sling allows the back to rest safely and the legs to stretch in three directions.
How to be Softer and Longer with a Sling:
- Lie on your back, knees bent, feet firmly on the mat.
- Lift your right leg up and loop the sling over your foot.
- Straighten your leg as much as you can
- Inhaling, lower your buttocks while pressing the foot into the strap.
- On an exhale, release a little to pull your foot closer to you.
The ‘Full Support Released’:
Released yoga poses are often reserved for a relaxed end to the class and are extremely relaxing. But sometimes it’s hard to let go if you don’t feel safe and supported!
That’s where our trusty support friend comes to the rescue. In SuptaBaddhaKonasana (Supported Bound Angle Pose), the yoga strap promises to hold us so securely that busy thoughts can drift away and the body’s natural ‘rest and digest’ mode can kick in, promoting deep relaxation and healing.
A ‘Reality Check’ is a Lean Forward:
Touch your toes? It’s easy, isn’t it? Sure, many of us touch our toes with a fanfare of moans, groans, strains and red-faced splashes, but yoga asks us to be honest and gentle with ourselves and respect our boundaries. And let’s face it, who hasn’t looked over at the mat next to them and thought, “If he can do it, so can I!” and almost freaked out when trying to achieve the same pose!
The ego gets in the way – getting in the way of getting the right alignment, trying to get how we think the pose should look – often at the expense of comfort and safety. It’s time to grab a sling, practice self-acceptance, and “know” your options!
How to Become Real with a Sling:
Sit on the mat with legs outstretched in Dandasana (stick pose) position.
- Keep your back high; consider sitting on a folded blanket to counteract the slouch.
- Wrap the sling around both legs (bend your knees to do this – we’re practicing kindness, remember).
- With arms comfortably straight, hold the sling with both hands.
- Breathe in as you lift your torso higher, breathe out as you bend forward from the hips, and imagine your torso as a hinged flap that closes over your legs.
- Guide your hands along each side of the strap while holding it along the length of your torso.
- Check that the spine is not curved; make corrections to keep the back straight.
- Watch your breathing – rise higher with each inhale. With each exhale, discover to ‘close the lid’ a little more.
- When you find your maximum forward bend, practice contentment and enjoy deep, conscious breaths.
How to Engage in Deep Relaxation:
(Grab a pillow and blanket for this pose)
- Place the recliner on the mat, add a folded blanket as a headrest.
- Sit on the bottom of the bolero, feet together, heels towards the groin.
- Loop the strap over the lower back and around the feet. This will hold the legs together and help the legs stay secure.
- Tighten the strap so that it feels comfortably tight.
- Lower it over the backrest with the legs stretched out to the sides.
- Support arms out to sides, palms up.
- Allow yourself to melt away, knowing that your props are lovingly “holding you”.
- If you like, cover your eyes and enjoy at least ten minutes here.
