Yoga Bolster: The Ideal Prop for Balanced Support
If you feel that you are ready to upgrade your yoga practice, especially when it comes to the intensity and longevity of each pose, you most certainly are in need of a yoga bolster. Some of you may think that just by repeating the exercises without the help of a bolster, you will get better results, but this cannot be further from the truth. In yoga, the most important aspect is the breathing and the prolonging of the pressure during each pose.
Everything that yoga does for you, from toning your body and helping you get rid of cellulite to truly strengthening your muscles (like those of martial arts masters) – all of this is made possible during those 2-3 extra minutes you endure a certain pose. Now, don’t be fooled by the word choice – endurism is not the purpose of yoga, but balance. In order to achieve balance, you should be able to stay in one same pose for longer, all while not feeling uncomfortable. Yes, you should feel a little bit of pressure, but it’s not supposed to make you hate yoga altogether.
A yoga bolster can help you challenge yourself without causing pain or discomfort. This is one of the many reasons why yoga bolsters Australia practitioners claim are becoming even more popular props than yoga mats.
In order to make the usage of this prop more tangible and understandable, take a look at our suggestions on how to upgrade a certain pose with a bolster.
Savasana
By placing the bolster directly under your knees you’ll be able to make this already relaxing pose even more enjoyable. This is one of the uses of the yoga bolster that will never get old, no matter how long you practice. Although it seems quite simple, this is one of the most important poses with which each session should start and end. It relaxes all of your muscles and prepares them for the following, much more demanding poses, or takes the stress off the muscles at the end of the session.
Upavistha Konasana
During this pose, the mat itself does not create enough space since it is used for spreading your legs as much as you can. The bolster will render it far more comfortable by giving support to your arms, neck and head. You can also slightly press your head on the bolster and check whether and how much your elasticity has improved.
Ustrasana
Some people find this pose rather easy, some find it really hard. This is when a bolster can come in really handy. By pressing your palms on it, you can decide when it’s time to go closer to the feet, until the day you’ll be able to do it properly without it.
The best reward of using a yoga bolster comes after several months, when your body becomes so strong from the well balanced poses, that even if you try to do them without a bolster, you will be equally successful. The type of yoga bolsters Australia yogis prefer have washable outer covers, firm, yet soft round shape and the materials featured are cotton and polyester.
