Yoga straps are an essential part of yoga practice whether you're a beginner, advanced or somewhere in between yogi. To break it down a little further and explain why you need one in your yogi tool kit, we've outlined all the things a yoga strap can be used for in your practice below!
Lengthening the body is vital in creating a state of homeostasis, the steady-state of internal, physical and chemical conditions inside of our bodies. Using the strap to maximise our length allows us to physically balance our body and access and focus on those smaller areas that are imbalanced. One way to see this is if you stand in front of a mirror with your hands straight out in front of you. Then, raise your hands up and watch your shoulders to see which turns first. We often end up with more tightness in one side compared to the other due to our stronger side and arm. Now do this same motion with the strap and you will notice you are able to keep the proper motion in line. This helps us to elongate that muscle and improve our range of motion.
Many yogi's flow, but often do not actively engage their muscles throughout poses. A yoga strap helps to add resistance and activate those muscles and tension line to strengthen and help with balance throughout the body.
Many of us end up not being quite as active as we would want to be due to sitting in the office, commuting, traffic and so on. Over time, this can cause muscles and fibers to shorten or develop in ways that limit our range of motion. Some of our muscles may even need a jump start in remembering how to engage them through certain movements and sending awareness to that area. This is where the strap comes in! Using your strap, you're able to explore poses and postures in a safe and controlled way, identify any problem areas and imbalances and then use the strap to assist you in engaging those.
Unfortunately, we can't always have a certified yoga instructor by our side to assist, but a yoga strap is a great stand in for when we're practicing alone. A yoga strap is the single best piece of equipment you can have to help you get deeper into poses and stretches that you need to spend some extra time in. From here you can make small and safe adjustments to correct sometimes years of bad habits! In poses that require compound movements of major muscle groups, such as Skandasana, the strap can assist in engaging the back whilst you mentally focus on working into the hips.
If you would like to explore and delve deeper into incorporating your yoga strap into your practice, we have put together a Surya Namaskara Using a Yoga Strap flow. Surya Namaskara, also known as sun salutations, is regarded by many to be the single best flow for maintaining vitality, spine mobility, and overall organ health well into your later years.
If you don't have you own yoga strap, then not to worry, we'll give you one for FREE. All we ask is that you pay the shipping. So grab your strap, and meet us at the top of your mat!